"Which town is right for us?" (Large-ish homeschool family edition)
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Croton on Hudson would be around 1.5 hours door to door, multiple express trains during rush hour. There isn't much of a "downtown" to speak of but lots of school age families, great parks, lots of hiking, near the water, the library has lots of kids programs. I can't speak to homeschooling or gymnastics. You're a 15-20 minute drive to some bigger towns with the big box stores when you need them.
Since it is further north (people seem to forget Westchester goes beyond I-287) prices are lower and taxes are a little cheaper (by Westchester standards). For your price range you can easily find a 4+ bed/3 bath house on more than an acre (possibly up to 5 if you really want a country feel). Or you could live closer to the town center in a 4/3 on a smaller lot for well under budget.
White Plains is also a good option. You have significantly lower taxes and there's a large contingent of private school families (because of those lower taxes). So rec sports and community events aren't only comprised of kids in the public school system. The children's floor of the library is wonderful. You can get a nice-sized house for $1M+ and the commute to downtown will be about 1:15 with trains running every 10 minutes. Plus you're close to lots of other towns (Scarsdale, Mamaroneck, etc.) and can easily take advantage of all of the activities going on in central and lower Westchester.
I second the thought to look in NJ also. But on homeschooling, such is very rare in Westchester (and NJ as well), so I highly doubt there is any sort of vibrant homeschooling community. I literally know of no one who homeschools. I do know that down south it is more prevalent, so you may be in for a shock regarding how rare it is in Metro NY. Also, in NY and/or NJ, homeschooled children may be ineligible for interscholastic sports, which is different than many southern states (see Tim Tebow, for instance) - but I am not sure so you should do your homework.
The person who suggested warwick clearly didn't read your first post. Way to far from Manhattan's Financial District for the commute you mentioned. You need to be in Westchester, very SW CT, SE Rockland, or parts of NJ. Also western Nassau County on LI would work but for a variety of reasons I don't recommend you go there.
I second the thought to look in NJ also. But on homeschooling, such is very rare in Westchester (and NJ as well), so I highly doubt there is any sort of vibrant homeschooling community. I literally know of no one who homeschools. I do know that down south it is more prevalent, so you may be in for a shock regarding how rare it is in Metro NY. Also, in NY and/or NJ, homeschooled children may be ineligible for interscholastic sports, which is different than many southern states (see Tim Tebow, for instance) - but I am not sure so you should do your homework.
The person who suggested warwick clearly didn't read your first post. Way to far from Manhattan's Financial District for the commute you mentioned. You need to be in Westchester, very SW CT, SE Rockland, or parts of NJ. Also western Nassau County on LI would work but for a variety of reasons I don't recommend you go there.
You might be surprised at how many homeschoolers there are pretty much everywhere. I know the homeschool communities in Brooklyn and Manhattan are large and very active. And yeah, homeschoolers can't play school sports in Virginia either.
The homeschoolers that I know in Westchester typically participate in NYC's vibrant homeschooling activities, especially once they reach middle school age. Therefore being near a train station so that your kids (and you) can easily travel to the city for their activities would be important. Maybe Yonkers Crestwood area (public school options are not great but private is an option) or New Rochelle or other Long Island Sound communities would work.
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