Looking for info on areas in Westchester (White Plains, Ossining: houses, school district)

[MedievalinNYC]

I'm interesting in moving to Westchester. I'm not familiar with the areas so I'm looking for suggestions. I want to stay within a 30-40 min. drive of the White Plains area (any direction). Overall, I want to avoid run down, unsafe, overly crowded or questionable areas. I like rural,quiet, wooded areas, Middle class, etc...My price range is between 400k-mid 500k (looking for a single family house). What areas should I avoid? What areas are decent and have houses in my price range?

(I have a realtor in mind, so if you are one, please don't try to solicit)I'm interested in hearing from people you have lived in Westchester and/or know the areas well.

Thanks for the info.

[bmwguydc]

Generally, in Westchester, if you want to be away from the built-up areas, you will want to be North of 287, since the county has some areas that have more of a quasi-rural character, yet still have proximity to town for services. They can be quite expesnvie, but depending upon the type of house you want, you should be able to find something around the mid $500s range, perhaps a little under, that would be in a nice area, although it could be a smaller house. You did not mention whether or not schools are important, since schools in Westchester are not county-wide, and on the town/village level there can be differences between each jurisdiction.

Some areas that come to mind in Westchester include:
--Croton-on-Hudson
--Yorktown
--South Salem
--Cross River
--Mount Kisco
--Parts of the Town of Bedford (Bedford, Bedford Hills, Katonah)
--Somers

Of the above list, South Salem/Cross River (Town of Lewisboro) and Bedford are going to be the most quasi-rural as the area includes large equestrian properties and trophy estates, punctuated by reservoirs and rivers, and open space. You can find cottages to mid-late 20th Century split levels in this area, close to the mid $500s, and the area is very nice.

Croton-on-Hudson and Somers would be the next on the list in terms of rurual character, as they have properties that have some acerage, but are generally not on the same scale as Northeastern Westchester.

Yorktown has proximity to much open space, and offers a good value in several areas of the town. While some areas are characterized by planned subdivisions, there is open space and the area does not feel congested.

Mount Kisco is a town that is a little more built up, but neighbors Bedford. Parts of it are not as nice, but some charming houses do exist in the town and you have conveniences for shopping and dining.

One other town I would consider, though it's about 45 minutes north of White Plains is Carmel in Putnam County. Many houses in your price range are on an acre or more of land and will tend to be a tad more spacious than those in Northern Westchester for the same price. It's a little further away, however, and traffic on I-684 can have some slowdowns once out of Westchester, but it is does offer benefits of large parkland and has a country feel.

[dma1250]

If you're looking for "rural,quiet, wooded areas" in northern Westchester, a good approach is to focus on the areas around the reservoirs. The city and county own a lot of land around them and the Watershed and DEP rules have successfully controlled development in areas close to the reservoirs. So you'll find that those parts of Croton, Yorktown, Somers, Katonah, and Bedford that are near the reservoirs are pretty undeveloped, largely wooded, and relatively "rural."

[MedievalinNYC]

Wow, thanks for the all the helpful info. I didn't mention schools because they are of no importance to me, unless it makes a difference in the taxes I would have to pay. I was going to look into taxes next. This was very helpful for me
: )

[havoc315]

I'll just add some brief notes. The entire county of Westchester is essentially within a 30-40 minute drive of White Plains.
1-2 years ago, I would have said that you would have trouble finding a decent home in your budget, except in the far outreaches of the county, but things have changed. While your budget is still on the low side, I think you can easily find decent home in the more northern areas, with even a handful of choices a bit closer to White Plains.

Since schools are not an issue, you may want to look in Ossining. You wouldn't like the downtown area of Ossining, which is "questionable." But there are more quiet and wooded areas that may appeal to you. Because the schools are not considered prestigious, property values are lower so you can find a decent home in your price range, less than 30 minutes from White Plains.

You can also go a bit further north, into the Croton and Cortlandt Manor areas.

Moving south east, Katonah, Bedford, Armonk and Chappaqua are all very desirable areas, much less crowded than southern Westchester. The schools are very good though, and the prices tend to be on the outrageous side. But given the state of the economy, you will see a few houses in those towns closer to your price range.

Moving north again, the further north you go the more options you will have. Yorktown, North and South Salem, Somers.... All would fit your bill.

[dma1250]

I agree that Ossining offers some great deals since some people avoid the schools --though I know some people seek them out-- and the eastern parts of the town are beautiful, middle to upperclass, and rural.

Originally Posted by havoc315

Moving north again... Yorktown...

Not to nitpick, but aprox a quarter of Yorktown is south of the Croton Reservoir and not actually north of the other towns mentioned above. The boundaries of southern Yorktown border Croton, Ossining, Chappaqua, and Mt Kisco.

[havoc315]

Originally Posted by dma1250

I agree that Ossining offers some great deals since some people avoid the schools --though I know some people seek them out-- and the eastern parts of the town are beautiful, middle to upperclass, and rural.



Not to nitpick, but aprox a quarter of Yorktown is south of the Croton Reservoir and not actually north of the other towns mentioned above. The boundaries of southern Yorktown border Croton, Ossining, Chappaqua, and Mt Kisco.

I was suggesting that Yorktown is north of Armonk, Chappaqua, Bedford (which includes Mount Kisco in my mind since I group by school district). I did include Katonah on the list. Technically, Yorktown is more West of Katonah and north of it, but if we are really going to strictly nitpick, most of Yorktown falls north (northwest) of the Village of Katonah.

[dma1250]

Perhaps I misread your post but I was simply clarifying that aprox 1/4 of Yorktown is on line with the towns you mention as being south of it. The southern part is just north of Chappaqua and Mt. Kisco and is due west of Bedford Hills. Aprox a third of Yorktown is southwest of Katonah. But again my intention was to clarify.