Working with Home buyers in the Westchester Real Estate Market, I hear this all the time… “I don’t want to be on the train for more than XX minutes”
And the argument is valid. Living in the suburbs, the commute to Grand Central becomes ingrained as part of your life. Some see the train as relaxation, others see it as a time to catch up on work emails, social media, or NetFlix. But many see the Metro North Commute as something they want over with quickly.
Generally, buyers looking for Scarsdale Homes for Sale (or other southern Westchester Towns vs Chappaqua Homes for sale (Or other Northern Westchester Towns) are looking at commute times as a top criterion.
But there is more to consider than simply the length of time the express train takes to reach Grand Central. Other items to consider:
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How far is the drive from your home to the train station? Parts of Scarsdale could take 15 minutes to reach the train station while parts of Bronxville can take 1 minute. Even in towns themselves, the differences can be vast. Some sections of Chappaqua could take 12 minutes or more driveway to the platform while some homes have driven to the train 2 minutes.
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How big is the parking lot? Some stations are compact and you can be on the platform 30 seconds after parking, Some can have a walk of up to five minutes.
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Where is your office located? Sure, since every train ends up in Grand Central the trip from Grand Central to your Office will be similar. But consider this as well: Some platforms only have a single staircase at one end. In Chappaqua for example, if you work north of 45th Street, tack on an extra 3 minutes to walk from the front of the platform to the back.
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How is the traffic getting out of the train station in the evening? Some stations could take 10 minutes to exit. Some take one minute. Some towns even allow commuters with low emissions or compact vehicles to park in the best locations. That might also be a consideration.
