Neighborhoods around town centers

[ArtScinta]

Pelham! Almost entirely developed pre-WWII, sidewalk community, most homes within walking distance of train, neighborhood schools and, most importantly, great people and a sense of community! [mod]No links to individual agent sites, per TOS[/mod] Good luck!

[bmwguydc]

Originally Posted by dma1250

I have no idea if Mt Kisco or Katonah is what the OP is really after. But they fit the bill enough to get on her list of towns to visit and consider.

I never said to cross Katonah off the list, at all, but the area is older as it was a country outpost until rail service improved to New York City. The development is older, and planned in the fact that the entire area was moved, from what is now the reservoir. In the immediate vicinity of The Parkway & Katonah Avenue, there are some gems, but turnover is rare, and many people do not like living on a busy road like Bedford/Woods-Bridge Road. I know Katonah extremely well, and it would not be at the top of my list for someone asking about tudors and center hall colonials in walkable proximity to Katonah Avenue, unless they're willing to consider everything east of Cherry Street and know that there are more modern houses mixed in from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s (and a couple of custom houses from later years), along with a healthy dose of cottages (some only around 1100 square feet) on some of the roads off Huntville Road. It's a different character to the area is all I was trying to point out.

Originally Posted by havoc315

I got the impression that the OP was describing the general feel of a neighborhood, and not expressing a specific uncompromising desire to buy a pre-war house. But I'm not a mind-reader.

Very true. That could definitely be the case, and perhaps I have taken the read too literally on the tudors and center hall colonials in a pre-war neighborhood.

[dma1250]

Bmwguydc,

As I said in the previous post, there are currently a number of homes on the market in Katonah that fit the OP's requirements in terms of house, neighborhood, price range, and proximity to the main street. One is off of the parkway (which I personally would not consider busy, certainly not compared to southern Westchester), but the rest are on quiet side streets off of Valley, a quick and easy stroll to Katonah Ave. So, again, I think you are indeed selling the town short in this case. As I said in my first post on this thread: "Most of northern Westchester is probably more rural than what I think the OP wants, but Katonah and Mt Kisco are definitely worth a look if she wants to be surrounded by natural beauty and close to outdoor pursuits--as well as in a walkable attractive village/town center with amenities."

[kletter1mann]

Let's hope that the OP does some exploration before fixating on a particular town because it meets the stated criteria without due regard to others.

The OP says nothing about schools, general lifestyle, values etc. The only clue is that the OP hails from a large city in Minnesota and will have a White Plains commute. True, the largest stock of target housing is in the first ring suburbs. They're also the most expensive and likely to be the most socially jarring to a midwesterner, who is more likely to polite, relaxed and generally down to earth than most of us NuYawkuz.

I've been involved in numerous transfers of native midwestern and southern professionals to this area and every one has been socially difficult in direct proportion to how far south in WC they settled. Why? The general intensity of the NYC commuter communities, regardless of which ones. The differences between Bronxville and Scarsale within the southern Westchester environment are insignificant compared to the difference between either of them and, say, any of the Chicago north shore towns. The difference is social, ethnic, cultural, etc etc. The result is often true culture shock. The farther north you go the less this comes into play. Reverse commuting from the first ring communities to White Plains pretty much guarantees the most unsettling experience. Let's hope the OP has criteria beyond a certain neighborhood ambiance.

[wordlife]

why not just move somewhere in White Plains closer to the downtown blocks or mamaroneck avenue? Between Bryant avenue and Maple avenue fits what your looking for, although I think the home prices may be a bit expensive, but you can definitely find something within your range if your renting or looking for a co op.

[jen6r]

Thank you for the very helpful posts!
I was recently in the area to scout out all the towns you hav mentioned. The posters were very accurate in their assessents. I have to day, there are great choices, and Katonah in particular seems like a good place to start.