Ward Acres, New Rochelle 10804

Posted on August 8 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

 You would think you were further away from the city, but Ward Acres, New Rochelle 10804, offers 62 acres of foot trails is just 35 minutes by train from New York, and it is so tranquil! Ward Acres is located off Sussex Road and Quaker Ridge Road, and you never know what you might encounter! I have seen deer and foxes in the area which to me all add to the charm and enjoyment. Paw’s Place, the New Rochelle dog park is also located in Ward Acres, as is the Community Garden.

 

You would think you were further away from

New Rochelle is GREAT!

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2 National Champions at the AAU 2012 – New Rochelle Remington Flyers

Posted on August 5 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

Anyone living in New Rochelle for any length of time, would know of the Remington Flyers. SO, it was no surprise to have seen a lemonade stand within the local Shop-Rite store on Palmer Avenue a while back raising money for their upcoming Florida trip and competition. Not wanting any lemonade, but having my check book handy, I made a very small contribution , and was thrilled to not only receive a thank you note, but also a lovely photo from their trip.

Knowing Quay Watkins (the Executive Director), I was invited to pop by the Remington Boys and Girls Club the other night to see the Remington Flyers celebrate their recent successful trip to the National AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) Championships which were held at the Disney Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida from July 7-15, 2012.

It was such a lovely night as Mr. Walter Brown, Coach (extraordinaire) made every single athlete, coach, volunteer, chaperone (and me!) within the room feel very special. HE is special (I hope to see the Walter Brown Highway one day to commemorate the speeds he generates from his athletes! Ha! Or at the very least the Walter Brown Boulevard – come on, New Rochelle). Coach Walter’s program has been a great feeder program for our High School Track Team, and his former athletes have gone onto obtaining college scholarships and more. A representative from the City of New Rochelle, Councilman Jared Rice, was also there, as was the new President of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle -Mark McCabe (we all know and love Mark!) Four of Mark’s children were Remington Flyers, and Mark’s daughter Maura will be running track at Stonybrook University this fall.

The Remington Flyers was founded in 1986 by Coach Walter, who thought it a good idea to start a running program for girls 6-12 after school. Little did he know that within a few months, there would be 25 athletes in the program, and it just took off from there – but it wouldn’t have without Walter’s devotion, dedication, and patience. There are approximately 75% girls in the program and 25% boys, and as someone commented to me “the athletes really listen when Walter speaks. They are respectful.” Coach Walter has such a low-key and calming influence way about him (perhaps it is all of that running), but his easy-going manner has a wonderful affect on his athletes, and the success of the program speaks for itself).

19 athletes (16 girls, 3 boys) went to Florida to attend the AAU Championships, and they returned with 2 National Champions (Sabiha Dodd and Ilenn Soto) , and 30 medalists. What is so amazing are the stats. Approximately 205 teams participated, and when you compare a team from Puerto Rico who arrived with approx. 125- 150 athletes, compared to the Flyers’ 19, and from those 19 athletes, you have one athlete, who returned ranking Number One, and a team that ranked in the Top 10 in team scoring, and was one of the top 25 teams, it is pretty amazing.

The tables were nicely decorated, and the athletes, while waiting for dinner and the delicious looking cake, couldn’t wait to see some videos of their two week trip, and hear the stories recapping it all.

I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Angela Ayala, age 11, who participated in the 11-12 sub midget category. Angela came in 7th in Turbo, 6th in High Jump, 7th in Discus and her medals sure looked quite heavy , but Angela wore them with pride.. I then had the privilege to speak with Ilenn Soto, age 10. Ilenn obtained six medals , coming in 1st in the girl’s bantam Turbo Javelin, 2nd in Shot Put, 4th in the triathlon (1st in the triathlon shot put) and 7th in High Jump. Pretty impressive? Well, there is more, Ilenn is now a National Champion.

Sabiha Dodd, just 7, was another National Champion, won turbo javelin in her age division. Sabiha also medaled in hurdles and the shot put. Linise Greene took 2nd in the Team Division (Bantam, 10).

