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Potentially moving to Westchester for a new job and need y'alls help.
We're empty nester's (+dog) and have a reasonable income. Coming from Texas we expect we'll be downsizing but need advice on towns / city around whiteplains which will give us a town feel with access to shops / bars/ restaurants with a good friendly neighborhood. 'Affordable' 2-3 beds - house / apartments - whatever...
Obviously school districts don't matter much (apart from re-sale).
Cost of living? Taxes?
Really any and all advice - Do's and Don'ts most welcome.....
Thanks !!
It's expensive, it's one of ny's most expensive counties to live in.
You don't state enough info. How much will you be earning here?
How much do you want to spend on a home?
How far are you willing to commute?
There's a lot of great areas to live in westchester, but the magic key here is what's in your wallet.
Expensive is an understatement. Before we moved in 2010 the taxes on our 1100 sq. ft. 3bdr. 1bth. home in Peekskill were $11,500 a year. Just recently on the TV show "House Hunters" there was a 3000 sq. ft. home in Croton and the taxes were $27,000 a year.
Hartsdale fits your bill. Close to white plains but not in white plains. Schools are so so by county standards so thst reduces the cost of housing. Good luck.
Many people coming to Westchester like the convenience of living in towns around the 3 Metro North Lines. That would give you easy access up/down the line ..... into NYC, up to White Plains and northern suburbs .... as well as easy access to every shopping district in the towns up/down the lines. It is typical to find a town around each train station consisting of various stores, restaurants, services, entertainment. Apartments/condos close to the train stations with single family housing moving out from there. Each town has its own feel. Some are quite large with housing nearby (Bronxville, Pelham, Tarrytown, Pleasantville, Katonah, Mount Kisco, White Plains) while others are smaller yet still very charming. If schools don't matter to you, one very affordable area with great resale is the Crestwood area of Yonkers. It is right on the train line with a cute little town ... yet it is more affordable than its surrounding areas as it is technically "Yonkers" and pays low Yonkers taxes.
Many people coming to Westchester like the convenience of living in towns around the 3 Metro North Lines. That would give you easy access up/down the line ..... into NYC, up to White Plains and northern suburbs .... as well as easy access to every shopping district in the towns up/down the lines. It is typical to find a town around each train station consisting of various stores, restaurants, services, entertainment. Apartments/condos close to the train stations with single family housing moving out from there. Each town has its own feel. Some are quite large with housing nearby (Bronxville, Pelham, Tarrytown, Pleasantville, Katonah, Mount Kisco, White Plains) while others are smaller yet still very charming. If schools don't matter to you, one very affordable area with great resale is the Crestwood area of Yonkers. It is right on the train line with a cute little town ... yet it is more affordable than its surrounding areas as it is technically "Yonkers" and pays low Yonkers taxes.
One thing to keep in mind about living in Yonkers, unlike any other town/city in Westchester, is that it (like NYC) has its own income tax. So yes, property taxes are lower but you're making up some/most/all (if not more, potentially) in paying an extra income tax if you live in Yonkers.
If you want more dining/bar/shopping options, I would strongly suggest focusing on White Plains, especially if that is where work is. If you want more picturesque property, with land but where schools aren't as important (yet close to WP) then perhaps Greenburgh, or Port Chester on the water (LI sound). New Rochelle is also an option, a smaller city south of WP that has a lot of shopping/food/retail options but isn't quite as pricey, and also has some very nice properties (both apartment and houses). Another possibility would be the Fleetwood section of Mount Vernon, although I would consider it more of a secondary or tertiary choice.
If schools are ever going to be a potential consideration, disregard this analysis (except for the income taxes part of Yonkers).
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