Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I live in CT and I've noticed a ton of NY plates not just in my town but some surrounding ones as well. There are a few universities up here so there's a heavy presence of students and their parents, and I'm sure some people are probably visiting family up here. But I've spotted a ton of cars with Connecticut plates that have license plate frames indicating their dealership is from someplace in Westchester. Which has me wondering, is Westchester getting to where people are getting priced out? I raised this question in the New Jersey board, and some of those who HAVE left either relocated to someplace else in the Northeast or to the Carolinas where it's cheaper. I have lots of family in northeast Jersey and it's now only slightly cheaper than the city. (A typical 1950s split level in Union County could easily go for over $500k, even in this market, which I think is nuts.) Has anyone here contemplated a move, and if so where and why? IMHO, if people coming to CT from Westchester are expecting a bargain they might be surprised at how high the cost of living is, even beyond Fairfield County.
The short answer to your question is yes, Westchester has definitely gotten to the point where it has become too expensive a place for many people to be able to live, even people who are natives of the area like myself. On the other hand, if you are a single person or family with a six-figure income living in Westchester, you most likely are happy here and not contemplating leaving. You should take a look at the thread on this board entitled "Goodbye Westchester", where the OP talks about leaving the area due to the high cost of living.
I am definitely looking at other places to live, including the Carolinas (mostly NC), SE Virginia, Knoxville TN (not so strongly as before, but I still haven't ruled it out completely) and Albuquerque, NM. My main motivation to move is to find an area with a lower cost of living than Westchester, but I'd also like to move somewhere with a more moderate climate (shorter winters, less snow) than here in NY. Since I don't have kids, it's not important to me what the schools are like in an area I might move to.
On a side note, I had to laugh when I read your comment about seeing the cars in your area with CT license plates, but license plate frames from NY area car dealerships. What is up with that, anyway? I can never understand why people keep those cheap plastic license plate frames from the dealer on their cars indefinitely, or worse, why they would take them off to put a new plate on their car, and then put them back on! You can take those frames off after you buy the car, people. They serve no purpose other than to give the dealer free advertising.
I think that many people are leaving NJ and NY because they are just getting tired of the taxes. Especially once you retire and neither need the schools nor the 'close to the city' element. But, there always seems to be others that are happy to take their place.
We just moved here a few months ago, and although we are tempted to buy in the area we've been renting in, we're currently looking at houses in Greenwich because even though we can afford a $20K tax bill, it's insulting to pay that if you ever lived outside of NY/NJ. If you do the math, you realize how corrupt NYS government is. Even with the multiple layers of government, the small schools, etc., none of that possibly mandates property taxes that high.
The real estate certainly is not cheaper in the neighboring "good" cities of CT, but IMO it offers a better value. I don't know about the areas north of Darien, but I would guess that many of those people no longer work in the city.
But still, you have to decide what kind of life you want. Living in CT, vs. Westchester is a totally different decision than CT vs. TN. When you go into many parts of the south, your neighbors and town will have a completely different level of sophistication. Either you will love it or hate it.
Know what is killing Westcheser the most? VERY high cost of living and especially taxes,taxes,taxes,taxes and more taxes - Long Island is much the same. Unless you're making over $100,000+ it's almost impossible to own something.
Unless you work in NYC living that close to NYC is not worth it (unless you want to show off). Depends on if you visit NYC once a week or maybe 3-4-5 times a year..
more than half of the neighborhood that I grew up in has pretty much relocated to either Charlotte, Raleigh, Houston, or Atlanta. I know a good deal of people who have moved to CT because the taxes were less of a burden on them and their families.
on top of that some blue collar/working class neighborhoods (in lower westchester) started to see some gentrification before the downturn and the rising rents had priced out some residents.
Know what is killing Westcheser the most? VERY high cost of living and especially taxes,taxes,taxes,taxes and more taxes - Long Island is much the same. Unless you're making over $100,000+ it's almost impossible to own something.
