Is the cost of living in Westchester worth it?

[Meglion]

What an exciting move! I think the key here is just renting with some mental flexibility, as the area holds SO many different kinds of topographies, communities, neighborhoods, etc. Some of the major decisions would be: how close to NYC do you wish to be? Do you want to be near the Hudson or is that not so important compared to the resultant uptick in rental costs? Will you be driving to work (i.e. not in need of public transport to get you to Tarrytown)? Will your job be during regular business hours (in which case traffic can be a nightmare depending on where you're commuting from)? Would you prefer to meet folks who are more urban, or more nature-loving? Do you know anyone at all in the surrounding area?

This site is a gold mine in terms of information about the Westchester area. Off the top of my head, I would look at Tarrytown (the town itself if adorable and youthful and it seems an easy area to socialize), Katonah (charming, artsy), maybe Dobbs Ferry, and Croton-on-Hudson if you want something further north. But that's just a start. Mod cut: no competing sites, per TOS Good luck and please write back with what you decide!

[nickicox]

I also am moving from Boulder, Colorado to Westchester County for my Pharma company is setting up new headquarters in Ardsley. I am stunned by the cost of housing and property taxes and am researching the Peekskill area where homes seem more affordable.

Any advice would be appreciated and does anyone have any idea about how long the rush hour commute is between Peekskill and Ardsley? Mapquest says the distance is 24.75 miles and the total travel estimate is 34 minutes but I am assuming that would be noncommute time.

I have family living in Hartford CT so is there an affordable area NE or east of Ardsley I shoul dalso be considering?

Thank you in advance for your advice.

[havoc315]

Property taxes will be lower in Connecticut, though houses can run slightly more.

The commuting time from Peekskill to Ardsley should not be bad, even during "rush hour." You are unlikely to hit huge backups. Shouldn't take you more than 40 minutes, unless there is an accident, bad weather, etc.

But to really answer your question about possible places to live, there are a few important questions:
-- Budget?
-- How important are schools?
-- House, condo, co-op, townhouse?

[nickicox]

Dear havoc315,

Thank you for your response.

I am a 60ish professional woman so no young children to educate. However I do know the importance of great schools for resale value of a home, due to many moves across the United States while educating 2 children of my own.

I would like a home if I can afford one as I am an avid gardener. Also would prefer a newer house.

Current home in Colorado will list for $375,000. Will have $200,000 as down payment on new house. I will need at least 2 bedrooms, preferably 3, one and a half baths. Salary around $75,000 although this could be higher. Company is recalculating cost of living between CO and Westchester county.

I worry about homes in CT due to commutes.

Any advice you can give will be appreciated.

[havoc315]

Still not sure of your budget for a new home purchase, but it sounds like you would not want to pay more than $400k, or $450k?
Your house choices will be limited, especially as to newer houses.
At least it sounds like you don't need a large house, so some smaller "cottages" may pop up in your price range. It will likely be difficult for you to find a "newer" house.

One town to consider is Ossining. Socio-economically, it's a pretty mixed village, which makes the schools a bit less prestigious. But it would be a pretty easy commute to Ardsley, and you should find choices in your budget.

There are parts of White Plains where you can find a house in that budget. Taxes will be a bit lower in White Plains. The schools are urban, and therefore have a pretty mixed reputation. Commute would be easy.

You may find something really tiny in Ardsley itself at that price, but it would be a challenge.

Peekskill would really be your own chance of getting a decent newer house, but it will lengthen your commute, and is generally not considered a desirable area.

You may find some options in Hartsdale. Schools are horrible, but there are some nice neighborhoods (people use private schools), and it would be a very easy commute to Arsdley.

You can also consider Croton on Hudson. Not too bad a commute to Ardsley. A pretty nice gentrified village, but with smaller houses in your price range.

The best bit may be Tarrytown. Not great schools, but it would put you right next to Arsdley. The town does have its charms, and you may find something in your budget.

[jyyanks]

If you do not have children in the school district, you may want to consider some other areas closer to Ardsley where homes can be more affordable.

