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We're a family of 3 looking to move from the city to Westchester. I'm South Asian and my spouse is white. Our biggest priorities are excellent schools, walkability, and a quick commute to GCT. We are currently WFH, but my spouse's workplace in midtown east has communicated that they will require employees to go back into the office at least 3x a week later in the year. Bronxville is a beautiful town that checks all of the above boxes, but its lack of diversity and history of overt racism and exclusionary practices are well known. I grew up in a predominantly white town and never had problems making friends, and still have plenty of white friends to date, so the fact that most Bronxville residents are white doesn't bother me in and of itself. However, I had to deal with my fair share of racism and ignorance on a regular basis growing up and I don't want that for my child.
Is Bronxville's lack of diversity the result of racial/ethnic/religious minorities self-selecting to live elsewhere because they have other options like Scarsdale where they can have a greater sense of community? Or is it because the residents are actively exclusionary and unwelcoming toward people who don't come from a white Christian background? If the latter, I'm sure they're polished enough to be polite to my face, at least when sober, but I couldn't deal with people covertly excluding me or subtly treating me differently -- or worse, doing it to my child -- because we're not white.
Is it even worth considering living in Bronxville, or should we just shift our search to Scarsdale where we wouldn't have the same concerns about feeling unwelcome?
You have a lot of fair points and expectations. I wouldn’t want my child to be treated unfairly but any standards. I am in my 30s and went to high school in Westchester. Mostly any time someone expresses resistance towards a particular race is usually not related to their behavior at all. Meaning, if someone is in a unpleasant mood, they will use racism as an excuse to take out their negative emotion they are feeling on you. So I don’t think anyone will really go out of their way to bother you, unless you cut the line at the grocery store or take their parking spot.
You asked a really good question. You said there is a lack of diversity in Bronxville. Bronxville is an affluent town so I think what determines who lives there is people who can afford to or not. People of any race can be rich.
Your post sounds like you are saying only rich white people are racist. People from non-affluent communities could have racial ignorance too, don’t forget. What makes you think people in Scarsdale are not going to make you feel welcome or unwelcome? Any town can have ignorant people.
Bronxville and Scarsdale are great towns for schools, commute to NYC, and overall town atmosphere.
To answer your question, I would say yes it is with considering living in Bronxville. I hope your find this experience pleasant and not to take any negative opinions thrown at you personal. Unless a person really knows you as a human being, they are wrong in trying to judge you because of the way you look.
You have a lot of fair points and expectations. I wouldn’t want my child to be treated unfairly but any standards. I am in my 30s and went to high school in Westchester. Mostly any time someone expresses resistance towards a particular race is usually not related to their behavior at all. Meaning, if someone is in a unpleasant mood, they will use racism as an excuse to take out their negative emotion they are feeling on you. So I don’t think anyone will really go out of their way to bother you, unless you cut the line at the grocery store or take their parking spot.
You asked a really good question. You said there is a lack of diversity in Bronxville. Bronxville is an affluent town so I think what determines who lives there is people who can afford to or not. People of any race can be rich.
Your post sounds like you are saying only rich white people are racist. People from non-affluent communities could have racial ignorance too, don’t forget. What makes you think people in Scarsdale are not going to make you feel welcome or unwelcome? Any town can have ignorant people.
Bronxville and Scarsdale are great towns for schools, commute to NYC, and overall town atmosphere.
To answer your question, I would say yes it is with considering living in Bronxville. I hope your find this experience pleasant and not to take any negative opinions thrown at you personal. Unless a person really knows you as a human being, they are wrong in trying to judge you because of the way you look.
I know that for the most part people won't go out of their way to be overtly rude to me in any town if I'm just out and about living my life. As I stated in my OP, my concern is more with covert exclusion, being looked at sideways, and not fitting in due to being a visible minority than with people going out of their way to make racist or exclusionary remarks to me. I've certainly had other kids (white, because that was the overwhelming racial makeup of my hometown) be openly racist toward me when I was in K-12, but thankfully most adults have filters and are able to stop themselves from behaving like that.
I'm also aware that people of any race can be wealthy or have the ability to afford a house in Bronxville. To me, that makes it even more jarring that there is still such little diversity there, because the same things that appeal to me about the town (proximity and quick commute to the city; walkable downtown; excellent schools) should in theory appeal to people of any racial or religious background who are able to buy a house there. So why are they staying away, and are their reasons for doing so applicable to me?
I don't think I said anything in my post, whether implicitly or explicitly, to the effect that "only rich white people are racist". That's a broad statement and I'm not asking a broad question here. I want to get a sense of whether the residents of this particular town, which happens to be affluent and overwhelmingly white and also has a history of past explicit racial discrimination, tend to have covertly racist attitudes. I want to know if that is driving away diverse homebuyers who have the means to buy homes there and what sort of experience my family and I would have if we chose to buy a home there.
