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We are moving from San Francisco to Westchester County. My bf will be teaching at West Point and I will be taking and (hopefully) passing the NY Bar. I'm guessing my job prospects will likely center in or around NYC.
For his job, we need to be as close to the Hudson as possible for his commute up to USMA. (ie: white plains and anything east is out)
For my expected job, I want to be within a one hour commute to NYC. Plus my sister and close friends currently live in Brooklyn.
We've researched Tarrytown, Dobbs Ferry, Croton on Hudson, etc. Basically all towns up the east side of the Hudson. But, it's hard to get any idea of the feel of the town from the internet. Asking my NYC friends gets blank stares.
We are early 30's, no kids, no plan for at least 3 years. So I could care less about school districts.
Renters for now.
In SF we are used to walking everywhere or taking local transportation. Also, we enjoy a good week night date and/or weekend out.
Definitely active, hikers, walkers, etc.
I realize north of NYC is more suburbia than city. But, we would still like a place with more city feel.
1. What towns/area do you recommend? ie: tarrytown includes bunch of different areas within the town...are there certain areas within a 'village' that fit our needs? (in SF we have neighborhoods such as Nob Hill and North Beach or Upper Haight, each with a different vibe. Is there something similar in these towns you recommend?)
2. We want about 750 sq. ft+ (1/1 or 2/1) and fairly updated. I don't need fancy all new steel appliances, but I don't want 1970's either. Price range? We estimated 1800/month, not including utilities which we estimate at 140/month or so.
3. Why are apartments so much cheaper b/w Route 9 and the Hudson? Is it a trendy thing or are the cheaper areas just sketchy?
4. Any recommendations on questions to ask realtors or important things to tell realtors in our search.
5. Craigslist has barely any listings compared to how much we use it in SF. Any other sites you recommend?
We will be visiting the area in March and driving around. But, we won't be able to come back until the official move in June. We'll have about 3 weeks to find a place. At that time, I'll be knee deep is bar study so I'm trying to get a jump on things.
I'm not very familiar with the River Towns but having recently moved from LA, I can forwarn you that people in this county just don't seem to embrace technology at all. Barely anyone uses Craigslist, ever (WCH is under the subgroup of NYC, btw, not Hudson Valley), Yelp or City Search. It continues to frustrate me daily.
This board even gets almost no traffic compared to nearby places like LI, NYC and Fairfield. Good luck, though! You can also connect with a realtor for rentals, but they tend to be more expensive.
We are moving from San Francisco to Westchester County. My bf will be teaching at West Point and I will be taking and (hopefully) passing the NY Bar. I'm guessing my job prospects will likely center in or around NYC.
For his job, we need to be as close to the Hudson as possible for his commute up to USMA. (ie: white plains and anything east is out)
For my expected job, I want to be within a one hour commute to NYC. Plus my sister and close friends currently live in Brooklyn.
We've researched Tarrytown, Dobbs Ferry, Croton on Hudson, etc. Basically all towns up the east side of the Hudson. But, it's hard to get any idea of the feel of the town from the internet. Asking my NYC friends gets blank stares.
We are early 30's, no kids, no plan for at least 3 years. So I could care less about school districts.
Renters for now.
In SF we are used to walking everywhere or taking local transportation. Also, we enjoy a good week night date and/or weekend out.
Definitely active, hikers, walkers, etc.
I realize north of NYC is more suburbia than city. But, we would still like a place with more city feel.
1. What towns/area do you recommend? ie: tarrytown includes bunch of different areas within the town...are there certain areas within a 'village' that fit our needs? (in SF we have neighborhoods such as Nob Hill and North Beach or Upper Haight, each with a different vibe. Is there something similar in these towns you recommend?)
2. We want about 750 sq. ft+ (1/1 or 2/1) and fairly updated. I don't need fancy all new steel appliances, but I don't want 1970's either. Price range? We estimated 1800/month, not including utilities which we estimate at 140/month or so.
3. Why are apartments so much cheaper b/w Route 9 and the Hudson? Is it a trendy thing or are the cheaper areas just sketchy?
4. Any recommendations on questions to ask realtors or important things to tell realtors in our search.
5. Craigslist has barely any listings compared to how much we use it in SF. Any other sites you recommend?
We will be visiting the area in March and driving around. But, we won't be able to come back until the official move in June. We'll have about 3 weeks to find a place. At that time, I'll be knee deep is bar study so I'm trying to get a jump on things.
Thank you in advance for your help!
I lived in Tarrytown for a year, before buying a house in nearby Irvington.
