Piermont, NY - specific questions... (Hudson, Lee: condos, home, neighborhoods)

[ramshah]

My wife, baby, and I are thinking of moving to Piermont, NY and I was hoping some of you may have some advice for us. For some context, I work in Fort Lee, NJ. Specifically:

1. My wife will be at home for at least the next few years. We live in Manhattan and have so for many years. We don't really know anyone in the suburbs and one of our big worries (and specifically for her) is how she'll meet new people. Do you think Piermont is an "open" friendly place? We're both Indian but have friends of all races/religions. Are there quite a few families with young children around?
2. Schools - we've heard that the school system is very good good. We both studied hard and went to good colleges and would hope the same for our child(ren?) but we've been a bit turned off by what seem like ultracompetitive, homogeneously wealthy neighborhoods like Tenafly in Bergan County or Irvington in Westchester. We're trying to find that right mix of diversity of backgrounds/income levels/races with very high quality academics. What do you think?
3. Groceries...: we're very big into cooking and eating healthy - we shop at Whole Foods in Manhattan but I see the nearest one is pretty far away from Piermont. Where do folks go shopping for groceries?
4. Stuff for seniors: my parents are likely to move down near us either in Piermont if we move there or very close by. Is this a good place for seniors? They are in the their 60's. Are there any senior centers/activities for seniors around? Similar to my question above, they won't know anyone other than us and will have to build a new network. How easy do think that will be in this town?
5. What about Nyack - same questions...any big differences?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[marcfarre]

Dear Ramshah,

I've lived in Piermont for 9 years (moved up here from Manhattan also), and I can honestly say it is the most wonderful little village I've ever known in the States. It's beautiful (ringed by mountains, state parks, a tidal creek, a skating pond, the majestic Hudson, and a 1,000-acre nature preserve along the water), multicultural (our best friend here is from near Mumbai), creative, fun, and not in ANY WAY a suburb (nor does it feel like one). Piermont is very much a village, with big-city sophistication, but with the kind of friendly small-town vibe that led us to Greenwich Village before we moved here. We have several some lovely playgrounds!

We also have several decent (and one extraordinary) restaurants, art galleries, shops, and a famous, small music club. The public schools here are indeed excellent.

As for seniors, there are several senior communities nearby, though not here. It sounds like your parents are far from old -- there is an impressive series of beautiful condos right along the Pier (a mile-long peninsula that juts into the Hudson), where several couples of all ages (including seniors) and families live.

When my wife (who is a chef) and I moved here, we had the same worries about being in "a suburb" and not finding likeminded people. We discovered to our astonishment, that we made MORE friends and found MORE likeminded people here than we did in NYC.

It should be pretty obvious that I love living here, and every single person I know who also lives in Piermont feels pretty much the same way. Why not drive up here and investigate?

If you'd like to correspond directly with me, feel free to do so via my website: www.marcfarre.com.

Good luck!

PS: Nyack is also wonderful, though a bit bigger and noisier.

[ramshah]

Marc,
Thanks so much for your very helpful response! I had the pleasure of listening to some of your music on your site - its wonderful - looking forward to downloading some this weekend on itunes. I'm sure I'll have some other questions that I'll send you directly. Thanks again for the quick response.

[marcfarre]

Thank you Ram. I look forward to speaking with you. Let me know if I can help.