Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So White Plains is the place to be? I like Tarrytown a lot and I'm thinking of looking for a place there this summer. Ossining has proven to be an utter social wasteland in every way, sadly.
re: the aggressiveness and unfriendliness: I notice it mostly while doing things like driving and going through the checkout at any store - no one says hello or makes eye contact. There isn't a lot of warmth to be found in people overall here... although Bostonians can be even worse at times.
re: the aggressiveness and unfriendliness: I notice it mostly while doing things like driving and going through the checkout at any store - no one says hello or makes eye contact. There isn't a lot of warmth to be found in people overall here... although Bostonians can be even worse at times.
If you want friends, go to scarsdale.
Alright. Story time. I was in Scarsdale, and i was at a light or something. And, this SUV stops, and, rolls it windows down and waves to the person across the street in their car.
SO, the person in the other car, hits the BACK window switch, and then realizes what she did and so she hits the front. (LOL) and then was like 'YOOHOO!'
.. Seriously. It was the funniest moment, ever. XD
If you really are strapped for cash, but want to live near transportation, and near where there are amazing restaurants, I would recommend living in the Bronx (really!) maybe near Throgs Neck or Pelham Parkway, or even Woodlawn. You can get a reasonable rental there and it's not like your living in the South Bronx. And the restaurants? Fantastic, especially if you like Italian food. Pizza to die for. The closer you get to NYC, the better the dining seems to get. Traffic is going to be a problem, though, especially if you don't like NY drivers. The Bronx is full of them, but so is all of NY. I was born and bred in the Bronx, but I now live in Yonkers, and am considering moving to White Plains. But I'm married with a family now, so the "suburbs" are attractive to me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacheteJames
Hey everyone.
I moved here from suburban Boston (where I grew up) last fall. I moved here for a job and live in Ossining. I've spent the last 8 months trying to acclimate myself to this new environment and I'm having a tough time. The stereotype that I had of Westchester prior to moving was that of a classier Long Island. I had first heard about it while watching Law and Order years ago (there's always an episode here and there involving a sleazy doctor or attorney with a house in Scarsdale). It is very beautiful here... the Hudson and the Palisades can be breathtaking. There's nothing like the scenery here where I'm from.
That said, what I'm struggling with are a few things:
-the cost of living is outrageously awful. I make a middle class salary but live paycheck to paycheck. In Massachusetts, what I make here would be considered pretty decent money, but a dollar doesn't go nearly as far here as it does in northeastern MA. As the price of seemingly everything here goes up and up and out of sight, I'm having to resort to a college student culinary lifestyle with PBJs and pasta all the time. Not what I bargained for.
-Everyone is on speed. Is it me, or do people here have no clue how to slow down and enjoy their lives? I feel like I'm gonna get run off the road every time I get into the car. You have these "parkways", which are really just narrow two lane roads with no shoulders and a de facto 80mph speed limit due to the complete lack of traffic enforcement around here. I've had tons of close calls, especially on the Taconic (Hollywood could easily have filmed one of those cheesy 70s Death Race movies by just setting up a camera on the Taconic... it's that bad.)
-You've got easy access to one of the world's great cities, gorgeous scenery, all the culture you could want, yet everyone I meet is MISERABLE. People here hate each other and I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps it's a side effect of all the wealth disparity, with the financial industry elite and migrant workers all in relatively close proximity? Or maybe the diversity here causes people to just retreat into their shells? What is the deal? You make eye contact with someone and say hello and they look at you like you might mug them. We're not exactly in the South Bronx here.
-NO good food. Please, please correct me if I'm wrong, but where are the good restaurants? Those that I've seen have fallen into two categories: mediocre pizza places/delis or high end, formal dress-required restaurants for the elite. Do normal people get to eat decently here once in a while too? And where is the seafood? Do NY types not like seafood the way we New Englanders do? The Atlantic is only a few minutes away, after all.
So I've written as many statements as questions here. What I'm getting at is this: I need to decide if I belong here or not. I always have the option to move home eventually. I'm a single twenty-something with nothing holding me back. Is it just the particular part of the county that I live in, or is the picture I'm painting pretty accurate? I've considered moving to Tarrytown or Mt. Kisco when my lease here is up, just to be in a place where there is more going on. White Plains is a possibility too, although White Plains seems like a place that can't decide whether it's a city or a suburb. Thoughts?
I agree with RubyGreta, if you base your opinions on Westchester by Ossining as a young single person, you will never like Westchester ...Definetly move down closer to White Plains if not in White Plains itself.
