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My wife and I are looking at moving to Peekskill some time over the next year with our (to be) newborn, and are impressed with the Chapel Hill area. The only thing I haven't been able to figure out is what it's like commuting to midtown NYC from there. My understanding is that due to an ordinance or something like that they are not allowed to have a daily shuttle to/from the train station (please correct me if this is wrong). If that's the case, can anyone offer advice about how to commute, given that it's not within walking distance to the train?
You might be able to park in the parking lot, while I don't know the price, I've heard that there's a much smaller (if any) waiting list for a permit compared to the smaller towns. You could also drive to the Croton-on-Hudson station, which will have more train options than Peekskill though I don't know the permit situation there in terms of waiting list.
Keep in mind that when your newborn is school age that the schools in Peekskill do not have a good reputation.
7 Wishes- thanks for replying. We're strongly hoping to avoid having to drive/park at the station on a daily basis. I suppose this would mean then our other option is to limit our choice to what's within walking distance.
I am aware by word of mouth and from this forum of the reputation for Peekskill schools. The plans we have been considering involve buying a condo in one of the newer condo communities in Chapel Hill or South of Main St., and stay until our child is close to school age, then sell. For this reason, I have been interested in the absorption rate of these types of properties. I know it's impossible to predict what it will be like in 3-4 years, and there are many factors involved, but even a general idea of typical time on market over the past 10 years is very helpful. If it typically takes less than a year in an "average" economy, for example, that would probably be ok, but more than that would be a big concern.
When looking at the numbers, because common charges and taxes are comparitively low in Peekskill, it seems to work out better to own over 3-4 years rather than rent.
Would you disagree with this, or have any cautions?
Joe - We decided to buy in Peekskill with the same kind of thinking. But we are fast falling in love with the town and all the changing that seems to be going on. Its quaint and diverse, bustling and relaxed. Its been a happy investment! We live closer to the high school and can walk to the train. Its just under a mile walking and we love the daily exercise!
Joe
I do believe there is a bus from Maple ave to the trains station in Peekskill .. Or you can drive to Cortlandt Trains.. lots of parking and take the trains from there.. Chapel Hill is a very nice complex, If enought people wanted a Jitney to the Trains I don't understand why they couldn't other complexes do.. IE: Half Moon Bay and Mystic Pte. have buses, or jitneys to the station.
good luck..
chapel hill is a LOVELY development. But the schools..YIKES. We too had the idea we would buy a home in the hudson valley (newlyweds at the time), had this big 5-7 year plan "sell and move"..wow....12 years went buy, three kids later..have the home..putting it for sale because of a relo.
Also keep in mind, you will never know what the market will do. May go down, may go high (in which case buying will be high).
And yes, when you have toddlers, you do think you will move, but then you make friends, realize that the toddlers will go to the same pre-k-/elementry...and it starts changing about leaving/moving and your kids not being able to go to school with their "friends".
Just some inside thought to someone that has been "there". Had it not been for the job relo, we would have still sold our home, but just bought our dream home in the same school district and stayed put.
Thanks for all your replies. We're going to close on our condo in Manhattan in 3 weeks and are going up this Sunday to see homes in Kemey's Cove (Briarcliff Manor), Briarcliff Drive (Ossining) and then Woods III and Chapel hill. Can anyone offer comparisons between Woods III and Chapel Hill?
It may sound crazy but if we do end up buying in that area I'm actually considering commuting by bicycle to and from the train, and I wonder if anyone else in the area does this.
I heard that there were car break-ins on Villa Dr and Brooke Hollow Rd last year, some with windows broken in. Is this known about by most residents? While it doesn't scare us away, it does make me consider the fact that my wife would be walking to the supermarket during the day with the stroller.
Hey Joe,
As of last Fall, there was parking available at Peekskill Train Station. It is $30/month and the train is about 2 miles from Chapel Hill. You can call Peekskill Town Hall to find out if there's still parking available and they issue the permits there.
I forgot to mention there have also been some car window breakins in Chapel Hill over the winter.
If you are just looking for condos with jitneys to the train, in Ossining you can check out Mystic Point, Briarcliff Woods and The Brooke Club. Also, in the southern part of Ossining, Liberty Knoll and Kemey's Cove offer jitneys. None of the condos in Peekskill offer this service that I know of.
Also, if you want to ride your bike to Peekskill Train Station to Chapel Hill, it's pretty much just one road - Hudson Avenue. However, it has some very steep hills going home from the train!
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