Port Chester - People and Schools (White Plains, Rye: houses, neighborhood, movie theater)

[quelinda]

I lurk on this board regularly and have learned so much about the nuances of Westchester County from you great people, so thanks..

How is the school district in Port Chester? What are the people like? I noticed the houses are relatively reasonably priced and wondered if that affected the schools.

Also, where is Elmsford and what is it like (schools etc)?

Thanks for the info!

Also wondering about Harrison schools and culture. Thanks.

[havoc315]

I honestly cannot think of anything desirable about Elmsford. It is a small and basically poor community bordering White Plains, Tarrytown and Hartsdale. Other than some strip malls, there is nothing very attractive about the area. Schools are poorly rated. Demographically, the schools are primarily Hispanic and African American.

Port Chester has always historically been an immigrant working class area. For a less afluent school district, it is not poorly rated. Demographically, the schools are about 75% Hispanic. There has been some major commercial development in Port Chester recently, and you will find some of the best ethnic restaurants as well.

Harrison does have a good amount of afluence. It has a bit more of a socio-economic mix than some other Westchester towns. It has some working class, and some country club rich. The schools rank solidly.

[bmwguydc]

Port Chester, being part of the Town of Rye, is not as exclusive as the other more desired Rye districts, and for many years was a community that suffered from blight and neglect. Recently, it has begun to turn around, but there are still many pockets in the village that are not terribly nice, family areas.

Harrison is varied, from some downtown areas that are a bit more working class to middle class West Harrison, upscale Purchase, and a collection of large houses/estates. Harrison is wealthier than Port Chester with the median income in Harrison nearly double that of Port Chester. The schools are very good, and cover the entire town, unlike Rye that has multiple school districts.

You don't want to live on Buckout Road, though, unless your a witch, an angry ghost from Revolutionary days, or another affiliated paranormal creature. Seriously, though, there are some Westchester urban legends on the road that locals use to freak each other out at night, including an interesting tale about cannibalistic albinos.

[quelinda]

Very helpful descriptions guys!

When you say 75% hispanic, what kind of latinos do you mean? The old migrants, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, or the newer immigrants like Mexicans and South Americans? These cultures are very different so you never get the best info when people sort of mix the Caribbean cultures with the Mexican/South American cultures in statistics.. I realize you didn't start this trend .

[havoc315]

Honestly, I think it is a mix. But I admit to being a bit ignorant on the issue. There is also a significant illegal immigrant population in Prt Chester, but it us primarily working class. If you drive through downtown Port Chester, the mix of restaurants and shops can give you a good idea.

[wordlife]

A good chunk of the Hispanic population in Port Chester is Mexican/South American. Two of the best Mexican bakeries in the county can be found right in the downtown area (trust me the food is very very good). There are some Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. In the 90's (when I was growing up) I can remember the neighborhood around the metro north (right where they built the supermarket/movie theater) being Black and Puerto Rican. There's also an Italian presence in Port Chester, from what I understand is it was much stronger back in the day than it is now. There's a certain Italian bakery (the name escapes me right now) where you can go and pick up fresh rolls in the morning, its a great spot.

I have to run but i'll come back in a bit and chime in on Elmsford.

[znycgirl]

Elmsford has a great driving range. Don't know much more about it.

I've always liked Port Chester. It's very pretty and has some really great restaurants (both ethnic & not). Short transportation to the city, and with a nice movie theater.

Harrison is quite large & as said previously...the area is really diverse (from multi-million houses to multi-family).