Unless you work in NYC living that close to NYC is not worth it (unless you want to show off). Depends on if you visit NYC once a week or maybe 3-4-5 times a year..
I've heard that LI was suffering a mass exodus, but hadn't heard it to the same degree about Westchester (although neither is my locale). That said, this does not surprise me one bit as NYS and other Big Government, union-backed states treat many of their citizens like dirt. In IL, for example, politicians cater to their public employee union supporters, cronies (contractors, donors, etc.) and those on the Government dole who repay them with their votes. This crony capitalism is done on the backs of everyone else: the productive citizens. My guess is it's the same way in Westchester and, more broadly, NYS.
From what I hear, $100K/annum with a family would lead to a VERY modest life in Westchester county. It may be hard to purchase a modest home in an average school district.
On a side note, I had to laugh when I read your comment about seeing the cars in your area with CT license plates, but license plate frames from NY area car dealerships. What is up with that, anyway? I can never understand why people keep those cheap plastic license plate frames from the dealer on their cars indefinitely, or worse, why they would take them off to put a new plate on their car, and then put them back on! You can take those frames off after you buy the car, people. They serve no purpose other than to give the dealer free advertising.
*Laughs* I know, but you'd be surprised - because it happens all the time. A few months ago someone moved here from Queens and bought a unit in my complex, and they still have CT plates but the frame says "Bayside, NY." I'm almost tempted to say (jokingly, of course) "You ain't in Noooo Yawk anymore."
I'M surprised at how many people from NYC and Westchester have moved into my state. I'd think most people from there would find it boring as hell up here because it's not Manhattan. (Personally I love it up here, but that's because I'm in a walkable area where one town over you're in a small city, two towns to the north and you're in the sticks, and Boston and NYC are only 100 miles away.) I also think it's kind of ironic that ANYONE would think CT is a bargain compared to NY in terms of taxes - it might not be as extreme as Westchester or LI, but it's getting there.
"I'd think most people from there would find it boring as hell up here because it's not Manhattan."
Um, helloo, been to Westchester lately. Ain't a whole lot going on here, either.
Having recently moved here, I actually really prefer the layout of CT...everything is linear along freeways...or whatever you call them here, because they sure as heck are not free.
In Westchester, it can take you 40 minutes to go 7 miles with no traffic, because there is no true cross-county freeway, the lights are not timed, and you can never turn right on right. And instead of city centers, all of the shopping is scattered in a hodge-podge way wherever they could get land. Mostly, they are these mom & pop stores with no real purpose (unless you want pizza or your nails done). It's terrible, you have to haul to White Plains, Mt. Vernon or Yonkers to do any real shopping.
Having recently moved here, I actually really prefer the layout of CT...everything is linear along freeways...or whatever you call them here, because they sure as heck are not free.
In Westchester, it can take you 40 minutes to go 7 miles with no traffic, because there is no true cross-county freeway, the lights are not timed, and you can never turn right on right. And instead of city centers, all of the shopping is scattered in a hodge-podge way wherever they could get land. Mostly, they are these mom & pop stores with no real purpose (unless you want pizza or your nails done). It's terrible, you have to haul to White Plains, Mt. Vernon or Yonkers to do any real shopping.
Really? Whenever I take MetroNorth from NH into GCC, the train goes through Westchester and I see plenty of storefronts and what look like nice town centers. At least that's what I've seen. For all I know it may be boring but it looks attractive. I always liked Westchester, I admit I don't know it well but I've always thought it was a pretty area - at a high cost, I know, but still...
As for Connecticut's highways, we have our own issues, believe me. I-84 if awful. It runs through some suburban towns (like mine) and the highway came first so the layout is pretty straight, and they built houses AROUND it. But as soon as you get into the capitol city, it weaves and winds endlessly, there's always an accident and its just overall an awful experience. I won't even get on it if I have to head east of the river - I take residential streets that run parallel to 84 and then get on the highway right before I cross the river, all to avoid city traffic 'cause I refuse to put up with it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
