Ardsley

Most of the Rivertowns are treated as one large town. The villages of Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings and Irvington are not large individual towns. They are all villages in the town of Greenburgh. While growing up here the area was often referred to as the Quad villages because these small villages together are treated as one larger town. It is not uncommon for someone who lives in Ardsley to drive 2 miles and to Red Hat for dinner or use the Dobbs Ferry train station to commute to work. The same way residents of Dobbs Ferry or Irvington would come to Ardsley to go to Deccio, Riveria Bakery and Starbucks. There were a few vacant store fronts in the village but there are now new establishments in those locations. Now where those empty spaces were a new yogurt shop, a market, a trendy Spin studio for a quick workout, a greek restaurant and even a new veterinarian office are all located in the center of the village. This is a sign of the economy rebounding. Like many of the villages in Westchester, you are not going to find the night life and attractions of NYC but another Ardsley advantage, you are only a 35 Minute drive and a 42 minute train ride to those attractions.

At three O’clock the main streets of the Ardsley and all the Rivertowns are all going to be congested due to schools letting out. At rush hour, the streets are again congested because Ardsley residents may be driving to/from the train station located in Dobbs Ferry while Irvington and Dobbs Ferry residents are driving to/from Ardsley to go on/off the Thruway. The temporary traffic runs both ways and unfortunately not only in Ardsley, its everywhere at these times. This traffic pales in comparison to the traffic of LIE on long Island and the New Jersey gridlock.
As a real estate broker and again having grown up in the area, I can say one of the great things about the area is the personal attention and warmth in a small village. I can choose to live anywhere but in Ardsley a village of less than 5,000 you are sure to run into someone you know in the bagel shop or Starbucks in the morning or at China Pavilion or Pumpernickels getting dinner at night. You are not just a face a in the crowd. Believe me that personal attention is helpful at 7:30 in the morning when you are on line when Nicole at Starbucks has your coffee ready and waiting for you.

There is something very special about this little village that extends past the temporary traffic and fantastic schools.

This is what my parents used to refer to as a bedroom community. It's a good, safe place to lay your head at night, but if you want to go out to eat, shop, experience night life, etc. you won't do much more than the basics in town. And traffic can be ridiculous for a town this size. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon you can sit at some of the traffic lights for at least 2 cycles.Parking isn't much better -- I'll drive 5 minutes or so to a Starbucks on Route 100 rather than fuss with traffic in downtown Ardsley and pay at a meter.

Most other towns in the area are a little more expensive to live in but worth it. We go to Dobbs Ferry to eat, catch the train, go for a walk on the Aqueduct, and sometimes shop. A lot of storefronts are empty in Ardsley -- some have been empty for years. ( DeCicco's Market is definitely a plus, however.) To be fair, it's not that far a drive to other towns' offerings, and even in traffic you're close to the Saw Mill and Thruway.

If you have kids, it's all about the schools -- but Hastings and Dobbs schools are good, too.

Ardsley is a very small village that ironically gets a whole lot of traffic because of its central location. A lot of people pass through Ardsley to get to other places, causing heavy traffic during peak hours. Still, Ardsley has a lot of good qualities too. The housing costs in Ardsley are relatively low. The residents are very laid back, and there are plenty of fun things to do. The school district in Ardsley is fantastic. While it may not be what you’d imagine a town center in a New York suburb to be like, there is a tiny downtown area with stores. Ashford Park is pretty nice, with a playground for kids, baseball fields, basketball courts, and a picnic area. You’ll see a lot of residents relaxing there in good weather. There is also a growing arts community in Ardsley. There are some restaurants in Ardsley, but nothing trendy or upscale. I wouldn’t live here because I’d find it boring, but residents don’t really seem to mind the quiet atmosphere as you can easily drive to nearby towns for more fun. MetroNorth actually does have a stop that’s supposedly in Ardsley, but it’s pretty inconvenient to get to (for many residents).

Ardsley has a great school system. The classes are kept small so every child gets the attention they need to really learn. The teachers are very intuitive and adapt their teaching style to the needs of their students. There's even a great after school program.

The biggest downside to Ardsley is it doesn't have a train station, you have to go to one of the surrounding towns. Unless you take the bus you have to drive to one of the other train stations and try to find parking. I say "try" because chances are you won't be able to. Driving to New York City is a better option for most people.

There's also not a community pool but if you live in Ardsley proper you can use the Greenburg pool which is very nice. To add to the growing list of things Ardsley does not have, there isn't a town center with shopping and restaurants. However, what it doesn't have can easily be found close-by so it really isn't as bad as it sounds.

The parks are nice but not overly impressive. There are quite a few small parks dotted around the village and Ashford Park has tennis and basketball courts.

Ardsley does enjoy one of the lowest crime rates in the area which is a big factor, for me at least, when deciding to move.