I think Tarrytown is a pretty good fit for you, although you may want to be on the west side of the Hudson for a West Point commute. I wouldn't call it a booming night life scene by any means, but there are several good restaurants , many along the water, in the string of villages usually known as the "Rivertowns," which are usually considered to be Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, Ardsley (even though it's not on the river), Irvington, and Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow. There are some terrific hiking trails just outside of town, one of which, The Old Croton Aquaduct Trail, allows bikes (it's unpaved). There is also a very long paved bike trail that goes right through the eastern edge of Tarrytown. The Tarrytown Music Hall, right in the village, is an old theatre that now hosts various events, mostly music. They actually have some decent acts too.
The train station is one of the better stops for express trains on the Hudson line, it's only about 37 minutes to GCT from Tarrytown.
To answer your numbered questions:
1. and 3. Basically, the commercial area of Tarrytown is mostly between the river and route 9. The area north of main street to Beekman avenue in Sleepy Hollow is less affluent and will probably be cheaper, although the "sketchiness" depends on exactly where you are. The area to the south of Main to the bridge is mostly single family houses, with several multi unit dwellings mixed in. The area east of route 9 (aka Broadway), is a bit more spread out, with larger houses and a more suburban feel.
5. Craigslist isn't used that much here because realtors quite often list rentals, for one thing. You can try realtor.com , it has anything that's on MLS. Also, this is not a large city like SF, it's Tarrytown. It's not big.
2. and 4. Well, ask about parking, for one thing, and the walkability factor. Some places in TT are good for walking, some aren't. I can't really comment on rental prices, as I haven't rented anything in 9 years.
My wife is a realtor. She knows Tarrytown well. If you send me a PM I'll be glad to give you her contact info. If not, no problem.
I lived in Tarrytown for a year, before buying a house in nearby Irvington.
although you may want to be on the west side of the Hudson for a West Point commute.
Dissent as going toward West Point in the AM is a doable reverse commute.
Well, if you wanted to go a bit cheaper, you could opt to settle in Putnam County. Cold Spring or Garrison (directly across the Hudson from West Point) would be fine options for you (1 hr 10 min, 1 hr from NYC, via train respectively). Both have Metro North Hudson Line stops and both are close to the Bear Mountain Bridge, which your husband would use to get to work daily. Both have nice down town areas and the train is only a few steps away.
I think you should check out Tarrytown first. It has a village feel - you can walk to the market/7-11/restaurants/coffee shop/concert hall. Plus you can walk/hike along the reservoir area. Rockefeller is a short drive away for some better hiking.
My gf and I are both about your age and moved to Tarrytown from L.A. a few years back - looking for similar things as you. We have since left but have been carefully plotting to get back. I just recently got accepted to law school in the area so hopefully we may get our wish (depending on some other schools).
You will both have a decent commute though just so you know.
Your best bet for the area is to look for rentals on the Yorktown Pennysaver. They have it online but there are no pics like on CL. For some reason people in the Westchester area (save for maybe White Plains & Yonkers) do not frequent CL & this board. Good luck.
"For some reason people in the Westchester area (save for maybe White Plains & Yonkers) do not frequent CL & this board."
LOL...exactly what I said a couple posts up (from another LA transplant). I just don't get it! Where does everyone sell their old stuff and tickets? I've always assumed that everyone else in the better areas are just so rich that they don't care and throw stuff away or donate it.
I would suggest Northern Westchester towns that would put you more inline with the Bear Mountain Bridge to commute to West Point. It will be a million times better than living further south and commuting over the Tappan Zee Bridge to West Point.
I would suggest towns like Peekskill and Cortlandt Manor, although Cortlandt Manor is really just residential while Peekskill has a downtown with shops/restaurants. The compromise is your commute to NYC will be longer, but these towns still have trains stations for the Metro North line that goes into Grand Central Station.
"For some reason people in the Westchester area (save for maybe White Plains & Yonkers) do not frequent CL & this board."
LOL...exactly what I said a couple posts up (from another LA transplant). I just don't get it! Where does everyone sell their old stuff and tickets? I've always assumed that everyone else in the better areas are just so rich that they don't care and throw stuff away or donate it.
We should start a movement!
I don't really know why either, but maybe you are on to something. What I do know is that when we were looking into the area it was a real struggle having depended on CL so much out west. It wasn't until someone told me about the Pennysaver that we were able to really do some decent apt. hunting.
Also, I think part of the problem may be that all of the real estate agents constantly loiter (sorry real estate peeps) the CL "Housing" section. To me they make it undesirable to even look through.
Thanks everyone for the replies! Lifesavers. Since CL started in SF, I can't even imagine not using it. My sister was no help, she basically said NYC or nothing. Well actually Brooklyn or nothing. Ahhh, I will miss the the corner store and walking everywhere.
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