Thoughts on Harrison vs. other Westchester towns? (White Plains, Yorktown: where to stay, fit in)

[bmwguydc]

Pleasantville and Croton-on-Hudson are nice areas. Briarcliff Manor is nice, itself, but the town has a reputation for pretense that's out of step with the true level of prevailing wealth in the town. There are towns in Westchester that have a higher degree of overall wealth that have more down-to-Earth people. Croton-on-Hudson will be semi-rural, and offers the best value for the money of the three areas you mentioned, with a larger house and acreage in your price range. Pleasantville will have some houses in range as well, though they will tend to be smaller, and/or in need of updating, when compared with similar properties in Croton. However, Pleasantville does have a downtown area and is more of a small town.

[cali_to_nj]

Thanks, bmwguy. Briarcliff Manor even sounds a bit pretentious to me, so instinctually I'd probably skip it anyway. Croton seems like a great place and also has more frequent trains to NYC than Pleasantville. I think we'll have to pay a visit to see if we Los Angeles transplants can handle "semi-rural". I've also been encouraged to check out the suburban areas of North White Plains (in Valhalla school district) if we feel the need to be closer to the city.

[jdf718]

My aunt lives in Croton and we have friends who live in the area as well. Been there more times than I can count. One of the great advantages of Croton is that it has a major train hub with frequent express trains into the city. That's a nice train ride along the river, especially in the evening around sunset. However, like most of the other river towns, it's largely (although not totally) cut off from the river by the rail line. That may or may not matter to you. I don't know enough but the other two towns to comment but something about living in a place called Pleasantville is a bit too much for me.

[cali_to_nj]

lol, jd! Some of these NJ/NY town names are just a little too quaint for me, especially coming from California where Hispanic names are the norm.

Croton seems like our best option for a river town, and all that entails.

What is your opinion on White Plains - specifically the suburbs to the north, in the Valhalla school district? One house we like there seems to be near a community college, within 2 miles of the train station (I would be dropped off in the morning). Compared to Los Angeles I think even a city 60,000 would have a smaller town feel to us...

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by jdf718

I don't know enough but the other two towns to comment but something about living in a place called Pleasantville is a bit too much for me.

LOL...well, you can thank the post office. The area used to be Clark's Corners in its earliest settlement. When the postmaster was ordered to give the area a name in the 1820s, they orginally chose Clarksville, which was rejected as there was already a Clarksville in New York. Pleasantville was the second name floated and the post office approved it.

[jdf718]

My own favorite river town within the 40-50 minutes commute you designated is Irvington. It has a large hill that slopes sharply into the river. The houses and main street are sandwiched by park land on either side. Good school district and easy walk to train. I think you can swing it in your price range. Dobbs Ferry and Hastings might also be worth a look. My favorite town period along the Hudson is Cold Spring but that's 1 hour and 15 minutes commute. Well worth a visit, no matter where you end up.

White Plains is OK. Nothing special but its convenient and has the all amenities. Don't know much about the Valhalla school district but I believe it's good.

Pretty much wherever you go is going to a bit of shock, I think, but not necessarily a bad one. I used to live in Southern California myself (my Dad is also from Los Angeles) and plan on moving back there some day but probably northern California -- Marin or Sonoma County.

[bmwguydc]

Valhalla is a smaller district, comparatively, but it has a very solid foundation and is respected. Smaller class sizes than some areas in Westchester are the norm, though it may lack some of the amenities that you'd find at some Westchester schools that have campuses more like that of a private school or college.

[havoc315]

I don't think you will consider Westchester prices to be much of a bargain even relative to your current area. The home you described, in a deisrable neighborhood and well maintained, could still be a 950k house in a place like Scarsdale.

Briarcliff, Pleasantville and Croton are all very nice areas with excellent schools. I know Briarcliff least well. It is probably the most residential of the three. Pleasantville has a very nice downtown with restaurants and an arts movie house. It is considered a walking town - the schools do not provide busing. But the reality is that many of the residential blocks are not especially walkable to downtown.

Croton is the furthest north of those towns, but has excellent train access. It has the feel of a small close-knit welcoming community. It is a bit isolated in terms of major shopping. You would get the met house in your budget in Croton.

[cali_to_nj]

Thank you havoc, I think we're finding exactly what you describe in terms of house pricing in Westchester. Corton seems like the best bet, and exactly what we are looking for. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, close to water, more easygoing "vibe", more nature and open space, but with good schools and reasonable NYC commute & accessibility to other towns. Honestly we've never had "walking access" in California other than to maybe a convenience store or gas station and we are used to driving at least 10-15 minutes to the mall, grocery store, etc. Plus I will be working 3-4 days/week in Rockefeller Center so I can get my shopping fix in the city

[havoc315]

Valhalla lacks the prestige of some of the other districts you mentioned. It is slightly less affluent. I have hear good things second hand about the schools. Average SAT scores are slightly lower than Harrison. It is very centrally located and convenient.

Croton does have a supermarket and some shops, but big box stores, movie theaters, malls, are a bit far. It is 15 minutes to Burger King/McDonalds. You need to drive a few miles just to get to most of the real highways. Croton schools are made up of the Village of Croton, which is a bit cozy, fairly walkable. Then the surrounding parts of Cortlandt also share the schools. They are more spread out, a bit more rural, with more house acreage. We have strongly considered moving from Chappaqua to Croton, and we are partial to the Village area.