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Hi,
I wonder if anybpdy can give me some information on Croton on Hudson. House prices seem to be a bit better there for Westchester standards. Is there a reason for that? How is the Town? what type of people live there? Is it a friendly community? Some comments I have read in this forum about people living in parts of Westchester is that they are snobbish and a bit superficial. Does it apply to everywhere in the county?
Sorry I mispelled in the title but I do not know how to edit that.
I live near Croton and have a number of friends who live there. It is a lovely town with a lot of amenities, great schools, good shopping, and good restaurants. I'd say it is a bit cheaper because it is further north and doesn't have the cachet of some other towns. But the commute is excellent--express trains are 45 minutes and since it is a hub station there are far more trains than at most stations. I drive ten minutes to the Croton station every day and my commute is just over an hour to Grand Central.
Our friends in Croton (and where we live in Yorktown Heights) are mostly 'creative professionals"--artists, graphic designers, architects, web designers, film makers. There are also a lot of editors and writers around. And of course there are a fair number of lawyers, brokers, and the usual assortment of commuters.
We picked this area because it has a laid-back, mellow vibe. There is a lot of socio-economic diversity here, and snobbish people tend to go elsewhere. Most people who move here are also drawn to the landscape and the tremendous number of nature preserves and hiking places. In our experience people are very friendly and open and welcoming. (If you're new to the site you may not have seen my references to a blog that offers information on the general area-- northern wetchester home on bogspot.com)
Croton-On-Hudson looked like a very picturesque area to me, even though I couldn't really get a very clear view of the place since I detrained at late at night at their Metro-North station from an Amtrak train that originated in Chicago! Croton-On-Hudson (aka Croton Harmon?) is the last stop before New York Penn Station on that run (the Chicago to NYC Lake Shore Limited Amtrak train via Albany). Some of the Albany Amtrak trains possibly stop at Yonkers also, but I'm not sure. My friends lives in Westchester County near White Plains (Hartsdale), so I simply transferred over from Amtrak (in Croton) to a southbound Metro-North southbound train and exited at Dobbs Ferry, where my friend then picked me up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dma1250
I live near Croton and have a number of friends who live there. It is a lovely town with a lot of amenities, great schools, good shopping, and good restaurants. I'd say it is a bit cheaper because it is further north and doesn't have the cachet of some other towns. But the commute is excellent--express trains are 45 minutes and since it is a hub station there are far more trains than at most stations. I drive ten minutes to the Croton station every day and my commute is just over an hour to Grand Central.
Our friends in Croton (and where we live in Yorktown Heights) are mostly 'creative professionals"--artists, graphic designers, architects, web designers, film makers. There are also a lot of editors and writers around. And of course there are a fair number of lawyers, brokers, and the usual assortment of commuters.
We picked this area because it has a laid-back, mellow vibe. There is a lot of socio-economic diversity here, and snobbish people tend to go elsewhere. Most people who move here are also drawn to the landscape and the tremendous number of nature preserves and hiking places. In our experience people are very friendly and open and welcoming. (If you're new to the site you may not have seen my references to a blog that offers information on the general area-- northern wetchester home on bogspot.com)
I live near Croton and have a number of friends who live there. It is a lovely town with a lot of amenities, great schools, good shopping, and good restaurants. I'd say it is a bit cheaper because it is further north and doesn't have the cachet of some other towns. But the commute is excellent--express trains are 45 minutes and since it is a hub station there are far more trains than at most stations. I drive ten minutes to the Croton station every day and my commute is just over an hour to Grand Central.
Our friends in Croton (and where we live in Yorktown Heights) are mostly 'creative professionals"--artists, graphic designers, architects, web designers, film makers. There are also a lot of editors and writers around. And of course there are a fair number of lawyers, brokers, and the usual assortment of commuters.
We picked this area because it has a laid-back, mellow vibe. There is a lot of socio-economic diversity here, and snobbish people tend to go elsewhere. Most people who move here are also drawn to the landscape and the tremendous number of nature preserves and hiking places. In our experience people are very friendly and open and welcoming. (If you're new to the site you may not have seen my references to a blog that offers information on the general area-- northern wetchester home on bogspot.com)
Thanks for your very encouraging description. The area sounds very interesting and attractive. Now this is my second questions, and excuse me if it sounds silly but I have never lived in the States and I find difficult to picture some aspects of life away from the big metropolis. I notice that Croton has just over 7500 inhabitants. I am wondering, does a town of that size have a good choice of sport and cultural facilities so that the children can have as much exposure as possible and develop their interests. Does one have to travel to bigger towns to have a bigger choice?
The short answer is that this is not the city by any stretch but you'll find a lot of cultural events and amenities nearby. In a 20-30 minute radius, you'll find galleries, art film theaters, museums, classes, music, etc.
Croton and all the towns around it have good sports facilities and programs. Each town has an excellent library, which has good children's programs, music, poetry readings, art, etc. Croton has a coffee house which has live music on weekends. For real "culture" one has to go to Peekskill--which has galleries, an art museum, places with live music, and an art film theater. In the general area, there are lots of art classes, nature classes, and other things for kids.
As a parent I feel that my kid is getting a much broader, more balanced experience than he would have in the city. He can take a nature class, visit a farm, go to an art class, hike in the woods, and still go to the city to the museums. We go into Manhattan about once every two months to go to the Museum of Natural History or the Metropolitan. I grew up in the city, and I am pleased that my son is getting to experience a lot of things that I didn't, as well as a lot that I did.
Take a look at the blog I mentioned above--it lists events every week and has links to area amenities. It should give you a sense of what the area offers.
Thanks a lot, again you are being very helpful and informative. I have looked at the blog you mentioned and indeed it is interesting and gives you an idea of what is going on. Final question. Somebody in another thread suggested to look also into Pelham and Eastchester. Do you know them? What is your opinion on there other two towns?
Thanks again for you time.
I don't know those towns too well. But it is a very different part of the county. Those towns are much closer to New York City, and are much more dense and thickly populated. In Croton you can get a house in the village or a house with 4-10 acres in the woods. There are lots of preserved woods and nature centers with hiking trails, and you are close to real country a bit farther north. The area is perfect if you want to have a balance of 'city amenities' and country. If being close to nature isn't important to you, Pelham and Eastchester are probably a better bet.
I would suggest eastchester and pelham. Much more of what you may be looking for from your description... closer to the city and alot more going on. just my 02.
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