Where to rent between NYC and Culinary Institute of America (Yonkers: apartment, renters)

[gabrielle3083]

My husband is planning to go back to school next year at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. We do not plan on staying in the area after he graduates so we are planning to rent.

I will need to support us, and although the rents seem much cheaper than what we are used to, I am worried about finding a job in this area. My degree is in Finance/ Accounting. Ideally, I would find a local job to get us by without too much of a commute. The 100 min train ride from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central would be out of the question if I found a job in the city. We would need to be at a halfway point which looks like it would be near the Scarborough stop on the train? What is this area like??

We are ages 30 and 28, no kids, both very active, love to inline skate, hike, and be outside, don't go to bars/clubs anymore, but would miss the excitement of being in a city with lots of cultural events and things to do. (we currently live in the boston area). And of course, I would miss living on the coast and being close to beaches in the summer :-(

I have been reading the threads about these areas, and it worries me a little... all the talk about drugs especially. But most of the talk is about where to send your kids to school, something we don't have to worry about yet!

So, please help!! What towns should we consider?
Thanks!!

[Poliana]

Pleasantville - 50 minutes to GC.
Bronxville - 25 minutes to GC
Bronx - you can take the subway
Harlem - subway
Yonkers
Pelham
Mount Vernon

[havoc315]

It really completely depends on your budget. But as renters without kids, you should have plenty of options. Northern Westchester would probably be the best compromise. Not sure about your concern about drugs-- There are drugs everywhere, but primarily a concern if you have kids in high school. Not as if there are drug dealers on every street corner in Yorktown, Pleasantville, Armonk, Somers, etc.

Anyway, northern Westchester would put at you at 45-70 minute train ride into Grand Central. It would also provide you access to White Plains and Stamford, CT, employers. It would also keep your spouse's commute to the CIA at under an hour.

There are plenty of towns to choose from that might meet your needs. Looking to rent an apartment, or a house or a townhouse?

[riley131]

My brother and my other brother's wife commuted to NYC from Poughkeepsie for years. Granted, it was tiring, but you'd be surprised at how many people do it in that area. I used to live there before moving upstate for school. You can find nice, relatively cheap areas to rent in that area. Moving father south is going to make his commute a nightmare because Poughkeepsie and Hydepark are not easily accessed by major highways (you have to take Rt 9 which I used to avoid at all costs, or take other highways and then still drive quite a ways away before reaching CIA). It is a very nice area, but it won't be like living in a city, that's for sure.

If you'd like more info about the Poughkeepsie/HP area, feel free to ask! I grew up there and lived there for almost 20 years before leaving the nest. Although I never did get to eat at CIA.. shame.

[Pivot Point]

Scarborough, which is a section of Briarcliff Manor, is lovely, but very expensive. Two things you need to answer are how much you are looking to spend and what type of housing do you have in mind.

As for location, some good places to consider are Croton-on-Hudson, Ossining, Tarrytown, Mount Kisco, Chappaqua, and Pleasantville.