Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My husband and I are planning a move to the Westchester area in the next 6 6-9 months.
We are relocating from Los Angeles (Hollywood), and are considering a move to Bronxville or Larchmont, as we like their neighborhoods, their towns and the ratings/reviews of their schools.
We have two young children so schools are a priority for us. A reasonable commute to the city is also desired - no more than 30-40 mins to GCS.
We will be looking to buy a home in the $1-1.2M range.
Any other suggestions for towns we should look at in addition to Bronxville and Larchmont?
Also - I've read there may be difficulties with parking at the Bronxville train station...can anyone elaborate?
Your price point is actually low for a single famiy home in Bronxville, unless you're looking for an attached home. Many homes that are advertised as Bronxville have the Bronxville zip code that straddles parts of Eastchester, Mount Vernon, and Yonkers. Bronxville is a village in the Town of Eastchester, but has its own school district and you must be within the village borders to be in the schools. There may be some houses in the village, but it's not going to be a large selection around $1.2.
I would also take a look at Pelham which has very good schools, an easy commute, and houses that are similar to those in Bronxville and Larchmont. The downside to Pelham is that it does not have as comprehensive a village center as Bronxville or Larchmont.
Parking can be difficult in many villages in Westchester, but Bronxville has very restrictive regulations, and there are some resident meters along Kraft Avenue for the train station if you don't have a regular resident permit, but you need a resident meter permit to use them. There are other lots in Bronxville that the village runs, since all cars have to be off the street overnight in the village borders, which is not uncommon in Westchester, but Bronxville has a parking shortage with the multi-family and co-ops/condos in the downtown area.
I would also look at Scarsdale, Rye and Irvington. Great schools, nice town/village and all have train stations making for an easy commute into the city via Metro North.
tammy42, in case you are unfamiliar with the local geography:
What people refer to colloquially as "towns" are actually villages and hamlets, which are within actual towns; and, because villages and hamlets are referred to as "towns", then, many times, the error is compounded when actual towns are referred to as "townships".
Also, many colloquially refer to a "downtown business district" in a hamlet as a "village".
When you do find a house that you like, you can find out in which community (city, village or CDP) that house is actually located, which is oftentimes different from the community named in that house's mailing address, by using the Census Bureau's online address search function. (CDP or Census Designated Place is the Census Bureau equivalent for a hamlet in "New Yawk".)
And, very importantly, among other things, the Census Bureau's online address search function also indicates in which school district an address is located.
Today your price range of $1-1.1M could buy you one of the many 4 BR townhouses in Bronxville all of which are walking distance to the train in which case you don't need to worry about parking at the station. Most townhouses in this price range are 1900 sf or less and have either their own garage or assigned parking spots.
If you want to buy a detached house that's walking distance to the train in that same price range currently you'd get one without a garage or that's really outdated/needs work.
You might also get a larger house that's further away and may need work or is on a busy streeet but most definitely would require that you have a parking permit for the train station. Many of these houses are beyond Midland Avenue and are uphiill about 3/4 mile east from the center of town - closer to the Concordia College area.
Resident commuter parking is definitely in limited supply. A former service station will be converted into extra parking spots but that's months away.
Overall Bronxville is a great town and best suited for people on foot since most everything is walking distance. But parking can be a nuisance. As an example, we have 1 supermarket that serves not just Bronxville but Tuckahoe plus parts of Mt. Vernon. It has only like 20 parking spots and if the store's busy you have to park across the street in a metered lot and steer your fully loaded cart to that spot.
There is a very small number of good restaurants here (around 10?) serving sushi, Italian, bistro, Mexican... but I think Larchmont has a much greater variety of restaurants. Bronxville's also close enough to Manhattan to go there just for dinner.
There's also plenty of grocery shopping in the area, since there's a large Stop & Shop at Cross County, Mrs. Green's and Trader Joe's on White Plains Rd. in Eastchester, and a smaller Stop & Shop in Eastchester. There's a Shop Rite on Tuckahoe Road, and on Central Avenue there's a Pathmark. None of these grocery stores is that far of a drive from Bronxville, so you're not limited to the one store in town that does have a parking shortage.
Your price point is actually low for a single famiy home in Bronxville, unless you're looking for an attached home. Many homes that are advertised as Bronxville have the Bronxville zip code that straddles parts of Eastchester, Mount Vernon, and Yonkers.
Actually, no part of the Bronxville zip code goes into Mount Vernon. There is a part that goes into Yonkers, that neighborhood is mostly condos and co-op apartments. Not sure if any part actually goes into Eastchester.
Actually, no part of the Bronxville zip code goes into Mount Vernon. There is a part that goes into Yonkers, that neighborhood is mostly condos and co-op apartments. Not sure if any part actually goes into Eastchester.
Bronxville is actually part of Eastchester, the town, that is, and there are houses with a Bronxville address that are Eastchester. The OP needs the schools, however, so the Yonkers and Mount Vernon areas, while having some decent houses, would not afford the same school district, despite being in the Bronxville P.O.
Bronxville is actually part of Eastchester, the town, that is, and there are houses with a Bronxville address that are Eastchester. The OP needs the schools, however, so the Yonkers and Mount Vernon areas, while having some decent houses, would not afford the same school district, despite being in the Bronxville P.O.
I thought that was a given, I was just trying to correct the mistake that there is a part of Mt. Vernon with a Bronxville zip code (unlike Yonkers). I will say that that part of Mt. Vernon that borders Bronxville is pretty different from the rest of the city and the neighborhood elementary school there is pretty good, but you'll still need to look elsewhere after that.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Understanding the geography of "New Yawk"
