Question on first "home"-Osisning, Tuckahoe, etc. (New York: apartment, rent)

[Kreutz]

Hello,

I am looking for a home in the Tuckahoe, Ossining, Peekskill, etc area, and I think a condo or co-op can be a good starter, or perhaps a small home, who knows?

What is the commute like into the Bronx at around say, 6AM on a weekday from these towns? I would be coming home around noon...I work at Columbia-Presbyterian.

Is anyone familiar with the Highland ave. area of Ossining? I am concerned about safety having children.

Also, what is Campwoodsgrounds? The houses seem affordable, and they have gas lines. You have to pay taxes and homoeowner assocation dues, what doe sthat give you in return?

Thanks!

[bmwguydc]

Campwoods grounds is a unique sort of community. The HOA you pay is actually a land-lease, since you only own the house, not the land. It's in a decent area, but it doesn't have the same level of conveniences, and the unique ownership situation could be a little more difficult on resale. Parts of Ossining are nice, and others are a little transitional.

The easiest commute will be Tuckahoe, and if you can get into Tuckahoe, do so. The schools are good in the village, and you are not far from work at all, and the parkways are generally moving well in the 6 o'clock hour. Neighboring Eastchester, of which Tuckahoe is part of the same town, might have something as well.

What is your price range? I ask only to let you know that around the same price point as Tuckahoe, you might be able to find something comparable in Pelham, which also has great schools and an easy Bronx commute.

Peekskill has some good parts and then others that are on the rebound. It's a decent community, overall, but the only hesitation I would have would be for children, from a schools perspective.

[Kreutz]

I'd like to spend less then 350k if possible. I am not looking for a particularly large house, 3 bed 1 bath is ample.

I am strongly considering parochial school for my girls. I asked a place called St. Annes for info on their curriculum.

Is Pelham NJ? As a native New Yorker I cannot live in Doizey and retain my self-respect.

[bmwguydc]

Nope, Pelham is in NY, Lower Westchester. If you are not using public schools, you can also consider Hartsdale and the nicer parts of New Rochelle, since their schools tend to be more average in nature, but with the parochial school, you might find something that's decent. You could find an apartment for $350k or so in Lower Westchester.

Edit: Also, there are areas of Yonkers and Mount Vernon that might be worth considering, but here I would definitely not recommend the public schools as they tend to have more issues.

And, if you don't mind going further out in Westchester, consider lookng in Valhalla, Tarrytown, and Sleepy Hollow. The schools there are good in places, but there are also parochial schools to consider.

[Viralmd]

Don't knock New Jersey! You might find more variety living in Fort Lee, right across the GW Bridge from the hospital... $350K isn't enough for a house.

[bridgecross]

Originally Posted by Kreutz

Hello,

I am looking for a home in the Tuckahoe, Ossining, Peekskill, etc area, and I think a condo or co-op can be a good starter, or perhaps a small home, who knows?

What is the commute like into the Bronx at around say, 6AM on a weekday from these towns? I would be coming home around noon...I work at Columbia-Presbyterian.

Is anyone familiar with the Highland ave. area of Ossining? I am concerned about safety having children.

Also, what is Campwoodsgrounds? The houses seem affordable, and they have gas lines. You have to pay taxes and homoeowner assocation dues, what doe sthat give you in return?

Thanks!

I have to say that's quite a spread! I never thought of Tuckahoe, Ossining, and Peekskill as in the same area! Tuckahoe is about 30 min to NYC while Peeksill is so far I don't know anybody who commutes from there. And in between are scores of towns that range from urban/ghetto to bucolic farmland.
If your limit is 350k you will be in a condo or coop in Tuckahoe. You can forget 3 bedrooms.

[dma1250]

Originally Posted by bridgecross

Tuckahoe is about 30 min to NYC while Peeksill is so far I don't know anybody who commutes from there.

The train from Peekskill to Grand Central is 54 to 60 minutes, which is faster than the trip from towns such as Mt Kisco, for example. I get on the train two stops south of Peekskill (Croton-Harmon) and the train is very crowded, so I can assure you that lots of people are commuting daily from Peekskill and further north.

[halfoffpeak]

Originally Posted by bridgecross

If your limit is 350k you will be in a condo or coop in Tuckahoe. You can forget 3 bedrooms.

The housing market is tanking in Westchester. Soon 350K will buy you a 3br in those areas. Rent for a couple of years before you buy. Rents are coming down too. If you buy now you risk depreciation. Read this recent discussion:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/7525674-post27.html

[NJGirl12]

I can second that lots of people commute from Peekskill (and even from points further north), at least via the train. From the few times that I've driven in, my sense is that a drive in at 6 a.m. actually would not be that bad at all (maybe about 45-60 minutes or so), with the drive home potentially having some worse traffic (depending on time, and especially on Fridays).

You also may be able to find a house in Peekskill in your price range, though it may need some work/updating. I've heard people express schools as a concern about the Peekskill area (which I think is somewhat over emphasized), but if you're thinking about going private anyway, then I would definitely recommend taking a look.

[quelinda]

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

If you are not using public schools, you can also consider Hartsdale and the nicer parts of New Rochelle, since their schools tend to be more average in nature

Hey there beamer . I was wondering why you all tend to find Hartsdale schools "average".. or usually far worse. Why is that? The town seems to be in the general vicinity of all the other places that are supposed to have such wonderful schools. What is it about the place and the schools that is not so great?

For the towns past Yonkers but closest to the Manhattan (30 mile vicinity), which 3 towns have the best schools?