Mamaroneck

Sailboats, salty air and sandy beaches make Mamaroneck Town a coastal dream, and due in part to the diversity of home-buying options, this sunny suburb on New York’s Larchmont Harbor can become your reality. <br><br>“Mamaroneck Town is socioeconomically diverse, so there are many multi-family and smaller homes in the same area as the multi-million dollar and waterfront properties,” says Frank Schiavone, a Larchmont Realtor. In the lower price range, you can find one-bedroom apartments for a median of $200,000, while apartments with more square footage cost up to $550,000. More inland, you’ll find 1,200 to 1,800-square-foot Colonial revivals, split levels and ranches with attached garages, driveways and a quarter of an acre front lawns for $500,000 to $800,000. The closer you get to the shore, you’ll notice more English Tudors and Postmodern houses in the 1,500 to 2,500 square foot range costing anywhere from $600,000 to $3 million. Close to the coast, 5,000 to 8,500 square foot Craftsman, Postmodern and some Spanish revival homes sell for $2 million to $4.5 million, while waterfront homes cost upwards of $7 million. <br><br>Access to the water, no matter where you live in the neighborhood, isn’t the only draw to this shore town. “Younger families move to Mamaroneck Town because our schools are ranked considerably higher than other parts of the area,” Schiavone says. For elementary, your little ones can attend Chatsworth Avenue School, which received an A grade according to Niche. As they grow, your children can move on to Hommocks Middle School, also graded an A on Niche, before ultimately graduating from Mamaroneck High School, an A-plus Niche-graded school with pristine athletic fields. <br><br>Harbor Island Park is the go-to spot when Mamaroneck Town locals (and their dogs) need some fresh air. Lacrosse players practice their skills on the open grassy fields while sailors launch their sailboats into the marina. Furry friends wag their tails around the Bark Park and kids giggle as they run through the splash pad, all just feet from the beach. For a more private setting with golf courses and exclusive dining, “Wingfoot Golf Club and Bonnie Briar Country Club in Larchmont are the best in the area,” according to Schiavone. But “most people go to Harbor Island Park because of the water access and convenient walking distance to restaurants and shops down Mamaroneck Avenue.” <br><br>As you leave the main beach and marina at Harbor Island Park, heading down Mamaroneck Avenue, you’ll land in the shopping and dining strip of town. Treat your tastebuds to some lobster tacos at Chat 19, an American bistro with an extensive cocktail menu and a lively night scene on the weekends. Or pop into Frankie & Fanucci’s for a thin-crust wood-fired pizza in an intimate Italian eatery. This strip is also chock-full of mom-and-pop shops, delis, bakeries and a local Playhouse theater, ideal as a shady respite from a Mamaroneck beachgoer’s day in the sun. Before heading home, mark off grocery list items at Costco to the south, Trader Joe’s to the north or any of the several Stop & Shop's in-between. <br><br>Locals also take advantage of a convenient commute from Mamaroneck Train Station to NYC’s Grand Central Station. “It’s just a 40-minute ride, but if you take the express train, you’ll arrive in under 30 minutes,” according to Schiavone. This train route also runs parallel to Interstate 95, so if you prefer to travel by car, you can get to the city in only 45 minutes. <br><br>A shore community with travel-convenience and home-variety, Mamaroneck Town offers both the calmness of ocean breezes in your backyard and the excitement of the city just a quick ride away.