How's Eastchester (White Plains, Scarsdale, Hudson: real estate, co-ops, houses)

[quelinda]

I like the idea of Eastchester because of its close proximity to the city. Does its proximity to the city make it less safe than suburbs further north? How are the schools? Is the train accessible to most houses? Is it pretty and quiet? What are the people like? Thanks for the info!

[bmwguydc]

Eastchester is a nice town, and it's a very safe community. The people are more middle/upper middle class than neighboring Scarsdale and Bronxville (also a part of the Town of Eastchester) which tend to be more uniformly wealthy. Eastchester has a mix of housing styles, everything frm co-ops from the 1920s to more modern houses, and does have its share of seven-digit price tags.

The schools are a notch below Scarsdale and Bronxville in overall test performance, but the district is respected. For a motivated student, there would be no issue with Eastchester at all, since the schools have advanced placement courses, and it's not the pressure cooker that can be Scarsdale.

The town owns Lake Isle and town residents (anyone in Bronxville, Tuckahoe, or Eastchester) can purchase an annual pass, which is a definite plus since it has the amenities of a contry club (golf, swimming, tennis, dining) at a more reasonable price point.

The train does not go through Eastchester, though there is parking for Eastchester residents to use the Scarsdale station. The Town Clerk can tell you how long the wait is for a resident permit in one of the lots. There are also resident meters, much like Bronxville, where the spaces require a permit to use the long-term meter at certain times of the day, specifically for commuters, but they are not reserved.

While there's no real village center per se, save by the town hall, the area has a host of shopping along White Plains Road for everything from groceries to books to clothes, and even Lord & Taylor. So, many conveniences are just a few mintes from your door, which is a nice feature of the community. Plus, you're not far from Scarsdale and Bronxville, both of which have nice village centers for other shopping and dining opportunities.

[havoc315]

bmw gave a very thorough answer. Just to augment it a bit, I don't consider Eastchester a "quiet and pretty" area. There are certainly some very nice suburban streets in Eastchester, but it mostly has a slightly more urban feel to me.

I don't think it's really any less safe than neighboring areas. It's proximity to the city does not add any real danger elements. It is certainly an affluent Westchester suburb, just less affluent than some of its neighbors.

[quelinda]

Since I'm in the upper middle income category rather than the wealthy category, that sounds perfect for me. I'd rather not spend every penny on housing and keeping up with the Joneses, which is definitely required in more affluent areas. I'd rather my daughter attend a quality but more laid back school than the "pressure cooker" type you speak of on the forum..not too much into serious competitiveness for children and teens (and adults). By quiet and pretty I guess I'm comparing to the city..so hiking areas, trees, grass and not too much traffic or traffic lights.

I saw a real estate listing in Eastchester that said it was in walking distance of the train, so I got the impression you could walk to a train from some areas. However, hopefully next year I'll be working at a place on the far west side, and possibly only have to commute 3 days a week so driving may be better. Anyone drive to the city from Eastchester?

Thanks so much for the info!

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by quelinda

Since I'm in the upper middle income category rather than the wealthy category, that sounds perfect for me. I'd rather not spend every penny on housing and keeping up with the Joneses, which is definitely required in more affluent areas. I'd rather my daughter attend a quality but more laid back school than the "pressure cooker" type you speak of on the forum..not too much into serious competitiveness for children and teens (and adults). By quiet and pretty I guess I'm comparing to the city..so hiking areas, trees, grass and not too much traffic or traffic lights.

I saw a real estate listing in Eastchester that said it was in walking distance of the train, so I got the impression you could walk to a train from some areas. However, hopefully next year I'll be working at a place on the far west side, and possibly only have to commute 3 days a week so driving may be better. Anyone drive to the city from Eastchester?

Thanks so much for the info!

That is very true, quelinda, you can walk to the train from some parts of Eastchester, as it's quite close to Scarsdale. The town is more spread out as opposed to a core village with houses surrounding, and I do agree with havoc315, that compared to other areas that have more open space around each house, Eastchester is certainly more developed. However, in comparison to the city, it's certainly much more open, though White Plains Road (Route 22) has a good deal of traffic on it. Many of the streets in the town are pretty quiet, and residential in character, with the majority of houses well kept and tidy.

You can drive from Eastchester, and it's not too difficult a drive, but the train will be faster from Scarsdale during rush hour, especially if you're close to Grand Central.

[havoc315]

As bmw stated, the train will be far more consistent and less of a headache, if you are commuting anyplace close to Grand Central. If you are going to the far west side, as you state, driving might be the better option. But there will be days of horrible traffic. Still, it's not hard to get to the west side. You can just shoot down the Saw Mill, which becomes the Henry Hudson.

I don't know Eastchester particularly well -- Mostly from passing through. But I wouldn't say Eastchester is known for it's "hiking areas." There are certainly a few parks with playing fields, etc, in Eastchester and neighboring towns. But you won't get lots of "open" areas. Overall, to me, the openness of Eastchester is somewhat comparable to the more suburban parts of Queens. (Or Riverdale in the Bronx as another example)

This may be perfect for you are seeking. But you shouldn't be expects lots of green space, country roads, etc. Even million dollar homes sit on 1/4th of an acre. The main roads are covered in traffic lights, but the residential streets can be somewhat quiet.

[quelinda]

Yes, the trade off is generally that the closer you are to the city the more congested things are apt to be (or more expensive). But I'd rather not spend too much time commuting if possible. Just the fact that its not a long drive to outdoor areas is probably fine, my standards are possibly a bit different having lived in the city so many decades. I'll take a drive out there soon and let you know what I think..

[jyyanks]

You've received many great answers but just wanted to add my $.02. Eastchester is definitely an upper middle class area. It is a nice place to live. There are actually 2 train stations that are walking distance from Eastchester depending on where you live. The Scarsdale train station is actually run by the Town of Eastchester and considerably *Cheaper* than parking in other stations in the area. The other train station that is walking distance is Crestwood. This station is actually run by the Village of Tuckahoe but certain parts of Eastchester (Leewood) are within walking distance.

I used to drive to the city from Eastchester. Without traffic, its about 35 minutes to Midtown Manhattan. However, if you commute during rush hour (which I did), there is almost always traffic and it is about 1 to 1.5 hours. On average, I would say it took me about 50-60 minutes on a day with average traffic. I was on the West side so I took the Cross County to the Saw Mill to the Henry Hudson. Good Luck.

[CityOnDown5250]

not from a racial or stereotypical standpoint, but the town is mostly Italian, thats a fact. just pointing it out there if thats what you're looking for.

[westchester]