White Plains is synonymous with shopping. It is know for its shops particularly along Mamaroneck Ave, Post Rd. and Main St. As a result, White Plains shops in the downtown area really comes to life during the Holiday Season. Shopping and fine dining are part of the downtown White Plains lifestyle. Tuesday night I decided that it was time to “get serious” about Christmas and do some real shopping. I decided to start at the City Center Mall and go to one of my favorite haunts – the Barnes & Noble. I was meandering around in my usual catatonic shopping state of mind when I ran smack into a security guard who had the audacity to be blocking my progress. He was very polite, since I was obviously not paying any attention whatsoever. “Are you here for the book signing?” he inquired. The question jolted me awake. I was standing smack in the middle of an area that was roped off and I was clearly in the way. I asked who was coming and he replied “Jim Cramer.”
You never know when you are going to be surprised. I was thrilled. My father is a HUGE fan and as many of regular readers know, he is not at all well. I quickly bought his latest book to autograph for my Dad and waited patiently for him to arrive. Read the rest of this entry »
Following the stock market crash of 2008, home prices in White Plains finally took a hit. This market had remained remarkably sturdy up to the fourth quarter of 2008. The correction has been an abrupt one. The third quarter market reports reflect a market that is experiencing a major correction. The declines are steady but not alarming. This is the first time that White Plains has have every single factor in buyer’s market territory.
White Plains Cooperatives:
The average price of a cooperative in White Plains has decreased to $181,000 – down $36,000 or near 17% fromQ3 of 2008. Sales volume was also down 38.5%. Although sales picked up over the summer months inventories remain in excess of 12 months. This is an excellent buying opportunity and sellers need to be realistic when pricing their homes.
White Plains Condominiums:
Condos have seen a sharp decline in prices. This is to be expected because during the boom a large number of condos were built creating a “natural” glut. Sales prices are down 16.1% over the previous year to $463,000 – down $89,000 over the previous year. Sales volume was down 20% over the previous year. Once again – this is a buyer’s market and sellers need to price their units to sell.
Newly Reduced Price – the most competitive price at Jefferson Place above the ground floor.
The Residences at Jefferson Place in Downtown White Plains NY.
Jefferson place is a new and very desirable complex located in downtown White Plains in the coveted 10605 zip code. The complex spans an entire square block between Livingston Ave. and Rutherford Ave. in White Plains, NY. The units cover two major addresses: 300 Mamaroneck Ave. and 31 Greenridge Ave. The side facing Mamaroneck Ave. is an eight-story urban mid-rise with a sophisticated brick façade. The other side of the complex on Greenridge gives a bow to the suburban neighborhood of the Highlands that it borders. Jefferson Place is just steps away from all the shopping and dining that downtown White Plains has to offer.
Just across the street on the Mamaroneck Ave. side there is plenty of fine dining, take out and retail – all within easy walking distance of the complex. The heart of the downtown with all it has to offer is just a stroll down the street. Walk to almost everything: Shopping entertainment, fine dining and so much more. Walk score is 92 out of 100.
The White Plains housing market finally to its hit when the stock market crashed in late 2008. Until that time, the White Plains market – along with much of lower Westchester had resisted the declines that had occurred in other parts of the country. Prices dropped sharply and as credit markets froze up, sales volume dropped to a trickle by the end of Q4 2008. The winter was long and harsh as sales volume continued to stay low. This was mostly due to the tighter lending standards and a general reluctance to buy for those who actually had the credit to do so.
Buyer interest started to increase at the beginning of the 2nd quarter as lower prices and the stimulus package pulled buyers off the fence. Towards the end of the quarter there were many more contracts and pendings. The question in early June was whether or not the banks would actually fund all of the loans. Fortunately, things started looking up and the market is again moving, although volume is lower than in years past is the order of the day. This can be attributed to tighter lending standards.
Cooperatives:
Coops actually showed a price increase over the 2nd quarter of 2008. The 2.7% increase was small – but compared to the decreases seen in the condo and SF home markets, it is an encouraging sign. Coops are the entry level purchase for most first time buyers – which explains the resilience. Sales volume overall is still down 24% over the previous year while inventory is estimated at about 12.5 months. The inventory pressure will keep prices in check, but all in all – the coop market has fared better than the rest of White Plains housing.