Is Ossining notorious for being a bad place for a single twenty-something? I do have to say that this place is just dead beyond belief. Had I known this, I would have moved somewhere else... my rent isn't exactly cheap here.
Is Ossining notorious for being a bad place for a single twenty-something? I do have to say that this place is just dead beyond belief. Had I known this, I would have moved somewhere else... my rent isn't exactly cheap here.
First off, that is an absurd comment. Ossining Vilalge has many different areas. The vast majority of it is beautiful and safe and blessed with fabulous houses. The riverside park is great and there are a growing number of cool stores and restaurants. There is also Ossining Town, which is huge and has many gorgeous areas, including parts of Teatown. Houses in Ossining range from 300K to over 10 million.
Second of all, how is that the so-called moderators on this site don't delete and censor such absurd posts that have absolutely no point but to stir up debate?
As for the OP's question, Ossining isn't where I'd live if I were young and single. I wouldn't live in White Plains either, which is as you pointed out really just a suburb with big buildings and too many malls.
First off, that is an absurd comment. Ossining Vilalge has many different areas. The vast majority of it is beautiful and safe and blessed with fabulous houses. The riverside park is great and there are a growing number of cool stores and restaurants. There is also Ossining Town, which is huge and has many gorgeous areas, including parts of Teatown. Houses in Ossining range from 300K to over 10 million.
Second of all, how is that the so-called moderators on this site don't delete and censor such absurd posts that have absolutely no point but to stir up debate?
As for the OP's question, Ossining isn't where I'd live if I were young and single. I wouldn't live in White Plains either, which is as you pointed out really just a suburb with big buildings and too many malls.
-yawn-
Yes. The mid 20 year old is going to buy a 6.6 Million dollar house in a nice area of Ossining.
I'm not stirring a debate.
I don't think Ossining is any nice for someone in their mid twenties. He's going to be surrounded by mexicans. You, on the other side think Ossining is some fabulous place with million dollar houses.
I think White Plains is gorgeous and perfect. You think it's a suburb with too many malls and big buildings.
We are expressing our different views. Not debating.
No Question, for someone who is twenty-something and looking for people his own age group to hang out with, White Plains is the place to be. Now that the weather is turning nice, just come see for yourself. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, Mamaroneck Ave is packed with young adults of that age group. The many restaurants and bars are packed and people are out all over the city and having fun.
Also, you should subscribe to Westchester Magazine which every month has great articles about what's happening in Westchester. I've went to their website for you and copied this link (below) from their March issue about Westchester Nightlife. Good Luck!
What do you like to do? Do you like the bar scene? Then White Plains might be for you. You mentioned some other nice towns ie; Tarrytown and such. I have a few very close friends in ossining (ie: O-town), it is a nice place, but since I am from a different part of Westchester closer to CT, it seems really out of the way to me, and as some mentioned, seedy. Supposedly, its going through a revitalization. The hudson is nice.
To be fair, i think those of us in Westchester are very biased as to the town we prefer depending on where we were raised. I was raised in a few towns ranging from Bedford Hills, to Hawthorne to wealthier areas of northern W near Greenwich, CT. They are all VERY different worlds. You have to look around. Are you renting?
Its funny, my husband and I live close to Ridgefield, CT, where everyone smiles, and waves at one another. (try walking down main st and to the fountain at the 123 intersection and tell me that at least 50% of the people dont say hi - i dare you! Even right across the border, there is no or less waving, less smiling. I totally understand what you are talking about. Many towns in CT are much friendlier, fyi. WE have actually considered living in MA, CT (we love new england) people seem so different there.
I can agree that WEstchester is another planet, but when your from here, its very difficult to leave since you strangely always feel like your lowering your standards. (no offense to anyone)
As for food- i can agree about the seafood. My hubb and I have gone to Red Lobster in Danbury one too many times for my taste. We love love trips to New England for seafood. I cant think of many seafood joints that arent too expensive, except for those mentioned. Try going over to CT- you will find many more options! We do however have a lot of really good quality seafood markets, Mt. Kisco, Armonk, etc... so if you like to cook- you can make some at home. Another option is to go to a Italian restaurant as they often will have a good deal of excellent seafood options. And, we have no shortage of amazing italian restaurants.
Good luck!!!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Out of the Box suggestion
Even right across the border, there is no or less waving, less smiling. I totally understand what you are talking about. Many towns in CT are much friendlier, fyi. WE have actually considered living in MA, CT (we love new england) people seem so different there. 
