Part of a day in Larchmont and/or Mamaroneck

[Shaolin Shadowboxing]

Originally Posted by norywinslow

Sorry for the delay in posting, we left town the Monday after our visit, just got back, and I did a surprisingly good job of avoiding the internet while on vacation.

We ended up in Larchmont, and our day was mostly good. It was one of those really, really hot days, which had an unfortunate impact (as did the fact my husband did not dress appropriately for the weather, despite my many mentions of the heat).

We walked down Chatsworth Ave. and had a very good lunch at Chat 19, then we walked down to Larchmont Manor Park, which was beautiful. Our son was very happy to run around in circles in the gazebo, he didn't want to leave. (The people sleeping on the benches outside the gazebo were probably not too pleased, though he was being remarkably sedate for a 2-year-old -- has to be one of the quietist parks I've ever visited!)

Then we walked up to the library and played in the children's room for a while, which was a wonderful suggestion.

Then we walked up Larchmont Ave, back to the train station, and left. Our original plan was to explore the village a bit more, but we were just too hot, so we were more destination-focused than we would've liked.

Our overall impressions? The town was a lot sleepier than we were expecting, though I imagine the heat played at least a small role in that. The village seemed to have a lot of salons. I think we both felt a little underwhelmed by the village, but my husband admits that we probably would've found it much more charming had the temperature been more stroll-able. We felt like everyone we saw was either a teenager or at least 10 years older than us (we're 39). I liked a lot of the smaller houses we saw on our way back to the train, and the big places down by the park were gorgeous. We absolutely loved the park and the library. So, it was a mixed bag. My husband seemed down on it, which really bummed me out at first -- being that this was our first suburban foray, and I'm really, really hoping we can get out of the city ASAP. But he suggested the next day that we visit again in the fall. So all hope isn't lost.

Thanks again to you all for your suggestions...I'm sure I'll be back asking for more soon.

he's not wrong. most towns in Westchester are incredibly sleepy. i rarely see anyone my age (29) nor people within 10 years (other than school children).

so, yea. be prepared for that. it's a very sleepy county, for the most part.

[BD1978]

Check out Mamaroneck and see what you think of it. I live in Larchmont and am a very big fan of Mamaroneck (same school district anyway). I would say that Mamaroneck has a livelier main strip of stores and restaurants, but that Larchmont's town has more of a quieter and upscale vibe. But even Mamaroneck is very much the suburbs, so "lively" by Westchester standards is probably sleepy by NYC standards. Both are wonderful towns with great schools and lots of outdoor space for children.

If being walking distance to the train and village is a big priority, Larchmont might be a better fit. We originally focused on Mamaroneck, but there was nothing in our price range that we liked in close walking distance to Mamaroneck's train and town. Larchmont by contrast has loads of homes in the 800k to 1.2 range that are a very short and easy walk to town and train. You can't go wrong with either village.

[streetsmart]

There's the Southern Westchester Music Festival at Harbor Island Park in Mamaroneck from 11-7 on Saturday the 19th. It seems a bit pricey to get in (kids free though), but combined with kids being back at school I think there'll be a livelier feel in the village. Might be a good day to come check out Mamaroneck!

SOWE Music Festival

There's also the Beer Festival on October 3. harborislandbeerfestival.com

I do get the appeal of living in Larchmont (sidewalks!) but I think Mamaroneck has great appeal too, with more going on, and Harbor Island Park really is exceptional.

[norywinslow]

Originally Posted by thefastlife

he's not wrong. most towns in Westchester are incredibly sleepy. i rarely see anyone my age (29) nor people within 10 years (other than school children).

so, yea. be prepared for that. it's a very sleepy county, for the most part.

We were expecting sleepy...to some extent we're looking for sleepy! But I do think that the heat was keeping 99% of all people indoors. And the few people we did see were families with two or three elementary aged kids instead of families with one or two toddlers, which is more where we're at right now.

Originally Posted by BD1978

Check out Mamaroneck and see what you think of it. I live in Larchmont and am a very big fan of Mamaroneck (same school district anyway). I would say that Mamaroneck has a livelier main strip of stores and restaurants, but that Larchmont's town has more of a quieter and upscale vibe. But even Mamaroneck is very much the suburbs, so "lively" by Westchester standards is probably sleepy by NYC standards. Both are wonderful towns with great schools and lots of outdoor space for children.

If being walking distance to the train and village is a big priority, Larchmont might be a better fit. We originally focused on Mamaroneck, but there was nothing in our price range that we liked in close walking distance to Mamaroneck's train and town. Larchmont by contrast has loads of homes in the 800k to 1.2 range that are a very short and easy walk to town and train. You can't go wrong with either village.

I suspect that, when we re-visit, we'll like both towns. We don't need much going on -- honestly, despite living in downtown Manhattan we're lucky to get out once a month, so a few restaurants and a kid-based social life is pretty much all we need (my husband likes a bit more activity than I do, but he already gets that from semi-regular after-work social stuff, which wouldn't have to change much if we moved). I agree that Larchmont might have the edge because of the walking, having to add a drive to an already-rough commute might be a deal breaker.

It seems like I've noticed a lot of walking-distance Mamaroneck homes are in the Rye Neck district, is that usually the case?

Originally Posted by streetsmart

There's the Southern Westchester Music Festival at Harbor Island Park in Mamaroneck from 11-7 on Saturday the 19th. It seems a bit pricey to get in (kids free though), but combined with kids being back at school I think there'll be a livelier feel in the village. Might be a good day to come check out Mamaroneck!

SOWE Music Festival

There's also the Beer Festival on October 3. harborislandbeerfestival.com

I do get the appeal of living in Larchmont (sidewalks!) but I think Mamaroneck has great appeal too, with more going on, and Harbor Island Park really is exceptional.

Thanks for the suggestions! Mamaroneck is definitely the next spot to visit on our list.

[streetsmart]

I think the car show is next Saturday too, forgot to mention that. In the park of course. There's usually a bouncy house...