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I'm currently living in Inwood, but am getting quite tired of the city.
My girlfriend is entertaining the idea of moving to Larchmont, and I
have to say, it looks very beautiful, quiet and a nice change from Manhattan.
However, I work as a freelance consultant and usually have 2-3 jobs a
day scattered about Manhattan.
Would I be nuts giving up my NYC apartment and commuting via
train from Larchmont for my work in the city?
Keep in mind, I currently live in Inwood, so I am already incurring a
25 minute to an hrs commute via the subway anyway.
Any Larchmont commuters (train) out there?
How do you like living there?
What's it like during the heat of summer, still a quiet place?
Any feedback would be appreciated as I'm trying to cover all bases
before taking a plunge.
Do you commute in the early morning? If so, you can be downtown faster than on the 1 train by taking an express from Larchomont. Check the schedule, but some trains become express at Larchmont, so you are at Grand Central in under 35 minutes. So, the commute should not be a problem via Grand Central, but you'd have to transition to the subway after that for Lower Manhattan or points to the north.
Statistically, Larchmont is a very safe, quiet community, so the lack of a doorman should not pose too much of an issue in terms of safety, but it will be a change coming from a doorman building where you have one to sign for packages, announce visitors, and perform the myriad tasks that they do while providing a face to building security.
Compared to Inwood, I would think that Larchmont would offer a better quality of life, overall, if you're looking for a quiet community that offers a good deal of variety in the village commercial sector. It's also a highly walkable village, which makes it more enjoyable on a nice evening, for example. The only drawback would be the variety that you're used to in Manhattan, for which you need only take a subway; since, from Larchmont, it's a Metro-North ride and possible subway ride to get to the same parts of the city. However, if it's for a dinner out or a show, it's not too much of an extra trip, compared to Inwood, that it would amount to more than a few minutes, a negligible amount of time IMO.
So, commute and safety would not be impediments, IMO, for you to consider when relocating to Larchmont.
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
Thanks so much for the info, factoring in the commute I already have on the dreaded A train, it really sounds like it won't be much of a change time wise.
Does anybody know if there are good hiking and biking trails in Larchmont?
Are they easily accessible?
Thanks so much for the info, factoring in the commute I already have on the dreaded A train, it really sounds like it won't be much of a change time wise.
Does anybody know if there are good hiking and biking trails in Larchmont?
Are they easily accessible?
IN Larchmont? No. No hiking or biking. You need to drive to those. On Sundays they close the Bronx River Parkway for bicycles for a bit, but generally, these are suburbs, not the country.
Moved to Larchmont from Manhattan 5 years ago. Couldn't be happier. There is beautiful hiking in several places withing a 5-10 min. drive from our house. You don't have to have a car here, and my wife elects not to drive very often, but I think most people would want one to do grocery shopping, take trips, venture to nearby communities for dining, recreation, etc. Unlike New York, you have free (and hassle-free) parking, and so owning a modest used car makes sense if you can swing it.
How about parking at the Larchmont train station? Is it a wait for several years like other Westchester towns? Is there a growing bike/scooter population parking there?
How about parking at the Larchmont train station? Is it a wait for several years like other Westchester towns? Is there a growing bike/scooter population parking there?
Larchmont handles parking a little differently. Annual passes are on a first come, first served basis. Here's a link to the village parking page: Village of Larchmont - Parking (http://www.villageoflarchmont.org/government/parkinglothours.asp - broken link)
__________________
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
OK, here's the story on Village of Larchmont train station parking:
DO YOU LIVE IN THE VILLAGE OF LARCHMONT?
People get confused about this. The Village of Larchmont is an incorporated village in the Town of Mamaroneck. It runs basically from the railroad station down to the water and from Deane Place to Weaver Street. But that is only a rough generalization. On some blocks of the border streets it goes house by house. Here is a link to a table listing all the streets in the Village and an address breakdown for when not all houses on that street are included: The Village of Larchmont: Street Finder (http://www.villageoflarchmont.org/government/streetfinder.asp - broken link) If your street (or your address if a street is partially within the Village) is not on this list it is NOT in the Village of Larchmont. Otherwise, if your postal address is Larchmont, you are in the unincorporated area of the Town of Mamaroneck, and your situation is covered below.
IF YOU LIVE IN THE VILLAGE OF LARCHMONT:
[Important!! See above for discussion of what constitutes the Village of Lachmont] For Village residents, there are basically two options for train station parking (there are a couple of other lots available several blocks from the station for $375 a year; local merchants and folks who work IN Larchmont are the biggest users of these). You can get an annual pass to the metered train parking lot for $50 and pay $4 a day for metered parking. Others can apply for this parking, but Village residents get to apply first and are never denied this. The other option is the permit for unmetered parking at the station. It is ONLY for Village residents. I understand that there are 300 permits per year, it is first-come, first-served, and applications are accepted beginning in November (they usually are available into the end of the year). So if you do the math, you'll see that at 138 days of parking a year, the annual permit becomes cheaper. Plus, feeding the meter is a hassle. I live in the Village and do the metered parking since I only park occasionally (I can walk to the station.)
IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN THE VILLAGE OF LARCHMONT:
[Important!! See above for discussion of what constitutes the Village of Lachmont] If you are a resident of the Town of Mamaroneck, you can park in the metered train parking lot. The metered parking permit for you is $150 a year and you pay the meter $4 a day. You can also now (new for this year) get a "combined" permit for the metered lot (you dont' have to pay the meter) for $1,110 (if you do the math, the break-even is at 240 days -- basically the full working year; so it only makes sense if you drive every day and don't want the hassle of feeding the meter). If you are NOT a resident of the Town of Mamaroneck, you can also park in the metered train parking lot. The metered parking permit for you is $525 a year and you pay the meter $4 a day. You can also now (new for this year) get a "combined" permit for the metered lot (you dont' have to pay the meter) for $1,485 (if you do the math, the break-even is also at 240 days -- basically the full working year; so again it only makes sense if you drive every day and don't want the hassle of feeding the meter).
If you have other questions regarding Village of Larchmont parking, call the Village Clerk's Office (914-834-6230, Press 1).
If your are a resident of the Town of Mamaroneck, another option close to the station is the lot on Myrtle Boulevard (about half a block from the station), owned by the Town of Mamaroneck. The sale of their permits begins annually on May 1. I understand that you can get a metered permit for $50 a year and pay the meter 50 cents an hour or get an annual permit for $500. Existing permit holders are allowed to renew first, and then any permits left over are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. For further details, contact the Town of Mamaroneck Town Clerk - (914) 381-7870.
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