Need help deciding between Ardsley & Pleasantville/Armonk!! (Brentwood, White Plains: renting, neighborhood)

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by havoc315

You will find the private schools, of all types, generally in parts of the county with lesser schools, and sometimes more ethnic neighborhoods.

Hmmmm...

That must be why Hackley is in Tarrytown, Harvey is in Katonah, Rippowam Cisqua is in Bedford, Rye Country Day is in Rye, etc.

[havoc315]

I never said "all" private schools... But half your examples fit into my point. Tarrytown schools do not have a very good reputation. And Bedford has a mixed reputation--- many Bedford residents use private schools.

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by havoc315

Oh.... There are few Catholic schools in the area for the same reason there are no Jewish schools or very few private schools of any stripe--- Because of the high quality of the public schools.

You will find the private schools, of all types, generally in parts of the county with lesser schools, and sometimes more ethnic neighborhoods.

Sorry havoc315, your thesis on school locations is just plain wrong, unless you're talking about the quality of the public schools (or their complete absence) in these places 50, 75 or 100 years ago.

School: established:
Harvey 1916
Hackley 1899
Salesian 1920
Rippowam Cisqua 1916
Ursuline 1897
Iona Prep 1916
Masters School 1877
Archbishop Stepinac 1948
Rye Country Day 1869

It's completely misleading to assert that the presence of parochial and private schools is a reflection of lower quality public schools. They're where they are cause that's where they were established for entirely different reasons.

[havoc315]

And plenty of schools have been closed in the last 100 years and plenty of others have opened.
But if you look at the concentration of private schools, especially Catholic schools, you will find they are concentrated in areas with less prestigious school districts (and as to Catholic schools, more heavily ethnic Catholic areas). There is a concentration of such private schools around Yonkers, Mt Vernon, White Plains. And far fewerr such schools in places like Armonk.

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by havoc315

And plenty of schools have been closed in the last 100 years and plenty of others have opened.
But if you look at the concentration of private schools, especially Catholic schools, you will find they are concentrated in areas with less prestigious school districts (and as to Catholic schools, more heavily ethnic Catholic areas). There is a concentration of such private schools around Yonkers, Mt Vernon, White Plains. And far fewerr such schools in places like Armonk.

It's true that the Catholic schools are located (with the associated parish) where the Catholics are (or were). In Westchester that generally means where Italians & or Irish are (or were). But it still paints a very misleading story. Neither Scarsdale nor Bronxville are known for ever being Catholic yet both have several Catholic schools K-8.

In fact, a similar exercise with Montessori schools might lead one to a very different conclusion, given that there's one in Pelham, Bronxville, Scarsdale, Katonah, Armonk. And all these towns have well regarded elementaries.

[havoc315]

Most, if not all of those Montessori schools are essentially preschools. (though some offer kindergarten and/or 1st grade transition programs). They do not take the place of the public elementary school, except perhaps at the kindergarten level. They are also very small. For example, the school you cited in Pelham is a total of 35 students.

Like most things, it's a simple matter of supply and demand. Private schools have flourished the most, where they are most in demand. To some extent, that's about religious preference, and to another extent, it's about quality education. Private schools have flourished, where they are the most in demand. For example, if you look at an area where I grew up-- East Ramapo, in Rockland County. The public schools have sunk pretty far. Now, anyone with any affluence living in the district, sends their kids to private schools. I know families that are not the least bit religious, but send their children to Catholic or Jewish schools, simply as the best option versus the poor public school.


Does that mean every "good school district" would have zero private schools?? No, and I never suggested anything like that. Just that areas with very good public schools are likely to have less demand for private schools (whether a religious private school or not).
Not sure why you have taken such offense at this very simple, and very true statement.

[mellin01]

You may want to consider looking in Edgemont. It is Scarsdale PO, but Edgemont schools, and Greenburgh recreation. I just moved to Edgemont, mainly for the school system , which I hear is one of the best in Westchester. So far, my family loves it. It is close to Central Ave, which is very convenient for shopping, etc. The town is more diverse than Scarsdale and I heard the schools are not as cuthroat as Ardsley. Also, the residents have historically voted down large tax increases but still maintain the great school system. Good luck with your search.

