Riverdale vs. White Plains

amother

Pearl

Wed, Jun 15 2016, 12:24 pm

D has a temporary assignment in Yorktown Heights, NY for at least one year and we're looking to move closer. I work in lower Manhattan so we're looking into places accessible to both (quite a distance, I know!) Right now we're looking at Riverdale and White Plains but are open to other options. Regarding those neighborhoods, which is more conducive to having the following:

Yard (dh is very into this for some reason Smile

)
Accessible to city via public transportation
Some coffee shops/ kosher places
Modern Orthodox/ liberal Jewish life

No kids in the picture now , so schools, etc are not an issue.

Transportation wise I think White Plains is more ideal for both, so I'm leaning there, but interested in hearing about the locations.

TIA!

pesek zman

Wed, Jun 15 2016, 12:54 pm

As for a yard, he would be satisfied with communal green space? I think Riverdale might be a good fit: religiously, access to kosher, access to numerous modes of public transport to Manhattan (including express bus directly to downtown) but the housing stock (for rentals at least) is mostly apartment buildings, but many have outdoor space. Definitely worth considering.

doctorima

Wed, Jun 15 2016, 1:03 pm

White Plains will be easier and cheaper to get a yard, and is probably more toward the liberal side of MO. I don't know about transportation and kosher options, though I suspect Riverdale will be more convenient for both of them.

PAMOM

Wed, Jun 15 2016, 2:30 pm

White Plains has easy transportation into Manhatten but you have to get to the station. It has a welcoming MO community with a lot of interesting people who are (I think) less formal (for lack of a better word) than in Riverdale. There are restaurants, butchers, bakery, etc in New Rochelle (maybe 10 minute drive).

amother

Pearl

Thu, Jun 16 2016, 9:25 am

Thanks, all! It's funny because even though Riverdale is technically closer to Manhattan, when I Google maps it it seems like it's quicker to go to lower Manhattan from White Plains simply because the metro north takes quicker to get to midtown than the 1 train.
The thing is, we'll have to have a car for dh to get to work- is there parking in Riverdale? Also are there gardens in Riverdale or really not (apart from a community garden- although dh is very social so maybe he'll go for that)?

Also, now that someone brought up New Rochelle- is that another place we should be looking?

pesek zman

Thu, Jun 16 2016, 9:39 am

amother wrote:

fyi Riverdale has access to metro north and has an express bus going directly to downtown.

amother

Honeydew

Thu, Jun 16 2016, 9:39 am

amother wrote:

Hey! So I'm from Riverdale and parking on the street is a nightmare but many buildings have parking lots and you can rent a spot. There aren't really gardens (unless you find a house in fieldstone which is a beautiful neighborhood) but there is a gorgeous, gorgeous Park called Wave Hill. Tons of flowers and greenery.

(btw, there is an express bus that goes from Riverdale to Manhattan - it's about a 50 minute trip)

Good luck!