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We are a couple in our 30s with young children and are looking to move to Westchester. We adopted some of our children from Asia (some of whom have special needs)...so a good special needs program and some diversity is a must. We love artsy towns with a somewhat "hipster" / progressive vibe. We have found some amazing, quirky/artsy homes in Ossinging that we LOVE....but.....they are really inexpensive. What is the deal? Why are they so cheap? Is there a lot of crime? Are the schools really that bad? Or are things on the upswing?
Ossining is cheap because it's a horrible town. Most of it is run down and the whole town just has a bad feel to it. There are lots of illegal immigrants and yes there is crime. I have personally witnessed someone getting arrested in my apartment complex. Stores and restaurants are very limited, you will have to do most of your shopping in other towns. I recently moved out of Ossining and wouldn't move back if you paid me.
Ossining isnt bad if you can mind your own business, no one will just flat out jump or lick shots at you randomly or for your money or phone like get in some parts of YO or Money Earnin Mt Vernon.
Lots of Illegal Aliens, very Spanish speaking so if you dont speak a little bit of Espanol you might feel out of place. School system isn't too great and your very close to Sing Sing Prison.
Wow, these people must live in a different Ossining than the one I live in. Yes, there is a prison. Yes, it is very diverse.
Ossining has great schools. Our science research program is widely recognized as one of the best in the nation (search Ossining Intel Science Research). Its dual language program is highly sought after for people who want their children to learn both Spanish and English. It has a great Pre-K program and full day kindergarten. We have a decent number of very goodrestaurants and there is a dedicated group of people working to bring more to the area. It was recently recognized as having one of the lowest crime rates in the nation for cities of its size (Ossining Named 45th Safest Municipality In Nation | The Ossining Daily Voice). Everyone complains about the taxes, of course. But if you compare them to every other town in Westchester you'll see they are a relative bargain. Still high, but better than anyplace nearby.
It is cheap because some people fear diversity and don't want to live in a town with a prison. But it is filled with people who first moved here when they were young and didn't have much money and intended to leave once they became more prosperous -- and then once they actually did become more prosperous decided they loved the Village and wanted to stay. Especially people with kids in the schools. People here LOVE the schools.
If you are on Facebook, ask to join the Ossining Moms group and ask the question there. You'll find articulate, intelligent, educated people who love this place and will be happy to answer all your questions.
Wow, these people must live in a different Ossining than the one I live in.
Agreed. I and many people here really like Ossining. I've been living in the village for a year and a half (husband and I are also in our early 30s) and have absolutely no problems (minus a few traffic jams). Most people keep to themselves, but there are plenty of opportunities to get out there and get involved. I made friends quickly here, and neighbors are always quick to lend a hand. It has a great community feel, in my opinion.
I think one of the things that really attracted to me to Ossining were the number of people who have lived here for years. They have the means to move elsewhere but they've chosen to stay in Ossining. The woman I bought my house from lived here her entire life (50+ of those in my house), and I bet she would have stayed if she weren't moving in with her children.
There are also plenty of things to do here and in the surrounding towns with children.
Agreed. I and many people here really like Ossining. I've been living in the village for a year and a half (husband and I are also in our early 30s) and have absolutely no problems (minus a few traffic jams). Most people keep to themselves, but there are plenty of opportunities to get out there and get involved. I made friends quickly here, and neighbors are always quick to lend a hand. It has a great community feel, in my opinion.
I think one of the things that really attracted to me to Ossining were the number of people who have lived here for years. They have the means to move elsewhere but they've chosen to stay in Ossining. The woman I bought my house from lived here her entire life (50+ of those in my house), and I bet she would have stayed if she weren't moving in with her children.
There are also plenty of things to do here and in the surrounding towns with children.
Interesting. The traffic is one of the top 3 reasons I left Ossining. I hated that wherever I went, I needed 10-15 minutes of extra time to account for the traffic, slow drivers (*coughillegalimmigrantscough*), and poorly timed traffic lights.
Location: Westchester County, NY -> Pinellas County, FL -> Dutchess County, NY -> Denver?
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I forgot to mention Indian Point. I find property taxes in Ossining absolutely disgusting for what you get in exchange. If it is too cheap to be good then something does not add up.
Iching, you mention Indian Point. Did you then relocate out of range of IP? I'm only asking because it bothers me a lot that I too live near it but I don't hear many people talking about it. Did you leave northern Westchester altogether? Not that anyone in the NY area is really out of range.
If it is too cheap to be good then something does not add up.
I think it all adds up pretty simply, actually. You have a sizeable spanish-speaking population and the resulting drag on test scores. Test scores are the first and foremost think many people look at to choose a town, so that has a big impact on prices. There is also a discount for being in Northern Westchester...everything North of 287 (yes even Chappaqua) is cheaper than it would be further South. If neither of these things bother you then you will get a lot for your money in Ossining.
To the OP, I wouldn't let the negative comments on here scare you. Crime/safety is not a concern that registers at all with me or anybody that I know here. I suppose I've never had occasion to be alone late at night on the "bad" streets in the town, so I can't say for 100% certain that people are not out to "lick shots" or whatever, but those types of comments are so far off from my experience they honestly seem rather ridiculous. Also, Sing Sing itself has practically zero impact on anything that goes on. You could be right next to it and not know at all. The tangible impact of the prison is that the neighborhood around it is a lot of lower income, multi-family housing so you do get the whole economic spectrum here and probably will for the foreseeable future.
Is the town on the upswing?...I think so. Main street is nobody's idea of fancy, but my understanding is at some point it was full of empty buildings, which is no longer the case at all. The village has been pretty active in attracting development and with new waterfront apartments going up by the train station (and Avalon recently on rt 9) the pace of change seems to be accelerating (there is already a brewery coming to the building next to the apartments and another waterfront restaurant in the works I have heard). You also have groups like the Ossining Arts Council and Grow Ossining that have been working really hard to create outlets for local artists and grow the community somewhat more organically. I really do expect to see continued improvement, but a better question may be exactly what gentrification will look like. Some do welcome all the luxury apartments, while others would keep things more low key. I think it's all rather fascinating actually :-)
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