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My wife and I are looking to possibly relocate from Long Island to the Dutchess/Orange County area with our 3 children, but we're having some trouble zeroing in on the right towns.
Our top priorities are good schools and easy access to Metro North, with proximity to shopping being a big plus as well.
Some of the towns on our radar are Spackenkill, Cornwall, Fishkill, Wappingers, and Washingtonville. How would you rate these areas? Are there other areas we should consider?
The two agents we've spoken too have been less than helpful, saying they can't really comment on schools.
Our budget is about 350k. Any help would be much appreciated.
Are you going to be commuting into the city? Think twice before going over to the west side of the river. And then think a third time, and then stay on the east side. MNR is way better than any solution that Rockland/Orange can offer, and crossing a bridge to get to the train station would just suck. There might be options along the Port Jervis line but I really don't know anything about that area at all.
Spackenkill and Arlington, both within Town of Poughkeepsie, are great, and houses are pretty affordable. It's a long ass ride into the city but it's doable (and without having to transfer trains) I know Cornwall is really good too but getting into Manhattan from there would be a pain in the ass. I think Red Hook has the highest rated schools in the county but you'd have to be ****ing mental to make that ride to the city every day. Although, IF you can get away with working from home and only actually going to the city once a week or so, I might say to give it a shot.
One thing to keep in mind when looking in the area is that the town lines, mailing addresses, school districts, etc, are all jumbled up around here, so make sure you know which schools (elementary, middle, AND upper, because some properties are in different districts depending on level) you're zoned in before buying.
Last edited by ashowofhands; 05-16-2018 at 10:10 PM..
Are you going to be commuting into the city? Think twice before going over to the west side of the river. And then think a third time, and then stay on the east side. MNR is way better than any solution that Rockland/Orange can offer, and crossing a bridge to get to the train station would just suck. There might be options along the Port Jervis line but I really don't know anything about that area at all.
Spackenkill and Arlington, both within Town of Poughkeepsie, are great, and houses are pretty affordable. It's a long ass ride into the city but it's doable (and without having to transfer trains) I know Cornwall is really good too but getting into Manhattan from there would be a pain in the ass. I think Red Hook has the highest rated schools in the county but you'd have to be ****ing mental to make that ride to the city every day. Although, IF you can get away with working from home and only actually going to the city once a week or so, I might say to give it a shot.
One thing to keep in mind when looking in the area is that the town lines, mailing addresses, school districts, etc, are all jumbled up around here, so make sure you know which schools (elementary, middle, AND upper, because some properties are in different districts depending on level) you're zoned in before buying.
Rockland offers a better commute than Dutchess County. You can’t combine Rockland and Orange in this regard. Rockland is much closer to Manhattan than Dutchess County and Orange County. Train service is provided by NJ transit via arrangement with Metro North. The trains don’t crawl in traffic over the GWB.
Washingtonville is ok. People who live there generally like it. There isn't much of a town, but Monroe is nearby. I'd avoid Monroe. It's a nice town, but too many problems.
People generally like Cornwall too. It's also ok, but good access to restaurants and nearby shopping.
Is proximity to Metro a daily commute issue, or just occasional? How long of a commute is acceptable for you?
Warwick has a well regarded school district, though proximity to Metro isn't great, but considered doable to many. Greenwood Lake is in the same position (though metro is closer to grab over in Tuxedo). GWL has decent schools, but they've had a rocky past with their high school situation. That is straightened out now.
Is there a reason Rockland isn't on your list?
Thanks for your input. Is the service from Salisbury Mills that awful?
Also, isn't Arlington somewhat far from the Poughkeepsie stain? I'm doing everything from Google maps, so my perspective it's limited.
In OC most people tend to grab the train at Harriman or Tuxedo. I don't really know much about Salisbury, but most friends in Washingtonville went to Harriman for the train.
The best schools will be in Cornwall or Warwick.
Don't even bother looking at Port Jervis.
Washingtonville is ok. People who live there generally like it. There isn't much of a town, but Monroe is nearby. I'd avoid Monroe. It's a nice town, but too many problems.
People generally like Cornwall too. It's also ok, but good access to restaurants and nearby shopping.
Is proximity to Metro a daily commute issue, or just occasional? How long of a commute is acceptable for you?
Warwick has a well regarded school district, though proximity to Metro isn't great, but considered doable to many. Greenwood Lake is in the same position (though metro is closer to grab over in Tuxedo). GWL has decent schools, but they've had a rocky past with their high school situation. That is straightened out now.
Is there a reason Rockland isn't on your list?
Unfortunately commuting will be a daily thing, at least for now. I'm hoping that my wife will find a position within one of the local school districts so that I could look into positions (digital marketing) within the areas. I know I'll take a pay cut, but hopefully that will balance out.
There doesn't seem to be much housing stuck in our price range in Rockland, and we're less familiar with that area. Though the commute does sound a lot better.
My guess is their budget. $350k for a 4br (I assume, unless OP is going to have kids sharing bedrooms) is going to be a lot tougher in Rockland than in Orange or Dutchess.
Yeah, our budget can definitely get us more in OC or DC.
If we were to concentrate on Dutchess, how do the different school districts (close to transportation) compare? It seems like Spackenkill is pretty good, and Arlington is large but well regarded. How are Fishkill and Wappingers? The Great schools scores don't point such a great picture, but our friends (without kids) say those areas are nice and the schools are well regarded.
Yeah, our budget can definitely get us more in OC or DC.
If we were to concentrate on Dutchess, how do the different school districts (close to transportation) compare? It seems like Spackenkill is pretty good, and Arlington is large but well regarded. How are Fishkill and Wappingers? The Great schools scores don't point such a great picture, but our friends (without kids) say those areas are nice and the schools are well regarded.
GreatSchools used to be primarily test score based, but it also includes test score improvements(in general, academic and by ethnic/economic groups). For high schools, I believe it considers college “readiness” as well. It’s ranking number is also based on the state and Above average is 8-10, average is 4-7 and below average is 1-3: https://www.greatschools.org/gk/ratings/
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