From Riverdale to Yonkers: We wanted more space and better amenities with no rent increase
- Terry and Ryan found a larger two bedroom with Hudson River views for the same monthly rent
- Their new building has a fitness center, terrace, lounge, pool, playroom, and private parking
Terry and Bryan with their son in one of their building's multiple amenity spaces. "Because Hudson Piers is a newer building, the [leasing] process was straightforward," Terry said.
Terry and Bryan wanted more space and better amenities than what they had in Riverdale, so they went apartment hunting in Westchester. They were drawn to a new rental building from Extell, the developer of Brooklyn Point in Downtown Brooklyn, where they already own a unit. Here's their story as told to Kelly Kreth.
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 NYC after spending 27 months in the Peace Corps, based in Uralsk, Kazakhstan. We met one 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.]
Most recently we were living in The Henry in Riverdale, a 55-unit luxury rental development on the southern tip of Riverdale near the Spuyten Duyvil train station. We live with our young son and our pup, a white Bolognese we got during the pandemic. Our two-bedroom, two-bath, 900-square-foot unit was $4,795 per month.
We loved the convenience of the location, particularly how close it was to the Metro-North, which we used for commuting to work. It was also near our son’s school, Riverdale Country School, which made the location very practical. We appreciated the newer building design and the higher-end finishes inside the apartment, but it felt a bit small.
The building itself also lacked amenities although it had a coworking space that was quite loud. Parking was a major issue; we often had to park as far as six blocks away. The neighbors were wonderful, but the location and lack of parking made it less ideal.
And there were no real amenities in the immediate area—no restaurants, cafés or community spaces nearby. You would have to walk 30 minutes to get to a restaurant. (Some of our favorite places to eat in Riverdale were Tobala, an upscale Mexican restaurant, Moss Café which is a good coffee place in Riverdale, and Emiliano’s.) The area did have nice walking paths, including a route across the Henry Hudson Bridge.
I was the CEO of a division of a marketing communications firm; now I am working on a new startup. Bryan is starting a biotech venture in the healthcare space. It’s a consumer-facing longevity and health span platform that he has spent the past year developing.
Why they decided to move
In spring, we decided to move to Yonkers because we wanted an apartment that was still 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 bath that was a bit larger than our previous one—ideally more than 1,000 square feet. We wanted to stay close to the same rent.
We viewed about 10 properties during our search. 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 drawn to some of the newer developments in the area, particularly Hudson Piers in downtown Yonkers from New York City-based Extell Development. The building was still under construction at the time.
We were already familiar with Extell because of their Brooklyn Point development in Downtown Brooklyn. We own a two-bedroom apartment there, and it’s a great building. The amenities, services, layouts, and qualities of the finishes at Brooklyn Point are superb.
Because Hudson Piers is a newer building, the [leasing] process was straightforward—it was mainly about negotiating to get the monthly cost to a reasonable place.
What they like about their new place
Our new apartment is a two-bedroom, two-bath unit with 1,000 square feet of space. We love the location of our building—it’s right on the Hudson River. From our bedroom window, we can hear the waves, which is really special. The apartment also has an incredible view of Manhattan.
The building has several amenities that our previous home lacked, such as a fitness center, rooftop terrace, residents lounge, children’s playroom, pool, and private parking. With amenity fees and parking, our rent is around $4,600 per month.
What they like about the area
One of our favorite parts of the neighborhood is the new riverfront esplanade. It is perfect for taking walks and enjoying the water views. There’s also a dog park nearby, which has been a big bonus for us and has become part of our daily routine and is a great way to meet neighbors.
Laundry is much easier now thanks to the building’s doorman and concierge service, which makes daily tasks more convenient. Food shopping is about the same as before—we still order groceries from Whole Foods most of the time—but the overall experience is smoother.
The location gives us easy access to both local favorites and the nearby Rivertowns. One of our favorite places to dine out is The Sea Fire Grill, a fantastic new restaurant that just opened nearby for seafood and steak. We love that we can walk there, as well as a local burger joint and a taco restaurant. The area has a nice balance between upscale and relaxed dining.
We’re about a 10-minute walk to the Metro North train station and kept our car since we have the benefit of parking in the building. On weekends, we often drive over to Hastings-on-Hudson, which has a great selection of restaurants. We also love spending time on the Hudson RiverWalk, 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 consistently impressed by the quality of the building, the level of amenities, and the incredible views. Many have commented that it feels like a premium property for the area, which makes us even happier with our decision.
We’ve met some really nice people in the building. Everyone has been friendly and welcoming. We had dinner recently with a neighbor who lives on the second floor and moved in around the same time we did in September. It’s been great getting to know neighbors who are also new to the community.
We definitely plan on staying. We signed a 14-month lease and are very happy with our choice so far.
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