Armonk

I have lived here for 4 years with three small children and have really enjoyed it. For those of you with preschoolers, there is a wonderful preschool association that offers playgroups, moms' nights out, and an abundance of activities for the little ones, and a chance for moms and families to network before officially entering the school system. There are many great programs offered by the recreation center for children and adults, and a great summer recreation program for children. While there are definitely some flashy folks out and about downtown, there are plenty of down to earth, nice people as well. There are a handful of good preschools in-town or nearby. The Catholic Church in town, St Patricks, has a very active, warm community, and a large CYO basketball program. There is also a JCC in the next town over which offers many programs as well as a preschool. The Gym located off Rt. 22 is a great NYC caliber gym offering great classes and childcare. And the new De Cicco's supermarket in town has made food shopping very convenient. Beyond groceries, good shopping is nearby in White Plains or Mt. Kisco.

Armonk, part of the town of North Castle, has a rich cultural atmosphere offering many community-oriented activities.

Families can find lots to do at the Windmill Club, located on Windmill Farm, which is a stately patch of untouched land that is much like it was when it was established, way back in the early 1900’s. The Club offers such amenities like a swim team, boating, tennis, and family events like Father’s Day BBQ, bingo, and a family favorite, the Camp Out, where you’ll enjoy S’mores in front of a cozy outdoor fire. In addition to the Windmill, families will want to bring children to visit Smith Tavern, which was once owned by a continental soldier, John Smith, in the 1700’s. Families will learn about the history of the house, which served as not only a tavern but a post office and stagecoach stop as well. For people interested in the arts, come see a show performed by The Armonk Players, which has annual productions, as well as an intimate public show that includes a Q&A with the stars and staff afterwards. The North Castle library offers poetry open mics, live music and an art gallery, where local artists can showcase their work. There’s even defense-driving classes on Saturdays.

Byram Hills is an award-winning school district. Next to Chappaqua’s Horace Greeley high school, Byram Hills earned the second highest combined SAT scores in all of Westchester County. Byram Hills Elementary School, for instance, offers a visual literacy program in conjuncture with the nearby village of Katonah’s Art Museum. Lots of curricula have been revised in conjunction with rising test scores, as the students show they are truly capable of greatness. Byram Hills High School offers classes in environmental science and graphic design (among others), preparing for students to decide early on what topics they wish to pursue in college (making it likely for them to form a major before they even graduate high school). There’s also lots of AP courses for advanced learners, including art and Italian.

Armonk is home to the global headquarters of IBM, an information technology and IT consultant organization that has influenced technological growth since the Great Depression. It ranks as one of the top computer companies in the entire world, owning eleven laboratories and many patents. Armonk is also home to M.E. Sharpe, Inc., a private publishing company that has gained worlwide recognition for its Nobel Prize-winning publications of professional books and journals. Subjects include a wide variety such as social sciences, the economy, and anthropology.

Hungry? Armonk has lots of great restaurants and shops to choose from: The Beehive (which has excellent food, hosts private parties, and is kid friendly), Bea’s Bakery (where you can find the perfect cake or dessert for any occasion, custom-made), Gavi (fine dining Italian, with a roomy dining area, perfect for large gatherings), Moderne Barn (American and Mediterranean fusion), and many others. Up for coffee or some shopping? There’s the Tazza Cafe (try their unique Frozen Hot Chocolate, or awesome smoothies!), Naturescapes (land design), Star Spangled Carousel Ltd. (upscale clothes shopping for the kids), Table D’Hote (upscale home accessories), the Right Thing (a wonderful gift shop with friendly staff, never without a smile when greeting you at the door). Visit your local A&P for grocery shopping.

Armonk has a lot to offer. There’s Byram Lake, where you can take out a rowboat or do some fishing, or simply enjoy the beautiful scenery. You can enjoy the town's annual outdoor art show, Frosty Day, and beautiful Wampus Pond (the name “Wampus” is actually a Native American name meaning “opossum”). It’s a very friendly town. You’re right near the Northern Westchester Hospital right in neighboring Mount Kisco, which offers exemplary care for whatever your need may be. While it may be pricey to live here (it’s $736,500 on average to buy a home), it’s well worth the price. Mount Kisco has a train station, and you’re less than an hour’s worth away from NYC. It’s a beautiful town and is well worth a visit, especially if you’re into the arts---and it’s a whole lot cheaper than living in North Castle's other town, Chappaqua.

Armonk is a very wealthy and elite area in the town of New Castle, NY. It is a small community with a somewhat snobby closed circle feel and people really do dress, and almost everythingn else, to impress here. If you aren't up for the rigorous challenge of keeping up with the Joneses, then this area may not be for you. It is a residental area with large scale attractive homes and well manicured land. The IBM World Headquarters is actually located there.

