As of a couple of years ago......if you are black and got off metro north in Pelham.....you could expect "greetings" from a local policeman.
and I am an old white guy.
New Rochelle is more welcoming also Port Chester......forget Larchmont or Mamaroneck.
I grew up in New Rochelle in the Glenwood lake area(very diverse)
then moved to Rochelle heights also very diverse.
I miss the diversity of race and ethnicity where I live now but Westchester became to expensive to retire in.
One of the most brilliant lines ever spoken is "to judge one by the content of character not the color of skin"....and so it goes.
Why is that guy in the White House when the previous one was so much better in character?
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It is very odd to see such a post specifically targeting Pelham. According to Statistical Atlas, Pelham Village is 36.2% non-white, not big numbers, but larger than Eastchester, Mamaroneck, Tarrytown, and Dobbs Ferry, to say nothing of Bronxville and Irvington and the like. (Pelham Manor's numbers are worse, and there's no denying it is an exclusionary sort of place; but the whole township should not be so maligned).
Oh, and the one about the "greetings" from police when black people get off the train (or variously, walk into town) is an old urban legend that I've heard in reference to Bronxville, Larchmont, and Scardale, and has probably been applied to every well-to-do town in Westchester.
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there's a reason why you've heard those things relative to every well-to-do town in Westchester.
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Great town. Taxes are high; they should consider merging the Villages. And a good refuge from the diversity of De Blasio’s New York.
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"If you're thinking of racing (err living) in Pelham" you may want to look into the community-organized Pelham Half Marathon & 10K on Thanksgiving Saturday, November 25. Small town vibe, no crowded corrals, and right next to NYC. Think of us as a small town with a big heart. Proceeds go to help hundreds of students, families, adults, and seniors in the Pelham community every year through the Pelham Civic Association. Email [email protected] or visit https://pelhamhalf.com
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I've lived here many years and seen a lot of change. It IS a great place for professionals who commute into the city to raise kids as there is ample opportunity with a short commute to the city and for caregivers to get to their homes It DOES NOT offer a vibrant or shoppable downtown aside for a few basics, however it is walkable and has a handful
of good restaurants. It is difficult to rationalize staying here with the taxes unless you use the school district Taxes are some of the highest in the country per capita when you tally it all up. Unfortunately that means many move when their kids go to college. There isn't a very diverse population in socioeconomic, culture or age in many parts of town. There is more of that diversity in North Pelham. It is a very small town and with that comes pros and cons. When someone has a tragedy or an issue there is a ton of support. On the inverse side, news can travel like wildfire so it can be difficult at times to have any privacy. The volunteer community is active and vibrant.
It's a great way for families to strike a balance with work and family but know strengths and limitations before moving here.
8
We moved to Pelham 3 years ago from NYC to a building very close to the train station. Our commute is shorter than that of many of our friends in Brooklyn and even parts of Manhattan. What Pelham is missing, in my opinion, is a vibrant downtown. Too many pizza, nail salons, insurance brokerages etc. There are some exceptions but the downtown can be spotty in term of amenities especially considering the home values surrounding it.
A comment about diversity; north of the train tracks this is a diverse community. South of the train it is much less so.
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Best real estate advice: "buy the cheapest house in the best neighborhood"
If your going to pay Westchester taxes; you should live no other place than Scarsdale (school district); and the most affordable area is Edgewood. Several houses in the $700sK range are listed today; less than Pelham and many other 'affordable' Westchester towns.
Scarsdale High is probably the best public high school on the eastern seaboard; the number of graduates entering Ivy is Top 10 nationwide.
Further, the Scarsdale High PTA/Foundation Scholarship awards $5-7K per yr/per student, based on financial need only. If you have a modest income (<$125K) the Ivies will give 100% scholarship grants too.
Having your kids attend Scarsdale middle/high school and getting a shot at Ivy and having a good real estate return cant be beat.
We did it: Ivy & great return when we sold: American dream is possible!
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Scarsdale doesn't rank that highly on the Washington Post Most Challenging High School list, and I trust it, having gone to a top 25 school on the list. You can sort by state, but it really only works well if you click on the "by state" text above the graphic. Pelham is 375 and Scarsdale is 2,282. Not trying to be difficult, just pointing out a different take that is based on stats.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/local/high-school-challenge-2017/
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And yet Scarsdale High SAT scores average at 1275 whereas Pelham Memorial High SAT scores average at 1133. I would not take the Post scores as the final arbiter of the best high schools in NY State, or in Westchester County.
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I wouldn't take SAT scores as a final arbiter, either.
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Good news is that Millennials are moving out into the suburbs.
Escaping the big city crime and grime to raise a family.
All this is good for the economy as it provides work for regular folk.
1
I have lived in Pelham for the last 14 years and I have to say I am happy living here. Have I witnessed insular and biased attitudes in Pelham? Yes, but so have I when I lived in CA, MI, OH, TN, and VA. This is a neighborhood town where people know each other. I can walk to almost anything. And this town has rich history. "Toonerville Trolley", a cartoon series in the early 20th century by Fontaine Fox was modeled after the Pelham Manor Trolley that used to run here. Norman Rockwell who was living in nearby New Rochelle learned to draw from a Pelhamite George Bridgman. Later in the 1920's and 30's, a Pelham stationer David Campion often modeled for Rockwell. Micky Schwerner, one of the 3 civil rights activists killed by KKK in MS grew up in Pelham and graduated from Pelham Memorial High School. And Pelham became the first Westchester town to host a Syrian refugee family this year. I remind our kids of historical significance our town has had for the American society.
