Welcome to New Rochelle, a fantastic New York commuter city located on the far southern edge of Westchester County. Now, let’s get started on your apartment search!
The city of New Rochelle is consistently ranked by a variety of sources for a number of things
Welcome to New Rochelle, a fantastic New York commuter city located on the far southern edge of Westchester County. Now, let’s get started on your apartment search!
The city of New Rochelle is consistently ranked by a variety of sources for a number of things. For instance, the American Podiatric Medical Association claims that New Rochelle feet are some of the busiest in the country, as the city ranks among the 100 Best Walking Cities in America, second in the state to New York City alone.
Whew, let’s unpack all this. New Rochelle has an urban city plan, and an abundance of real estate. Factor in the proximity to Manhattan, and you’ve got a paradise.
To be fair, so far as nightlife goes, New Rochelle has a more settled vibe than nearby White Plains, and, obviously, New York. There are plenty of outdoor activities including golfing, fishing and boating along the Long Island Sound waterfront. Additionally, recent renovation of the formerly industrial downtown area has caused an influx of more bars, restaurants and shopping centers. In fact, this downtown redevelopment has diversified the New Rochelle rental market, providing a larger variety of housing.
The main division between New Rochelle neighborhoods is the boundary created by Eastchester Road. Here, northern and southern New Rochelle is divided.
Downtown
As previously mentioned, downtown New Rochelle has undergone a considerable and impressive renovation since its industrial days. Large apartment and condo complexes now dominate the downtown rental market. Proximity to the Metro North station, as well as a number of bars, restaurants, boutiques and grocery stores all draw in a crowd.
South New Rochelle
Between downtown and Eastchester, neighborhoods such as Rochelle Park are awash with historic homes for rent, and there are more established neighborhoods. Additionally, check out the area close to the waterfront park.
North New Rochelle
Oh, northern New Rochelle. Replete with gated communities, golf courses and shopping centers. The farther you go from downtown, the more suburban feeling the neighborhoods become, making north New Rochelle a car-centric anomaly in this highly walkable city. Properties are larger, houses more awe-inspiring, and there is less in terms of apartments available. However, you can occasionally find rental homes in north New Rochelle neighborhoods.
If you’re relocating to Westchester County from New York City, you’ll be pretty familiar with the real estate hustle (and it IS a hustle) of the metropolitan area. Some of the best rentals are listed with real estate agents, but you’ll have to be prepared to foot the bill, with realtor fees varying from one month to a massive 10% of your annual rent. Application fees and background checks can cost you an additional $50-75. Best to put your game face on.
Okay, so about that commute. In a fantasy world where cars just zip in and out of New York City, your commute to Midtown would take about 30 minutes. In reality, I-95, the major artery between New Rochelle and New York, becomes severely congested during morning and evening rush hours, frequently doubling and sometimes tripling your commute time. Additionally, Highway One, which serves as New Rochelle’s main street as well as the primary connection to the interstate, frequently becomes backed up for miles during rush hour. To summarize: It’s not pleasant.
The good news is that you can avoid all this turmoil by doing what most commuters do—take the Metro North! New Rochelle’s station on the New Haven line is located in the downtown corridor and can get you to Grand Central Station in about 30 minutes. During morning and evening rush hours, trains come approximately every 20 minutes, so save your blood pressure and car insurance premiums for other, more important things like weekend stock car racing.
All in all, New Rochelle provides a welcome respite from the chaos of New York City, whether you simply can’t bear the NYC real estate market, miss seeing actual blades of grass, or want a palatial mansion. You’ll be sure to find a great apartment to suit all your needs!