Other medalists were Ayana Champion, Linise Greene, Jarron Greene, Jada Dieudonne, Eko Dodd, Tehya Rose and the 4×100 relay (Eko and Sabiya Dodd, Aleigha Thomas, Ron-Niah Wright). Other athletes who helped in the standings were Angela ALaya, Shane Jacobs, Ebony Ayala, Tanjiha Maxwell, Eurasia Bryan, Mariah Latty, Max Lantigua and Deanna Kerr.

The team stayed in townhomes to offset the huge costs of going there, but were under the watchful eyes of the chaperones whose days started at 5:30 a.m. preparing breakfast for all. It was noted that 1,000 miles away from home, the tooth fairy visited three times whilst the team was away, their favorite dining spot was “The Golden Corral“ and their favorite ride was at Magic Kingdom – Space Mountain. Swimming was a daily event with the weather permitting, and the Faith Harvest Worship Center hosted a special dinner for the athletes one night.

Funding has always been an issue, and they were basically $5-6,000 short prior to the trip commencing, but through Herculean efforts, they came through. Awards were given to the Remington Men’s Club, the Smith Family (Marcia and Kevin) and the New Rochelle United Methodist Church as well as the Remington Women’s Auxiliary whose special and generous donations helped make the trip possible.

Donations are always welcome, and sorely needed, and their old van can no longer be used for long distance trips. Checks can be sent to the Remington Flyers C/O Walter Brown, Remington Boys Club, 116 Guion Place, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801.

remingtonflyers@msn.com
914-636-1862

Program Year:
Winter Season: First week of November through end of February
Spring/Summer season: Mid March through July

New Rochelle is GREAT!

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My Neighborhood, 10804

Posted on August 2 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

As I was walking my little pooch at 6 am this morning, I started to reflect on the neighborhood, so quiet and tranquil at that time of day. How could I describe it? The street name is Paine Avenue, New Rochelle 10804… as Thomas Paine once (very briefly) lived here, and was given a cottage as a special thank you from the powers that be after 1776. We even have a Paine Lake.

I used to laugh as there was a time when 2 dentists and 2 endodontists lived on the street at the same time… dentist – “pain”. old joke I know but still humorous to me. There has been a judge who once resided on the street, attorneys galore, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, a past High School Principal, a sultry jazz singer and actor, a well known Speech Pathologist lives here and has a great vegetable garden each year, and “Howdy Doody” once lived on the street (Buffalo Bob Smith), and past buyers were delighted to have found a Howdy Doody mural on the basement studio wall where he used to film his show in the early days ….I wonder if it is still there.. Paine Lake

There is the couple -I am always amazed at this, who walk their tiny dog each morning, with a coffee cup balanced in one hand, the poopy bags in the other, and of course holding that leash.. How can you walk, talk, drink and scoop the poop all at the same time? I see them as being very devoted, and it is lovely… but still amazed at the coffee cup thing..

On a neighboring street, someone has a tennis court ( quite a few in the area, and swimming pools (one an indoor pool) also), but this particular tennis court is nearly completely surrounded by bushes. I say nearly as I noticed the other day the home-owner playing tennis in what appeared to be either the skimpiest of shorts or underwear ! Ha! Perhaps he was trying to put his player at a disadvantage and throw off his/her game! We have equestrians living on the street, hockey dads, baseball dads, philanthropists, an Olympian, animal lovers galore, and we even had a cat lady living on the street many years ago.

I can recall that I had wanted to organize a street garage sale at one point… and of course I received the dutiful phone call from a neighbor who wanted to make sure I got the permit, and then started to ask how many years I had lived there, what did I do, what did my husband do, how many children, where did I come from, and you get the picture.. That person, may she rest in peace is no longer with us.. I also have the neighbor who asked I inform another neighbor that their children are too loud (since I am in real estate and all that and those property prices…you know…) I politely declined and mentioned I love happy noise and in truth, don’t ever hear them! We have horticulturists, we have owners who have English gardens, exotic gardens and even a Japanese garden.

