Yorktown Heights (Peekskill, Cortland, Bedford: townhouses, to buy, school district)

[fyrisle]

Hi - we are considering a move to Westchester. We like the scenery, outdoor activities, school and commute to Croton-on-Hudson. We briefly saw Yorktown Heights. I notice that the schools get very good scores and ratings at greatschools. Does anybody have an opinion on how these two areas compare and and what the nearest train stations to Yorktown Heights are? Does Yorktown Heights have a village shopping area?

[dma1250]

The answers partially depend on where in Yorktown Heights. I live in the Huntersville section, on the northern shore of the reservoir just by the border with Croton/Cortlandt. I drive to the Croton station, which is 10 minutes away. Closer to the center of Yorktown Heights you'll have a longer drive to the station--either Croton, Cortlandt, Mt Kisco, or Katonah, depending on where exactly you are.

Yorktown Heights has a a good shopping area. The town has some nice parts, but it was largely "redeveloped" in the '60's and lost most of its charm. So it is not the prettiest town. But the center has some excellent shopping: Turcos and 2 large supermarkets, bakery, great fruit/vegetable store, kosher deli, etc. There are also a pretty large number of restaurants (some of which are quite good, especially the Heights Bistro, the 2 sushi places, and Peter Pratts Inn). The town has a great community center, which has a museum and lots of free (or almost free) programs for kids, teens, and seniors. There is also the Yorktown stage. There are 3 or 4 playgrounds in town, as well as one of the 2 town swimming pools (the other is up in Shrub Oak, and there is also a nice lake for residents nearby). While Yorktown Heights center is not that attractive, it is actually one of the most walkable towns around. You can park at the supermarket and easily walk to Starbucks, a playground, the dinner, etc. Another plus, is that the North County Trailway runs straight through the town center, so you can bike or walk for miles and miles.

The schools are great. I did lots of research on schools and found that the Yorktown schools were regarded as well as Croton's. (In general Yorktown got better grades for elementary and middle, and Croton got better marks for high school). One of the pluses of Yorktown is that it is one of the only districts with grades K-2 primary schools and grades 3-5 elementary schools, so the schools are really focussed on the specific needs of a relatively small age group. Since there are 2 of each, the schools are pretty small. I've been really happy with the school, in every way.

Socially, it will depend on where in Yorktown Heights. In general, it is more middle class and blue collar than Croton. But there are lots of writers, artists, graphic designers, architects, and other so-called creative professionals in the area, and pretty much everyone I know works in Manhattan. Our neighbors are mostly relatively recent refugees from the city (many Park Slopers and upper west siders), but there are also families who have lived here for generations. We have many friends who live in Croton, too.

One of the pros of Yorktown Heights is the central location--while you do need to drive to the train station, you're also a lot closer to Mount Kisco and Katonah and points east.

But I think both areas have definite pluses and minuses. If you want to buy a house in a village, I would go with Croton. But if you're looking for something outside of town with more land and privacy, you might be better off with Yorktown.

[fyrisle]

Hi - are there any towns adjacent to Croton-on-Hudson and Yorktown Heights that you would also recommend? You mentioned Mount Kisco and Katonah are nearby. Do those have many of the same elements of Croton and Yorktown - fairly quick commute (I try to cap the train ride at around 45 minutes), access to parks, bike paths, scenic views, good schools, nice houses asking in the $550-650,000 range, etc? Do they have nice villages/shopping areas? Thanks in advance.

[bmwguydc]

I grew up in Northern Westchester, and Katonah and Mount Kisco (the good parts) are going to be tough in that price range. You can also check Bedford Hills, zip code 10507, as another resource, but there is likely not to be a large number of properties there either. Compared to what you can get in Yorktown and Croton-on-Hudson, houses between $550-$650k are likely to be cozier vintage village homes that may need updating. There are also townhouses in Mount Kisco that would fall into that price range, but those might not be well suited for a family.

Another area to check would be South Salem, zip code 10590, as that area should have some houses in your price range, but again, not the numbers that you would find closer to the Hudson line stations. It's a short drive from Katonah, east on Route 35, and the town offers a free parking lot that you can use to catch the shuttle bus to Katonah. Alternatively, you can drive to the Goldens Bridge Station and park there, which might not be a difficult prospect, as the parking there is managed by Metro-North's contractor, not the town. The ride from Katonah is on the order of 60 minutes to Grand Central.

[dma1250]

Katonah is, in my opinion, the prettiest town in Westchester--beautiful houses, picture perfect main street, nice mix of stores, upscale but not too upscale, and yet still surrounded by beautiful country. It is pricey, but prices have dropped quite a bit in the last 2 years and you can find some nice things in the 550K to 650K range (both smaller older homes in town and some contempos outside of town). The Katonah-Lewisboro school district is supposed to be excellent. Katonah has a nice town park with a new pool. The train ride is longer, as bmwguydc says--60 to 70 minutes. Also to me it somehow feels more isolated than the Yorktown or Croton area--but that is totally personal and you may not feel that way.

Mt. Kisco is a much bigger town and is the go-to-place for good restaurants. It has a nice town center with plenty of stores--it is the only town around that successfully incorporates "big box" stores like Banana Republic, Gap, etc, into the Main street. The town is currently building a new library. It is in the Bedford school district, which has a very good rep (though there is some current crisis in which residents voted down the budget in protest and so now the district has the state-mandated bare-bones budget, which will require cutting lots of "extra" programs. Hopefully, that will be resolved soon.) There is also a very nice town park with new pool complex. Mt Kisco has a large Latino population and there are affordable homes in the village. The train is 50 to 60 minutes. Both Mt Kisico and Katonah have far fewer trains than Croton (which is an express hub and has a huge number of options).

I can't think of any bike paths near either Katonah or Mt. Kisco. But there are lots of great parks and nature reserves near both--Muscoot Farm and Ward Pound Ridge Reservation are both fabulous.

You should definitely check the towns out, and the other options mentioned by bmwguydc. At the least, it is good to get to know the general area. Living in southern Yorktown, we're under 15 minutes from both towns and we go to both quite often to eat out, go to Borders, etc. The summer is a great time to explore the area!

[dma1250]

You should also look at Cortlandt Manor, the area just north of Croton. There is no town center, but there is shopping and you'll be under 10 minutes from Croton, Peekskill, and Yorktown Heights for stores, restaurants, etc. The schools are supposed to be good and there is a good library and nice pool. Cortlandt has a train station (one stop north of Croton) and in most of the town you'll be 10 minutes or under to the Croton station (which has more trains). You can definitely get some nice houses for 650K.

Also, I have to rescind my desription of Yorktown Heights as "more middle class and blue collar" than Croton, since I just discovered that the median income in Yorktown Heights was $100,100 in 2005, compared to $95,700 for Croton-on-Hudson (per citi-data). Interesting.

[fyrisle]

Thanks for all the help!