Pelham vs Harrison? (Scarsdale, Chappaqua, Bronxville: public schools, place to live, professionals)
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kletter1man - the question about wide experience in the world was a back-handed comment against my assertion that jjinla's comments struck me as racist. As for a wide world view, I'm a dual-national, have lived in 4 countries and visited countless others, bg7. But that's irrelevant. If you lived in my town, you would have seen FAR worse from some of our residents (in bad neighborhoods) than by anyone in Pelham. From public drunkeness, drugs, etc... to more simple things like keeping small children up to all hours. And yes, you learn very quickly to stay away from these areas. I have been open to someone describing what bad behavior they've seen in Pelham, which would help clarify how jjinla's figured out these people are "the worst of them".
I am far more interested in Nonny's opinion of what goes on in Pelham, as a resident, than jjinla's, who seems to have to go through these inferior areas and to the gritty parts of Pelham a lot for someone who loathes being near them. Nonny, would you describe your daily trip to Colonial as taking you through not-so-pretty areas with not-so-nice people? And what is going on with the group of teenagers you describe (I'm truly curious, not trying to say that it's not true.)
There are zero issues around Colonial School. Walking to Colonial, or any of the schools, is delightful. You pass through tree lined streets with friendly neighbors and dogs. Kids don't even need to walk with their parents. It's like living in Mayberry.The current problem is that there are a group of teenagers who are currently hanging out in the playground after school. They are littering, loud, swearing, unruly, jumping off buildings.Not good behavior for a playground filled with little kids. This behavior has been addressed in the local paper. It's not racist. The kids are multiculturally inconsiderate.
Pelham is the place to be if you want an extremely convenient location, close to Manhattan and a top-5 Westchester school district. Pelham has a small-town vibe but its border with New York City (via the city's largest park - Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx) and New Rochelle adds an unique urban flavor to the town. Pelham residents looking for a quick escape from the town go to Main Street in New Rochelle, Pondfield Rd. in Bronxville, City Island, Arthur Avenue or Manhattan—since it's ridiculously fast to get to from Pelham.
Harrison is for those who want an IB school district (a lot of international folks live there because of that) that's a little less competitive (top-25 in Westchester maybe?), a very quiet suburban feel, and those who don't care too much about proximity to the city. Harrison residents hang out in White Plains or Port Chester, if they want to ”get away.” The taxes are lower in Harrison since the schools are a little less competitive (though they are quite good) and you get more house for your money, generally.
Last edited by ManBx; 05-16-2022 at 12:17 AM..
Reason: typo
Pelham is the place to be if you want an extremely convenient location, close to Manhattan and a top-5 Westchester school district. Pelham has a small-town vibe but it's border with New York City (via the city's largest park - Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx) and New Rochelle adds an unique urban flavor to the town. Pelham residents looking for a quick escape from the town go to Main Street in New Rochelle, Pondfield Rd. in Bronxville, City Island, Arthur Avenue or Manhattan—since it's ridiculously fast to get to from Pelham.
Harrison is for those who want an IB school district (a lot of international folks live there because of that) that's a little less competitive (top-25 in Westchester maybe?), a very quiet suburban feel, and those who don't care too much about proximity to the city. Harrison residents hang out in White Plains or Port Chester, if they want to ”get away.” The taxes are lower in Harrison since the schools are a little less competitive (though they are quite good) and you get more house for your money, generally.
Pelham is the place to be if you want an extremely convenient location, close to Manhattan and a top-5 Westchester school district.
I like Pelham very much, but in terms of rankings it most definitely does not have a top 5 school district in the County. Its schools are good, no doubt, but Scarsdale, Edgemont, Chappaqua, Rye Brook, Briarcliff, Bronxville, Ardsley and Irvington are all better rankings-wise. And that's eight districts just off of the top of my head.
Harrison has some beautiful sections. It really depends on what you want. Pelham is very compact and close to the city. Harrison is a bit further from the city (though not far) and more spread out.
All in all, I think I would choose a nice section of Harrison. There are some amazingly beautiful houses around Purchase Street and North Street.
I like Pelham very much, but in terms of rankings it most definitely does not have a top 5 school district in the County. Its schools are good, no doubt, but Scarsdale, Edgemont, Chappaqua, Rye Brook, Briarcliff, Bronxville, Ardsley and Irvington are all better rankings-wise. And that's eight districts just off of the top of my head.
My username is out of date, we've been in Pelham for about seven years, love it here.
On one hand, I think a lot of the school ranking sites have questionable methodology, may not have all the data, etc. But that said, Niche lists Pelham as the fifth-best in Westchester -- earning an A+ -- and behind Scarsdale, Bronxville, Chappaqua and Byram Hills, but ahead of all of the others you mention.
We have two kids in the public schools here. My spouse and I are both educated professionals, and while we are not teachers, we work in education-adjacent fields. We have been *very* happy with all involved in the district -- Teachers, Principals, Supers, Board, etc. Nothing is perfect, but you could do a heckuva lot worse than the Pelham public schools.
It's also a lovely place to live with a fantastic sense of community and civic engagement.
In a place like Westchester, arguing over whether a school district is in the top 5 or just top 10 is the definition of a waste of time. All such school districts are equally excellent in the main, but may vary significantly in terms of an individual families preferences. And remember, you have to live in the district. Pelham might be a million times better than Chappaqua for some families, and vice versa for others. This is like arguing over which restaurant is better - an excellent steakhouse or an excellent Thai place. I hate Thai and like steak, so for me the steakhouse is 100x better.
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