Commuting from Briarcliff Manor or other areas outside train line (real estate, how much)

[7 Wishes]

cali_to_nj,

Thornwood isn't that remote when you consider you are near many highways (Saw Mill, Sprain Parkways, etc.), which might be helpful for the hubby's job. But my thoughts on the 3 towns you mentioned:

Briarcliff Manor: Probably the most expensive housing of the 3 and longest commute. Best schools though (though except for some of the more urbanized parts of Westchester comparing schools between towns is like giving someone a grade of an A- vs. an A+, you won't go wrong with any of these, one thing I really hate about this area is the extreme nitpicking people give about school districts). May have to go a little north to Ossining for day care facilities.

Dobbs Ferry: Shortest commute of the 3, quaint but busy (for it's size) downtown, nice restaurant on the Hudson, closest access to southern/mid Westchester, which will have more shops, restaurants, etc. than places further north. Decent day care facilities (my kids went to one, it was in someone's home but has very good rep in the town).

Thornwood: Appears most remote but isn't (I'd say Briarcliff, but barely a difference), easy access to 2 parkways, close to I-287 for driving farther afield (i.e. to CT or west to NJ/Rockland Co), very near a top-notch hospital (Westchester Medical Center in neighboring Valhalla), close to some very nice parks. If there aren't day care facilities in Thornwood there definitely are in neighboring Pleasantville.

Good luck! By the way, I consider commutes here (at least when they involve trains to the City and you have to drive to a station, otherwise not so much) as brutal as in L.A., especially more so if you're not lucky enough to work walking distance to Grand Central Terminal and have to switch to a subway afterwards. Yes, you don't have to worry about driving, but you still have to put up with crowds, sometimes have to stand/walk for long periods of time, and yes, it becomes a long commute, one that becomes more frustrating if you miss a given train and have to wait another 20 minutes, etc.

[cali_to_nj]

Thanks so much for your input, 7 Wishes. There really are so many factors to consider and the 3 possible houses are actually pretty comparable - all within $750-$800k range and about the same size. Taxes similar (high) in Dobbs & Briarcliff, a little less in Thornwood. The main difference is the lot size - 1.75 acres in Thornwood (with pool!), .5 acres in Briarcliff, .3 in DF (considered a good size there). Also Briarcliff house is the most updated, Thornwood & Dobbs would require kitchen & bath work.

Thornwood itself did not seem remote - I guess with the larger lots it's just more spread out on the particular street we are considering. The Briarcliff house is near N. State and Chappaqua Road (so reasonably close to 100 & 9A?). Dobbs house is minutes from the train & downtown.

I know DF, Mount Pleasant and Briarcliff districts are all good in terms of test scores & rankings, just trying to get a feel for the *intangibles*. Do Thornwood & Briarcliff have a larger stay-at-home-mom contingent or are all 3 similar in terms of dual-income vs. single income families?

[havoc315]

I know the "ratings" are good for Thornwood, but most people I know, would avoid the district. I just looked up the average SAT scores, and found that Thornwood (Mt. Pleasant school district), did surprisingly well in 2008, but lagged behind Briarcliff and Dobbs Ferry in other recent years. Maybe the 2008 numbers are a trend of improvement in the school system, or maybe they were a fluke.

Briarcliff is a lovely area, excellent schools. I really enjoy Pleasantville, so nice to be nearby. But unfortunately, (check with your realtor and call the town directly), you likely will not be able to get parking at the Pleasantville train station. I believe Briarcliff residents usually use the Scarborough station on the Hudson line.

Dobbs Ferry will have a very different "vibe" than the other towns. You may really enjoy it. It would be a pretty easy commute for everyone. Schools are good, with a decent amount of diversity by Westchester standards.

In terms of pre-school/daycare -- In Ossining, just north of Briarcliff, there is an "All Aboard Daycare." A family run center, with a couple of locations, it is really a solid operation. (My children attended All Aboard in Mt. Kisco, before ownership changed of the Mt. Kisco center). Also, right across the street from the Pleasantville train station, there is a Tutor Time. They are a big national franchise of daycare centers. It's probably fine now. My son almost went there when he was an infant, but at that time, they had some problems. (So we ended up at All Aboard).

So, you enjoyed your tour? Had you been to Westchester before?

[cali_to_nj]

Hi Havoc! First time in Westchester and we LOVED IT. Of course we were there during an unseasonable cold snap (according to all the locals we chatted with), but still thoroughly enjoyed the tour. We covered a lot of territory in only a few days, and really the only area we kind of counted out was Eastchester, and only because while lovely, it seemed more similar to the upscale neighborhoods here in Los Angeles (Brentwood, Beverly Hills, etc.).

All things considered, I think the Dobbs house is the frontrunner although the Briarcliff house is appealing because we could move in and not have to do much to it. Believe it or not I actually think the 1.75 acres in Thornwood would be a little much for us. So we are weighing the charm, convenience and overall lifestyle of Dobbs (and the International Bacc. program at the high school - have you heard much about that?), but with an old (but again very charming) colonial that will require new baths, kitchen and basement work sooner rather than later, against the prestige of Briarcliff with proximity to Pleasantville (I will get dropped at the train mostly likely) and more modern ranch-style home on a larger lot.

