So what's up with Pelham

[tammy42]

Our friends in Pelham love it. We know two couples - one moved from Manhattan and the other from Brooklyn. Both moved when they had kids. They thought it was a good compromise - the benefits of moving to the 'burbs: good schools, nicer more pleasing neighborhoods, without losing that connection they felt to the city.
IMHO it's just a proximity thing. It's physically closer to the Bronx. When a lot of people look at moving to Westchester, they are looking for a better quality of life. They may feel that Pelham is just not 'far' enough from the city. My kids have done camps at the Pelham Art Center, and we've spent some time in their village center, and we think it's great.

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

...In fact, when they built a Target and an adjoining small mall right over the Mt. Vernon border on Sandford Blvd. the village of Pelham tried to "block" it for a couple of years (and this was in the 2000s!), complaining about the traffic impact, etc. (though many people thought it was more of a snobbery thing, etc.)...

I had to chime in on this one. I can see how anyone would be against a Target or any big store coming near their town/village. I don't think it's snobbery at all. Targets, Walmarts, Costcos destroy small businesses that make small villages thrive. They lack any architectural standards (is it snobbery to care about the integrity of a town's architecture?). In essence, 'big stores' destroy almost everything people move to Westchester for in the first place. So I'd applaud the folks in Pelham being against that Target. Pelham is a charming place. I can see how they wouldn't want that ruined.

[trebler]

Originally Posted by nonny

Pelham is great for raising kids. My kids' friends from other towns like coming here because, even though we don't have as much land or house, they can walk to town or walk to the pool, or to friends houses. The kids love the freedom of, for example, waking up in the morning and going to the MAD Cafe. The town is small. The police here are fantastic. Between the foot traffic and police, you don't need to worry about your kids so much, and they can walk everywhere. Once you go north, you have to worry about the kids driving... and parties with drinking and driving. Here, you don't, if they stay in town.

I'll second this from the kid's (and teenager's) perspective. I grew up in Harrison, but my best friend in high school was from Pelham, and (especially before we got our driver's licenses) the difference seemed like night and day to me. I loved the fact that we could hang out, get dinner and see a movie at the Picture House without having to beg his parents to drive us everywhere.

I'm in my late twenties now and live in the city, but if were to move back to Westchester to raise kids, Pelham would be high on my list.