Iona College track athletes seem to have an affinity with Paine Avenue perhaps because we have a few gentle hills perfect for running, and there was the annual half-marathon “Paine to pain” that started at the Thomas Paine Cottage in the spring.

There are Tudor homes, colonial homes, Georgian Colonial homes and some splits and ranches when residents of long ago had sold of portion of their larger lots, and the smaller homes were built. We have stunning homes, homes owned by Embassies, and some homes that have been sold by banks, homes in all price ranges as a result of our economy. We also have a private tennis club – the New Rochelle Tennis Club located at 100 Valley Road.

We have a neighborhood Home-owners association. A truly thankless job for our great President, who keeps us informed on what is happening within the community, and will feature guest speakers when appropriate. We have great neighbors. We had entrusted our house keys to one neighbor in the event we were ever locked out of our home. This particular neighbor, who had taken us under her wing when we moved in many years ago, has invited us in for dinners celebrating school graduation, or just to unwind, and has always been the perfect neighbor to have. We returned home after one vacation, to discover that we could not find our keys. We asked our neighbor for the set we had left with her, and she had replied that she had forgotten they were ours, and had thrown them out! Ha!

But our neighbors care. Many years ago, a cousin and his friend came to stay.. They found themselves walking down the street with their knapsacks on their backs, and the police showed up, asking what they were doing in the neighborhood. Someone had called to report the strangers. My (English) cousin was impressed, amazed and dutifully scared! Another cousin (his brother) came to stay also a few years later, and it was at the time President Clinton was seeking a home after his elected office. There was a rumor that he was going to look at a certain home in the area that had a duck pond at the time, guard dogs, a pool, etc. People from the neighborhood were lined up outside the home from 7 am. waiting to catch a glimpse. When they did arrive around 10 am, President Clinton and Hillary alighted from their limousine, and shook the hands of everyone present. Very impressive and a lasting memory. But we look out for each other. We are diverse, and come from all countries, all walks of life. we are America .. and perhaps that is why

New Rochelle is GREAT!

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Swim Across America 10538 2012

Posted on July 30 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

I am so proud of my fellow associates! Pam Joyce (Team Yo Adrian) and Sonya Cronin were going to swim this past Saturday in the great yearly “Swim Across America” event raising much needed money for cancer research. The charities benefiting from this year’s event are:

  • Swim Across America Laboratory and DeMatteo Research Laboratory at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
  • Cancer Support Team (Westchester County based organization)
  • Morgan Stanley’s Children’s Hospital of New York – Presbyterian at Columbia University Medical Center
  • Tommy Palazzo Fellowship at Columbia University

However, one slight snag! The water was so choppy that the event had to be cancelled, and some kayakers (who cheer and support the swimmers ) had to be towed back! Not so for our very own Katie McLoughlin who battled the waters successfully (and cheerfully!) BUT, it was still a success, as the Larchmont Daily Voice reported, over 1,000 people showed up, and this race culminated this years’s swim events through the Long Island Sound Chapter, and they expected to raise One Million Dollars.

My associates had been diligently training for the event along with the 500 or so other swimmers, and needless to say, we are all very proud of them! They all know cancer survivors, have lost friends and love ones to cancer, and were motivated through love and the desire to help others!

Go Larchmont!

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Carrying the Torch! Reflections on the Olympics!

