Where in S. Westchester good for SAT prep teacher to live? (New York: apartment, to rent)

[Karen_Linda]

I am a self-employed academic tutor who teaches mostly college admissions and test prep (SAT, ACT) but also private school test prep, TOEFL and gen'l English reading and writing tutoring to students in high school and below.

I am planning to relocate to the NYC suburbs from Boston and would like some suggestions on locale. My kids are grown, so I don't need to live in the pricey school districts, but I do need to be near enough to my prospective students, since I drive to them and they do come to me, as well.

I have looked at properties in Scarsdale, Rye, Rye Brook, White Plains and New Rochelle. Everything is very expensive I am finding and I haven't seen much that is very appealing (I am looking to rent first, and looking up to $2900/month).

Can anyone advise me in any of these areas?
- A good town for me to locate to be near my likely student base?
- Good neighborhoods - and those to avoid?
- Convenience to NYC travel (I know most of these towns have train stations, but how convenient is it really to get to them - I presume that parking in town near the station is pretty near impossible, so how does one get there?)?

Many thanks!

Karen

[havoc315]

Let's start with the easy question. Parking at the train stations for a regular rush hour commute is very difficult without a permit. If you are mostly talking about using the trains on weekends and evenings, it's pretty easy.

The towns you are focusing on are all very near each other. Driving from Rye to New Rochelle to Scarsdale, etc, is really a non issue. To get from 1 south Westchester town to another should never take more than about 15-20 minutes at most.

Your search is focused in an area with many wealthy competitive student bodies-- the type that pay for test prep. White Plains and New Rochelle will be more affordable, of the towns you listed. You may also want to look in Harrison and Mamaroneck.

[Karen_Linda]

Thanks, Havoc, for the tips. Here is another question: Why is the property tax rate so high in Westchester (also in Bergen and Hudson Counties in NJ, the other NYC suburb area that I am considering)? For a home @$550K, the taxes can range from $10-12K/yr. In the very expensive Boston suburb that I live in, that comparable rate is @$3000. I can't wrap my head around these numbers!

Karen

[7 Wishes]

Try the Fleetwood section of Mt. Vernon. Right near train access, easily accessible by car to the towns you mentioned, a lot less expensive than those other areas, and the only reason it is so is people's fear of the schools; since that is not an issue with you, I think it would be ideal. Just make sure you look in Fleetwood as opposed to the rest of Mt. Vernon.

Similarly, nice parts of Yonkers may work for you as well, but you will have to pay a small city income tax if you live there. Good luck!

[Karen_Linda]

Thanks, 7 Wishes. I will put Fleetwood into my search.

[znycgirl]

You could easily find an apartment in White Plains for the price you listed...and in a "luxury rental" building. It would be a good place to start out. You'd be walking distance from the train & shops & a short drive from nice school districts...where the SAT prep kids would probably live.

For parking...you pay at lots.

Yes, taxes in Westchester are high & you will not benefit from certain things that they have to offer (good schools), but...that is why you are focusing on moving to that area, no?

[havoc315]

I have never heard a proper explanation of why property taxes are so high in Westchester and in New York.
Part of the problem, is that the taxes fund multiple layers of government -- Typically, the biggest bulk goes to the school district, but then also significant chunks to the Village, the Town, and the County.
Another part of the problem, is just the extraordinary school costs. It's not uncommon to find Westchester school districts paying median teacher salaries of $100,000. Not to mention a lot of new construction in may districts in recent years. etc.
Adding to the problem, is that many Westchester towns lack a commercial base contributing to the taxes. Most of the county commerce is concentrated in just a few towns (White Plains, Yonkers, Yorktown, without much in most of the rest of the county).

[rubygreta]

How does $3,000 fund schools, police, fire, sanitation, etc? Is there also a local income tax?

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by rubygreta

How does $3,000 fund schools, police, fire, sanitation, etc? Is there also a local income tax?

Maybe that town has an unusually large business in it for a town that size who contributes mightily to the tax base (a good example is IBM in the town of Essex Junction, VT, near Burlington).

[havoc315]

Property taxes in New York, and especially Westchester, are exceptionally high compared to the rest of the country. If anything, the $3000 model is more common, and that includes areas without state income taxes. Even in our neighbor Connecticut, taxes are significantly lower than New York.

In Westchester, part of the issue is towns without a commercial base. But that's only a small part of the equation.

Another part of the problem is overlapping governments. While some other areas may rely on one county police department, in Westchester you are funding a Village government, Town AND County.

Further, our educational expenditures soar over other parts of the country.
That's partly due to vested pensions. But it's also because Westchester teachers make 100k per year ---Far more than other parts of the country.

Finally, our local governments provide a bit more in services than in other areas, but you can debate whether such services are worthwhile.
I can't be the only one who gets recorded voicemails from County Exec Andy Spano about county recycling days.