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That real estate agent is high if she thinks Pelham attracts a "diversity of people economically." The only People who live in Pelham, as in the vast majority of Westchester towns, are rich people. & yes, if you live there in a house valued at $600K and up, you are rich, even though you may live somewhere with lots of people who are more rich.
If you want actual diversity, go to Park Hill in Yonkers - a great neighborhood truly diverse economically, socially, politically.
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Despite the attractive photos, Pelham is a place where everyone is near a freeway or thruway, creating an urban sound sphere. Perhaps good for those who commute by car....
6
Larchmont is much better.
5
The beautiful photos made me daydream during my lunch break, but it were the comments and the housing prices quoted that brought me back to reality. Holy mackerel! I can understand the close to a million dollar asking price, but the family that paid $57,000 OVER the asking price made me blink twice. But what really bothered me was the comment from "old teacher". Attitudes like the ones he described don't change over night or even in "a couple of years". Even if I had a few extra millions tucked safely away in a mattress for a home in Pelham, the apparent lack of diversity and tolerance would keep me from away.
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My wife and I lived in Pelham Manor for five years right after we were married. In talking with one of the best real estate agents in Pelham Manor recently, Pier Bos, we learned that Pelham Manor has retained all the stylish Westchester qualities which make it such a draw for the quietly affluent.
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A lot of professionals with young kids have moved up from Manhattan and Brooklyn in recent years, and the town's demographics are changing. There's pros and cons to anywhere: taxes are high, but commute time to NYC is shorter and housing prices are lower compared to other towns in Westchester with great schools. The small town vibe makes it easy to make friends.
10
Also true, much more of a Brooklyn/Park Slope vibe than on the past. It's more affordable in terms of housing stock and beats paying private school tuition. The hidden truth is how punishing the taxes are for the valie and while quality of schools is strong overall, they don't have the ability to offer services or curriculum diversity other districts do due to size.
Another pro con value judgement
4
I grew up in Pelham and moved back to raise my family. The community is close to NYC, so it's no surprise that its mix of people represents the best of the city: smart, diverse, broad minded, and educated. Tons of friends in media make the town more interesting than the normal finance-centric towns in Westchester and CT. The friendly vibe is old school in the best way, and I encourage anyone interested to see for themselves, notwithstanding some harsh comments about Pelham which to me are totally off-the-mark.
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I grew up in Pelham. It's a community for those who can afford it. It's friendly to those who fit in with the rich, predominantly white, upper-class families that live there. It's remarkable only for the intensity of the gossip and judgement that exists within its borders. Pelham is an insular community that is friendly to white middle-and-upper class folks, and that's about it.
I grew up in Pelham, got a decent education, and now desperately want to avoid moving back there.
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I agree, it can be very insular and cliquey in certain parts of town, not in all but certain pockets. It's one of those pro and con choices.
2
I love how the commenters tell the real deal. Pelham: excessive taxation, power run amok, intolerance....can't wait for the rest.
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As a resident of The Village of Pelham I am not legally able to go to Shore Park, the beautiful park that looks out on to the sound mentioned several times. To be able to go in you officially need a Pelham Manor address. While Pelham remains a nice place to live there are hidden disparities between residents of the Village and the Manor that should be considered by anyone moving here.
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I agree, one of the down sides to pelham is that it is land poor. They actually patrol shore park at certain times of year and check licenses to make sure that only Manor residents are admitted (that's due to a deed by the donor of the land). Aside from NYAC Traverse Island, that's the only shore front. That part of the story was misleading unfortunately
1
I agree. As another village resident, I am also frustrated by the fact that we aren't "allowed" in the park. Which is why it's hysterical that on the one day we went there for a picnic, the guard let us through and a Times photographer showed up and then featured us in the paper! I have to say, though, the Village's advantage of being walking distance to the train, grocery store, etc. is worth more to me than the bigger lot sizes and Shore park access of the Manor.
6
One of the bigger negatives about Pelham is the excessive government bureaucracy. The Town of Pelham, with a population of only 12,500, consists of three governments that collect taxes: the Town, the Village of Pelham, and the Village of Pelham Manor. Each village has its own set of administrators and services providers, creating a great deal of redundancy.
It seems like it would make sense, at least, to dissolve the villages and centralize all government activity with the Town; two Village governments are not necessary for such a tiny population.
Property taxes are extremely high in Pelham (although this is not the only reason).
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Also true. And villages will not merge due to how governments are run. It is unfortunate.
4
I grew up in Pelham Manor. I went to Siwanoy School and Pelham Memorial High School. My home was a stately English Tudor on Monterey Avenue. During World War ii the Manor Club and Country Club had "restricted membership" -- in other words, "no Italians, Jews or Negro" as they put it. Being of Italian descent was not easy -- there was much intolerance. If anything, this intolerance made me work hard for acceptance. Pelham High believed one had to strive for excellence -- body and mind. I am so grateful to my village, my school and my neighbors. They gave me a chance to compete and understand the concept of teamwork. I do understand and I am ever grateful. History works in mysterious ways.
8
I find it hard to believe Italians consider themselves outsiders in Pelham. My educated guess is that Italian-Americans make up the largest group in the town. They also own a lot of the business, and often run the governments and police/fire departments.
3
If Pelham has become "diverse" (at least in non-economic terms), it is a change from its history of being off-limits to a variety of groups. So if you've got the money (lots!), go for it!
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