Scarsdale, N.Y.: A Pricey Suburb With an Old World Air

Back in 2015, Scarsdale reassessed all of its home to current market values. Some longtime homeowners faced steep increases in their property taxes. Read about Seymour Topping's case here: www.lohud.com/story/news/investigations/2015/08/26/scarsdale-mansion-battles-property-owners-fight-over-tax-levies/31530273/ His property tax bill went up from about $40,000 to over $80,000 even after a lawsuit to have his assessment lowered. When you reach retirement age in a high property tax community, be prepared to give up your dream house unless you are very wealthy.

Many comments mention the lack of diversity in Scarsdale, but from my perspective the color of your skin today does not define diversity. It’s your income which does it. So in Scarsdale there is plenty of diversity, many of my children’s friend are Asian (we’re whites) and foreign born (whites, Asians etc) which bring to the table interesting points of view in discussions. But there is no income diversity. Everyone is affluent but I would not define them snobby, at least the friends we made. We moved to Scarsdale from Brooklyn Heights and we did not notice much difference in the people. All liberal professionals with cosmopolitan lives.

Scarsdale is a town where you are not allowed to walk your dog in the park. The only way someone can afford to live in Scarsdale is if they are quite wealthy. If you are wealthy enough to be able to afford Scarsdale then you are wealthy enough to live anywhere you want. Which of course begs the question of why on earth would you choose Scarsdale? This is a question that confounds me to this day. If you are considering moving, do spare yourself. As to the Schools and old-world air... the schools are typical of any high-income school district, that is to say, not that impressive and the old-world air exists only to those who believe pho Tudor surrounded by 30k square foot palaces half an acre apart is the epitome of class.

I’m familiar with Scarsdale and its fairly similar neighbor town, Bronxville. Their schools are very similar in terms of performance and test scores, though I think Bxv has s less stressed out reputation than Scd. The town of Scarsdale is larger overall, though with a similar feel — that can be a plus if you want to avoid seeing the same people all the time. But I would give the advantage to Bronxville in terms of walk ability and the town center. Most kids walk to school in Bronxville, and there are many restaurants and a good movie theater in town. As they say about Scarsdale in this article, Bronxville also has quite a few people these days from various parts of the world. Just my 2 cents.

We raised our children in Scarsdale and would do it again, given the choice. The commute to the city is excellent, the amenities are high, the village is lovely and the schools are excellent. Is it perfect for everyone? Of course not. There is a commenter on this site with a definite point of view, in this section (and in many other publications) who takes issue with many aspects of Scarsdale. Certainly that person’s right to do it. This shouldn't skew the reader’s opinion. My experience is that the local politics there are not unlike other places. If you desire to become a member of the city board or school board, roll up your sleeves and work on a PTA, the Drug & Alcohol Task Force, the Town and Village Club, Scarsdale Maroon and White or any such community organization - and get known that way. Opposing views are not stifled by the board. Public comment is available at any Board of Trustees meeting. Years ago, one person with contrary views, was actually put on the board and was considered a valued contributor for a number of years. Scarsdale has changed over the years, as has just about anywhere else in America. The mom & pop stores in the village have dwindled. The high school is by definition very competitive and perhaps not for everyone. Many other communities offer great education and each has its own pros and cons. Anyone considering moving to Scarsdale should do their homework and compare to other places in the region. Do your homework.

@MRV - it’s unfortunate that you take the antagonistic approach in your comments about Scarsdale and attempt to dissuade people from considering a home in the village. Are the taxes high? Yes. Are the schools good? Yes. Are village services plentiful? Also, yes. Those things tend to go hand in hand. But the true measure of a community is the way in which the members of the community support those in need and rally together to help when asked. I have seen this play out on many, many occasions in my more than 10 years here, and I have been both the provider and recipient of such support. And I can tell you first hand, I am forever grateful for the community that surrounds me. That’s a better measure of Scarsdale or any village, rather than the issues about which you choose to complain.

Have lived here for 35 years. Have met many wonderful, generous, caring people. And a few jerks. Probably not that different from most places.

I grew up in neighboring Ardsley. It was interesting to read about a town I've known for some 66 years.

A really thorough article. I didn't know about the history of the Chateaux. Please note the statement about the bigger lots is reversed. Lots west of Post Road are, on the average, smaller than those to the east, with the exception of the Arthur Manor section of Edgewood.

