Relocating from England to Westchester (New York, Albany: lease, crime, appliances)

[ankersm]

Big thanks to everyone for the responses - so much info to digest...I've been having a search for property in a 20 mile radius of the 10549 zip, Carmel and Mahopac in Putnam county seem interesting.

How long is a peak time road commute from Carmel to Mt Kisco typically going to take?

A country house with a degree of privacy, and a big garden for the kids to play in is what we're after- no need for rail links or anything, It might sound horrific to most of you, but living close to NY city holds no more attractions for us than living close to London does now!

For me, big cities are good to visit occasionally - theatre, restaurants, sports events etc - , but living in a vast urban sprawl is not for me; too noisy, too dirty, everyone's in too much of a damn hurry, even at the weekends.

I like my wide open spaces, fresh air and green fields!

Do places like Carmel have their own "village" identity, or are they just housing suburbs that are empty during office hours?

[ankersm]

thanks for the advice - how's the property market performing in the Mahopac area - where we are now in England, house prices have doubled in the last 6 years!

[Viralmd]

You're looking in a reasonable area.

I do question the feasibility of living in Dutchess with a one hour commute, however. Columbia University is NOT where most people work...That extra half hour to mid-town is a part of the problem. The other half is the Taconic Parkway - DANGEROUS road - very curvy and many drive WAY too fast. And the cost of commuting by car (both in terms of money and aggravation) simply doesn't seem worth it.

[ankersm]

Hi Viralmd;

sorry, but where's Dutchess in relationship to Mt Kisco / Carmel? Isn't Columbia Uni in NYC itself? I'll be commuting TO Mt Kisco, not into NYC?

[Viralmd]

Yes, Columbia IS in NYC. If you're commuting TO Mt. Kisco, that's more do-able. Yet, I would still caution you about driving on the Taconic State Parkway. It's sort of like driving through the town of Ash, in Kent, at 60 MPH. I lived in Canterbury for work a few years back and that tiny town was on my daily commute to Sandwich: huge hedgerows on either side, often without room for two cars next to one another, yet they went speeding along....

[ankersm]

heh, absolutely, that's how nearly all Brits drive! The Scandinavians are far worse though, they think they're all in training for the world rally championships...

Can anyone give me any weblinks that explain the Income tax system?

[mom2gurls]

Originally Posted by Viralmd

You're looking in a reasonable area.

I do question the feasibility of living in Dutchess with a one hour commute, however. Columbia University is NOT where most people work...That extra half hour to mid-town is a part of the problem. The other half is the Taconic Parkway - DANGEROUS road - very curvy and many drive WAY too fast. And the cost of commuting by car (both in terms of money and aggravation) simply doesn't seem worth it.

ViralMD....I am getting used to you just disagreeing with me on anything on any post...but really, lets stick to helping out people who ask us questions.

In this case you are arguing with a resident... in a county where a HUGE amont of the population commutes in the city, NJ...and white plains or danbury...heck some even travel north to albany! Can we just get back to the OP question...LOL.

To the original Poster..my point was simply that a one hour commute to mount kisco, which is north of new york city is indeed possible from very very desirable areas of dutchess county--as I have been able to make it into the city itself in an hour...and to the working areas of midtown from dutchess its an hour and a half.


So there is NO way that dutchess would be out of your reach at all..based on commute times.

Putnam is a great choice..I would stay away from carmel as there schools are "so-so"..again...carmel is in putnam county which is 15-20 minutes south of where I live and how I get to shopping if I want to shop in danbury, ct..so again..well versed with the commute times and area..both on back roads(rural roads) as well as the major interstates.

And to the original poster..your way from dutchess, could work many many ways...Personally, I would take interstates to get to mount kisco...wide laned NONE curvy highways....Interstate 84 east to 684 South...the taconic is windy.. when you go thru putnam county..near carmel..and thats because putnam county is one big mountain so to speak..so they cut the mountain to accomodate the parkway(built way before my time..but thats what the locals tell me)..and its a got a state park built in there as well.

So YES..you do need to get used to that..and it depends on what your driving style is..for me, took me about 2 weeks to figure out where the curves are...NO big deal.

But again..its just an alternative to go south thats all.

Mahopac, Yorktown heights, Cant speak if they have their own villages..

But gosh...what you are describing with your country feel..YOU WOULD LOVE Rhinebeck, Millbrook...very very classy areas..but alas...it would be too far to commute out....but keep it in mind...alot of people come to dutchess for bed and breakfast stays...as we have wineries, AWESOME farmers markets(again if you are in to that thing)....and its "soccer mom" central up here.

You may want to ask a realtor on this..but there is town called stormville...next to carmel..but a bit more country..and the schools may fall in a different district...that may be an option for you.

See, you are in a great position because you dont need to deal with a city commute..which really opens up the areas where you can live..and I feel the same way with NYC...its nice for occasional visit out to see things..and to visit my brother...but I dont need it in my backyard.

Oh and yes you do get alot of land here in dutchess(and a good size in putnam as well) ..Our garden acreage is 1.3 acres of flat golf course grassland..so again..get used to seeing alot of swingsets and such if you plan on comming north of mount kisco.


The best thing for you to do is to take a tour with realtors in the areas...and see what fits your style..so far most of the posters have given great suggestions on where to at least start! Good luck and welcome!

Here is a link to dutchess in case you want to explore a bit! ( no I am not realtor, work for the county, or anything like that..LOL..I just check this site for things to do with the kids!).

http://www.dutchesstourism.com

[karen824]

Hi,
Wikipedia is probably as good a place to start as any regarding the tax system:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_..._and_tax_rates
If the link doesn't work, just go to http://www.wikipedia.org and search for "income tax united states."
Karen

[Natalpaz]

Ankersm - Carmel and Mahopac do have their own village centers, however, they are very small - with just few restaurants and shops. They are both situated by the lakes, so the views are beautiful! Here are two websites for you to explore: http://www.visitputnam.org/about/carmel.html; (broken link) http://www.carmelny.org/index.html.
As far as the local real estate goes - we are now firmly in the buyers market. The property prices are way down since the housing peak of 2 years ago, and the buyers have a lot of choices and can be very very picky. The sellers negotiate much more if they really want to sell. It is a good time to be a buyer!
Moderator cut: realtor soliciting
Natasha

[mom2gurls]

Originally Posted by Natalpaz

Ankersm - Carmel and Mahopac do have their own village centers, however, they are very small - with just few restaurants and shops. They are both situated by the lakes, so the views are beautiful! Here are two websites for you to explore: http://www.visitputnam.org/about/carmel.html; (broken link) http://www.carmelny.org/index.html.
As far as the local real estate goes - we are now firmly in the buyers market. The property prices are way down since the housing peak of 2 years ago, and the buyers have a lot of choices and can be very very picky. The sellers negotiate much more if they really want to sell. It is a good time to be a buyer!
Natasha

Natasha-

Always wanted to know..what is the difference between yorktown and yorktown heights? Is one more upscale than the other. Also since you are well versed on putnam and northern westchester....how is the route 6 thru yorktown developed out now? Last I looked the bix box stores were there..what else has developed now?