Larchmont Feedback for NYC Dweller (New Rochelle, Mamaroneck: sales, renting, home sales)

[tylermully]

Hi there,

My husband and I are considering a move from the UWS to lower Westchester. Would love feedback on Larchmont and Pelham, specifically around these topics:

The Commute
- We both work in Columbus Circle and are interested to hear from you how the commute from lower Westchester is - how long does it take? is the MN reliable? anyone take a bus?

The Schools
- We have kids who speak Spanish. We know there is a French American school and that the Mamaroneck schools are well received. Does anyone know if there are other dual language programs other than the French American schools?

House Hunting
- Our budget for a home is under 900K (aware that this will not get us a huge house)
- How is the market now? Are there bidding wars and all cash offers like we're seeing in Manhattan and Brooklyn?

Other
- What's the deal with Larchmont beach passes? Can all residents pay for them or do you have to be in a certain part of Larchmont?
- Are these the types of towns where everyone knows one another's business?

If there are any other NYC-ers who would like to share their story, I'd love to hear it!

[bg7]

Originally Posted by tylermully

Hi there,

My husband and I are considering a move from the UWS to lower Westchester. Would love feedback on Larchmont and Pelham, specifically around these topics:

The Commute
- We both work in Columbus Circle and are interested to hear from you how the commute from lower Westchester is - how long does it take? is the MN reliable? anyone take a bus?

The Schools
- We have kids who speak Spanish. We know there is a French American school and that the Mamaroneck schools are well received. Does anyone know if there are other dual language programs other than the French American schools?

House Hunting
- Our budget for a home is under 900K (aware that this will not get us a huge house)
- How is the market now? Are there bidding wars and all cash offers like we're seeing in Manhattan and Brooklyn?

Other
- What's the deal with Larchmont beach passes? Can all residents pay for them or do you have to be in a certain part of Larchmont?
- Are these the types of towns where everyone knows one another's business?

If there are any other NYC-ers who would like to share their story, I'd love to hear it!

FYI - there are also Mamaroneck schools with a dual-language program.

The commute, once you are on the train, to GCT is realistically 40 mins in the morning. Going home its quicker. I'd calculate the walk from the northern exit of GCT to Columbus circle if I were you (there are exits on 45th for example). Metro North is pretty reliable, its a fairly civilized commute too. Basically everyone in the morning is reading or doing work, but mostly reading. Exiting the train is like when you get off a plane - people tend to let the row in front of them empty first. The only issue you'll have is by the time the train gets to Larchmont its already a bit full so you might end up with the dreaded middle seat. Can't say for Pelham (a shorter commute) because it depends on the stops it makes before Pelham.

You can have a degree of anonymity, and certainly no-one can hear what's going on in your house. And no doorman knowing all your comings and goings. But if your cousins turn up in a hippy-school bus from California everyone will know.

The beach club at Manor Park requires you to live within a certain boundary - don't know about the rest. There is a Larchmont newcomer's club to orient you (not speaking from experience though).

[ehanson]

I used to live in Pelham before moving to the city a few years ago and now live in Larchmont after moving from Queens.

Both communities are nice but there's some (subtle differences) between them. Housing prices in Larchmont tend to be a bit higher than Pelham (Pelham Manor though is quite expensive with homes averaging around 1 million or so) $900k is doable in both areas but won't get you a large 2 bedroom home on a surrounded by a lot of land. I don't know that much of home sales in the area because I'm renting. The north end of Pelham (near New Rochelle) tends to be less expensive but lot sizes are a bit smaller than south of Lincoln Avenue. Do some hunting around on a map on Zillow.com or Trulia

The Metro North commute is reliable despite a few regular riders complaining about MN. It's 10x better than commuting on the subway IMO and for the most part is civilized, quiet and comfortable. I'll second bg7 statements about statement on the MN. Being further down on the New Haven line though it might be harder to find an open seat when the train get to Larchmont or Pelham since the train originates from Stanford and many riders get on there or at the various stops in Greenwich in the morning. During the evening rush if time it to board the train 20 or so mins before it departs from Grand Central you can almost always find an open seat on any car as it idles at the platform.

[tylermully]

Thanks so much for your replies!

[mc33433]

You may want to post in the Westchester forum as well.

I also have a coworker that commutes from CT and parks in upper Manhattan, then takes the subway from there (actually rides his bike when it's nice out)