New Rochelle vs. Mamaroneck as Larchmont alternative (Rye, Valhalla: apartment, house prices)

[Justabitoff]

My husband and I recently spent some time in Larchmont and we are in love.... with everything except the home prices. I was thinking that Mamaroneck or New Rochelle might be better options. Would it make sense to look for neighborhoods near Larchmont in those areas, or is there another option that I'm not considering?

New Rochelle seems affordable, but I'm nervous because I haven't read many good things, and I haven't had the best experiences driving around there. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places?

[streetsmart]

What exactly is it that you love about Larchmont? Is it the "village-y" area with the small lots and sidewalks, with the ability to walk to shopping and the train? Yeah, there's a reason the house prices are so high...what's not to love? There really isn't a similar area in NR or Mamaroneck I'm afraid. There are nice areas in those 2 towns for sure (we are moving soon to Orienta and I LOVE it there) and the northern part of NR is very nice, but similar to Larchmont? Not so much.

[Justabitoff]

Actually, I wasn't think so much as an alternative to Larchmont so much as it would be a more affordable area to live that is still close to Larchmont. But I'm worried that the schools won't be as good, that home prices aren't that much cheaper, and that it won't be as convenient to get to Larchmont as we think and thus it's a waste of time moving to a neighborhood we don't like as much.

I'll have to look into Orienta. I've heard the name, don't know much about it.

[jjinla]

If you can't afford Larchmont, don't bother looking at Orienta.

The schools in Mamaroneck are in the same system as Larchmont for middle and HS.

Living here, I can say that part of what is to love about the village is that everywhere you go, you see people you know. You'd be missing out on more than half of the experience if you just came to visit, but it is an option.

NR doesn't get cheap until you hit the south end, which has terrible elementary schools.

[bg7]

Mamaroneck is not a simple alternative to Larchmont, some of the waterfront parts are more expensive than Larchmont, others parts are about a quarter of the price! If you do live in Mamaroneck though you'll either have your kids attend Mamaroneck schools or Rye Neck schools , the former of which are shared with Larchmont at the HS anyway, as pointed out by jjinla.
I don't see NR as an "alternative" in any sense.

[Dockside]

Originally Posted by bg7

I don't see NR as an "alternative" in any sense.

NR is a completely different animal from Larchmont. NR is a small city with a diverse population with pluses and minuses very different from Larchmont. If you like the ambience of Larchmont but can't afford it, consider Mt. Kisco or Katonah or even Valhalla, all very nice communities with friendly people and a lot of town perks.

[Justabitoff]

We do like Mt. Kisco and Katonah, but they are much farther up from NYC than we'd like. It's a total double-edge sword. To afford something in Westchester, you have to live far away from the city. But to be close to the city, you can't afford to live in Westchester. We're totally aware of this, and that's why we're waiting to buy for a couple more years. I'm just feeling out what options there could be so we know what to plan for. Right now, we're happy with our 1 bedroom apartment in Rye (even if we are one of like a dozen under 30 / no kids families in the whole town!)