Please help narrowing towns to consider ...

[Walter Greenspan]

mike4488, 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".

NYS Geographic Glossary may be of some help to you in understanding the geography of "Noo Yawk".


You can get a fact sheet for any city, village or hamlet in New York by going here American FactFinder and input the name of the city, village or hamlet for "city/town" (leave out the ZIP Code) and New York for "State", and then click "GO".

You'll get a lot of demographic, and some economic, statistics for the city, village or hamlet you selected, and if you click on "Reference map" (it's on the right hand side), you'll get a map.


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 "Noo 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.

[philjay]

Have you considered my hometown of Hastings on Hudson? Very close to the city (30 min rush hour to GCT). Also very convenient to the Upper West Side (I used to live on RSD and 94th). On the weekend 15-20 min by car. For osme of the othe towns you ae considering you have to add at least 30 min. Hastings is very walkable with an old fashioned, vital downtown -restaurants, pizza places, supermarket, cleaners, hair salons, video store, indepednent pharmacy and bookstore and diner. Your budget is very doable and the schools are excellent. Hudson river is right there (great views from the train in the morninig and summer eveninigs) and many parks including the great Old Croton Aqueduct State Park. No problem parking at the train station ($1,50 a day with a resident sticker). This is an issue in many communities - wait lists, etc. No such issue here. Not sure of your politics but Hastings is, by and large definitely, left of center.

[havoc315]

You have identified the right towns. Chappaqua, would be very tight for that budget. You'd be looking at easily affording nice townhouses, or settling for less desirable houses (tiny houses, or houses that need work.)

Pleasantville is a nice town, but you would still have affordability problems. It also doesn't quite fully fit with your description.

Katonah fits very well with your description, though it really is on the outside of your commute range. From Katonah and Golden's Bridge, you could be looking at a 70 minute train ride. Though your budget would still be tight there, you will occasionally see decent homes in that price range, in that area.

You could also look at Briarcliff and Croton at options.

[Woozle]

If commute is no problem to you, why not moving FAR out into Connecticut? The town of Westport is 67 mins away from Grand Central by train (Chappaqua/Katonah is around 60), has some of the best schools in CT and seems to be fairly affordable: there's a number of 3-4 bedroom homes available for under $700,000 (do a searchModerator cut: No links to specific real estate company websites).