Going into NYC for July 4th is great – but it can be a hassle. Fact is you don’t need to go to Manhattan to see terrific displays. Here is a short list of lower Westchester events and fireworks displays. This will help get you started….
You can start celebrating as early as tonight:
Events for Wednesday July 1, 2009
Playland’s Weekly Fireworks Display:
Starts at 9:15. Offered by the Westchester County Parks Dept. Admission for parking is $4.00
Location & Info:
Playland Park
Playland Parkway
Rye, NY 10580
(914) 813-7010
White Plains Fireworks Display:
An evening out at the White Plains High School. Includes fun for all With inflatable rides and food along with a children’s stage. Free to the public. 6-10 PM. (Rain date July 2)
Beautiful, totally renovated 4 BR/2.5BA Home has a fabulous flow that is perfect for entertaining family and friends with an additional 650 sq ft in the finished basement. Marvelous layout – perfect for entertaining. Here are some of the best features:
Au Pair/ In Law Suite (or potential master) located on the ground floor w/full bath, large closet with built in shelves, brand new carpeting, access to a second attic, private entrance and patio.
Brand new granite kitchen with stainless steel appliances; roll out cabinets, two pantries, plenty of storage.
Large living room with beautiful fireplace, great sunlight and access to a covered patio.
Formal Dining Room with lots of light.
Three bedrooms on second floor. Very large master with his and her closets.
Full attic with pull down stairs.
Walkout finished basement with great storage (not included in sq. ft) complete with brand new carpeting.
New windows (fold in for easy cleaning), New Anderson storm doors, new central air and new light fixtures throughout.
Wonderful corner lot with plenty of privacy. Tranquil setting perfect for those who enjoy outdoor living. Great space for dining or gardening.
Large driveway, can accommodate up to 7 cars.
Very short walk to tennis courts and track.
The taxes are reasonable at $10,190/year which does not include the STAR reduction of $1525.
The current owners have done all the heavy lifting for you. Nothing to do but MOVE IN and enjoy!
It was a great day in the Hudson Valley – after all the rain we’ve had recently, it was wonderful to be outside on a warm and SUNNY day. White Plains has always been know for its shopping and more recently fine dining. High-end housing in high rise luxury buildings is also something that White Plains is famous for. But it has lagged behind in the arts. Yes, we have our own theater, the Westchester Philharmonic under the baton of Itzhak Perlman calls White Plains its “home.” But only now is White Plains getting itself on the map – so to speak – as go-to place for the arts. But on this weekend the artisans were out in force. Downtown White Plains was certainly the go-to place for the arts this weekend.
The White Plains Outdoor Arts Festival was an amazing venue for a beautiful late spring day. Any excuse to get outside was fine by me! But this was really worth an afternoon for anyone interested in amazing diversity of artisan work displayed. Truth be told I was only able to spend about an hour because Sunday is a work day for me, but I could easily have spent two to three hours had time permitted. Here are a few of the highlights:
I was really struck by a couple of booths:
The first was A J Nostalgia…by Jeff and Jill Hand, with their 3-D nostalgic lithographs a bygone era. The emphasis was New York, but there were lithographs from Boston and other parts of the country as well. I bought my father a lithograph of the Yankees for father’s day while I was there. I saw Brooklyn, Queens, Coney Island, Long beach among others. Amazing detail and very colorful. There was no email address – only a phone number which I hesitate to put on-line. The photos I got were terrible….
Then there was Robert Rodriguez Jr. with his photographs on canvas. Mostly of the Hudson Valley, these photographs portray the lush color and beauty of our region with vivid rich tones. They reminded me of the fact that New York is not all glass and steel and also of why I’m glad to be able to say “I’m from New York.” This was not one of my better pictures – so for more information here is the link to Mr. Rodriguez’s web site.
These days when New Yorkers think of White Plains NY, they think of high-rise luxury living at the Ritz Carlton or Trump Tower. However, White Plains has a softer more residential side concentrated at the southern end of the city. The dichotomy between the residential and urban ends of the city is actually quite politically charged. Locals often describe these conflicts as “north end” vs. “south end.”
Gedney Farms is one of the premier high-end single-family neighborhoods at the southern tip of the city. The lots are large – generally over over a third of an acre. The homes are elegant and graceful with many striking pre-war Tudors and Colonials gracing the winding streets. Dominating the scene are golf course views enjoyed by many residents – courtesy of the Ridgeway Golf Club. The neighborhood of Gedney Farms was rocked by the news that the golf course views that are such a dominating feature of the neighborhood might be a mere memory in a few years.
