Dobbs Ferry draws city dwellers looking for space and river views
Dobbs Ferry in Westchester County is a small, quaint village 30 to 40 minutes north of Manhattan by car. The neighborhood, located in the town of Greenburgh, is popular with homebuyers who work and play in the city but want to come home to a house with room to roam. “The neighborhood’s riverfront location is a distinguishing feature, setting Dobbs Ferry apart from other downstate New York communities," says Gia Young, a licensed real estate salesperson with Julie B. Fee Sotheby’s International. “Most often, people come here for the small-town ambiance and the proximity to NYC.” Many residents move to Dobbs Ferry from the Big Apple. The historic downstate community has a proven track record of convincing city slickers that it’s OK to ditch their tiny city flats and live in a house with room to roam.
Housing for individuals to families, from co-ops to 1900s homes
In 2021, the New York Times described Dobbs Ferry as a diverse community comprised of white- and blue-collar workers and artists, from singles to couples, young families and retirees. Except for the downtown district and dozens of acres of parkland, most of Dobbs Ferry is residential. Single-family and multifamily homes, as well as condos and urban-style lofts, range from the low $400,000s for a co-op, $440,000 for a compact colonial-style house from 1900, nearly $2 million for a 2001 waterfront town house and $2.5 million for a colonial-style farmhouse built in 1925. The average list price is more than $980,000.
Living close to public schools and The Masters School
Dobbs Ferry School District serves most local public school students in the village, while kids who reside close to the community’s eastern border may be assigned to the Ardsley Union Free School District. Both districts get an A-plus from Niche for academics, teachers and college prep. Springhurst Elementary School, Dobbs Ferry Middle School and Dobbs Ferry High School receive an A from Niche. GreatSchools gives the elementary school 9/10 for test scores and student progress. The middle school gets a 9/10 for test scores. And, overall, the high school scores an 8/10. Westchester Magazine named The Masters School one of the best private high schools in the county. Young says that many students in the neighborhood attend this private day and boarding school, along with kids from across the country and across the pond.
Hiking trails, nature preserves and playgrounds in Dobbs Ferry
The 76-acre Juhring Nature Preserve is home to a variety of native wildlife and plants. Community organizations host holiday celebrations, concerts, graduation ceremonies, Independence Day fireworks and numerous other events at the Waterfront Park on the river. Part of the 26-mile hiking trail in Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park runs through Dobbs Ferry. Gould Park is known for its futuristic looking playscape, sports fields, basketball courts and swimming pool. Memorial Park has a bocce ball court, a wading pool and a playground. When temperatures drop low enough, the park opens an on-site ice-skating rink.
Dobbs Ferry made room for Main Street shops and restaurants
You’ll find the village’s half-mile-long pedestrian strip at Main and Cedar Streets. Decades ago, charming early American Tudor and federal-style houses were converted and re-zoned for the downtown shopping and business district. Young, a resident of southern Hudson River villages for two decades, says the restaurants in Dobb’s Ferry are top-notch. “The Cookery Italian gastropub, The Parlor woodfired pizzeria and Half Moon steak and seafood eatery offer a spectacular riverfront setting. These are perfect places to watch the sunset over the water.”
Residents might work close to home or commute to Manhattan
Young says that many locals commute to the city for work —Metro-North will get you to Grand Central Terminal in under an hour — but there are major employers in Dobb’s Ferry, too, including Mercy College, Dobb’s Ferry Hospital, IBM and Hilton hotels and resorts hospitality company.
![Jessica Haddad]()
Written By
Jessica Haddad
![Deawell Adair]()
Photography Contributed By
Deawell Adair
![Jonathan Bradley]()
Video By
Jonathan Bradley
