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We are looking at katonah as one of the possibilities for buying a home. Anybody have any ideas about the town interns of diversity? Is there a good Asian population( japanese, Chinese, Indian) there? I have two elementary school children and would like for them to feel not out of place ?
I understand the school district is good but does anybody have any more information , any first hand information?
When I estimate the commute time from Katonah to GC using the MTA schedule it comes to about an hour but a coworker who lives there told me his commute takes 1.5 hours to GC.
Katonah is one of three hamlets within the town of Bedford. It has about 7,000 people. It's not diverse at all. Based on available statistics, it's about 2% Asian. The entire town of Bedford only has some 18,000 people. Mostly Katonah is a very lightly developed suburban to rural area with a small village center. There's not much going on.
As for the commute- yes, it might be an hour to GCS. But then you have to factor in your time getting to the train from your house, parking, waiting for the train and then getting to your office once you leave the train. That time does add up.
I live in the area. I've only been here a short while, but based on the population I've seen at our local stores and the gym I frequent quite a bit, I'd say it's more diverse than it gets a reputation for being. It's not Manhattan, but people move here to get away from all the negatives of NYC and lower Westchester County.
I would recommend visiting here, touring a school if you can, to get a real sense of what it's like here. I will tell you that in my daughter's storytime at the local library, there are consistently several children of various non-white backgrounds in the group. I see the same thing everywhere I go.
So, no, this ain't Chinatown, but it's not some lily white bastion of wasphood either. It's somewhere in between. I do see a lot of Asian women around with their children, and from what I can tell, they seem to be quite happy here.
The commute can be a drag. It depends what train you catch. There are fewer trains leaving/coming to Katonah, so it can be at times 1.5 hrs. But if you time it right, you can cut that down to around an 1 hour.
It's a very cute, quaint little town, with a bunch of little shops/eateries downtown next to the train station. Mt Kisco is nearby for bigger stores. They do not allow any chains or big box stores here, which is a welcome relief, speaking for myself. But if you shop at TJs or Whole Foods, you're looking at a trip to Danbury, CT to get groceries. Not that bad, considering it would take almost that long to get to those stores if you live in lower WC. It's about 20min from Katonah to Danbury, CT.
Lots of historic homes. A lot of money here, but a lot of more average, middle-class types, just trying to make it all work.
Schools are excellent, so nothing to worry about there.
Oh, and in response to a PP comments that there is not much going on: um, I seriously beg to differ. There are a TON of things to do in this area for families, both indoors and outdoors. Check any local guide and you'll find a lot of activities. Plus, it's so close to other areas where there are also things to do. I wouldn't call it boring here by any means. More rural for sure, but people that move here are generally looking for that.
Good luck in your search. Nothing beats boots on the ground when you are home hunting. This board, including my own comments, is only worth so much. Visit where you want to live and then decide.
I don't know too much about Katonah. My family has lived a little north of White Plains for 1.5 yrs and we didn't know the area well when we were looking. The best advise I can give is go to the town during the week, hang out around the schools in the morning or at dismissal - you can get a lot about the make up of the town, do the mom's stay at home, are nanny's or grandparents picking up the kids. Go on the weekends - walk around the town, go to restaurants & shops and talk to the wait staff about the area. Find a playground near the homes you are looking at - do a drive by or take your kids to play at them. If your religous, go to a service at a place of worship you might join if you were to move there. Look at the town website, do they have a farmer's market, Labor Day parade, Halloween parade, etc...events you can attend and get a feel for the community.
I know its scary...we questioned our decision and it all worked out great so far! The best you can do, is try to experience the community.
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