Please help! Does anyone know Somers? (Carmel, Mamaroneck: real estate, houses, neighborhoods)

[jenny39732]

We are moving back to Westchester from CT and having a really hard time deciding where to live. Schools and peer groups for my children are my two biggest concerns. The third being proximity to city, shopping, etc.

I am having a really hard time deciding whether it is more important to have great schools or more important to be comfortable with the people around us. My husband and I are fortunate not to have concerns about money, however, we do not want to live in a snobby, elitist area. We have looked in Chappaqua, Armonk, Briarcliff, Katonah, and all have supposed top schools yet come across as being very snobby. (I am from Briarcliff and my hubby is from Mamaroneck)

My dilemma is this. We are now looking in Somers, but I know nothing about it. I like the area, people seem more down to earth, there is still shopping, it's rural but not too, etc. But I know nothing of the schools except the numbers, which I am learning can mean nothing. Does anyone have any info on Somers?

Thanks for any help!

[rscap]

I live nearby in Goldens Bridge (Katonah-Lewisboro schools). We cross over with Somers in many activities. Somers schools are excellent - I would pick them over the list of places you already visited (except Briarcliff, which is one of my favorites). Somers has much more of a middle class presence.

[jenny39732]

What do you think the differences between Somers and say Katonah-Lewisboro are? I know Katonah has excellent schools but our issue with the area was that some parts were pretty far from my mom (who we want to be close to).

We also feel we could get more for our money in Somers as opposed to those other places where nothing is available, or what is is soooo expensive! I can't believe the changes in Westchester! I still love it though and want desperately to move back. We just don't want to make a mistake.

[Natalpaz]

Jenny - as a realtor in Somers I can tell you that you will definitely get much more of a house for your money there! A lot of my clients start out looking in Katonah only to end up in Somers. We also get nice tax breaks because of IBM and Pepsi presence in town. As far as the schools go I would highly recommend you visiting the schools yourself and talking to teachers/administration. For the kids there is a ton of activities right in town, and we are close enough to NYC and CT. Moderator cut: Realtor soliciting/advertising not allowed in this forum

[pandr]

Somers is a wonderful place to raise children. The schools are great and there is cultural as well as economic diversity. There are some beautiful area's if money is not the issue. There are some really nice new developments too.

[pandr]

A question for the realator: What do you think of Mahopac? Would you choice one over the other (Somers or Mahopac) and why?

[havoc315]

Schools in Somers are very good and they have very modern facilities - and in the process of building more to my understanding.

A huge benefit is that property taxes in Somers are very reasonable for Westchester due to the contributions of pepsi and IBM.

[somersmom]

jenny, as you can see from my screen name, i live in somers, so if you have any specific questions about sections of town when you start looking feel free to ask.

we have lived here for 5 years and are very happy. we moved from brewster, however dh grew up in armonk & had grown to hate it b/c it had become so snobby & soulless. part of the reason we picked somers over some of the other towns in westchester is because we felt the atmosphere was more down-to-earth. we have great neighbors & friends & there are lots of families.

houses here are usually less expensive than katonah or chappaqua, however, you can still find lots of pricey real estate. the schools have an excellent reputation and all our friends with school-age children (a range of ages) are happy with the schools. (our child isn't in school yet.)

when comparing districts, don't go by the numbers & tests alone. every district is going to try & put its best face forward & having been in this area for many years and knowing many people who work in a lot of westchester districts, i can say that every district has its share of issues under the surface. how the administrators, teachers and staff handle the relationships with the students, parents and community often is a better indicator of successful outcomes for all students.

good luck

[SLP247]

Originally Posted by pandr

A question for the realator: What do you think of Mahopac? Would you choice one over the other (Somers or Mahopac) and why?

Both Mahopac and Somers have some great points. Both have average to extremely affluent neighborhoods. Somers has two major tax producers. As already mentioned, Pepsico and IBM as well as a number of smaller companies. Mahopac has a much larger commercial sector (as in shops, restaurants, strip malls)

Mahopac is situated in the Town of Carmel, Putnam County while Somers is in Westchester County. People who live in both areas love it of other areas.

The primary difference will be the connection to major highways. You are much closer to I-684 & I-84 in Somers than you are in Mahopac. However, Mahopac is closer to the Taconic State Parkway.

[Asil65]

I thought I had read about some bully issues on the buses in Somers. Does anyone have anymore information about that?