[7 Wishes]

If you live in the eastern part of Dobbs Ferry (the part near Ardsley), you are probably in the Ardsley, not Dobbs Ferry school district. It is considered a "better" school district (though not by much), but you won't be walking distance to the train station.

As for which town will have the most stay-at-home moms, it is hard to say, what tends to drive how many SAHMs are in the area is one of two things:

1) Husband has very high paying executive job with very long hours/pressure, easier to have wife stay at home vs. risking the chance that her equally high-powered career puts lots of extra hours and travel on her, then have to either spend lots more money on day care and/or find a 2nd provider to provide emergency evening care. Between long train commutes and (especially in Manhattan) a general hard driving work culture, this conflict happens too often around here.

2) The job that the lower paying spouse can get (usually the wife, but not always) wipes out the cost of day care, so that spouse stays home.

So I could argue for #1 above that Briarcliff would have the most SAHMs as I think it is the mostly likely to have 2 hi-power career spouse households, but just as often many of those kinds of households opt for live-in nannies. So if I argue for #2 above I would say Thornwood would have the most SAHMs of the 3.

[cali_to_nj]

Oh and thank you very much for the school info - these are exactly the details I am looking for. "Beyond the rankings" if you will.

[cali_to_nj]

Thanks again 7 wishes - I guess we would be in the middle of your 2 scenarios. Both working but with reasonably flexible schedules and hubby available most afternoons. I am an in-house counsel for a media company so title is *high-powered* and salary is nice, with fortunately a decent schedule with telecommuting options. I just don't want to be the town pariah if I can't make it to every 11:00 am bake sale or Thurs night PTA meeting...

[havoc315]

I really wouldn't venture to compare numbers of stay at home moms, I really don't know.

But I don't think you would go wrong in either Briarcliff or Dobbs Ferry. Dobbs Ferry might be a bit more down to earth. The river towns have sometimes been compared to having a bit of a San Francisco mentality -- Bit more liberal, but also a bit more laid back, than the rest of Westchester.

Dobbs Ferry would give the easier commute, including closest to NJ, but all of the options would be pretty good commutes.

I know what you mean by "too much land." Not sure if you looked in Croton, but there is a house on 2 acres -- really nice house, at a pretty good price, but I've wondered whether it is simply too much land. (I actually prefer the .3 acre lots within town).

Oh... As to the weather, April can bring any type of weather in this region. There have been major blizzards in the first week of April. You can still have plenty of frigid days into mid April, or 70 degree days like today. Doesn't get consistently nice until May.

When you return, in nice weather... between Briarcliff and Dobbs Ferry, you will fine the Stone Barns farm (and elite Blue Hill restaurant). I suggest weekend outing to the farm with the kids, and lunch at the cafe.

[cali_to_nj]

Thanks for the suggestion Havoc, we will definitely check out the barn - my kids will love that. I'm looking forward to the apple picking, pumpkins, and all the lovely seasonal traditions. The weather is going to be a rough acclimation (the cold for me, the heat/humidity for hubs). But, I'm hoping the kids will grow up a little sturdier than we did having lived predominantly in the realm of 60 - 75 degrees here on the west coast. We are still keeping an eye on Croton and keeping it in the mix (had nice morning coffee at the Black Cow there and snacks at the gourmet shop). Same with Ardsley and Hastings - just not particularly sold on any certain homes there at the moment. Actually there is a great renovated tudor in Croton across from the middle/high school - super nice family living there and are relocating. Next trip out will be in a few weeks, to spend more time exploring the individual towns along with elementary & preschools...

[havoc315]

That renovated tudor--- My wife and I have actually been there about 3 times already. It was on the market last fall for $799. Obviously, they have dropped the price to 750. We don't love that the house doesn't have a garage, but it's a very nice house overall.

You began to learn the area on your first trip. You started to know what areas you like more than other areas. There is no reason for you to limit your whole search to just 1 town. When you are absolutely ready to buy, you will see what's on the market, and weigh the right house and the right location together.

Ardsley lacks the community charm of Dobbs Ferry or Croton. But the schools are excellent, and it's very centrally located.

Hastings -- Problem I have with Hastings, the taxes always seem ridiculous, even by Westchester standards.

On... and Stone Barns isn't a "barn" in the traditional sense. If there is any chance that you watch "Top Chef" on Bravo, Stone Barns was featured in an episode this season. It's all about sustainable farming... Animals in open pastures, huge green houses. The on-premises restaurant gets most of its food from the farm. There is a farmer's market from Spring to Fall (On Sundays I think), where you can get some of meat and produce as well.

For apple and pumpkin picking, there are some farms a bit further north. For the suburban mall experience (which I'm sure isn't your highest priority), there is the mega mall across the Tappan Zee Bridge, the upscale mall in White Plains ("The Westchester"), and the downscale mall in downtown White Plains (Galleria).

If you make your way back to Croton, let your kids play at Sunset Park.

And of course, if you didn't do it on your last trip, make sure you take a train ride into the city. (To see what Metro North is like... and because your little ones will love taking the train ride).