Posted on July 27 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

Thinking it smart to arrive two days prior to the Olympics would commence, thus avoiding the usual delays, we leisurely traveled into Turin to pick up our event tickets… No six hour lines as was reported in London, there was no delay and all was organized (which was surprising!) What really made us chuckle was the torch. It does bring tears to your eyes to watch the torch bearer running past with all of the fanfare. In Turin, there was music playing, horns blowing, and so much excitement. I took the usual photos and video… Then, several hours later, we were privileged to see the torch again, in another part of the city… And then the following day, we were privileged to see the torch yet again… We were wondering if they would run out of special torch bearers, and it sort of became comical to see the torch going by five times, six times… but it all added to our enjoyment.My husband hadn’t driven a stick-shift in many years, and sadly it didn’t all come back to him…We must have stopped and started so many times with the gears squeaking. I was so sure we would be rear ended by another car but apart from the usual horn blasting, we were fine.. It was rather comical at the border check-points though…oh yes.. Let me digress….As soon as the Olympic site is chosen, the various countries, corporations reserve blocks of villas, homes, hotels, and for a parent and visitor, it is nigh impossible to find economical accommodations. The larger and best endowed countries will offer reasonable accommodations (from their reserved block) to the parents not too far from the various venues. However, the smaller countries like Great Britain had nothing to offer… I had searched and searched the summer previously for a hotel room, and finally found a 17th century hotel in a tiny town about an hour outside of Sestriere, nestled in the Italian Alps. Since we were taking my other two sons, and AJ’s girlfriend with us, I thought I should pop over a few months before to check out the accommodations, for I knew that if my sons were not happy, then we would not be happy.. Alas, the hotel was indeed dated from the 17th century. The common room/reception room/breakfast room was once the stables for the home, and you could still smell the horses and cows lingering scent… There was a communal bathroom, only one restaurant in the village, no nightlife, and I knew that this was not for us…Just two months before the event, I lucked out! I found in Serre Chevalier, across the border in France, Tadpole Holidays which offers last minute accommodations to people like us! Owned by a Frenchman, and his Scottish wife, a reasonable fee included bed and breakfast (in a small duplex condo – time shares but which were available for rent), dinner at their pub “Le Frog” (all French, delicious and choice of local wines). Research your countries! We were in business! Buses were to have left from Briancon every few hours to take us over the Alps, into Italy and to Cesana a small town leading up to Sestriere (no cars would be allowed to either enter or park anywhere near the Olympic venues), where buses could take us to somewhere near the event (we still had a 20 minute walk once there and a ski-lift ride too..all fun), – but luckily we were early for a 11a.m. bus which would take us on our 3 hour trek to get to see our son compete in his 4 p.m. event. It turned out, they did not have the overflow of crowds for the Olympic events they had expected in France, and that 11 a.m. bus was THE bus for the day….A fellow American hotel guest, had plans to watch six or so events in the course of a few days.. Well, she had left the US last minute, ran into delays, missed two events by the time she arrived, and she hadn’t counted on the time it would take to travel from A-B in a foreign country.When our bus arrived at the French/Italian border, the gendarmes stepped onto the bus and asked to look at our passports… They had already seen us sputtering through with our rental car the two days prior, and so when they saw the passports, they exclaimed “Ah yes, the family Rosen- you are not driving today?” Ha! Everyone laughed… Perhaps my husband not as much, but it was very funny..SO many funny and great memories… A wonderful trip in so many ways. But if you can read between the lines, those hours of travel time to and from the Olympic event each day which did not bother us – we were THERE! The lack of accommodations (although we had found THE best place and felt as if we were staying with family – the Restaurant “Le Frog” was situated at the bottom of the ski slopes, so my sons could go skiing – we ENJOYED ourselves there..but if the Olympic powers that be could realize that the parents undergo great hardships in many ways to get their athlete to the Olympics, to allow them to follow their dream, and if they could ensure that there are accommodations available – nothing more…but just a little courtesy to the parents… that would be GREAT! We lucked out, as I persevered, and had searched searched on the internet for months, and we would not have changed a thing….but other parents were not as lucky… and we heard of their experiences. How they had shown up at one of the small hotels, only to find their accommodations was a garage…I am so excited that the Olympics are in London, and I can hardly wait to watch the opening ceremony.. I saw the usual streaker on the internet running in front of the torch bearer at one point.. And a newspaper article mentioned they should not run with the torch just take a bic lighter to it the night before and light it – but that is typical British sarcasm and humor (humour)…The excitement that the Olympics generate is unbelievable, and I just hope that that everything goes off without too many glitches! There will be delays, and they should be expected so everyone should plan for them (just like in real estate!) and people should not let any glitch mar the enjoyment. While I am not traveling to the Olympics, and neither is my son (who was invited to participate in an Honorary status – but cannot afford to go), I did order some memorabilia, so if I can’t go the Olympics, then the Olympics will come to me! GO Great Britain! Looking forward to Sochi, 2014 GO U.S!  New Rochelle  is GREAT!

