Westchester or Long Island?

sabadabada

Imagine someone putting a gun to your head and telling you you had to move to one or the other. Which would it be, where and why?

faux_rillz

Are they different places? I thought Westchester was on Long Island somewhere.

Garcia_Vega

faux_rillz said:

Are they different places? I thought Westchester was on Long Island somewhere.

Not so far off, the LI sound basically divides them.

I'd pick a nice house on the beach in Long Island any day over a mansion in CT, New Rochelle, White Plains, Yonkers, etc. There are supposed to be some nice homes along the water on the Westchester side of the sound, but I'm not too familiar with the area. I think if I'd have to live there, it would have to be extremly close to the water.

Are you giving up your Little Italy place?

sabadabada

I'm going to hold on to the Litle Italy Apartment, but was thinking of buying a house next spring. My family is from City Island and the Bronx, so I'm more familiar with Westchester and don't particularly like Long Island, except for the North Shore which looks like Westchester. Looking around Oyster Bay, Coldspring Harbor, Locust Valley, but the houses are generally too big and too old. I would prefer Larchmont, Eastchester, Pelham because I like the woodsy feel and beause they are close to the water. Sothshore of LI is out because its like all the bad from Brooklyn just with a longer comute.

Horseleech

Is commuting an issue?

Jonny_Paycheck

I was going to tell you to not let the door hit you but since you're keeping the Little Italy pad I'll rejoice that we'll still benefit from your largess in the way of tax dollars.

j.k I think your assessment is on point... my sister just landed a place on the North Shore and she is pretty happy there - she is a country girl, hates the city, hates the Northeast in general, but seems to feel comfortable there.

sabadabada

Ive been staying with friends in Oyster Bay and ommuting to my old job, which hired me back until October when my new job starts, and thats on Eastside Lex and 51st and its an hour and forty minutes door to door leaving from Syosset. My new job is on Westside but in the 40s so I still have to go from Penn Station on Subway. From Westchester and Grand Central its only a half hour from Larchmont and then I can walk the few blocks from GC to Sixth Avenue where my office is. So its a big difference regarding the time spent, but I can work during either commute so I can still bill for the time spent so its not a huge deal except that its just an extra hour or two that I don;t have to spend on the train. Also, communting on the Oyster Bay train line is not an option becase its like an hour and forty five minutes for the train ride alone.

Jonny_Paycheck

Are there bar cars on the Metro North?

batmon

Depends on where in WestChester and Long Island.

L.I. has more 'Hillbillies'.

Westchester is THE SUBURBS, but still connected to The Bronx/City.

The farther out you go the 'nicer' it is.

Westchester - NO LI ACCENT

Long Island - BEACHES

Jonny_Paycheck

Also, local environs aside, if you ever want to drive anywhere outside of the tri-state (or even just, say, Hudson Valley) you are adding an hour to your journey by living in LI.

sabadabada

Jonny_Paycheck said:

I was going to tell you to not let the door hit you but since you're keeping the Little Italy pad I'll rejoice that we'll still benefit from your largess in the way of tax dollars.

j.k I think your assessment is on point... my sister just landed a place on the North Shore and she is pretty happy there - she is a country girl, hates the city, hates the Northeast in general, but seems to feel comfortable there.

As long as I'm working in the City you'll be enjoying my tax dollars and I'll be enjoying yours.

batmon

L.I.R.R. Vs Metro Norf

sabadabada

batmon said:

Westchester - NO LI ACCENT

Long Island - BEACHES

This really does distil the argument down to its base elements.

Garcia_Vega

I was going to say to look into Rockland, but if you're commuting into the city everyday then forget it. Looks like you'll have to look into something on the Hudson or New Haven Lines. I'm more familiar with the Hudson lines and see a lot of nice looking homes along the track. We go up to Beacon every so often, and all the little towns look pretty nice.

Jonny_Paycheck

sabadabada said:

Jonny_Paycheck said:

I was going to tell you to not let the door hit you but since you're keeping the Little Italy pad I'll rejoice that we'll still benefit from your largess in the way of tax dollars.

j.k I think your assessment is on point... my sister just landed a place on the North Shore and she is pretty happy there - she is a country girl, hates the city, hates the Northeast in general, but seems to feel comfortable there.

As long as I'm working in the City you'll be enjoying my tax dollars and I'll be enjoying yours.

Hmmm... just by working in the city you need to pay city taxes? I thought that withholding was contingent upon actually living in the city otherwise you're just paying state and fed taxes.

DON'T TREAD ON MY 4-TRAIN

Reynaldo

Westchester

sabadabada

Garcia_Vega said:

I was going to say to look into Rockland, but if you're commuting into the city everyday then forget it. Looks like you'll have to look into something on the Hudson or New Haven Lines. I'm more familiar with the Hudson lines and see a lot of nice looking homes along the track. We go up to Beacon every so often, and all the little towns look pretty nice.

