Brooklyn to Westchester.. need advice! (New York, Yonkers: apartment, condos, coop)

[BK2Westchester]

I've been perusing the site and have been amused thus far.

My situation- Born and raised in Brooklyn- THE WORST PART FOR QUITE SOME TIME- East New York, in the 80's! ha! Pulled myself up from my bootstrings and walk a straight line. Now living in Ridgewood, Queens.

I'm planning a move FOR PEACE OF MIND. No yelling for someone to throw down the keys, no cat-calls to my hot girlfriend when she comes to visit, no thuggery on the corner, no loud music blasting out of your apt, etc.. you get the picture. I come with no luggage. I'm a great neighbor. Nice and quiet. There if you need me.

My salary is only about 65K per year and I have excellent credit.

I work in the grand central area which is why i picked Westchester (metronorth). BUT WHERE??

I need at least a 2 bedroom coop or a Jr4 coop.

Reading posters on this board i take it that Yonkers and New Rochelle are out of this question for what I am looking for, right?? Persuing Realtor.com and other sites i appear to be priced out of White Plains. is that so??

So where?? at 65K am i still condemned to live in "the hood"?

I don't want more then a (1) hour commute.

any advice will bring a vast amount of good karma your way!

[rubygreta]

Try the Fleetwood section of Mount Vernon. There are lots of coops there and it's not in the 'hood. The train ride to Grand Central is less than 30 minutes. There are lots of stores and restaurants that are within easy walking distance. Your close to major highways, and just south of the very fancy Village of Bronxville.

[BK2Westchester]

Originally Posted by rubygreta

Try the Fleetwood section of Mount Vernon. There are lots of coops there and it's not in the 'hood. The train ride to Grand Central is less than 30 minutes. There are lots of stores and restaurants that are within easy walking distance. Your close to major highways, and just south of the very fancy Village of Bronxville.

That's odd. The general consensus around here (from what i've read) is that one should stay away, far away, from mount vernon.

[newtoli]

Fleetwood in Mt Vernon is nice.

I grew up in Mt. Kisco. While sections are getting a little sketchy due to overcrowding (sorry, the Latino population there has turned parts of the town into a mini ghetto), most of it is quite nice. You can get a 2BDR apartment easily, how much are you willing to pay in rent? There is a nice downtown area with shopping and bars, and express trains that will get you into Grand Central in less than an hour.

[BK2Westchester]

Originally Posted by newtoli

Fleetwood in Mt Vernon is nice.

I grew up in Mt. Kisco. While sections are getting a little sketchy due to overcrowding (sorry, the Latino population there has turned parts of the town into a mini ghetto), most of it is quite nice. You can get a 2BDR apartment easily, how much are you willing to pay in rent? There is a nice downtown area with shopping and bars, and express trains that will get you into Grand Central in less than an hour.

Ok, i guess i'll be researching Fleetwood. Is it mixed? I'm not interested in a all black/latino OR all white neighborhood?

I'm looking to buy not rent. My salary has become an issue to me (only 65K) but i've significantly lowered my debt, paid off my car, and have a decent amount of cash for a down-payment and a 720 fica. I just can't do coops that require 25-30%.

[rubygreta]

Fleetwood is a very stable neighborhood. It is mostly white (I'm guessing 80%+), and is open to all. And if you drive just west of Fleetwood, you will find a gorgeous Mount Vernon neighborhood that contains colonials and tudors that were built in the 1920's.

Remember, Mount Vernon is a large city with something like 60,000 people. It is not all awful.

[Dave the H.]

Consider Peekskill. Mixed white/black/Latino. Mixed economically, but not a poor city. Reasonably priced homes (nice ones for $350K and I believe the condos are cheaper). Attractive neighborhoods.

A bit further on Metro-North than in southern Westchester, but in exchange you get the Hudson River, lots of trees, nearby hiking and cycling and other outdoor activity (if you want that kind of thing).

We moved out of Brooklyn (different area than original poster) last year, spent some time in Tarrytown, and bought a house here this past spring.

And we like it a lot!

[mead]

Is Fleetwood really that white? 80%, are you sure? I drive around there every once and while and it usually seems to have a lot more black people then that.

Originally Posted by rubygreta

Fleetwood is a very stable neighborhood. It is mostly white (I'm guessing 80%+), and is open to all. And if you drive just west of Fleetwood, you will find a gorgeous Mount Vernon neighborhood that contains colonials and tudors that were built in the 1920's.

Remember, Mount Vernon is a large city with something like 60,000 people. It is not all awful.

[rubygreta]

I haven't taken a survey. It's an educated guess. Whatever the demographics are, I consider it to be a stable and desireable area for those with a limited budget.

To the original poster, the center of Fleetwood is Gramatan Avenue, between Cedar Street and Devonia Avenue. If you are heading north on Gramatan, proceed to the end of Gramatan (about 1/2 mile), make a left on Pondfield Road, and check out the beautiful Village of Bronxville (sorry, you can't afford it, but it's nice to know it's so close to Fleetwood ).

[JPM411]

BK2 Westchester

You can consider Coops in Yonkers near Central Avenue. You could get a JR 4 1 Bedroom near Tuckahoe Road. Depending on what you can afford with a mortgage.

1 Bedroom Coops - you could get one for about $140 - 165,000 range. Only thing about Coops is that you would have a mortgage and maintenance. But with maintenance you would get a tax break.

My coop does not have 20 percent requirement which is good but usually people put down about 10 percent. Where I am located it is a short bus trip to Metro North or a hop on the 20 bus to the 4 train. Area is still good and diverse.