Peekskill is about 45 minutes from Ardsley and there are some shady areas. You may be able to find something closer. If you are looking near Peekskill, I would look at Yorktown or Cortlandt Manor before Peekskill. Those areas are very close to Peekskill but in my humble opinion, a little nicer.

Ossning is definitely an option (look in Indian Village) as that is a nicer section, its about a 15-20 min drive on 9A. There are some not so great areas in Ossning as well but the Ossning?briarcliff border is very nice.

Hartsdale may have some smaller home in your price range.

Parts of NE Yonkers are very close to Ardsley (look in Colonial Heights, Sprain Lake Knolls, Westchester Hills) and parts of Tuckahoe.

I would also look in Valhalla and Hawthorne. Both close to Ardsley and very nice.

You will not be able to find a decent home in Ardsley for under $500K - if you do find one it will need A TON of work.

Best of Luck!

[bmwguydc]

You might find a smaller home in Croton or Yorktown that would fall in the price range, though it might need some updating, and would likely be an older home. I agree that Hartsdale and Tuckahoe might fit the bill as well, though taxes can be high in Tuckahoe. Hartsdale's school district is not sought-after, and is not a small village district, so the taxes tend to be lower and the house prices are as well, but there are some definited pluses to the area.

Parts of White Plains would also be in range, but one has to be careful in White Plains since there are still pockets that are not as nice as other areas, which is the same as New Rochelle, though the taxes in New Rochelle are significantly higher than White Plains.

If you don't mind a bit of an extra drive, you could look in Putnam County, around Carmel or Mahopac, both of which are going to be about an hour to Ardsley. The taxes in Putnam, however, are not much better than Westchester, though the prices are a little better, so it might be worth considering.

Fairfield County, CT will have lower taxes, but closer-in towns are going to be quite expensive, where $500k is going to be a condominium in places like Greenwich. Parts of Stamford might not be a bad bet, though there are sections that are not as nice, and the traffic can be horrific on I-95. Using the Merritt Parkway to the Hutchinson is a better route for a passenger vehicle from Connecticut. Danbury is also going to be within range, but it's pretty far away, about an hour plus each way, and that's taking I-684 to I-84, but you can find a new/newer house in range and have lower taxes.

Rockland is less expensive, in general, than Westchester, but you can easily lose an hour of your life each way on the Tappan Zee on a bad day, since it's notorious for delays. If you commute at an off-peak time, that might not be as bad a bet, since your housing dollar will go further and there are nice communities in Rockland, some of which have decent schools if that's a consideration.

If you want the possibility of a train commute, you need to stay on the Hudson Line as that is what goes through the Ardsley area, though not into Ardsley itself, but Dobbs Ferry, despite the name of the station. I don't know if your company has a shuttle bus from the train, but if they do, and you want to use the train, I'd look above Peeksill, or in Yorktown/Croton with a short drive to the station in the morning. Garrison, which is Putnam County, might have something in your price range, though it's not as built up with a defined town center as are many of the villages/towns in Westchester.

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by havoc315

Property taxes will be lower in Connecticut, though houses can run slightly more.

The commuting time from Peekskill to Ardsley should not be bad, even during "rush hour." You are unlikely to hit huge backups. Shouldn't take you more than 40 minutes, unless there is an accident, bad weather, etc.

But to really answer your question about possible places to live, there are a few important questions:
-- Budget?
-- How important are schools?
-- House, condo, co-op, townhouse?

For 15 years I commuted from the Mt. Vernon/Bronxville border first to Peekskill, then the last few years to Montrose (small town between Peekskill and Croton-on-Hudson.....the VA hospital is there). The former usually took me 45 minutes, the latter 40. The one problem I had (which would be less so from Ardsley) is while it was mostly "reverse commute", once you got south of I-287 there was a good deal of commuter traffic in both directions (i.e. people commuting northward to White Plains), but it paled compared to traffic into Manhattan or the Tappan Zee Bridge, etc.

[nickicox]

Thank you for your advice. I really do not want a long commute and know nothing about the area back east.