Living in Elmsford (Yonkers, White Plains, Tarrytown: to rent, car insurance, house)

[Onalark]

My husband and I just agreed to rent a house in Elmsford close to the Knollwood Country Club. We haven't seen the place and we haven't been to Elmsford (we trust the person we're renting from, it's a friend of a friend). I'm trying to get a feel for what life will be like there. My husband will be working in the Bronx, and I will be commuting into midtown NYC. I'm not concerned about schools - we don't have any children and don't plan to any time soon. I'm more concerned about the convenience of public transportation, the commute times, and the general livability of the area. Anyone know anything about that? I've looked up the commute times on trip calculators, but who knows if that's accurate with traffic and other variables factored in. Does the monthly NYC subway pass include the trip up that far, or is it more? A lot more? We have two cars right now, and we're selling one of them - good idea, right? Thanks!

[wordlife]

that area is very nice, especially during this time of the year. If you have a car the commute to the bronx is a breeze but during rush hour the I-287 can get very congested.

as for public transportation it leaves much to be desired, I'm not sure of which side of the country club you'll be living on but the majority of buses that pass through that area either serve the community college or Westchester Medical Center. There are plenty of routes near on Tarrytown rd that go to various locations in WP, Yonkers, Mt Vernon etc. The service on Knollwood road is very sporadic, if I'm right the only route that really travels that way is the 15. Towards Westchester Medical you have buses like the 1C and 40, 40x but they don't hit Knollwood rd. (they travel on 119, hillside ave).

Yes you can use regular/unlimited metrocards on the beeline, but if your commuting to midtown then you'll probably be taking the metro north (which you would have to drive or take the bus to).

The metro north uses a ticketing system where the cost is determined by distance/zones. You have two choices in that area, either go to White Plains on the Harlem line or Tarrytown on the Hudson. The ticket/trip will be more expensive from Tarrytown but the river views on the train are priceless, but Metro North monthly passes are very expensive, and the cost to ride during peak/rush is ridiculous.

If you can provide just a few more details to any streets or main rds in the vicinity maybe I or another poster can give some more specific details etc. I live not to far from that area and I don't have a car and PT is all I use but from my own personal experience I think that in that vicinity a car is the best option (don't sell that other car just yet!).

I would advise that you visit Elmsford and see it for yourself even if you do trust this friend, because the farther away from Tarrytown Rd the more sporadic the transportation. Its better to know what your getting into rather than jumping into a situation blind but I hope that everything works out for you in the long run.

[Onalark]

Thank you so much! That's really helpful. I won't be far from Tarrytown road at all - just a couple of blocks, so that's good that I'll be close to transportation. We're on the south end of Knollwood Country Club. We've been going back and forth about keeping the 2nd car. On one hand, it does seem like we might want it sometimes, but on the other hand, insurance is ridiculously expensive! I wouldn't be able to drive into Manhattan, so I'd be paying for my public transportation passes and car insurance. It seems like a waste. Anyway, thanks a lot!

[7 Wishes]

Considering it's one of the smaller villages (population about 4000), I find much of Elmsford to be surprisingly pretty run down and not too convenient to Metro North (or to a lesser extent the buses). But you said schools aren't a concern and your part of the village is actually very very nice, so good luck and enjoy!

[havoc315]

You can probably get by with 1 car, but you will need some teamwork with commuting probably. Might make sense for you just to go into the Bronx with your husband, and take a subway from the Bronx. That might be the cheapest and easiest commuting option, if the times work out. Alternatively, I suggest you have your husband drop you off at the closest Metro North Station. It's a separate fare-- Not part of the subway system. But if you are going into midtown, you may find you don't need your monthly subway pass anymore. (But your monthly Metro North ticket will cost more than your subway ticket).