Ardsley or Eastchester???????????? (New Rochelle, Hamburg, White Plains: renters, coop, buying a house)
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Which of these 2 community's would you choose . Family of 3 , buying a house for 750k-850k.......which one would you choose and why..........Commute to City, Schools, resale of house in say 5 or 10 years,Community feeling......taking everything into consideration.....
Which of these 2 community's would you choose . Family of 3 , buying a house for 750k-850k.......which one would you choose and why..........Commute to City, Schools, resale of house in say 5 or 10 years,Community feeling......taking everything into consideration.....
I live in Eastchester so I am biased. But here goes.
The only thing Ardsley has going for it over Eastchester is higher SAT scores. But I would argue that Ardsley has higher SAT scores because the vast majority of its residents live in single-family houses that start at $500,000. Eastchester has a higher percentage of renters and coop owners who have relatively lower incomes. There is a direct correlation between income and SAT scores. But have no fear, last year's Valedictorian went to Harvard. Eastchester grads are well represented at the top colleges.
Eastchester has a lot going for it over Ardsley.
Recreation - Eastchester has Lake Isle Country Club (shared with Bronxville and Tuckahoe). It includes an 18-hole golf course, five pools, eight tennis courts, and is just a spectacular place. If you have kids, you will really appreciate being a couple a minutes away from it in the summer. Get a tour from your realtor. As far as I know, Ardsley has nothing.
Commute - Eastchester is very convenient to the Scarsdale and Crestwood train stations. There is an Eastchester owned parking lot on Garth Road near the Scarsdale station that should have parking. Or, you could find a nice house that is walkable to these stations. Ardsley is a schlep to the train station. And good luck trying to get a parking permit.
Traffic - I have read many articles that the traffic in downtown Ardsley during rush hours is very bad. You should check it out one morning. Traffic sometimes gets a little heavy on White Plains Road in Eastchester. But it's really not a problem. The Bronx River Parkway and the Hutch are right there.
Shopping - Eastchester is the mall alternative. White Plains Road has Lord and Taylor, Borders, Eastern Moutain Sports, American Eagle Outfitter, etc. Ardsley has just local shops.
Downtowns - Both downtowns are nothing to write home about. But Eastcheter will soon begin a multi-million dollar project around the corner of Mill Road and White Plains Road that should make a big difference.
Houses - If you like pre-war Colonials and Tudors, you will have a hard time finding them in Ardsley. You can find 50's and 60's ranches, capes and splits in both communities.
Hamburgers - Eastchester has Piper's Kilt on White Plains Road. Best burger in the county!
As I said, I am biased. But Eastchester by a mile.
Of course I have to chime in here as I live in Ardsley. I would (obviously) choose Ardsley over Eastchester for many reasons:
1) Schools - While Eastchester is decent, Ardsley performs better statistically speaking (SAT, student to teacher ration, spending per student etc) which makes the homes expensive but also makes your home value go up. The reputation (and perception) of a school districts is what determines home prices so if you buy in Ardsley, you can't go wrong.
2) Recreation - there are areas of Ardsley that have Greenburgh recreation which is comparable to Lake Isle. Greenburgh pool is a nice family friendly facility that is located in Ardsley. I agree that Lake Isle is better but Greenburgh is pretty decent if you buy a house that includes it.
3) Easy access to parkways - Eastchester is only near the Hutch (most annoying parkway in the world) and Bronx River. Ardsley is near the Sprain, the Sawmill, Bronx River and 87. If you drive to NYC, its brutal coming from Eastchester, much easier drive and more parkway options from Ardsley. As far as Metro North, DH parks in Scardsdale. Got the space immedietly. Crestwood and Tuckahoe have a 5 year waiting list. Other people park in Hartsdale and others park in Dobbs. It depend on where in Ardsley you live (by the highschool, middle school or elementary school). I drive to work now (after many years of taking the train) and with no traffic, it takes me 25 minutes.
4) I have to say traffic in Eastchester is pretty awful too. I lived in Eastchester for 11 months while my house was under construction and Rt 22 is a nightmare with traffic lights every 2 ft. Ashford Ave is not fun and can be a nightmare too but I go at off times so I don't think it's that terrible.
5) Schools - touched upon this statistically speaking but the schools in Eastchester are overcrowded (many friends of mine live here and complain about how they have to send their kids to 4 different schools since neither of the elementary schools can accomodate all the kids). Kindergarden & 1st grade are at Waverly (22 students per class as opposed to 17 in Ardsley), 2nd to 5th at Greenvale or Anne Hutch, then all students are funneled into 1 middle school and 1 highschool. Ardsley has 1 elementary school, 1 middle school and 1 highschool. Class size is 17-18 kids per class and Ardsley still has lower taxes than Eastchester.
6) Great special ed program, if you need it. One of the best in the County which is why a lot of other districts pay Ardsley so out-of-district students can get the special services.
