Pelham

Pelham, the village, is north of Pelham Manor. Together, the two villages make up the town of Pelham. The village is densely populated, with less than a square mile of land and almost 7,000 residents. Its proximity to the city, neat suburban streets and excellent schools make the village highly desirable, with a price tag to match.

Despite its great qualities and desirability, taxes are a concern. The entire town has a very small commercial base, which passes the burden on to the residents. In an effort to generate more commercial taxes and encourage residential development, the village has earmarked a plot of land for development. The project is in the very early stages, with village officials and developers meeting to discuss how to best use the land, which is in very short supply. The proposed project would be a mixed-use property with 110 one- and two-bedroom apartments.

The Pelham Union Free School District educates the 2,900 students who reside in Pelham Village and Pelham Manor. The district has four elementary schools: Siwanoy, Anne Hutchinson, Prospect Hill and Colonial. There is one school for students in sixth through eighth grade, Pelham Middle School, and one high school, Pelham Memorial. On the most recent state exams, pass rates were above 97% on almost all tests for elementary and middle school students. Results on Regents exams, which are required for high school students, were similarly strong.

Pelham Village residents have good shopping options in nearby Pelham Manor, with two main shopping centers. The Pelham Manor Shopping Center has a BJ’s Warehouse Club, Michaels, and Sleepy’s as its main retailers. The Post Road Shopping Center is anchored by a 75,000 square foot Fairway, a unique grocery store with a café. Modells, Home Goods and a few clothing stores round out the offerings at Post Road. Fifth Avenue in the village has a good assortment of stores and restaurants.

The Pelham Metro North station is located in the village, within walking distance for many residents. During peak hours, the trip to Grand Central takes about a half hour. The village is also well-located for car travel, with the Hutchinson River Parkway and Interstate 95 nearby.

Homes are expensive in Pelham Village, though it has a bigger selection of affordable options than Pelham Manor. Despite the downturn in the housing market, the median price has increased in Pelham.

Pelham has some beautiful houses and a neighborhood feel that make it a wonderful place to live. It has its own government but shares its high school and middle school with the slightly ritzier Pelham Manor. The schools are top notch and are easy to get to.

You really feel like you belong to a community here. It's very walkable which is important to me. Most working residents commute into New York City, it takes just under 30 minutes by train, and those that don't take full advantage of its close proximity on the weekends. The people who live here want to have the best of both worlds; the exciting life of New York City and the quiet small town home where everyone knows each other.

If you go on vacation it's common to let the police station know. They make sure to keep an eye on your house but there isn't much crime here anyways. You'll find that your neighbors are obliged to keep watch as well. There are block parties pretty frequently and it's very easy to meet people.

I can't think of too many people who wouldn't like Pelham. There are some great restaurants in town and the only thing that may be lacking is the nightlife. Even if there were more nightlife here I would still go in to New York City, there's more variety and no driving involved.