Manhattan is not the only place to boast of its sought-after zipcodes. While Manhattan dwellers may aspire to add 10021, the postal code of the Upper East Side's Silk Stocking district, to their mailing address, many home seekers in Westchester seek out 10538, which belongs to Larchmont NY. In fact, it is not unheard of for those living in 10021 to move to 10538 when they are ready to raise a family, and once they arrive in Larchmont, they never look back.
Located in southern Westchester and 18 miles from Manhattan, Larchmont is a walkable community where Tudor Houses prevail yet, on many of the graceful tree-lined streets, live peaceably alongside the occasional colonial or new construct. The architecture takes a turn, however, when you get down to the waterfront, the Long Island Sound. This area, known as the Manor, is the land of Victorians.
Living in Larchmont, however, isn't all about staying home, lovely as the home may be. The village revolves around its downtown area and neat-as-a-pin streets lined with quaint shops and appealing eateries. The piece de resistance, at least for dog owners, is the dog beach, an actual area of the waterfront reserved for canines.
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As is true of many of Westchester's most expensive enclaves, the population of Larchmont is overwhelmingly Caucasian. Movoto reports the mix to be 94% White to 3% Asian, 1% Mixed Race. Its 43 Black residents do not even tip the one percent scale. One of the prime reasons residents give for choosing Larchmont is that it's the ideal place to raise their families, and the age demographics bear this out. Residents in the extended family-rearing range make up 50% of the population, those between the ages of 25 - 64. Second in line, representing 31%, are the children they are raising, children under the age of 17. Even a sizeable amount of those over the age of 65, 15% of the population choose to stay in Larchmont despite the cost of living there. Some have chosen to downsize and relocate to one of the village's co-ops or condos so they can remain in the village. The age group largely absent is those between the ages of 18 and 24, only making up 5%. This may be due to the fact that the vast majority of Larchmont high school graduates go on to earn baccalaureate and graduate degrees at prestigious institutes of higher learning.
Even after finishing one's education, it takes a few years to feel secure enough financially to pursue a home in Larchmont where the median list price of a median-size family home is $915,000. And indeed, 43% of Larchmont residents have postgraduate degrees. As such, half the households report earning annual incomes of over $150,000. Only 24% earn $70,000 to $149,999, and even fewer, 18%, bring home an income that represents today's wide range of starting salaries, $30,000 to $74,999.
Since it's rare to find homes listed for less than $1,000,000 in Larchmont, you may be surprised at that low median price, but that can be explained by several factors. First off, although 60% of the housing stock is single family, there are many co-op and condominium buildings in the downtown area near the railroad station, many of which are less than 800 square feet in area and several costing as little as $200,000. Another factor is that while homes tend to be large and rambling, that median size referenced happens to be 2,000 square feet. At the other end of the scale, homes in the Manor area by the water tend to be majestic Victorians of up to 5,000 square feet spread over three stories. It is not unheard of for such grande old dames to bear price tags over $5,000,000.
As mentioned above, Larchmont houses do not come in small boxes; 64% comprise seven or more rooms, and 42% have four, five, or more bedrooms. Nor are these stately homes new, although most have been renovated or remodeled to a state of the art showroom condition. A scant 1% have been built since 1990, while 70% were constructed before 1950, and the remaining 29% between 1950 and 1989.
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Are There Theaters in Larchmont?
While there's a charming restored antique movie theater, the Larchmont Playhouse, downtown that, although it's been divided into six viewing alternatives, still manages to retain its original Beaux Arts aura, you have to go beyond the village's borders to pursue live performances. But the trip need not be a long one; it's just a short ride, or even a long walk, to the Emelin Theater in neighboring Mamaroneck. The Emelin features world class music, representing all genres, bluegrass, rock, classical, folk, and jazz, as well as dance performances and children's entertainment.
How About Art Museums?
Purchase, a nine mile drive away on the Hutchinson River Parkway, is the home of the Neuberger Museum of Art, Westchester County's premier museum on the campus of Purchase College. In addition to the over 7,000 paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, and sculptures that make up its core of mid-century American contemporary and African art, the museum stages at least 10 changing exhibitions that can include anything from single artist retrospectives to newly commissioned works of emerging artists. The Neuberger also offers public programs like Art Sandwiched In, lunch hour talks, and Family First Saturdays that feature performances, tours, and workshops, all free of charge the first Saturday of each month.
And if you need mega-doses of culture, the museums, theaters, operas, and ballet of Manhattan are but an 18-mile train ride away.
If you're considering moving to Larchmont, you only need to spend an afternoon viewing the majestic homes, lunching in the pristine picturesque village, then strolling in Manor Park on the shore of the Long Island Sound to surmise that the quality of living here is high. However, you may be interested in a few specifics.
How Safe is Larchmont?
City-data.com, a website that documents crime rates around the country, puts the overall Larchmont crime rate index at 71.9 for 2013, the last year they list on the site. To put that in perspective, the U.S. crime index is 127.6. What is amazing and heartening is that not one murder, rape, or robbery has occurred dating back to 2001, the earliest year they chart. As for assaults against property, the listing is on a one per 100,000 basis. As such, Larchmont is reported to have had eight burglaries per 100,000; 77 thefts per 100,000; two auto thefts; and no cases of arson. The only personal crime reported were two assaults.
How Good are the Schools?
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Since Larchmont is a village in the Town of Mamaroneck, the public schools are part of the Mamaroneck Union Free School District. Larchmont children attend one of three elementary schools, Murray Avenue School, Chatsworth Avenue School, or Central School. For middle school, they attend Hommocks, all within Larchmont. Once they reach high school, they travel out of the village to attend Mamaroneck High. All rate high.
How are the Commute Times?
If like many Larchmont residents you work in Manhattan, Metro North trains will whisk you out of Larchmont station and into Grand Central Terminal in about 30 to 35 minutes. The same is true for the homebound ride. If your place of employment is located in the thriving business corridor running along either side of Interstate 287, spanning White Plains to Harrison and known as the Platinum Mile for its lushly landscaped corporate parks, your drive will take approximately 25 minutes. This is the same whether you take the Hutchinson River Parkway or the local route, Mamaroneck Avenue. Expect the same if you work in downtown White Plains.
Larchmont is best known for the upscale beach and yacht clubs lining its shores. But if you don't need the tennis courts, pools, and cabanas, nor the club houses with their bars and restaurants, you can save yourself the hefty membership fees and instead join the Larchmont Manor Park Society. This not-for-profit organization owns and maintains the park of the same name, a tranquil oasis of walking trails along the water. This jewel is open to the public for exploring. If you're a member of the society, you can purchase a season pass for $580 that will let you enjoy the 300 feet of sandy beach the society owns on the Long Island Sound. As for your dog, although he can walk on the trails, he'll have to swim at the beach.
