Back in 2010, Larchmont was voted the best commuting town in the NYC- Metro area, a Met named Jason Bay moved in, and the Mayor renamed a piece of the Sound.
from trainjotting:
“The Best Damn Commuter Town Period title stays in Westchester, as Larchmont
was selected by Trainjotting readers as the best mix of relatively easy
transit to the city, low-ish a**hole ratio, lively downtown, parks,
taxes, and other quality of life issues involving the tri-state area.
Pleasantville won the prize the last time we held the
Best Damn Commuter Town Period poll, in 2008.
New Jersey was very well represented in the voting, especially among
towns starting with the letter ‘M’: (Montclair, Maplewood, Metuchen,
Millburn, Westfield, Summit, New Providence). Long Island got a token
mention (Mineola). In the 914, there were nominations for Tarrytown.
Connecticut, meanwhile, was altogether snubbed.
But Larchmont, pushed over the top by a swell of nominations from its
blog community, won in a relative landslide–most nominators citing
walkability and easy access to Manhattan via Metro-North.
Writes “Sean”:
The neighborhoods are beautiful and established, with great
architecture (virtually no teardowns and/or McMansions). Most of it is
walkable to the train and the two ‘downtowns’ with a wide variety of
shops, restaurants, and bars – and many of us can walk to the schools as
well.
We also have a 29 minute express train to NYC, and it’s just over
a half hour to drive to Manhattan in off hours – which helps add up to a
feeling that we’re very ‘connected’ to the city.
Adds “Jeff”:
Very close to the city, walkable and less pretentious then some
of its neighbors despite its affluent population.
So enticing is Larchmont to commuters that new Met Jason Bay
announced recently that he’d bucked the trend of MLB ballers living in
the wilds of Greenwich and scored a place smack in the middle of Yankee
country in the 10538. Like so many voters in the Best Damn Commuter Town
poll, he cited the commute.
“We actually have a place in the burbs, out in Westchester County,” Bay told MLB.com. “In Larchmont. Larchmont was about as
far as we wanted to go from the ballpark. Everybody was like,
‘Greenwich, Greenwich, Greenwich.’ But Greenwich is like 45 minutes
without traffic. New York, an hour commute is like 15 minutes for
everybody else … 20 minutes, tops. I don’t want to drive forever —
especially with traffic.”
To celebrate Bay’s arrival, Larchmont mayor Elizabeth Feld will
rename the piece of the Long Island Sound that marks Larchmont’s
southern border “Long Island Bay” on the Mets’ home opener April 5.
Congrats to all residents of Larchmont–or, as they’re known locally, ‘Larchmartians.'”
