Moving to Westchester County...Currently in CA...Help? (New York, Yonkers: homes, magnet schools)

[thill]

The search has been narrowed to New Rochelle near the Scarsdale border(?), but we're open to recommendations. We have 2 children and would like to keep them in Montessori school. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Ellasmom]

I would recommend Scarsdale.

[thill]

Thank you for responding. Are the schools in Scarsdale a lot better than those in New Rochelle?

[JASmall13]

If you can afford Long Island (and if you live in CA I'm sure you can), I would suggest moving there for wonderful schools. Even the public schools are exceptional. I grew up on Long Island and I think it is such a beautiful place to raise children. I'm only 22 and I moved to Santa Barbara a year and a half ago, and I absolutely hate it and want to move back to NY. Good luck and enjoy it! It's truly a unique place with warm and friendly people (despite the rumors) I don't know much about Westchester county, but I believe Harrison and Rye are cute places, right on the water.

[Reaganomics]

Originally Posted by JASmall13

I'm only 22 and I moved to Santa Barbara a year and a half ago, and I absolutely hate it and want to move back to NY. r.

SB has a lot of illegal immigrants for a small, and extremely wealthy city. All the Mexicans crowd Milpas and bring gangs and graffiti into the otherwise peaceful city. Too many homeless there. Personally, the area is too liberal for me-I prefer NY also.

[Dave the H.]

One key thing to be aware about in Long Island: It's a dead end.

That is, to get to any other part of New York, or upstate or New Jersey or Connecticut or anywhere else in the United States or Canada or Mexico, you have to drive through New York City.

That can be tedious, to say the least.

Westchester, on the other hand, is well positioned for getting to other places. Plus, Metro-North is a more reliable train line than the LIRR.

[GCGuy]

Scarsdale and Armonk are both very nice.

Alcott Montessori School - Yonkers
Early childhood education school featuring a special education program.
www.alcottschool.org
Montessori Children?s Room - Armonk
www.armonkmontessori.com
Alcott Montessori School - Scarsdale
Early childhood education school featuring a special education program.
www.alcottschool.org

[Dockside]

Originally Posted by thill

Thank you for responding. Are the schools in Scarsdale a lot better than those in New Rochelle?

The schools in New Rochelle, especially the north end, are excellent. New Rochelle also has magnet schools that are very popular. New Rochelle High School is big and intimidating to outsiders, but my kids loved it. My son has been accepted at every college he applied to.

[mead]

Yeah but New Rochelle can't hold its water against Scarsdale when it comes to public schools. Scarsdale has some of the best public schools in the entire United States. Go to goolge and look for a ranking of the best public high schools in the country. I think Scarsdale is always in the top 100 and usually in the top 20-50.

[Dockside]

Actually, the elementary schools easily hold their water against Scarsdale, but the high school is another matter. NRHS is enormous, the second largest in Westchester with a very diverse population of students. Naturally the student-teacher ratio is higher, and a significantly higher proportion of the students in NRHS have no intention of attending college. The teachers are amazing and my son has thrived there.

And life in Scarsdale is something else. Brutally expensive homes, and some of the snottiest people I have ever met in my life. Not the priviledged atmosphere I wanted to raise my kids in.