We're a family of 3 looking to move from the city to Westchester. I'm South Asian and my spouse is white. Our biggest priorities are excellent schools, walkability, and a quick commute to GCT.
Is it even worth considering living in Bronxville, or should we just shift our search to Scarsdale where we wouldn't have the same concerns about feeling unwelcome?
OP,. I have been living in Bronxville for about a year and half.
I am an American born Asian, grew up in the Bronx and upstate. My wife is from China. have a 4 yr old kid.
Similar to you, we moved from midtown for more space and schools, walkability, and commute.
So far it's been great. no racist issues at all. All the local stores and owners are fantastic. Preschool and teachers are awesome.
You are right about Bronxville's history. If I remember correctly, it was mostly against Jewish people. But yes.,.at another time there was the discouraging of non Waspy types. They've come a long way though.
What you may find is more a class thing than a racist thing.
The crowd is mixed.
The kids rolling around in their cars and country clubs.
You don't need to be a part of that if you don't want to. There are enough 'normal' down to earth folk around.
Granted, my kid is not in high school yet. So there is that whole world that I have not experienced.
I doubt there will be racism in a safety issue. But like I mentioned, it may come down to class.
Kids being kids and getting clicky with the clothes or summer vacations or daddy's car.
I can probably count on one hand how many Asians I see who live here,..lol. So come join the party.
OP,. I have been living in Bronxville for about a year and half.
I am an American born Asian, grew up in the Bronx and upstate. My wife is from China. have a 4 yr old kid.
Similar to you, we moved from midtown for more space and schools, walkability, and commute.
So far it's been great. no racist issues at all. All the local stores and owners are fantastic. Preschool and teachers are awesome.
You are right about Bronxville's history. If I remember correctly, it was mostly against Jewish people. But yes.,.at another time there was the discouraging of non Waspy types. They've come a long way though.
What you may find is more a class thing than a racist thing.
The crowd is mixed.
The kids rolling around in their cars and country clubs.
You don't need to be a part of that if you don't want to. There are enough 'normal' down to earth folk around.
Granted, my kid is not in high school yet. So there is that whole world that I have not experienced.
I doubt there will be racism in a safety issue. But like I mentioned, it may come down to class.
Kids being kids and getting clicky with the clothes or summer vacations or daddy's car.
I can probably count on one hand how many Asians I see who live here,..lol. So come join the party.
Thank you! This is very helpful. So you and your wife have been able to meet people and make friends locally without much trouble? It sounds like your kid is doing well and thriving in the schools, which is fantastic! Although, like you said, 4 isn't quite the age where she has to worry about cliques and country clubs. Glad to know you've had a good experience with the store owners and local businesses as well. I'm not expecting to find a lot of people (or any, really) who look like me there, but as long as people are generally nice and I can make some local friends, I'll be fine. If I want to join more of a South Asian community, I can always turn to other places.
The class issue you mentioned is not good, to be sure. We are affluent but nowhere near "filthy rich" -- my feeling is that to be truly "rich" means you can live off of accumulated wealth without needing to work, and we certainly need to work to support ourselves. I don't think we'd particularly stand out in terms of class/education/financial means, but we wouldn't be anywhere close to the wealthiest people in town. Given that we're looking in places like Bronxville, Scarsdale, Rye, and Greenwich, I've accepted that we'll most likely be living around at least some snobby people, and it's the price we'll pay for the schools and the relative ease of commute. I'm hoping that our daughter will be able to find a nice, non-snobby group of friends wherever we move, but she's still just a baby, so I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Hoping the same for ourselves too, so I'm glad you've found some "normal" people.
I think something to consider with Bronxville is the small size of the school district. It's so small that all 3 schools (elementary, middle & high school) share the same address. There are pros & cons to this. The entire school district is only slightly larger than Scarsdale High School.
Here are New York State's stats on the Bronxville school district. 7% Asian & 5% multiracial so the diversity is growing and will likely increase more over time.
To answer your question, I would say it's entirely up to you, but if it was me, I would look towards a more diverse school system like Scarsdale, Mamaroneck, etc.
The class issue you mentioned is not good, to be sure. We are affluent but nowhere near "filthy rich"
Not for nothing, but Manhattan wasn't immune to 'class' stuff either. lol. That rat race of school lotteries was not something I wanted to play.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sbainsworth
Thank you! This is very helpful. So you and your wife have been able to meet people and make friends locally without much trouble?
There are facebook groups and such to reach out. As well as school parent groups which we set up playdates sometimes. It's ok. Bronxville may be 'rich', but it is surrounded by towns like Tuckahoe and Fleetwood, and upper Mt.Vernon which has good people too.
Since Pre-schools are not town specific we've met some other good families there , unfortunately, since they don't live in the Bronxville zone , their children won't be following my kid to the Bronxville Public School. But there are several others so it won't be a complete restart for friends.
