Moving From Phoenix (New York, Yonkers, New Rochelle: apartment, for rent, crime rates)

[karltheninja]

I work in IT and have been out in Phoenix for the last 10 years. I'm tired of Phoenix's 120° heat and I'm tired of west coast life so I have decided to try it out East in the NYC area (within 60 miles or so).

Ultimately I'd like to live in NY state for the reason of finishing school. I need to work full time so an online school is going to be the best option for me. A friend told me about Empire State College which is a SUNY school and will take ALL of my 72 transferred credit hours from the University of Arizona.

This leaves only two areas for me: Westchester county or Long Island.

I'm 28, single male, don't have any kids, but I do have a medium sized dog so I'm looking for more a room for rent in a house than an apartment. I've been checking Craigslist and there are plenty of vacancies but there are too many for me to make heads or tails as an out-of-stater.

Any suggestions?

[havoc315]

120 sounds toasty... Its under 12 here today.

Westchester and Long Island would both give you plenty of options. Other than room for a dog, what type of town/lifestyle are you seeking, and what type of budget?
You should also realize how tight the metro NY area is. 60 miles from NYC is considered pretty far from the city, if you were hoping to regularly frequent Manhattan.

[karltheninja]

Originally Posted by havoc315

120 sounds toasty... Its under 12 here today.

Westchester and Long Island would both give you plenty of options. Other than room for a dog, what type of town/lifestyle are you seeking, and what type of budget?
You should also realize how tight the metro NY area is. 60 miles from NYC is considered pretty far from the city, if you were hoping to regularly frequent Manhattan.

I'm learning a little more each day and appreciate the help. I would classify the lifestyle I'm looking for as suburban with easy access to the city. 60 miles isn't set in stone, but was just something I threw out there as an initial range. My price range is about $1200 but could be as much as $1500 if I find the right job. My two biggest concerns are my dog and crime rates.

[bmwguydc]

Crime is generally very low in Westchester, especially outside of the cities that can have higher rates of crime in the downtown areas, but it's largely isolated. Do you want an apartment or a townhouse? $1500 is not a huge amount of money to work with in many parts of Westchester, since they are highly desired. Since you need New York residency for in-state tuition, I'd suggest looking into parts of Northern Westchester and Putnam, even Dutchess near Pawling or Hopewell Junction. It can be very much in the country, once you get above White Plains, however. White Plains has more nightlife than other areas in Westchester, however, aside from local places in the towns/villages.

[karltheninja]

Good to hear about the crime rates in that area.

A search on Craigslist for Westchester dog-friendly homes turns up a fair amount of results for even under $1200. I was impressed. Most of the other places you mentioned are way too far north of NYC. White Plains is the farthest north I'd like to go.

Are there anyplaces in Westchester you'd avoid?

[bmwguydc]

I would avoid the inner city areas of Yonkers, parts of Mount Vernon, parts of New Rochelle (closer to the downtown), much of Port Chester (though it's slowly changing), and a little bit of White Plains. There are a couple of pockets that may not be as nice in Mamaroneck, Tarrytown, and Sleepy Hollow, but the majority of these areas are just fine. And, the not as nice is mainly the physical appearance of some of the housing stock, and some areas that may have rooming-type houses in them.

Ah yes, I was going on your original distance of 60 miles, which does stretch pretty far into the countryside. White Plains is a good cut-off, but I'd also consider places like Pleasantville that might have something you'd like, and it's not terribly far from White Plains.