Ardsley or Eastchester????????????

[rubygreta]

Originally Posted by jyyanks

Huh? Brutal? Everybody who lives in Eastchester who works in NYC either walks or has an absolute maximum 10-minute drive or bus ride to the train station. Perhaps more Ardsely residents drive to NYC because the train commute is so inconvenient. And on the weekends, when people do drive to NYC, the Hutch and Bronx River Parkway are clear sailing.

The Hutchinson River Parkway always has traffic period. Its the only major highway near Eastchester. To get to the others you have to go through rte 22 which with its many stoplights and congestion (esp on the weekends) takes double the time. Most people who drive to Manhattan drive because they work on the West Side. Not everyone works on the East side which is where Grand Central is. And if you work on the upper west side, you have to take the Metro North,m the Shuttle and the subway which doubles your commute time. That is why people drive, not b/c they live in a certain area. Not everyone who works in NYC finds the Metro North convenient. Plus, don't forget that there is a 5 year waiting list for a MetroNorth parking space in Crestwood and Tuckahoe.

Huh? The area of Ardsley that has access to Greenburgh recreation is tiny. If you live in the Village of Ardsley, which represents the vast majority of the Ardsely School District, you have nothing. If you live anywhere in Eastchester, you have access to Lake Isle. The City of Rye is the only community in Westchester that has a comparable facility.
I'll give you Lake Isle but its terribly crowded. Many of my friends who live in Eastchester find it frustrating to go on the weekends as its jammed packed. But it is a nice facility.

Huh? The idea of kindergarteners and 1st graders having their own facility is a wonderful thing. For 2nd - 5th grades they go to one of two elementary schools and in 6th grade they are reunited. What's wrong with that? And the four schools are within about a mile of each other. Also, Eastchester has about 225 kids per grade, which in my opinion is the perfect size.
The reason they have their own facility is b/c there is no room at either of the elementary schools. While some may find it nice that K and 1 have their own school, most would find it frustrating that they have to switch their kids out after 2 years. Especially people who work and who have to figure out a schedule and pick/up- drop off etc. Plus 20+ kids per class is high for Westchester, esp in the younger grades. I'm not sure how old your kids are, but there has been an increase in the number of families with kids which is why the class sizes are bigger than they once were.

Huh? Eastchester isn't exactly White Plains or New Rochelle. We have local mom and pop shops, Starubucks and Dunkin Donuts. But when I want to get my kid a ski jacket, I can drive around the corner to Lord and Taylor, Old Navy, The Gap or Eastern Mountain Sports, and then get a cup of coffee and read a book at Borders. Haven't been to The Westchester in White Plains in five years, which is a very good thing.

I never said that Eastchester is like White Plains or New Rochelle but the Vernon Hills shopping center is probably the reason why 22 is so congested. On the weekemds, that parkign lot can be dangerous.

So much misinformation. Too much here to answer. I give up. This is my last post. Yes, Lake Isle is crowded on the weekends. But it is a lot less crowded than it used to be because out-of-towners from places like Ardsley can no longer walk in and pay a day rate. And other than maybe the 4th of July and "Family Day," the crowds are not that bad. And we like to go early in the morning or late in the afternoon when it's less crowded. But Lake Isle should be crowded. It is an amazing facility, and will make your summers a lot of fun if you have kids.

If you live in the Village of Ardsley, you can always buy one of those above-ground pools for your backyard. Or take a cold shower.

But the poster is right. If you are one of the tens of thousands of people who drive everyday to the Upper West Side from Westchester, Ardsley is a faster drive.

Adios, forever.

[jyyanks]

OP - you do not have to live in Ardsley to go to Ardsley schools. There are areas of Greenburgh (Hartsdale PO off of Secor Rd, White Plains PO off of Dobbs Ferry Rd and Dobbs Ferry PO just past Northfield Ave, Scarsdale PO on Sprain Rd) that are in the Ardsley school district. The homes is those areas tend to be bigger, have Greenburgh recreation (pool included) and train parking (Dobbs and Hartsdale).

There actually is a recreational pool program in Ardsley proper. It's in the middle school so its indoors, not outdoors. It has swimming lessons for kids on the weekend but when they are not teaching, they open it up for registered residents for free swim. Hours are 6-9 PM on weekdays and 1-4 PM on Saturdays but note sure if its open all year long. I took advantage of the swim lessons for my oldest but not the pool program.

[myseanie]

I live in Yonkers...so I am unbiased! Ardsley wins hands down. You buy a home as an investment. Therefor your home should have a great location and a great school district! Ardsley has both. I must agree with the other post that Ardsley has the home town feel. A lovely community. Eastchester is bordered by some not so hot areas and the people there tend to be a bit snobish!

[sdcity]

I live in white plains. You can't go wrong either way but if I had to chose, I'd pick Ardsley. Seems like more of a family community, and the access to 87 is big for me. I say you look in both places and pick the better house and better commute for you.