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We are at the point where we have to decide to either move out of the city or move to an area in the city with a decent public school. There are only a few private schools I would consider paying for. We are also exploring the option of moving out of the city. Recently we started exploring the idea of moving to the burbs. A lot of the schools are good in Westchester but I guess I am trying to figure out how much of a difference they make. Example Harrison is vs. Scarsdale( i know that Scarsdale is ranked/scored better by many sites). I am trying to understand how much of a difference they really are. We are a 2 person working family so commute is important.
Also how much further is Chappaqua from Harrison? Wondering if the commute time from midtown east will be that much different.
We visited Scarsdale and liked it. We are thinking of Bronxville, Edgemont, Rye and Harrison. Any other towns we should consider. My husband has long hours and I usually can not get out of work before 7pm (although I'll have to change my schedule should we move out of the city).
The other option we were thinking was to move to a town close to the city which has lower taxes( might not have the best school districts) but send the kids to private school. Anyone do something similar?
We are at the point where we have to decide to either move out of the city or move to an area in the city with a decent public school. There are only a few private schools I would consider paying for. We are also exploring the option of moving out of the city. Recently we started exploring the idea of moving to the burbs. A lot of the schools are good in Westchester but I guess I am trying to figure out how much of a difference they make. Example Harrison is vs. Scarsdale( i know that Scarsdale is ranked/scored better by many sites). I am trying to understand how much of a difference they really are. We are a 2 person working family so commute is important.
Also how much further is Chappaqua from Harrison? Wondering if the commute time from midtown east will be that much different.
We visited Scarsdale and liked it. We are thinking of Bronxville, Edgemont, Rye and Harrison. Any other towns we should consider. My husband has long hours and I usually can not get out of work before 7pm (although I'll have to change my schedule should we move out of the city).
The other option we were thinking was to move to a town close to the city which has lower taxes( might not have the best school districts) but send the kids to private school. Anyone do something similar?
You don't mention budget, though I guess that's not an issue if Bronxville and Scarsdale are on your list. In any case, those towns are all quite different socially, kind of a random grab-bag. therefore you ought to add Pelham (Manor?) and Larchmont to your list.
Bronxville seems ideal based on schools and commute. If your husband is working late, the very short commute will be a big bonus.
Taxes are not going to be low in any of those areas. But if you add up you and your husband's NYC resident income tax and subtract that from the property taxes - that's how much extra tax you'll be paying. NYC income tax was a hefty chunk of money in my case, it made the property tax bill seem less harsh.
Budget is a factor. I am expexcting to get a lot more space (maybe even a pool) for 2m-2.5m...am I being realistic? In the city that does not buy be a lot.
In terms of crime rate how safe are these towns? I am nervous of have a large home and neighbors not on the same floor!! At the same time the very aspect of have privacy is a very alluring factor.
Anyone have any thoughts on the two school districts Harrison vs. Scarsdale? The houses we saw in harrison were worth leaving the city for but was wondering how much of a difference it will make in my childs education if we move to harrison vs. scarsdale.
Budget is a factor. I am expexcting to get a lot more space (maybe even a pool) for 2m-2.5m...am I being realistic? In the city that does not buy be a lot.
In terms of crime rate how safe are these towns? I am nervous of have a large home and neighbors not on the same floor!! At the same time the very aspect of have privacy is a very alluring factor.
You should find something in Chappaqua with that budget. There is an express metro north from there that should take around 50 mins to GC. Could be wrong but I don't think commute from Harrison is much of a breeze and you might actually find it faster to come from Chap.
If you want a faster commute (40 mins), look at Larchmont, Rye or Scrasdale. You can get something decent there for 2m but might not be able to include the pool. With a husband working long hours, these places in the south might be better options.
Harrison is great. I know plenty of families there and they love the schools (elementary at least). There are some beautiful neighborhoods and your money will go a long way there.
We left Scarsdale a year ago because it is a very hard town - literally an entire town of Type A parents who expect the BEST of EVERYTHING and make a stink if they don't get it. Having said that, there are some very nice people there, but the overall vibe is high-strung/high-maintenance.
You need to check the train parking permit situation in any town you consider, as this could be a deal breaker. Scarsdale is fine and I don't know about Harrison. Some towns have wait lists many years long (e.g. Rye with an 8ish year wait) and some areas, like Edgemont, don't have their own station so parking at a nearby one becomes a problem due to permits not being available for you or metered spots being gone by 7am or whatever.
As for your last question, the difference in their education will be very little. Both districts send lots of kids to top tier schools, as well as lots to not so great schools. Your influence on your kids' education is much more important.
Bronxville seems ideal based on schools and commute. If your husband is working late, the very short commute will be a big bonus.
Taxes are not going to be low in any of those areas. But if you add up you and your husband's NYC resident income tax and subtract that from the property taxes - that's how much extra tax you'll be paying. NYC income tax was a hefty chunk of money in my case, it made the property tax bill seem less harsh.
Ok you say budget is a factor. In that case Bronxville is not ideal.
Thanks all for your input. Streetsmart, where did you move to from Scarsdale. Do all these towns need Nanny's that can drive? Do most people do live-ins? I have heard Chappaqua is a beautiful town but they two working parents and a 50 min train commute the kids would never see us That being said I realize that there are family that do it...i am still getting used to the fact that I will not be able to leave work for an hour during lunch to attend my child's pre-school program. So a 50 min train ride scares me. But since so many people mention Chappaqua I will check out the neighborhood and maybe even take a train and see what that like.
What about west Harrison, how's that town? Also the elementary school in Harrison has a 10 but the High school a 8. Whys is that? Another factor is diversity, are these towns diverse or accepting to diversity. Do any of these towns have a "new comers" club( just heard that term from a co-worker!)?
I backed out of Chappaqua because of the commute as my HH is also 2 working parents. If my working hours were typical, I could have made it work but at 80-90 hours a week there was no way it was gonna happen. Another thing you need to consider is proximity of amenities. Since you and husband are working, most likely you will compress all your errands on weekends (large supermarkets, church/worship, kid's lessons, apparel/Gap Kids, doctor's visits, etc. etc.). If you will need to jump to 4 different locations in a single weekend day, they have to be close enough to one another and not simply close enough to your house.
Among the Westchester towns, you might be able to make it work in Scarsdale, Hastings or Ardsley, which is a short drive to Stew Leoonard Dr. where you can find a COSTCO as well as Ridge Hill which has Whole Foods, Gap, etc. Over at the Sound, it's near shopping at Port Chester (though I was not happy w/ the fact that COSTCO at PC closed 6pm on Saturdays).
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That being said I realize that there are family that do it...i am still getting used to the fact that I will not be able to leave work for an hour during lunch to attend my child's pre-school program. So a 50 min train ride scares me. But since so many people mention Chappaqua I will check out the neighborhood and maybe even take a train and see what that like. 