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You are such a Turkey!

Posted on July 27 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

I recently saw two wild turkeys crossing Quaker Ridge Road in New Rochelle, 10804, and they stopped traffic! It was a first for me I must admit, and had to take some photos. Since then, I spoke with a friend in Mamaroneck, and she has a family of nine turkeys in her backyard!

I am also a tad ashamed to mention, it made be think of Thanksgiving…. but I also appreciated seeing them! Just another reason to live in New Rochelle, close enough to the city, but far enough away to enjoy nature!

New Rochelle is GREAT!

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Paw’s Place – New Rochelle’s Dog Park 10804

Posted on July 27 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

 

Having recently adopted the perfect pet (Binky – photo shown) from the New Rochelle Humane Society, I decided to obtain a permit for Paw’s Place, a park for dogs, located in Ward Acres, which would allow me to take him to the park (from dawn to dusk) for the small fee of $50 a (calendar) year. The rules are pretty simple:

  • All dogs should be healthy, vaccinated, current with all shots, wearing a collar and ID at all times, and owners must be carrying the valid dog permit for the park also.
  • Owners must clean up after their dogs (have to admit some owners seemingly had forgotten when I was there today)
  • No picnicking, and dogs cannot dig holes…
  • Limit of four dogs per person
  • Children aged 13 and under must be supervised
  • Small dogs are (yes, there is one!) restricted to dogs 30 lbs or less, but owners can use larger area if desired.
  • Owners are responsible for their dogs and injuries caused by them.
  • Aggressive dogs are not permitted – owners must remove their dog at the first sign of aggression

We ventured there yesterday…not many dogs as it was mid afternoon, which was fine with me as I wanted the first visit to be a quiet one. Binky loved it! It was so tranquil, and he was so tired when we arrived home. It was the perfect place for him to socialize with other dogs, run around and have some fun.

He couldn’t wait to go back today – what is there not to like? A water fountain, a container on a tree with some bags in case you forgot.. and lots of shade too with benches for the owners…

Thank you, New Rochelle – Paw’s Place is great! We give it a four paws up!

Permits can be obtained at the Parks and Recreation Department at City Hall (914.654.2087) from 8:30-4:30 Monday to Friday.

New Rochelle residents pay $50. Non residents pay $100 (up to four dogs)

New Rochelle is GREAT!

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Now I am Listed – Yeah! Now for (my) Multiple Bids?

Posted on July 10 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

1285383659NVZ8OnAny home-owner would love to  have multiple bids (I would think) informing them that their home is not only in demand but by many people.  I write that “I think as there are some sellers who think that with multiple bidding their home was underpriced… but another story…I think that most sellers dream of a multiple bidding situation as it just confirms their personal belief that their home is perfect, and should warrant the attention of so many buyers vying to buy it… However, when should we have multiple bids? Should bidding in certain situations be handled on a bid by bid situation..?

In Westchester, we can usually bring up the subject of multiple bids when there are 3 bids (in writing) on the table. Some agents jump the gun, and when they are informed by agents that bids will be forthcoming- and then they do not materialize.. then those agents are left with egg on their faces – and potentially lower bids thereafter…. As I explain to my clients, it is always best to wait until you have those bids in writing with proof of funds before you start suggesting a highest and best situation.

