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My wife and I are trying to ascertain where, on balance, are the most desirable areas to live in for the aforementioned areas (3BR-4BR, house for apx. $650K, 2000 square feet, property taxes up to $17K). Also, are there any areas that you would decidedly NOT recommend? My wife and I have a 2-year old son.
We would ideally like to be close to the elementary school and the respective towns' villages/downtowns.
In Pleasantville, it would seem that anywhere between Beford and Manville, east of the train station and up to Broadway, would be very attractive. We really also really liked the area immediately surrounding Rosselle Park (southwest of the village) as it's so charming and kid friendly.
What is the thinking of homes east of Broadway? Those homes seem much bigger and in many cases nicer (though they require a longer walk to the school and even longer walk to the village.
And what about living on Washington Ave.? Is that too close to the train or is that a non-issue???
Lastly, one person I know who raised a child in Pleasantville said all things considered that he would recommend living east of the train station as you would more tightly be integrated with the village/school and have an easier time bringing your child to school. Does anyone have any ideas regarding this?
With Briarcliff Manor, what is the central hub of activity (I'm aware it's not exactly bustling)? We would love to visit but want to make sure we at least see that part of town and have a meal there. And, again, are there any nice(r) areas to recommend. Sadly, it appears that living in Briarcliff Manor would likely require a car to go to the train station. Right?
Are there any parts of Irvington recommended/not recommended? And what of living in say Tarrytown, for example, but sending your child to the Irvington school district? Is there any drawback to that (in terms of making friends or otherwise)?
Lastly, I pose the same question for Croton. It seems so beautiful but we wouldn't want to be too isolated for our child's sake. Is there any area that is close to the schools and train but isn't in too remote a location?
P.S. I posted a separate thread related to these areas in which I was poking around for extra input. If you have any strong opinions in favor or against any of these towns, I'd love to hear them here too!
I hear Irvington is very expensive but the school systems are good. A lot of families are buying co-ops,townhouses or condos in Irvington just to send their kids to school in the area.
Debra Winger and a few celebrities live in Irvington. Search on wikipedia.org
Hi,
Lastly, I pose the same question for Croton. It seems so beautiful but we wouldn't want to be too isolated for our child's sake. Is there any area that is close to the schools and train but isn't in too remote a location?
If you want to be in the center of Croton, there are a few different areas to look in. The Sunset area is centered around Sunset Park and has nice homes which tend to be a bit smaller. It's an easy walk to the library, high school and elementary school. The Harmon area isn't as nice, in my opinion, but it has a broader range of houses and is close to the station, as well as the schools. My favorite in-town area is the Upper Village, which has lovely houses. That's a bit farther from the station and schools, but closer to the main street and to the river. All three of those areas are dense, with houses close together on small lots.
Personally the nicest parts of Croton are outside of the village core--Mt Airy and Teatown. I know plenty of people who live in those areas and there's a great sense of community and they don't feel isolated at all, even thugh they have more land and privacy. I have the same thing where I live in Yorktown Heights--4 acres and loads of privacy, but a very strong community organization and a great sense of neighborliness. I never feel isolated.
The area you mentioned in Pleasantville (bordered by the train station/Bedford Road, Manville Road and Broadway) is definitely desirable which translates to higher prices for smaller lots and older homes. I personally love the charming old colonials and victorians but as others have mentioned on these boards they are not for everyone and, unless remodeled, often lack the more modern conveniences of central air, garage, master bedroom, eat-in-kitchen, etc. Any house in this area in your price range would most likely need some upgrades and inventory here is generally pretty low as people tend to stay put.
There are other lovely and convenient neighborhoods in P-ville, including on the other side of Bedford Road (still walking distance to all), down Broadway toward Armonk, further up Bedford Road towards Chappaqua, and west of the Saw Mill River Parkway off of Bedford and Pleasantville Roads towards Briarcliff (some streets here still walking distance). Larger lots and newer homes tend to be further from the village center but still within an easy 5 - 7 minute drive of the schools and train.
Washington Avenue has the convenience of the shops, banks, Jacob Burns Film Center just down the street, but it essentially follows the train tracks up and around towards Chappaqua (you can see this on Google Maps) so I would imagine you would definitely have a lot of train noise.
Briarcliff is definitely a "driving" suburb. Not much of a bustling downtown.
There are homes in Tarrytown post office, that are Irvington schools. You and your family would not be isolated from the rest of the Irvington community. For practical purposes, you would be living in Irvington.
Croton -- In some ways, it can be very isolated, and in other ways, quite the opposite. It is isolated in the sense that it doesn't have great highway access connecting it to the rest of the county. Basically, the only highways really connecting it to the rest of the county are Route 9/9A and the Taconic. In that way, it can feel a bit isolated.
On the other hand, the "Village" area of Croton is very walkable. The homes tend to be on smaller lots (1/6th - 1/3rd acres). There are multiple parks that are walkable, as well as the "downtown" area. The downtown area isn't the nicest in Westchester, but it has some things to recommend. For the most part, Croton has kept out the chain stores and franchises. Thus, instead of Starbucks, you will find the Black Cow for coffee. Instead of Ben&Jerrys or Coldstone, you will find the Blue Pig for ice cream.
DMA mentioned the Sunset Park area. The blocks surrounding Sunset Park are among the nicest residential areas in the county, in my humble opinion.
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