A virtually unknown but quite amazing aspect of Scarsdale is its way of choosing leaders. We do not have political parties hoisting candidates upon us. Instead, its neighborhoods elect members of a Citizens Nominating Committee (CNC), which interviews prospective Village Trustees and conducts very extensive due diligence on each. The CNC is refreshed frequently and from a diverse pool, making it difficult for cliques to form. The CNC then proposes its nominees for popular election, who have always been elected despite occasional outside challengers. The CNC even polices itself by changing its rules in response to changing times and critiques. The system is genteel, respectful and incredibly effective at finding exceptional - and increasingly diverse - Village leaders.

Scarsdale- Pros: Good public schools Less painful commute to Manhattan than many other places Cons: Horrible people. Only money matters here. Horrible local government. Out-of-control taxation.

How nice to read about how the wealthy live.

Many people are very well educated, interesting, and very kind. Unfortunately, governance in Scarsdale is very poor. The over 100-year old establishment party created by Caucasian Protestant men, the Scarsdale Non-Partisan Party made sure to keep out Catholics and Jews out of office until the 1950s. And the Citizens Nominating Committee has never ever selected a single minority to this day. Scarsdale’s Mayor and Board of Trustees have never fully reflected the demographic composition of this wonderful ‘Village in the Park.’ In Scarsdale, diversity absolutely does not mean inclusion in leadership of Village Board, the School Board, the League of Women Voters, the Scarsdale Forum, or other volunteer organizations. None of them have any people of color in their leadership. Only in the school PTAs, people of color can rise to important positions. This lack of diversity in the leadership of the Village Board comes at a significant cost. It has resulted in very little cognizant diversity and very poor and costly decision making about important issues such as property assessments, retail development, and the current Freightway development project. The Village Board has wasted millions of dollars in having two property assessments in 2014 and 2016.

A good place to grow up in the 1950s and '60s. Appears Scarsdale has become a more diverse community in recent decades, a beneficial development for all. Quaker Ridge used to be part of its own school district and was the last Scarsdale public grammar school to have students K-8.

The "Comments" on this article, with their differing views (and a hilariously diverse range of literacy and illiteracy) remind me of that old parable "The Blind Men And The Elephant." Although median income and house prices are overall high, the fact is that there are many different Scarsdales. And yes, I raised my family there.

Prices are falling for two reasons. Taxes are very. High and there is only a $10,000 deduction. Nice area to live in . Usually wives are happy until the doctor goes bald and starts following around with the secretary.

great article. but just because a millionaire doctor (and his doctor wife) claim the town has many down-to-earth people does not make it so, lol.

I grew up in Shaker Heights Ohio and even 50 years ago it was a contest to see which High School had the most National Merit semi finalists. ( my year we had 58 in a class of 635). These were non magnet schools and it is nice to see that their quality schools still perform at this level. Yes taxes were relatively high both places, but private school tuition was not required.

I never thought this day would come. I find myself writing to defend a place I lived and raised my children as a person of color for twenty years. Scarsdale (proper) has many good qualities - it is very pretty, with many lovely homes within walking distance to the train (our's was), the commute is blessedly short to midtown and the schools, especially the grade schools and high school are excellent (the middle school is just good, not great). Yes the taxes are high, but the garbage got picked up 2x week, food compost 1x week and recyclables every other week, all in golf carts. Have the naysayers survived and paid for the gauntlet for posh private schools? My annual taxes = tuition for 1 child - I have 3. I didn't have the fortitude for my child getting rejected at 2. Yes, there are great magnet schools - good luck with that. The level of diversity is poor and it did not appreciably get better in the 20 years that I lived there. But it is not appreciably less diverse than the private schools or many of the magnet schools (ie Stuyvesant) And although NY may be superficially incredibly diverse, it is not when it comes to housing and education. Don't kid yourselves. The biggest issues were the insularity and the obnoxiousness - not everyone, mind you, but a good proportion. The obnoxiousness always seemed unfounded to me - the truly posh would never step foot in such a sleepy little backwater. I've been told this many times since moving back to the city.

Of all places to live in Westchester, this is at the top of the list for priciest. Property taxes are ridiculous as are home prices. Don't kid yourself - this place is for the 1% and that's ok, if you're in the 1%. Privileged families abound and it's really a "bubble" community. Which, can be a good thing for some families and not so for others. Depends on what you want and how you want to raise a family. It wasn't for us. And, while we could afford it, we looked in Scarsdale for literally a day and was pretty much turned off by what we saw in the downtown village, home prices/taxes and the severe lack of diversity.

