North Westchester vs Putnam vs Rockland (Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow: home, to buy, school districts)

[Kreutz]

Looking to buy next year, seems I'm still working in North Manhattan (Washington Heights and Marble Hill) so I need a tolerable commute (drive or on Metro North hudson line). I would define this as no more than an hour one way.

My 2 year old daughter is autistic, so I need excellent services....Westchester has been very good in this regard a strong point in its favor).

However, I see the median home price here is like 640k. Rockland was 440k, Putnam 338k accroding to the LoHud today. I need a good value for my first home because I want some security if I have a drop in income. Who knows these days?

Lower property taxes the better.

I have never been to Rockland and may have driven through Putnam a few times, so I am totally unfamiliar with the area, and loosely familiar with North Westchester.

A town I would LIKE to live in but cant afford to is say, Sleepy Hollow or Tarrytown, anything like that in No Westchester, Rockland, or Putnam?

The pros and cons of each from people who live there would be a huge help.

[fyrisle]

What is the price range you can afford?

According to City-data, the median price in Tarrytown was about about $650,000 at the market peak and is now around $480,000.

[havoc315]

I live in Northern Westchester, I grew up in Rockland County. Rockland County has some excellent school districts (as well as some lesser school districts), and home prices are considerably higher in the better school districts. (But still lower than good school districts in Westchester).

The main drawback to Rockland County, is that for most NYC commuters, Rockland County is a far inferior commute. There is a lack of direct rail service from Rockland County, while Westchester commuters can take a direct train into Grand Central.

But, if you are commuting to Washington Heights, going to Grand Central might not make much sense for you anyway. You might find the drive from Rockland to be tolerable --- Geographically, it's not far. But there will be days where you face the 1 hour backup on the GW Bridge.