Thoughts on Pelham (Yonkers, Mount Vernon, White Plains: apartments, crime, houses)

[Currency Pair Crocodile]

loc: HIGHBROOK AVE at FIRST STREET PELHAM NY US - Google Maps

I'm discussing with some landlord on moving to this area, folks. It would take me less than a minute to get to metro north and I like the way the houses in this area look. And it looks like commuting to Grand Central is only like 20 minutes, which is a boon for me, considering I commute one hour right now from Darien, CT.

Is this a good area? I wonder what the crime situation is like. The street looked largely quiet, nice and pretty, except that snow has unbeautied it a bit

Your thoughts are most welcome. Don't wannabe holed up in an area full of thugs and the like, considering how close Bronx is. I have to make a deposit Monday and gotta decide fast. Please advise.

[7 Wishes]

Don't know where you're from, but in this area places change in a short distance. Think how close Bronxville is to Mt. Vernon for example. Pelham is fine and very safe despite its proximity to the Bronx. Usually if I say anything about Pelham it's that it's expensive and somewhat snooty (but becoming in the last 10-15 years much less snooty and kind of diverse in an upper income way).

I think you'll like it, especially the short commute. Good luck!

[bmwguydc]

Pelham is perfectly fine, I agree. I would not worry about proximity to The Bronx, as the neighboring area may not be the most pleasing aesthetically, but it's generally safe for a mixed use area. The Bronx would actually be less a concern in Pelham for that reason, but Mount Vernon might be more of an issue for some -- those with children prone to mischief for one if said children were looking for trouble and did not drive. However, the police department does a superb job of securing the streets in Pelham, so crime is not a big concern in the area, since there are no spill-over issues with respect to the borders.

Near the train station is an excellent location since parking can be a problem at the station. Walking distance would put you in Midtown in a very short amount of time, so the commute is well worth it, as is the area. In terms of shopping and dining, Pelham is more limited when compared with Bronxville or Larchmont, as it's slightly more spread out, but one is only a few minutes from other areas for shopping/dining anyway that it's not a big deal.

On the south side of Pelham Manor, near The Bronx, there has been much redevelopment of shops and services. There's a newer Fairway grocery store, BJ's Wholesale, and some quick dining type restaurants, including a Five Guys that is under construction. Anytime I have been there, there are clearly people not from Pelham in the stores, but I have only witnessed people behaving normally. In fact, I think the people at BJ's, in particular, are much more polite than those that I recently encountered at the Cross County Center in Yonkers. For going to the movies and such in the general vicinity, I would tend to go to Larchmont or Bronxville for the older theaters in the villages, or new establishments in White Plains.

Pelham's schools, while not important right now, are very good, so the area attracts families who are willing to pay high prices for houses and taxes in return for a nice community for their children. When you have that factor in place, and it has been for decades (long before I was born), communities like Pelham tend to sustain over the longer term. Now, back in the old, old days there was a tone of discrimination in the area, but it has gone by the wayside as was pointed out above in that it's becoming more of a diverse area, but said diversity is within the same general income brackets as always for Pelham. Pelham was never on the level of Scarsdale or Bronxville in terms of discriminatory exclusion, which has been characterized as such to me, since I was not alive to witness any of it first-hand.

I would recommend taking the apartment as the commute is so much better than Darien, and you can walk to the train station, which is another plus. Pelham is a tidy area, of well-kept houses, co-ops, and apartments (though not too many of those), that is quiet, convenient, though perhaps not as sleepy as towns in the countryside to the north. I would definitely take the apartment if I were in a similar position. Good luck with your decision!

[Currency Pair Crocodile]

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

Pelham is perfectly fine, I agree. I would not worry about proximity to The Bronx, as the neighboring area may not be the most pleasing aesthetically, but it's generally safe for a mixed use area. The Bronx would actually be less a concern in Pelham for that reason, but Mount Vernon might be more of an issue for some -- those with children prone to mischief for one if said children were looking for trouble and did not drive. However, the police department does a superb job of securing the streets in Pelham, so crime is not a big concern in the area, since there are no spill-over issues with respect to the borders.

Near the train station is an excellent location since parking can be a problem at the station. Walking distance would put you in Midtown in a very short amount of time, so the commute is well worth it, as is the area. In terms of shopping and dining, Pelham is more limited when compared with Bronxville or Larchmont, as it's slightly more spread out, but one is only a few minutes from other areas for shopping/dining anyway that it's not a big deal.

On the south side of Pelham Manor, near The Bronx, there has been much redevelopment of shops and services. There's a newer Fairway grocery store, BJ's Wholesale, and some quick dining type restaurants, including a Five Guys that is under construction. Anytime I have been there, there are clearly people not from Pelham in the stores, but I have only witnessed people behaving normally. In fact, I think the people at BJ's, in particular, are much more polite than those that I recently encountered at the Cross County Center in Yonkers. For going to the movies and such in the general vicinity, I would tend to go to Larchmont or Bronxville for the older theaters in the villages, or new establishments in White Plains.

Pelham's schools, while not important right now, are very good, so the area attracts families who are willing to pay high prices for houses and taxes in return for a nice community for their children. When you have that factor in place, and it has been for decades (long before I was born), communities like Pelham tend to sustain over the longer term. Now, back in the old, old days there was a tone of discrimination in the area, but it has gone by the wayside as was pointed out above in that it's becoming more of a diverse area, but said diversity is within the same general income brackets as always for Pelham. Pelham was never on the level of Scarsdale or Bronxville in terms of discriminatory exclusion, which has been characterized as such to me, since I was not alive to witness any of it first-hand.

I would recommend taking the apartment as the commute is so much better than Darien, and you can walk to the train station, which is another plus. Pelham is a tidy area, of well-kept houses, co-ops, and apartments (though not too many of those), that is quiet, convenient, though perhaps not as sleepy as towns in the countryside to the north. I would definitely take the apartment if I were in a similar position. Good luck with your decision!

Bmwguy, you're the man. Thanks a ton! That was very informative and thanks, again

[Currency Pair Crocodile]

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

Don't know where you're from, but in this area places change in a short distance. Think how close Bronxville is to Mt. Vernon for example. Pelham is fine and very safe despite its proximity to the Bronx. Usually if I say anything about Pelham it's that it's expensive and somewhat snooty (but becoming in the last 10-15 years much less snooty and kind of diverse in an upper income way).

I think you'll like it, especially the short commute. Good luck!

I tend towards snooty places becoz the quality of life generally goes hand in hand with snooty attitude

I use the house to sleep. Otherwise, I'll be mostly working, wandering around or traveling, and I have had success integrating myself in any given crowd despite looking foreign, particularly given my activities in the local churches. So I need a safe neighborhood where my family can feel safe when they visit. And the owner was okay with my fiancee's dog, which is a pit bull mix. And I personally think it's quite a catch, given that the train station is just steps away.

I may have a tougher situation if I had kids, but thankfully not yet.

Thanks for your response