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Hi, I just got a job in NYC, and am working on moving soon. So I have 2 kids that are 12 and 16 years of age. I have already asked on the Connecticut forum about the Fairfield area, but they said try looking at Westchester for more convenient commute.
So I am looking for a somewhat upscale suburb (NOT RITZY) with really good schools, and convenient amenities near by such as supermarket, restaurants, a library, and of course stores that people go to daily or weekly. Which town in Westchester is what I am looking for?
I know people that do the commute to NYC and am aware of how hectic it can be. Oh and by the way we don't have a car and never actually driven before. I know we sound a little weird but I just never really became interested in learning to drive or anything, nor has my wife. So I guess its clear to you, that I will be taking the train to work everyday. Meaning I will need a place that I can walk to the train station from.
How long is the train ride exactly? And by the way my office will be in Bronx around the Fordham station area, so not in Manhattan. Do I need to take more than one train, or the direct train stops in Bronx?
My budget for a house is $550k, and I don't really want a big house. Somewhere between 1,500 and 1,900 sq ft. But I am looking for a good sized yard that my kids can play in, because we all love the outdoors.
Where in Westchester are good areas? I definitely want to be in walking distance from one of the train stations, and preferably maximum 2 miles from all the amenities. Is that possible in Westchester you think? As I mentioned before we don't have cars, but We all have bikes though, and my bike is made for transporting stuff like when I am shopping, etc.
Finding a place that meets all your requirements is going to be very difficult, but it may not be completely impossible.
Commuting to Fordham means that you'll need to be on the Harlem or New Haven Metro-North line rather than the Hudson Line. This rules out the river towns. $550k isn't going to go very far in any Westchester County town with a good school district, but you might be able to get a small fixer-upper in "the flats" in Mamaroneck or in downtown Pleasantville. Both of these are nice towns with walkable shopping districts and a vibe that's not ostentatiously wealthy. Parts of White Plains might also work, but you'll have to carefully measure the walking distance to the amenities you want; the shopping district of downtown WP is separated from the train station by a long stretch of 1970s office buildings without pedestrian retail frontage.
Living in a denser, less upscale part of the county (maybe Port Chester or Mount Kisco) would also be an option, but there you'll have to investigate the schools closely to see whether you're comfortable sending high school aged kids there.
Being completely car-free in Westchester will be a challenge. It's possible, if you're in the right location -- I did it for a year as a single guy in my twenties -- but I'd never dream of trying it with two teenaged kids. Where are you moving from? Keep in mind that in the winter here you'll be riding in the snow.
Honestly, if you're serious about moving to Westchester you should bite the bullet and learn to drive. Even if you just get a single car that you share with your wife, it'll make life a lot easier.
Finding a place that meets all your requirements is going to be very difficult, but it may not be completely impossible.
Commuting to Fordham means that you'll need to be on the Harlem or New Haven Metro-North line rather than the Hudson Line. This rules out the river towns. $550k isn't going to go very far in any Westchester County town with a good school district, but you might be able to get a small fixer-upper in "the flats" in Mamaroneck or in downtown Pleasantville. Both of these are nice towns with walkable shopping districts and a vibe that's not ostentatiously wealthy. Parts of White Plains might also work, but you'll have to carefully measure the walking distance to the amenities you want; the shopping district of downtown WP is separated from the train station by a long stretch of 1970s office buildings without pedestrian retail frontage.
Living in a denser, less upscale part of the county (maybe Port Chester or Mount Kisco) would also be an option, but there you'll have to investigate the schools closely to see whether you're comfortable sending high school aged kids there.
Being completely car-free in Westchester will be a challenge. It's possible, if you're in the right location -- I did it for a year as a single guy in my twenties -- but I'd never dream of trying it with two teenaged kids. Where are you moving from? Keep in mind that in the winter here you'll be riding in the snow.
Honestly, if you're serious about moving to Westchester you should bite the bullet and learn to drive. Even if you just get a single car that you share with your wife, it'll make life a lot easier.
Well I currently live in Lexington Park, MD and have for 10 years without a car. Trust me its not something anybody could do, but we managed well. LOL I have been considering getting a drivers license and learning, but who knows when that time will come. Also what about northern part of the county like near Peekskill? Does that fit what I am looking for then? If this doesn't work out, I will probably go back to the Coastal CT areas.
Finding a place that meets all your requirements is going to be very difficult, but it may not be completely impossible.
Commuting to Fordham means that you'll need to be on the Harlem or New Haven Metro-North line rather than the Hudson Line. This rules out the river towns. $550k isn't going to go very far in any Westchester County town with a good school district, but you might be able to get a small fixer-upper in "the flats" in Mamaroneck or in downtown Pleasantville. Both of these are nice towns with walkable shopping districts and a vibe that's not ostentatiously wealthy. Parts of White Plains might also work, but you'll have to carefully measure the walking distance to the amenities you want; the shopping district of downtown WP is separated from the train station by a long stretch of 1970s office buildings without pedestrian retail frontage.
Living in a denser, less upscale part of the county (maybe Port Chester or Mount Kisco) would also be an option, but there you'll have to investigate the schools closely to see whether you're comfortable sending high school aged kids there.
Being completely car-free in Westchester will be a challenge. It's possible, if you're in the right location -- I did it for a year as a single guy in my twenties -- but I'd never dream of trying it with two teenaged kids. Where are you moving from? Keep in mind that in the winter here you'll be riding in the snow.
Honestly, if you're serious about moving to Westchester you should bite the bullet and learn to drive. Even if you just get a single car that you share with your wife, it'll make life a lot easier.
Mount Kisko uses Fox Lane High School, also serving Bedford, Bedford Hills and Pound Ridge. Absolutely nothing wrong there, as long as you don't mind a little bit of diversity among the students.
Peekskill is on the Hudson Line, which doesn't pass through Fordham.
The problem with northern Westchester from your perspective is that it's much less dense than the southern part of the county. It'll be hard to find a place that's close to a train station and is within biking distance of everything you need, and even if you find something in your price range, it may not be possible to do all of your staple shopping (as opposed to restaurants and gift/boutique-type shops) downtown. Past the Katonah stop there aren't even downtowns, just parking lots for commuters who drive to the station.
Wherever you end up in Westchester or Fairfield, you're going to be dealing with a LOT more snow than in Maryland, so factor that into your plans.
There are tons of great areas that fit the bill. Anything on the Harlem line that isn't Scarsdale. You'll have to look and you won't get a 3000 sf McMansion.
However, the not driving part is difficult. Really need a car. Even Pete Campbell learned to drive.
It's fine, but hilly. But in winter doing everything by walking and bike riding isn't a very reasonable proposition. Houses in walk-to-station range are probably also outside your budget. Same goes for Katonah.
Somebody else mentioned weather. MD is largely falt and winters are quite mild. Westchester, northern westchester in particular, is more like New England - much harder winter, narrow, twisty, hilly roads. You should really rethink your car aversion.
Good size yard in an upscale town with short commute to NYC, medium/large size home, within walking distance to train and 2 miles to all amenities for $550k???? Are you out of your mind? Sounds impossible/unrealistic to me. 1500-1900 ft isn't considered small here. That's a good size home especially for only 550k.
Not having a car will make your life pretty miserable in any part of Westchester, even in bigger cities like White Plains/Yonkers/Mt Vernon. None of these are upscale, and even in these towns you surely ain't gonna get any decent house with good size yard near the train for 550k. I suggest you look in Northern Bronx.
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