7) Snow - when it snows, the streets are always plowed within seconds of the first snowflake hitting the ground. When I lived in Eastchester, there were times where we could barely make it down the street.
8) Small community - smaller schools, everyone knows each other, local mom and pop shops (plus some chains - Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts), community spirit. One of the mothers had to get emergency back surgery, the community took turns bringing food to her family so that she didn't have to "worry about dinner" while she recovered. This can be a pro to some and a con for others.
9) Fairly affluent village that is racially diverse (mostly caucasian and asian but also some hispanic). No "snootiness" factor, people here are down to earth, and I don't see the parental pressure that other school districs seem to have. Restaurants are diverse too - japanese, chinese, italian, all american, thai - not bad for a small village)
10) Proximity to Stew Leonards - there is a DeCicco's in town but I like going to Stews every so often (not on Sat!).
11) Riviera Bakery.
12) Not to go back to schools but they have some amazing programs, esp if you have kids. Elementary school students can choose from several instruments to learn while they are at school. Great after school programs (rollerblading, karate, chess, beading etc) Plus great inter-village programs like ayso, baseball, basketball.
13) Ardsley Childrens Center - great for working parents. It's in the elementary school - you can drop your kids off at 7:30 AM and they have an after school program until 6. Rates are very reasonable.
I have many friends in Eastchester, my husband grew up there, his parents still live there, and its a nice town. In fact, they are both nice areas but it depends on what you are looking for. Big spread out town with mall-like shopping, larger population and larger schools, or small village with mom and pops shops where everyone knows each other. Can't go wrong with either - it's personal preference. Good Luck.
Most people don't know that Eastchester is both name for a town and one of the 3 villages in that town - along with Tuckahoe and Bronxville. All 3 have access to the same recreation, but the schools and government services are separate. I think you will find more in Eastchester (1 of the top 10 places to live in the US as recently measured) than Ardsley, but strongly suggest you look into Tuckahoe. A town of 7000 residents, who are very friendly and involved. The schools are rated higher that Eastchester school district. There is a downtown at the train station with shops and the centerpiece is the Generoso Pope Foundation which has cultural activities, language and cooking lessons, etc. There are numerous parades and celebrations throughout the year, Grucci fireworks in July - all funded by local businesses. Concordia College is at the border of Bronxville and offers cultural activities, an exercise center that is moderately priced, and you can attend their sports events for free. One of the few local movie theaters is a few minutes away in Bronxville.
Parking is really not an issue (not sure where that idea came from) but many people walk from homes east of White Plains Post Road to the Tuckahoe train station since it's about half a mile from the farthest address near Siwanoy Country Club.
[quote=jyyanks;2557629]Of course I have to chime in here as I live in Ardsley. I would (obviously) choose Ardsley over Eastchester for many reasons:
3) Easy access to parkways - Eastchester is only near the Hutch (most annoying parkway in the world) and Bronx River. Ardsley is near the Sprain, the Sawmill, Bronx River and 87. If you drive to NYC, its brutal coming from Eastchester, much easier drive and more parkway options from Ardsley.
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.
[quote=jyyanks;2557629]Of course I have to chime in here as I live in Ardsley. I would (obviously) choose Ardsley over Eastchester for many reasons:
2) Recreation - there are areas of Ardsley that have Greenburgh recreation which is comparable to Lake Isle. Greenburgh pool is a nice family friendly facility that is located in Ardsley. I agree that Lake Isle is better but Greenburgh is pretty decent if you buy a house that includes it.
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.
[quote=jyyanks;2557629]Of course I have to chime in here as I live in Ardsley. I would (obviously) choose Ardsley over Eastchester for many reasons:
5) Schools - touched upon this statistically speaking but the schools in Eastchester are overcrowded (many friends of mine live here and complain about how they have to send their kids to 4 different schools since neither of the elementary schools can accomodate all the kids). Kindergarden & 1st grade are at Waverly (22 students per class as opposed to 17 in Ardsley), 2nd to 5th at Greenvale or Anne Hutch, then all students are funneled into 1 middle school and 1 highschool. Ardsley has 1 elementary school, 1 middle school and 1 highschool. Class size is 17-18 kids per class and Ardsley still has lower taxes than Eastchester.
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.
Has something changed? When my kids went to kindergarten and 1st grade there were fewer than 20 kids in a class.
Of course I have to chime in here as I live in Ardsley. I would (obviously) choose Ardsley over Eastchester for many reasons:
8) Small community - smaller schools, everyone knows each other, local mom and pop shops (plus some chains - Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts), community spirit. One of the mothers had to get emergency back surgery, the community took turns bringing food to her family so that she didn't have to "worry about dinner" while she recovered. This can be a pro to some and a con for others.
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.
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.
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Eastchester . . . 3 villages in 1 town