History of the Ridgeway Golf Course and Current Status:
The Golf course itself has been around since 1914 and was initially part of the famous Gedney Farms Hotel which burned down in 1924. The golf course was taken over by Ridgeway about 60 years ago. This recession has known no economic barrier and some Country Clubs have been hit hard. Ridgeway has been no exception. At an open meeting of Gedney residents on May 6, Henry Shyer, the president of the Ridgeway golf club laid the shaky finances of the golf club on the line. They need 65 new members at $15,000 a year to make up their budget shortfall.While seeking new membership, the 114 acre golf course has also been put on the market for $20 million. A provision of the sale is that the golf course remain a golf course for the next five years.
White Plains real estate defied gravity for three years. For a while – quite a while – it looked as if the housing recession would pass White Plains by with nary a flicker in the prices. The stock market crash on Wall Street shook the system up and prices have started to come down. Even before the crash, single family homes had started to decline in price. But Coop and condo sales remained stubbornly high. The only major sign of trouble was decreased sales volume, but as long as inventories remained low – with few people selling – higher prices were still tolerated.
Cooperatives:
The average price of cooperatives fell 10.9% over the previous year with an average price of $220,000. The fall in prices reflects a general weakness in sales volume combined with increased inventory. There are currently 134 units on the market sales volume at the end of the end of the first quarter of 20 units or about 7 units a month creating an overhanging inventory of 19 months. Read the rest of this entry »
Note the newly reduced in price! Initially $474,900 now $469,000. This unit is the most competitively priced 2 BR unit at Jefferson Place. The sellers are serious and are inviting serious offers.
Jefferson Place:
300 Mamaroneck Ave & 31 Greenridge Ave. White Plains, NY 10605:
The Residences at Jefferson place is a large condo complex in downtown White Plains in the coveted 10605 zip code. The complex spans on square block between Livingston Ave. and Rutherford Ave. in White Plains, NY with units on 300 Mamaroneck Ave. and 31 Greenridge Ave. The side facing Mamaroneck Ave. is an eight-story urban mid-rise with a sophisticated brick façade. Jefferson Place is just steps away from all the shopping and dining that downtown White Plains has to offer. The other side of the complex on Greenridge Ave. gives a bow to the suburban neighborhood of the Highlands that it borders.
Just across the street on the Mamaroneck Ave. side there is plenty of fine dining, take out and retail – all within easy walking distance of the complex. The heart of the downtown with all it has to offer is just a stroll down the street. Walk to almost everything: Shopping entertainment, fine dining and so much more. Walk score is 89 out of 100.
White Plains is synonymous with shopping. It is know for its shops particularly along Mamaroneck Ave, Post Rd. and Main St. As a result, White Plains shops in the downtown area really comes to life during the Holiday Season. Shopping and fine dining are part of the downtown White Plains lifestyle. Tuesday night I decided that it was time to “get serious” about Christmas and do some real shopping. I decided to start at the City Center Mall and go to one of my favorite haunts – the Barnes & Noble. I was meandering around in my usual catatonic shopping state of mind when I ran smack into a security guard who had the audacity to be blocking my progress. He was very polite, since I was obviously not paying any attention whatsoever. “Are you here for the book signing?” he inquired. The question jolted me awake. I was standing smack in the middle of an area that was roped off and I was clearly in the way. I asked who was coming and he replied “Jim Cramer.”
These days when New Yorkers think of White Plains NY, they think of high-rise luxury living at the Ritz Carlton or Trump Tower. However, White Plains has a softer more residential side concentrated at the southern end of the city. The dichotomy between the residential and urban ends of the city is actually quite politically charged. Locals often describe these conflicts as “north end” vs. “south end.”
White Plains real estate defied gravity for three years. For a while – quite a while – it looked as if the housing recession would pass White Plains by with nary a flicker in the prices. The stock market crash on Wall Street shook the system up and prices have started to come down. Even before the crash, single family homes had started to decline in price. But Coop and condo sales remained stubbornly high. The only major sign of trouble was decreased sales volume, but as long as inventories remained low – with few people selling – higher prices were still tolerated.
