Bryan was born in Milwaukee and I was born and raised in a small town in Western Kentucky.
Bryan came to New York City for his MBA at NYU and never left. I came to New York after spending 27 months in the Peace Corps based in Uralsk, Kazakhstan. We met on a night out in Hell’s Kitchen and have been together for 18 years.
[Editor’s note: “Transitions” features first-person accounts of what it’s like to move from one NYC neighborhood to another (or in this case, from NYC to Westchester). Have a story to share? Drop us an email. We respect all requests for anonymity.]
We recently lived in The Hendrik in Riverdale, a 55-unit luxury rental project on the southern tip of Riverdale, near the Spuyten Duyvil train station. We live with our young son and our puppy, a white Bolognese that we got during the pandemic. Our two-bedroom, two-bath, 900-square-foot unit cost $4,795 per month.
We loved the convenience of the location, especially how close it was to the Metro-North, which we used for commuting. It was also close to our son’s school, Riverdale Country School, which made the location very convenient. We appreciated the newer design of the building and the high quality finishes in the apartment, but it felt a bit small.
The building itself also lacked amenities, although it had a coworking space that was quite noisy. Parking was a big problem; we often had to park six blocks away. The neighbors were great, but the location and lack of parking made it less ideal.
And there were no real amenities in the immediate area: no restaurants, cafes or communal areas nearby. To get to a restaurant you have to walk 30 minutes. (Some of our favorite places to eat in Riverdale were Tobal, an upscale Mexican restaurant, Moss Café, a good coffee shop in Riverdale, and Emiliano’s.) The area had nice walking trails, including a route over the Henry Hudson Bridge.
I was the CEO of a division of a marketing communications company; now I’m working on one new start-up. Bryan starts a healthcare biotech company. It is a consumer-focused longevity and longevity platform that he has been developing over the past year.
Why they decided to move
In the spring we decided to move to Yonkers because we wanted an apartment that was close to the train and offered more amenities. We were looking for a building with parking, a doorman and a more vibrant community.
Our goal was to find a two-bedroom, two-bathroom that was slightly larger than our previous one, ideally over 1,000 square feet. We wanted to stay close to the same rental.
During our search we looked at approximately 10 homes. We looked in several areas, including Tuckahoe, Bronxville, Dobbs Ferry, Mount Vernon and New Rochelle.
Initially, we didn’t plan to focus on Yonkers, but we were attracted to some of the newer developments in the area, particularly Hudson Piers in downtown Yonkers from New York City Extell development. The building was still under construction at the time.
We already knew Extell because of them Brooklyn Point development in downtown Brooklyn. We have a two-bedroom apartment there, and it’s a great building. Brooklyn Point’s amenities, services, layouts and quality of finishes are fantastic.
Because Hudson Piers is a newer building, the [leasing] The process was simple: it was mostly about negotiating to get the monthly costs to a reasonable place.
What they like about their new place
Our new condo is a two bedroom, two bath unit with 1,000 square feet of space. We love the location of our building: it is right on the Hudson River. From our bedroom window we can hear the waves, which is really special. The apartment also has incredible views of Manhattan.
The building has several amenities that our previous home lacked, such as a fitness center, roof deck, residents’ lounge, children’s playroom, swimming pool and private parking. With utility fees and parking, our rent is approximately $4,600 per month.
What they like about the environment
One of our favorite parts of the neighborhood is the new one boulevard on the river. It is perfect for taking walks and enjoying the water views. There is also a dog park nearby which has been a big bonus for us, has become part of our daily routine and is a great way to meet neighbours.
Doing laundry is now much easier thanks to the building’s doorman and concierge service, making daily tasks easier. Grocery shopping is about the same as before – we still mostly order groceries from Whole Foods – but the overall experience is smoother.
The location gives us easy access to both local favorites and the surrounding area River towns. One of our favorite places to eat out is The Sea Fire Grill, a fantastic new restaurant just opened nearby for seafood and steak. We love that we can walk to it, as well as a local burger joint and taco place. The area has a nice balance between luxury and relaxed dining.
We are about a 10 minute walk to the Metro North train station and kept our car as we have the advantage of being able to park in the building. At weekends we often drive to Hastings-on-Hudson where there is a great selection of restaurants. We also enjoy spending time on the Hudson River Walk, which is perfect for taking walks and enjoying the water views.
Everything feels more seamless and less stressful compared to our previous location.
Our friends and family are continually impressed with the quality of the building, the level of amenities and the incredible views. Many have commented that it feels like a prime property for the area, which makes us even happier with our decision.
We met some really nice people in the building. Everyone was friendly and hospitable. We recently had dinner with a neighbor who lives on the second floor and moved in around the same time as in September. It was great to get to know neighbors who are also new to the community.
We definitely plan to stay. We signed a 14 month lease and are very happy with our choice so far.
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