[cali_to_nj]

Mellin - thank you for the recommendation. We are actually also considering some rental options if neither house works out, including in the Edgemont district. Do you have any familiarity with preschools in the area?

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by kletter1mann

Hmmmm...

That must be why Hackley is in Tarrytown, Harvey is in Katonah, Rippowam Cisqua is in Bedford, Rye Country Day is in Rye, etc.

Originally Posted by kletter1mann

Sorry havoc315, your thesis on school locations is just plain wrong, unless you're talking about the quality of the public schools (or their complete absence) in these places 50, 75 or 100 years ago.

School: established:
Harvey 1916
Hackley 1899
Salesian 1920
Rippowam Cisqua 1916
Ursuline 1897
Iona Prep 1916
Masters School 1877
Archbishop Stepinac 1948
Rye Country Day 1869

It's completely misleading to assert that the presence of parochial and private schools is a reflection of lower quality public schools. They're where they are cause that's where they were established for entirely different reasons.

Yes, the quality of the school districts has less to do with the reason for a large number of private schools than the net worth of the residents of the particular town. Bedford's school districts have mixed reviews, but John Jay is a great performer, and most of Fox Lane's programs are good as well. It's a couple of grammar schools and a swath of Mount Kisco and Bedford Hills that accounts for the "mixed" reviews in Bedford Central.

People go to different schools for different reasons in places like Rye, Bedford, Lewisboro, and Pound Ridge, not because the public schools are lacking in any way, shape, or form. Some friends of mine went to public schools because their parents had an egalitarian view and wanted to expose their children to as much of the world as possible (at least in Northeastern Westchester terms), and cherished the diversity offered by the public school system. Other friends either went to local Westchester private schools, or to private schools in the city. In our family, we went to private schools, but that was not decided upon by my parents because the public schools were horrible. It fit our lifestyle and the school's goals were in line with my parents' decision as to how to raise their children, but the public schools were not dismissed for a lack of quality.

For cali_to_nj, I would tend to look to Ardsley as others have mentioned. Coming from SoCal, it's going to be less of a culture shock, overall, than Armonk. Armonk has good schools, to be sure, and if you're on the Pleasantville side of town, you do avoid many of the status-obsessed whiners who are two payments away from disaster on a financed McMansion lifestyle. Edgemont, aka Greenville, would also be a great fit for you, I think, in terms of schools performance, prevailing attitude in the area, and a lack of pretension (well, at least by Lower Westchester standards). Edgemont does not have a downtown, much like Ardsley, but you're moments from Scarsdale, close to Bronxville, and have Central Avenue shopping that's mere seconds away. Central Avenue (Route 100) runs from Yonkers to White Plains with many, many, many shopping plazas. White Plains is in close proximity for shopping at The Westchester as is Vernon Hills Mall which straddles the Eastchester-Scarsdale line on White Plains Road (Route 22).

[cali_to_nj]

A million thanks to all who gave such helpful responses on this. We ended up deciding to rent in Pleasantville village (btw that Ardsley house went FAST w/in a week or 2 of listing I believe, with multiple offers, so the market isn't completely in the tank when the house is priced right).

I felt that the Pleasantville PO/Armonk schools situation caused too much uncertainty to commit the family and my kids to on a home purchase, and for such a big cross-country move we needed more flexibility. We were able to negotiate a very affordable 9 month lease on a house close to the train that we can be comfortable in. This way we have summer camp, rec activities, schools & preschool all in Pville. Once we get our bearings on the area, establish our monthly expenses, test out the commutes, etc. I feel like we'll be able to make a better and more informed decision on a purchase. Our CA home is in escrow so we can see that through and then relax until the next transaction.

Thanks again to one and all for the many insights provided over the last 6 months of my research. We are looking forward to many happy years ahead in WC. I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again as we try to get up and running with all of our household logistics in Pville. (now I just need to figure out how to change my screen name - initially we were looking in NJ before hubs found out he'd be working in NY as well)