I recently experienced this situation with a client who upon hearing of interest from several agents, thought we should implement the highest and best scenario. If you ask for highest and best, and then don’t receive those bids, we all look foolish. As it happened in this particular case.. only one bid materialized. It is hard for some sellers to understand why caution is important.PR_039-_SI_-_07_08_12-523

I realize that when buyers do not like homes it is as if – to a seller – they are insulting their child, but buying a home involves personal needs, both financial, logistical, number of bedrooms, stairs, floor plans, backyards, storage space ,etc. So many finite details that even when a buyer places a bid, they might then consider the negative factors compared to the positive factors for them, and while they can afford more, might see the house worth X amount less than list price – if even just to negotiate as low as they can – simply because in this market – they can…. It is all business.

1320607528r20paNIf a seller would like a highest and best situation then pricing of course is most important. Pricing a home very competitively so the buyers see the value of the home both in price and what it offers compared to similarly priced homes. The market will always tell you where you stand. If priced well – there is the potential for multiple bids. if priced too high… you could still have multiple bids if the home is simply glorious but those bids might not be higher than list price… I received 10 bids on one property, and 5 bids were under asking, and 5 bids were at asking or over… SO, you never know…

Sometimes, when I receive 2- 3 bids or so.. I might suggest to my clients to look at each bid independently of each other. For instance, if they ask for the highest and best, then they are locked into the bid they choose ( if honorable) – with the other bids being back-ups until the first bidder is not performing….. However, if they look at the merits of each bid -without having a highest and best, negotiating with each agent/buyer on an individual basis, then they are not closing the door to other offers, and then they can always accept a better bid should one come along and/or the other agent(s) improves his bid accordingly. ALso, you do not just want the highest bid, you always want the BEST bid – in terms,etc. Unless you have no contingencies, you are still waiting on the appraisal too.. I have obtained an accepted offer with having a lower bid than the other 6 agents BUT I took the time to ask when the sellers wanted to close, and by offering a later close date, obtained that accepted offer..

Selling a home can be exciting and it can be traumatic. Having a seasoned real estate professional in your corner can help the process.

Larchmont and New Rochelle are GREAT!

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The Beechmont Area , New Rochelle 10804

Posted on July 6 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

 

Beechmont Lake by Gay RosenJohn and Eugene Lambden planned the Beechmont area (Beechmont Woods) in 1902 for the City Realty Company. Beechmont Lake was created in 1902 by damming the Pine Brook, and borders the Eastern side of New Rochelle and Larchmont. Forest Knolls and Larchmont Woods are is to the Northeast of the Lake, Paine Heights and Forest Heights are to the North of Beechmont Lake. North Avenue is on the western boundary of the Beechmont area. In recent times, Iona College has purchased many homes in the Beechmont area close to the College, and are readily apparent by their maroon Iona color trim.

The Beechmont area has always been a prestigious area in which to live, and offers the George M. Davis Elementary School. Home prices can range anywhere from $600,000 (an unusual price) to the $2 Million range depending upon the condition and size. My last sale in that area brought forth multiple bids.

New Rochelle is GREAT!

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Paine Heights, New Rochelle 10804

Posted on July 6 2012 by Gay E. Rosen

This whole area (Paine Heights, Wykagyl Park, Forest Heights), used to be called the “estate area ” but with the now buyer’s market, I am saddened to state that whereas the cheapest home would have cost $999,000 a few years ago, many homes are selling in the $6’s, $7’s and upwards depending upon their condition, etc. Known for the wide tree-lined boulevards and early 20th century homes featuring Mediterraneans, Colonials and Tudors, Paine Avenue was named after Thomas Paine who was awarded 320 acres by New York State for his service to the country. Only 2 acres are remaining from that original parcel, and his original small modest home which burnt down in 1793 was rebuilt and is now called the Thomas Paine Museum & Cottage, housing artifacts from the 19th century.

Other exhibits in the cottage reflect the Huguenot settlement of New Rochelle such as the original 1689 deed to purchase 6,100 acres that became the city of New Rochelle.

Thomas Paine

The Paine Cottage and Museum are across the road from Paine Lake, a favorite haunt for ducks and geese.

Home prices range anywhere between the now high $5’s to over 2 Million Dollars.

New Rochelle is GREAT!

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