Armonk is very close to the Westchester County Aiport which is a nice, relatively modern and user-friendly hub that files to many portions of the continental U.S. including Florida.

Nearby parks worth visiting are Herbert L. Nichols Preserve which has trails, a pond and many interesting shrubs and trees to admire, and Whipporwhill Ridge Park, a woodsy 167-acre expanse with a pond a few good hiking trails. Byrnwood Gold and Country Club and Whipporwill Country club are also in close range, no pun intended.

The commute to Manhattan is only 40 minutes and White Plains is only ten, fifteen minutes down the road. Shopping is plentiful in White Plains and since Armonk doesn't really have any retail stores, most people do make the sojourn there.

Armonk does have a small share of great local restaurants including the Beehive Restaurant which serves continental and classical cusine and has received quite a few accolades, the sophisticated New York'ish Moderne Barn which touts itself "urban country chic," Opus 465, Restaurant North with is creative farm fresh fare, Gavi Restaurant, David Chen Chinese Restaurant, Enzo's Antichi Sapori Restaurant and Route 22, a nostagic throwback to bygone days with whimsical decor and memorabilia.

Armonk is quite safe and the crime rate is pretty low.

The Byram Hills School District is considered very good. The average SAT score of its high school students is 1790. The school has a 99% graduation rate and 100% of its graduates do go on to attend college.

The median household income is approximately $150,000 and the median home value is $741,000. Taxes are lower in Armonk, however, at least when compared to the exorbinant rates in many other parts of the county.

The populuation of Armonk is 4,080 and is 89% predominantly white, 6% Asian, 5% Hispanic and 1% Black. The median age is 40.

This is a neighborhood that draws a lot of criticism for being snooty and cliquish. Given that I don’t hang out there, my associations with Armonk are quite different.
Armonk has a lower tax rate than some neighboring towns because it is home to some corporations such as IBM and SwissRe. New York City also contributes to Armonk coffers as it owns 300 acres in the town of North Castle including the Kensico Reservoir. This seems to offset some of the residential taxes.
The other reason folks, who can afford the steep prices, are drawn to Armonk is the excellent school system. The Byram Hills School district stands out in a county where there are many stellar school systems. Data such as the number of National Merit scholars and the number of AP courses offered are thrown around to establish the high caliber of the public schools in Armonk.
While there are many gorgeous homes in stunning lots, Armonk does not offer much by way of shopping. There are some unusual stores like Hickory & Tweed but not the kind of places where I can go and pick up some inexpensive clothes for my growing kids. But this is not truly different from many other Westchester towns, and it is easy enough to access shopping in White Plains.
As for restaurants, Route 22 and David Chen are pretty good from the point of view of work lunches. There are some other places that I have heard good things about such as Restaurant North.

Located in central Westchester, Armonk is a quiet town that has beautiful parks, quirky stores, friendly neighbors, and an excellent school district. This is a pretty exclusive town in that its price makes most people of low to average income have to rule it out. It is okay for professionals, as the commute via MetroNorth takes about forty minutes; a lot of executives live here. While it can get pretty boring in Armonk, it is also very close to White Plains, so you can go there to shop or eat. This is a very strong and unified community; the residents have been known to band together to fight any threats to Armonk’s quiet small-town vibe. They also work to keep Armonk clean and well maintained. Another positive quality is the fact that Armonk has relatively low taxes. However, that is really offset by the fact that real estate and most retails goods are overpriced here. A lot of people claim that the people in Armonk are snobby. I think that it’s true, but the same thing can be said about the residents of most affluent towns. And there are a good number of residents who rent or are on the lower end of Armonk's income range, and they have their own communities as well.

As with many upper class villages Armonk feels like one big clique. There is a big emphasis on appearance and showcasing your wealth which is a perfect fit for some people but many others find it isolating. I guess that's not too surprising considering that IBM has its world headquarters here.

Speaking of isolation, Armonk is removed from many amenities in a heavily wooded area. The town is clean and extremely safe but you won't have a broad selection of shops or restaurants. There are a few pizzerias, a tavern, and about ten salons but anything that does is exist in Armonk is usually overpriced.

There's not much diversity here, almost the entire population is white with a small percentage of Asians.

The commute to New York City is doable, the train will get you there in about 40 minutes.

I think that most people want to move here because of the school systems, cleanliness, safety, and the small town factor. The only problem is it doesn't have that warm small town feeling. I would really only recommend moving here if you enjoy getting dressed up to go food shopping and have enough money to impress your neighbors. Otherwise you'll probably be miserable.