So if you move here, be sure the address is zoned into the school. I would suggest not trying to buy into the school from outside Bronxville. As mentioned, it is expensive and it also doesn't guarantee you placement consecutively per year.
Let's not forget we are in a Pandemic and that certainly didn't help 'meeting' new people and playdates. but considering all things, I feel lucky we have what we have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sbainsworth
I'm not expecting to find a lot of people (or any, really) who look like me there, but as long as people are generally nice and I can make some local friends, I'll be fine.If I want to join more of a South Asian community, I can always turn to other places.
They are generally nice. Yes. I love walking around town, visiting shops, walking with my son. Especially now that the weather is nice. Decent trails nearby too along the Bronx River Parkway. My wife doesn't drive yet so it's perfect for her.
Not much for SE Asian food here though. The city spoiled me. But you can find decent stuff if you drive around, Yonkers, Mt.Vernon, along central ave, or along the Hudson towns.
My mom is Thai and there is a temple next town over. That's where the real food is at ;p
I can only speak for myself. I grew up as like one of 4 other Asians in high school and they didn't talk to me,..lol. I survived. I dunno if things got worse or not but I'm down to pioneer.
1. Don't believe this post at all just a rule internet...but yeah insomnia
2. Common rule among rich folks um they don't care much about racism at all so you wont encounter it.
To answer you question and more about 2:
Can't speak 100% for Bronxville, but I used to take the Metro and imo more or less Scarsdale Crestwood Hartsdale all got the same vibes. Only real difference are the number of Jews, more on that later. As to why This entire affluent area lacks diversity its called red-lining. Back in the 50s 60s there was a concentrated effort to reject all minorities or force em into the very few condos that exist. Expats (Japanese) got the condos Jews moved to Scarsdale. If you look at some of the older Condominium Complexes around the area, the architectural design has a very Eastern aesthetic. Anyway, housing permits for new multi-family buildings get rejected by community and the Westchester County Govt. took kickbacks lying on the census about diversity. They were suppose to construct a crap ton of units. Instead of refunding the money, federal govt. ordered Westchester to build the new multi-family complexes on the outskirts of towns or undesirable locations. 80/20 buildings essentially would've been the final result realistically.
To address the Affordable Housing/ Fair Housing Act ongoing crisis in White Plains and well Westchester (has the largest homeless population outside of NYC), a lawsuit was sent to the courts in 2009 and they have been back n forth ever since derailing until president elected Trump gutted the bill in 2016 ruling that housing discrimination does not occur in Westchester County lol OK. So that's the very short history of how housing works over here and it explains the lack of diversity. It's by design and intentional. Remove the legalese and it boils down to locals don't want minorities in their backyard.
Many Real Estate Developers Politicians want news homes to be built in these communities, but locals spew the typical rhetoric new home new condos new apartment buildings means the appraisal on my house goes down. Partly true mostly false, but I digress. They will tolerate a few, but not a wave. Lastly, very much like Scarsdale, a lot of the homes in Bronxville are inherited and passed down in the family like we are talking decades like Scarsdale "Old Money". Despite this, many people that live up here are very superficial keep and wont state this in the open meaning your kid will rarely run into racism. You might get 1 or 2 incidents but by large most are civilized friendly and tbh just don't ****ing care? Again Rich white folks don't care what you look like. They only care about what you can do for them and um they will treat you as an equal respect. Keep in mind a lot of people that live up here are Executives, Managing Directors, CFO's, CIO's etc. The higher you climb the economic ladder, less racism there is period.
To address the Affordable Housing/ Fair Housing Act ongoing crisis in White Plains and well Westchester (has the largest homeless population outside of NYC), a lawsuit was sent to the courts in 2009 and they have been back n forth ever since derailing until president elected Trump gutted the bill in 2016 ruling that housing discrimination does not occur in Westchester County lol OK. So that's the very short history of how housing works over here and it explains the lack of diversity. It's by design and intentional. Remove the legalese and it boils down to locals don't want minorities in their backyard.
Many Real Estate Developers Politicians want news homes to be built in these communities, but locals spew the typical rhetoric new home new condos new apartment buildings means the appraisal on my house goes down. Partly true mostly false, but I digress. They will tolerate a few, but not a wave.
Fighting the Affordable Housing/ Fair Housing Act had nothing to do with racism.
I love Yorktown because of the countryside. Many sections require an acre of land. It makes for a peaceful neighborhoods with winding roads. It's why people move to Westchester including my Hispanic neighbors.
I loved living in Sunnyside Queens. However, I wanted more land. I don't want traffic on my street or to live next to an apartment building. Route 202/35 at the Roma Building is busy enough when school lets out. If I wanted to live in Queens, I would have moved to Queens.
Last edited by YorktownGal; 03-30-2021 at 09:52 PM..
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