From the UES to Riverdale: Larger apartments were out of our price range so we headed to the Bronx
- Over a six-month period, they saw 40 to 50 apartments in the Bronx, Manhattan and Westchester
- They paid $1,050,000 for a three bedroom in a modern, full-service condo building with a pool and gym
Brian, photographed on the balcony of his Riverdale condo, says he and Jean have panoramic views of the Hudson River, George Washington Bridge, and the Palisades.
Brian and Jean loved the convenience of living on the Upper East Side but wanted more living space. With larger apartments out of their price range, they headed to Riverdale where they landed a condo with panoramic view of the Hudson. Here’s their story as told to Kelly Kreth.
Jean was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and my father was in the Air Force, so I lived in seven different states while growing up, including New York and Hawaii. We met in the mid-80s in a children’s theater group. In 2004 we moved to New York City for Jean’s work.
Most recently we were living in a co-op on the Upper East Side that we bought for $460,500. That apartment was great. The previous owner had combined two studio apartments into a two-room loft. The very large bedroom and combination living room/dining/kitchen had great light thanks to windows in all rooms—including the bathroom. There were two wood-burning fireplaces, an updated kitchen, and laundry in the building.
The building is a half block from the 92nd Street Y and three blocks in either direction from the East River or Central Park and Museum Mile, along with great stores, restaurants, etc.
[Editor's Note: Brick Underground's series “Transitions” features first-person accounts of what it’s like to move from one New York City neighborhood to another. Have a story to share? Drop us an email. We respect all requests for anonymity.]
Jean retired from her position as the Lucille Lortel Professor of Theatre at the CUNY Graduate Center and before retiring last year, I was the head of the research, analysis, and reporting group for NYC’s Medicaid Program.
On the Upper East Side Jean’s commute was under 30 minutes to Midtown by either bus or subway. My commute, after the Q extended line opened, was just under an hour to get to Brooklyn.
Some of our favorite places in our old neighborhood are Sfoglia Restaurant and the Original Roma Pizza. We also like shopping at Food for Health, Mr. Wright’s (one of the best wine and spirits stores in the city), Milano Market, Food Liberation, Kitchen Arts & Letters, and Zenith Cleaners.
Wanted: A three bedroom, two bath
We started considering a move in 2022. We enjoyed living on the Upper East Side, but we wanted more room. We really wanted a three-bedroom, two-bath apartment but nothing on the Upper East Side was within our budget.
We had the good fortune of meeting Kim Latour, a broker at Corcoran, in early 2023 as we started looking in earnest, and she helped us find our new place and helped us sell our co-op.
We probably saw 40 to 50 apartments over about six months in the Bronx and Manhattan as well as Nyack. We finally found a great three-bedroom condo in Riverdale. It was listed for $1,080,000 and we paid $1,050,000.
The buying process was straightforward. We strategized with Kim and put in our bid, which was accepted. We then worked with the lawyer and bank. We submitted a board package to the building, but there was no interview. We found our new apartment in late May and closed at the end of August 2023.
How they like their new place
Our apartment is in a modern, full-service, 15-story building on the Hudson. It is on a nine-acre private cul de sac fronting Palisade Avenue. There are oversized windows and private balconies wrapping the building at every level. We have panoramic views of the Hudson River, George Washington Bridge, and the Palisades. And the building has an outdoor pool and gym.
We simply love everything: the apartment, the building’s friendly staff, and the views. And we have easy access to the rest of NYC through express buses, the 1 train, and MetroNorth from the nearby Spuyten Duyvil station (probably one of the most beautiful locations for a subway station in the five boroughs.)
There is an excellent laundry facility in our new building, and the option to put a washer/dryer in our apartment if we desire. The food shopping is slightly more restricted but still fine with our nearby Sunday Greenmarket and other groceries an easy walk away. And ordering in is great, thanks to a large degree to Goodfellas Pizza, that will do pretty much all their pizzas on a gluten-free crust!
What they think of the nabe
The neighborhood is terrific—there are schools, playgrounds, parks, and a nice library. We are enamored with parks such as Wave Hill and Van Cortlandt and our building is in the Riverdale Special Natural Area District, which was created to protect plants and wildlife. There are plenty of stores and eateries nearby and our favorites include Tobalá and Cocina Chente, terrific cafes such as Moss and Artizen, excellent gluten-free pizza delivered by Goodfellas Pizza, a Sunday Greenmarket, and Vinny at the Riverdale Johnson Barber Shop.
I no longer have a work commute, but we often take either the BxM1 or BxM2 Express buses, depending on where we are trying to go. Or the train from the Spuyten Duyvil Metro station, or we’ll walk or take a car to the 231st 1 station. Sometimes if we’ve seen a show and it’s late, we’ll hire a car to take us back home.
We’ve had both family and friends come and stay, and they all love our new home and neighborhood.
Our neighbors are very friendly and welcoming, and we now live closer to some of our other friends so we are seeing them more frequently.
The trickiest part of the move was getting Jean’s baby grand piano out of our old home and into our new one. It had to be hoisted out of our street-facing neighbors window, putting on quite the show for the neighborhood—it was very nice of our old neighbors to accommodate us. Fortunately, our new building’s elevator was large enough to bring it up to our new home!
Overall, we made a great decision and do not plan on leaving.
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