Great writing and explanation. I've never been to Scarsdale but now I feel like I have. You saved me a bunch of time.

Many homes with Scarsdale addresses are often in neighboring towns such as New Rochelle or Eastchester. Buyers looking for Scarsdale schools should be careful and be willing to pay up for a high performing school district. If you don't need the schools, then you can be on the fringe with a Scarsdale P.O.

I lived in New Rochelle, post office Scarsdale, in the 2000s decade. I took the Metronorth from the Scarsdale station on a daily basis. I wouldn't call the inhabitants of Scarsdale "snooty", more so entitled. I was the new person at the train station, and was accordingly scrutinized. When asked where I lived, there was a palpable freeze when I replied New Rochelle, until someone remarked that my area was technically Scarsdale P.O. The train was remarkably usually on time, although once it was a few minutes late. The people at the Scarsdale train station were seething, despite the conductor's announcement that he would make up the time. The number of people-all men-who threateningly and loudly told the conductor that they knew an MTA board member who would "hear about this!" were numerous. I rolled my eyes at this, and the conductor muffled a guffaw. That pretty much sums up my experience of Scarsdale.

I have relatives in Hartsdale. Just north of Scarsdale. Was there for a wonderful Thanksgiving diner. They are a highly educated couple working in legal and education. Their three kids are on Greenburgh elementary and high school. And they love it; just because it is not Scarsdale. Teachers pay attention to each kid and really work with the high performers. Housing stock is great and half the price of Scarsdale. Manor Woods section of Hartsdale has even French chateaus. I really liked it. When I am ready to move from UWS where I am now that’s where I‘d love to go. Also very cosmopolitan with neighbors from France, Germany, Canada, Korea and Ethiopia. And people actually talk to each other.

Great Article!! It is truly a wonderful community to call home or visit on a regular basis. I love Scarsdale ... I spent many summers with friends and loved ones in the town. The civic organizations and public schools are the best in the area. Scarsdale Business Alliance and other community groups provide a voice for business and community leaders. The added bonus of Metro North offers easy access to Midtown Manhattan with the comfort of suburban living.

Yes, the local politics are plagued with cronyism and homogeneity largely due to a tradition of uncontested elections and an entrenched single-party. Property taxes could easily be reduced without sacrifice in the provision of public goods. These problems are being addressed. More importantly though, Scarsdale residents are intellectually diverse, highly motivated, very well educated and by and large extremely personable. Family, friends and children tend to be priority #1. Violent crime doesn't happen. Schools are excellent and safe, outdoor and indoor recreational opportunities abound, shopping and dining in nearby Westchester towns are first-rate (indeed, little Scarsdale itself has some great restaurants and shops) and the "Village in the Park" is only 31 minutes away by commuter rail from the City that Never Sleeps. It's hard to think of a better place in the NY metropolitan area to raise a family or to just call "home".

Recently lived on Garth road for about a year — which is apparently allowed to be called Scarsdale but still has the Eastchester taxes, school districts, etc. Garth road is full of apartments and about a 6-7 minute walk from the Scarsdale train station. I agree with the author to the extent that it’s a very pretty place, but it’s quite quite small and the stores are all very monotonous. Half of the stores in the tiny village shop area also seem to be closed. The people there did seem to have a little more time to talk with you and just seemed more “small town” and nicer than what we were used to (since we moved from NYC), so there are definitely people there that escape the snootiness. However it is definitely not a diverse place to live. The Metro North is also so incredibly crowded during rush hour that there’s hardly ever an option to sit. Further the cost of the metro north ticket plus cost of needing a car means you don’t save any money from avoiding NYC taxes, if you’re looking to move to a suburb for that reason. Ultimately while the area was quaint it was just VERY quiet and not for us...moved back to the City after a year, but it was definitely an interesting experience. The only thing we really miss is SLICE OF SCARSDALE for amazing pizza. It’s on Garth road. Trust me.

Not walkable. Outside of the small central by the rail station, there are few sidewalks, forcing one to drive everywhere, or walk on the road with the traffic.

Good luck getting a permit for parking at the train station. And, while you mention the limited deduction for local taxes, you don't mention how astronomical the taxes really are.