Scarsdale Cooperatives:
Scarsdale coops are very popular for commuters and long-time residents alike. When people think of coops in Scarsdale, they are often thinking of the famous Garth Road. Unfortunately, there are no longer any dog-friendly cooperative complexes on Garth. However, nearby on Central Ave, there is such a complex.
Scarsdale Country Estates:
Scarsdale Country Estates is located on Campus Place and Sentry Pl. off of Central Ave. Although they have a Scarsdale, P.O. address, it is important to clarify that they are actually located in the town of Greenburgh in the famous Edgemont school district. These are lovely old world garden style units with fine moldings, hard wood floors and fireplaces.
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The river towns comprise the towns/villages in Westchester that are located along the Hudson River. This blog covers the lower Westchester region primarily in the town of Greenburgh. Sleepy Hollow is included since it shares a school district with Tarrytown. Initially I ran these statistics on Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, but the sales volume was too low to create reliable statistics.
In general, prices in the river towns such as Tarrytown NY showed some signs of stabilization in the river towns. Certainly the area has been badly beaten up over the past few years, so it was good to see a slowdown in declining prices.
Cooperatives:
The pricing for cooperatives was dicey because during the 4th quarter there were practically no 2BR sales. This skewed the price point dramatically downwards. Although the number indicates a decline of over 34% from the previous year, this market is nowhere near that unstable. Because of the unusual sales pattern decent sales figures were almost impossible to come by. However the increase in sales volume of 120% indicates a recovering market. The 6 month inventory reflects a slowly declining market. So the numbers indicate a level or slightly declining market creating some good news for buyers and sellers a like.
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January was a quiet month for snow. Westchester NY weather was cold, but after months when I thought it would never stop raining – we had a reprieve on the amount precipitation. The result was a calm January. A lot of residents had their fingers crossed for February – but it was not to be. And although we all grumbled about digging out, my pups were as pleased as punch to have some quality time with the white stuff. I was out with them this afternoon watching the cavort and play like they had never seen snow before and it was a lot of fun to see. I took a few pictures with the idea of making a new video, but this time, they didn’t come out the way I anticipated. So I’m settling for a remix of the video I prepared in December of them playing in the first snow of the season. The picture above, however was from today’s snow…
Another Larchmont restaurant that is a real hot spot among the locals is the famous Larchmont Tavern. The LT dates back to the Great Depression. It opened in 1933 – at the height of the depression. Today it is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Located at 104 Chatsworth Ave., its central location makes it a draw for families and commuters a like. It is practically across the street from Metro-North making it a convenient destination for commuters looking to grab a bite or a drink after work. The place is always packed and the reason for that is obvious. The food is basic family fare – but done well and with excellent service. Personally, I love their salads particularly the Spicy Southwestern. No need to order extras – the salads are huge and there is always plenty for a second meal the next day.
For more information as well as a menu go to http://larchmonttavern.com/
© 2010 Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com. All rights reseverd.
Yesterday I showed a foreclosure. Until fairly recently, Westchester hasn’t witnessed much in the way of “underwater” home ownership. We’ve always had our share of foreclosures, but they were far from commonplace. The house was a mess. The walls contained broken dreams of home ownership and you have to wonder about the people who lived there.
There have been a lot of blogs written lately about who is to “blame” for the housing bubble and its disastrous aftermath. Some bloggers blame lenders, some blame agents, brokers, NAR, the Fed, home owners…the list goes on and on.
But one common thread I find very discouraging are blogs which lay blame on the homeowner who was underwater. They should have KNOWN better. They were GREEDY. They were IRRESPONSIBLE, they were this, they were that…
In truth, the housing debacle is as much a result of the decimation of the middle class as it is about a housing bubble itself. Families have found the ground shifting under them faster than they could ever have imagined. Many homeowners have found themselves into the horns of a dilemma. This is the story of my generation. As a forty-something I’ve felt the sands shifting under my feet ever faster. I have found myself scrambling to earn those ever elusive extra dollars that will allow me to keep my own home – even as I help my clients sell theirs.
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You know that your real estate market is expereincing a shake-up when an article about it in Inman News. The post was actually a reposting of an original article written by “The Real Deal” by Amy Tennery called Westchester real estate shake-up: Brokerage world sees shuffling of agents as firms shutter and consolidate during downturn.
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Larchmont restaurants are very popular places for the locals to gather. Larchmont is very much a bedroom community – and after a long day in the city, many of the residents like to eat out. One of my favorite places to eat in Larchmont is the famous Chat 19. Chat 19 is one of a cohort of Westchester restaurants by Mario Fava – who saught to bring New York City to Westchester. This is one of the most popular places to dine in Larchmont. The place is generally packed and in the summer, the crowd spills over to the sidewalk for outdoor dining. I particularly like eating outdoors. Larchmont is charming and its a wonderful experience to watch the crowds on the street on a warm summer night. Chat 19 is popular for a good reason: the food is wonderful. The cusine is American Grill. The decor could best be described as So-Ho style.
The food is excellent as is the service. I particularly enjoy the spaghetti squash where squash is shaved into “angel hair spaghetti” with diced vegitables, pine nuts and nice tomato sauce. It may sound a bit strange but it is a wonderful meatless meal. I’ve also enjoyed the Jambalaya which is nicely spicy without going over the top.
For more information and a menu go to www.chat19.net.
© 2010 Ruthmarie G. Hicks. http://thewestchesterview.com. All rights reserved.
Zachys Wine & Liquor is a famous Scarsdale Landmark:
Located on 16 E. Parkway in the heart of Scarsdale Village Zachys Wine & Liquor is a landmark unto itself. They are in their 65th year and anyone who knows anything about wine, knows Zachys. Wine affectionados come from all over to shop there. They host exclusive and wine tastings. For example, the most recent was on Saturday with a big Italian wine tasting.
In truth, I was more than a little intimidated. I was certain that someone who knows something (but not a lot) about wine would be in well over their head walking into such such a famous place. Not so at all. They were actually very patient and helpful. As I was wondering through the maze of bottles I had started to feel a bit lost and a staff member rescued me and helped to find exactly what I was looking for. They weren’t the least taken aback that as a hard-working real estate professional – I wasn’t in the market for a $200 bottle of wine. In the end, they found a nice Zinfandel that suited my taste and my budget.
If you want to explore further, the best option is to take the time to go there. They also have an excellent web site which I found informative and fun – http://www.zachys.com/
© 2010 Ruthmarie G. Hicks, http://thewestchesterview.com. All rights reserved.
The Residences at Jefferson Place in Downtown White Plains NY.
Jefferson place is a new and very desirable complex located in downtown White Plains. The complex spans an entire square block between Livingston Ave and Rutherford Ave in White Plains NY. The side facing Mamaroneck Ave is an eight-story urban mid-rise with a sophisticated brick façade. The Greenridge Ave side of the complex is built in low rise “town house” style which is in keeping with the suburban neighborhood of the Highlands which 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 – making it a “walkers paradise.”
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My initial rant on this topic was posted both here – and on Active Rain where I have another blog. Active Rain attracts many from the industry itself – unlike this blog which is more consumer facing. So I thought I would paste a link over to that blog and I have put together a follow-up since that posting created such a stir.
Since there was such a debate over my blog on designations and their relative value, I thought it would be nice if I culled through the responses in order to get a consensus and also offer up some references for further reading.
There were 41 responders to the blog – excluding those who posted more than once and of course my responses. There were three distinct camps:
1. 49% Felt designations were of dubious value (I included myself in that group.)
2. 29% Felt that having one or two made sense.
3. 22% Felt that felt multiple designations were valuable.
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