I'm totally unfamiliar with the Hudson side? How is Sleepy Holllow or Tarytown or that part right on top of Yonkers?

sabadabada

The other thing is that I have a friend who is prepared to lend me six figures to help pay for a house, but the friend lives on Long Island and I think that part of it is that the friend wants the Sabadabada family (Mrs. Sabadabada had a baby in February) to be closer rather than farther away. So, basically, the title of the thread should have been "Convince me that Long Isalnd is as good as Westchester."

Although I know that Reynaldo is correct in the either or debate.

batmon

sabadabada said:

Garcia_Vega said:

I was going to say to look into Rockland, but if you're commuting into the city everyday then forget it. Looks like you'll have to look into something on the Hudson or New Haven Lines. I'm more familiar with the Hudson lines and see a lot of nice looking homes along the track. We go up to Beacon every so often, and all the little towns look pretty nice.

I'm totally unfamiliar with the Hudson side? How is Sleepy Holllow or Tarytown or that part right on top of Yonkers?

Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown is a cool quiet town. There's a small college there and the landscape is nice.
There's still on old town feel to it vs some of the more fake city towns in West Chester.
I used to deliver art there a gang of times and once u left main street it was cool country steez.
NO FOOD THOUGH.

batmon

sabadabada said:

The other thing is that I have a friend who is prepared to lend me six figures to help pay for a house, but the friend lives on Long Island and I think that part of it is that the friend wants the Sabadabada family (Mrs. Sabadabada had a baby in February) to be closer rather than farther away. So, basically, the title of the thread should have been "Convince me that Long Isalnd is as good as Westchester."

Although I know that Reynaldo is correct in the either or debate.

Where in L.I.?

Garcia_Vega

Its nice from Hastings on Hudson on up. The immediate part on top of Yonkers is ok, but too close to Yonkers for my liking. But i'm biased against Yonkers, never really liked the place. They're smaller towns, mad suburban like Batmon says. But there are a lot of really nice state parks and whatnot up there. You might like Dobbs Ferry, real close to White Plains/Scarsdale country club meccas.

batmon

Yonkers is a NO NO!

Garcia_Vega

Planning on sending the kid to public or private school, boarding school? Should have a huge imapct on your decision.

batmon

Garcia_Vega said:

Planning on sending the kid to public or private school, boarding school? Should have a huge imapct on your decision.

Fieldston and Riverdale.

Horseleech

I mostly grew up in Chappaqua, which is exactly an hour by train to Grand Central. It's very pretty there but I mostly hated it as a nihilistic teenager (in fact, I blamed Chappaqua for turning me into one). It's changed a lot, tough, and the schools have been considered some of the best in the country for decades. Pleasantville is also nice and I agree about Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow.

Garcia_Vega

batmon said:

Garcia_Vega said:

Planning on sending the kid to public or private school, boarding school? Should have a huge imapct on your decision.

Fieldston and Riverdale.

So W.A.S.P.Y right now!

sabadabada

Friend lives in Oyster Bay Cove, so one of the lesser towns near there. Oyster Bay, Locust Valley, Coldspring Harbor, etc.


If I'm paying $15-20K in taxes its going to be public schools.


Totally agree with the bored suburban drugs and drinking problem. That, and taxes, is the strongest argument for staying in the city either Brooklyn or Queens. But I can't help but feel like if you aren't going to live in Manhattan, than you might as well get a piece of property and some local water access.

batmon

Garcia_Vega said:

batmon said:

Garcia_Vega said:

Planning on sending the kid to public or private school, boarding school? Should have a huge imapct on your decision.

Fieldston and Riverdale.

So W.A.S.P.Y right now!

I dont know what they're like nowadays but i used to ball against bof schools and they werent that lilywhite in the 80's.

If your in Westchester though your kids have a pretty good public school system at their disposal.

batmon

sabadabada said:

But I can't help but feel like if you aren't going to live in Manhattan, than you might as well get a piece of property and some local water access.

NEW JERSEY!!!!!!!!!!!

sabadabada

batmon said:

sabadabada said:

But I can't help but feel like if you aren't going to live in Manhattan, than you might as well get a piece of property and some local water access.

NEW JERSEY!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll kill myself first.

Horseleech

sabadabada said:

Totally agree with the bored suburban drugs and drinking problem. That, and taxes, is the strongest argument for staying in the city either Brooklyn or Queens. But I can't help but feel like if you aren't going to live in Manhattan, than you might as well get a piece of property and some local water access.

Chappaqua has also had some of the highest taxes for decades, and there isn't nearly as much water access in Westchester as I would have liked. My friend lives in Mamaroneck, though, and is a member of a beach club (not very exclusive) there that is pretty cool.