Hastings vs. Dobbs Ferry?

[doghead]

I'm a little jaded about Westchester. However, I am moving out of the Hastings area. I'm single and found it pretty boring. It has potential, but I found Hastings to be pretty lacking and very uninteresting. The best thing IMO about it is the laundromat. It's the cleanest one I've ever seen and everything works. All kidding aside, I found it to be very disappointing, filled with lawyers and suits. Just my opinion--like I said--I'm quite jaded with regard to Westchester.

[ceskykrumlov]

HI nsnyc-
After a lot of looking for housing and research into the schools, we have chosen Hastings. I recommend doing tours of the elementary and middle schools before you choose since that is a priority for you. I feel the same way about you regarding the pressure and was really, really pleased with what I saw at Hillside Elementary. They emphasize social and emotional learning, have a strong arts curriculum, incorporate environmental education into the curriculum using the adjacent nature trails, and seem to downplay test prep and the like. They also have Spanish for all kids from Kindergarten on up, something I didn't find at any other school I toured in Westchester. I also did a tour of Springhurst in Dobbs and it seems like a great school but a bit more traditional. I have a daughter who is about to turn 7 and we are moving there in the middle of February.

Doghead, I appreciated your comments, too, and I think I'd be bored if I were single living in Hastings. But for my family now it is what we are looking for--a walkable little village with a nice farmers market, good schools all the way through high school, an artsy vibe, a mix of blue collar and white collar inhabitants, easy train access to the city...and we are looking forward to walks on the old aqueduct trail and train hopping to the other river villages on the weekend. It has less of a traditional suburban feel to us than the towns on the LI side. So we are crossing our fingers it turns out to be what we are expecting.

Good luck to both of you and I hope you both find what you are looking for!

[doghead]

Cesky..yes, the walks on the old aqueduct trail are really nice. There is a lot of beauty. I just found the town itself to be disappointing, because it has the physical layout to be a great town, right on the river, with some good cafes, bookstores, etc. I always think of Provincetown, MA or Cold Spring, NY and it just doesn't compare, IMO. To me, it's basically a sleepy commuter town. But with kids, schools and safety are important and you'll have that. Good luck!

[HamTech87]

Just stumbled upon this thread, and just wanted to make a few comments:

1. Commuting from any of the rivertowns (Hastings, Dobbs or North Yonkers) to Port Washington is going to drive your husband crazy! Port Washington itself is a lovely town with an award-winning school district. It also has the charm of LI Sound and waterfront that you seem to desire.

2. Schools: This debate has gone on for a long time, but there was an article in the local paper a few years ago about how the Dobbs schools are now equal to the surrounding districts. I hear complaints of varying degrees from parents in ALL of the public districts, and ALL of the nearby private schools (Master's, Hackley, Fieldson, Riverdale, etc.). If there is one drawback to the four public schools districts, it is that their small size limits course offerings. But the upside is that the small size of the schools provide a nurturing setting.

3. Walkability: These towns are all walkable places, but walking except for recreation on the Aqueduct or South County Trailway, is not popular. Most of the time, your destination is too far or the snow is just too high. The people who walk (and take the buses) the most are those without a car.

4. Stores and Street-life: Related to walkability, the problem with these villages is the same as in 99% of the United States. Downtown retail is dead, so big purchases require a drive to the I-87 complex (Stew Leonard's or Costco), White Plains or Yonkers malls, or Central Avenue. Miraculously, the excellent hardware stores have hung on with their superior service (vs. Home Depot). One of the only places truly walkable left in the US is Manhattan. That said, when the villages have fairs, you see all the people come out and it is a beautiful thing.

[Yonkers_ExPat]

Cesky, congrats on moving to Hastings. My father moved there with his new wife in 2001 and have found more pros than cons. They love the downtown - check out Hastings Prime Meats for friendly staff and some real treates - as well as the accessbility to Manhattan via the Metro North and the safety of their neighborhood. The problem is that they pay over $20,000 in yearly school and property taxes for a house appraised at around $725,000.

Unfortunately, their time in Hastings will be limited, as they know they could not afford to retire there. So enjoy it while you're living there!

[nonny]

Check out the east side of the county. The Cross County Parkway is horrendous during rush hour.

Larchmont has a great downtown. New Rochelle and Mamaroneck also are interesting, and probably have good rentals. Pelham has a smaller town, fewer rentals. But most people, kids and adults, walk a lot -- e.g., to schools, movies, and shops. The small town feeling of Pelham can be oppressive. But, people stay because they like the walkability and commute. It's easy to meet people from other towns in Westchester, wherever you end up.

I don't know of anyone in the county who is not concerned with the environment. It seems to be on everyone's mind. You would be welcome anywhere.

[ponytrekker]

Originally Posted by ceskykrumlov

Sigh...well, we visited both towns on Sunday and here is what we thought:

Both towns are pretty, the dramatic hills are striking although not easily navigable with a stroller, but there were no people out on the streets and they were both so dead! We are guessing this was a typical Sunday. We realized what a huge change this will be coming from NYC life. Is there more going on on Saturdays? We wanted to get our daughter an ice cream and couldn't find an ice cream place anywhere in either town...but we did have lunch at a cute tavern in Dobbs. We liked the riverfront park and Hudson access in Dobbs Ferry, while we liked the artistic aspect of the shops in Hastings (too bad they were all closed).
Is this the norm in Westchester towns? They are dead on weekends?

Not typical. I think the bad weather might have had something to do with it. Summers are less crowded, though, as various people "summer" elsewhere.

Also we are wondering..does anyone know how the Cross County Parkway traffic is during rush hour? That would be crucial in my husband's commute.

The Cross County only gets backed up where several lanes enter the Hutch right at the heart of rush hour.

[LeoNYC]

I live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. My wife and I plan to have a baby and I consider moving to either Hastings or Dobbs Ferry (want a bigger place, good schools and a convenient Metro-North commute to NYC).

I read the comments on Hastings, Dobbs Ferry and Irvington and many of them say that it's boring and there's nothing to do on the weekends. But aren't these towns a relatively quick drive to Manhattan? I drove to Irvington to see the various historic mansions on the Hudson and it always took me around 30 minutes door to door, and there was not much traffic on the Sundays that I took the trips. When I used to live in the area of Brooklyn that did not have much activity I used to drive to Manhattan every weekend. It took me 45 min, but I felt it was worth it.

What do people think?

[jyyanks]

Leo - you may want to start a new thread so you can get more responses since people may miss your question because it is buried in an older thread.

I used to commute to NYC from the Rivertowns on a daily basis. With traffic, during rush hour, it was about an hour. However, without traffic it was 30 minutes tops.

On the weekends, there is almost never traffic and it would take us about 20-30 minutes straight down the Saw Mill to get to NYC and enjoy all it has to offer.

The Rivertowns are beautiful and a great place to raise kids. The schools are all excellent and will save you a lot as I have heard stories about families trying to get into decent schools in NYC. It may not have the nightlife that the city has but it is quiet and quaint and a close enough drive to NYC. In my opinion its the best of both words.

Good Luck.