No i don't think so? I'm doing the opposite of your girlfriend, I'm commuting from Mahopac to Manhattan lol. But ya your best bet is parking on croton falls road:/ sorry

Don't forget to go to the town hall on Route 311 by the train station and fill out your STAR exemption form. You'd be amazed at how many people forget to do this and it ends up costing them $1,000 a year or so.

Don Mituzas
Prudential Serls Prime Properties
Brewster, NY
http://www.nyhomeseller.com

Thanks all. We ended up buying a house on the Brewster/Patterson border, back in July, and we're 5 minutes from the Southeast station. It's a long train ride, but the drive there and back is nothing. Thanks for your advice.

I have lived in Mahopac for 4 years. I have tried Croton Falls, Croton Harmon and finally settled on White Plains. The drive to WP is 30-35 minutes. The metered spots at WP are right next to the track and you can get a spot until around 7:30-8 AM. The train to Grand Central is 30 minutes, non-stop. I personally leave my house at 6 AM and I am in Grand Central by 7:05 AM. The express trains are 5 minutes apart (6:26, 6:31, 6:36 and 6:42), so you can time it very close and you will make one of them. Parking is a little more expensive ($6.25 for 12 hours) but the train ticket is a lot cheaper as it is only Zone 4. To give some perspective, if I take the croton falls train, I can leave my house AFTER the train departs from Croton Falls and I can catch the same train in White Plains.

Hope that helps, the 1 hour commute makes Mahopac very convenient.

I drive 25 Minutes south on the Taconic, and go to Croton Harmon train station via the Ossining exit. The train ride is 47 minutes on the express, and costs ~$230/month for the monthly pass. Parking is $6/day and there is plenty.

Katonah is a difficult station to park at and I beleive you have to be a resident of Katonah to apply for a permit. My assistant's brother-in-law lives off of Mahopac Ave in Somers and he chooses to drive to North White Plains because there is plenty of parking there and he prefers a shorter train ride. If you are not already working exclusively with an agent, I would be happy to assist you in your search for a home as I cover a wide range in Westchester County. I also have a few homes listed in Mahopac if you are interested in scheduling an appointment. My website is http://www.nyhometeam.prudentialrand.com and my listings are posted there. If you have any questions please feel free to call my cell phone at (914) 275-5988.

Consider the drive from Mahopac to a train station nearby to find adequate parking and you have the same commute if your were to purchase in Brewster. Donald says their is 1,700 car parking between Brewster's 2 Stations. Now add in the low taxes on homes that offer privacy and great neighborhoods with close to the same train commute and check out Brewster. It may be worth a look. Here's a house for sale within 3 miles of Brewster north that can offer a great commute if your interested. If not, Mahopac is a great area, as you know. Just some food for thought.

Some people drive to Goldens Bridge and take the train from there, also Brewster North Train Station plenty of parking. At the Temple Beth Shalom, I have know in the past they park there. There is also a site http://www.nuride.com I heard advertised on the radio and also mta.info.com.

Your girlfriend can also park at the synagogue on Route 6 (near the firehouse) and take the croton falls shuttle to the station.

Chris,
You have a very understanding girlfriend if she's considering a train ride of more than 70 mins which will mean probably 100+ min commute. Look for stations with lots of metered spots, you can usually find spots at meters if you're in the early rush hour without much problem in southern westchester. I'd assume northern is similar but others could comment better.

You could also try the Goldens Bridge Train Station. Many homes in Mahopac are in the middle of Croton Falls and Goldens Bridge. The Goldens Bridge Train Station is also 1 stop closer to Grand Central!

Chris,
You should also consider the Brewster area. Property taxes are probably the lowest in Putnam County and there is parking for over 1,700 cars between the two train stations.
Don
Drop me a note with any specific questions at don@nyhomeseller.com

Chris, you are right about the parking situations.
If you are not currently working with a realtor/broker, I would be happy to help you in your search. Now is a great time to buy with these interest rates and high inventory.
Anyways, good luck with everything.
Ann Marie
akiernan@houlihanlawrence.com

Thanks for your answers. We are pretty much set on Mahopac. It's my hometown since I was 7, and it's as far north as I can drag my girlfriend from her Lower Manhattan apartment! We can't afford the taxes anywhere south of here (not that the taxes in Mahopac are any bargain), nor can we afford the homes in Westchester. My g/f will probably end up commuting from the Katonah station, as a friend told her she can find parking on a daily basis until her spot on the waiting list comes up.

Man, they really have to figure something out for commuters up in this area. Not being able to park at the train station(s) is a big problem with no clear solution in sight.

Chris, the parking at Croton Falls is a little off the wall so to say, you can get on the wait list or you can park on the side of the roads like you see many cars, it is not illeglal. You may also want to consider the Carmel area and then take the Southeast Train, tons of parking but the ride is 1 hr 20 min. Depending on where you find a home in Carmel you could be 5-10 min away from the train. Again depending on your price range if you looked in Somers you could take Goldens Bridge or Katonah but the houses are much more expensive than Mahopac and Carmel.

If you need any help feel free and contact me. Mike@MikeTrinch.com

Hi Chris,
You are correct about the parking situation at the Croton Falls train station. It is congested and there are not shuttle buses to the station. An alternate train would be the Peekskill station, but that would require an additional 20 minutes by car on Route 6 west just to the train - and is a 60 minute train ride. The train from CF is a 76 minute ride. Mahopac will have a better price point in housing than Katonah. A second alternative, if you are not commited to Mahopac right now is Somers and from the Golden's Bridge Station is 63 minutes. Again, you are now in Westchester and you possibley will get less. To my understanding, the permit issue is going on at almost all train stations. Perhaps, Metro-North can be very up front with you and say where your best shot is at and then you can work out from there, because it sounds like accessibility to a train is very important to you for commuting. Also, on the other end of the spectrum, Pawling in Dutchess county is a very quaint town w/ many options with in walking distance to the train and town. However, it's a 98 minute ride. Please go to the web site attached and take a look around.
Look at the local fall market report for 2007 on this link as well. It lists townships within an area.
I would be happy to help you in searching for your new home. Feel free to reply back to me with any questions, thoughts or other concerns.