North Salem

And they really want to keep it that way! North Salem is at the north end of Westchester County and shares boundaries with Connecticut and Putnam County. The Town of North Salem includes the North Salem Hamlet, Purdys, Croton Falls and Salem Center. This is a historic community with streets named after early settlers and mile markers carried over from the original Boston Post Road. The minimal population spread over the entire town makes it a very low density area. It is a great place for country lovers and offers a very special lifestyle.

North Salem schools are great and the community services are excellent. The school district recently announced the Magna Award on their website. The Ruth Keeler library in North Salem actually allows patrons to check out Nooks, the electronic readers, with their public library cards.

North Salem median house prices are above $700,000. This is not a place for someone looking for affordable housing but for those who can afford to live here it is a unique experience. One hour from Manhattan, with a train station in Croton Falls, and yet deep in horse country. While shopping and dining options are limited in North Salem because of strictly observed zoning, there are plenty of options in many nearby towns from Katonah to White Plains and beyond in NY. Danbury in CT is also a short driving distance away.

North Salem is a town comprised of the hamlets of Purdy’s, Croton Falls and North Salem. The area is filled with stunning estates and handsome Colonials on ample acres. This is true rural living at its best, replete with winding roads, forests, lakes and sprawling farms with regal horses and well dressed equestrians cutting a picture perfect country scene. But it does come at a steep price. There is definitely great wealth here and it does have a feeling of highly elite living. This is actually the home town of David Letterman, amongst other rich and famous celebs.

There is very little shopping in North Salem itself though there are a few cool places such as BB Abode, a home decor boutique housed in Union Hall, Horse Tales with its equestrian apparel and Second Time Around, a great consignment shop with "gently used" clothing and saddles. North Salem Market is the local place to buy groceries. The town also has a post office and the terrific Ruth Keeler Memorial Library. For additional shopping options, many folks cross the border into CT and go to the Danbury Fair Mall or even head into White Plains with its endless retail stores and fancy mall, The Westchester.

There are a fair amount of good restaurant choices in North Salem including Kingsley Deli & Pizzeria which has good pizza and some pretty good homestyle cooking, 121 Restuarant, the amazing Vox restaurant which has received NY Times praise and The Blazer Pub which has been around for a good forty years and was voted as having the best burger in 2007 by Zagat and is also a Westchester Magazine award winner for its chili.

There are two worthwhile parks in North Salem. One is Sal J. Prezioso Mountain Lakes Park, a 1,082 acre affair with camping, fishing, ice skating, hiking trails, snow-shoeing, cross country skiing, picnic areas, row boat rentals and even a high/low rops challenge course. The park contains five lakes and sports a gorgeous overlook for the viewing enjoyment of hikers. Joe Bohdrum Park has two tennis courts, a soccer field, baseball fields, a basketball cout, a playground and a picnic area.

The closest train station is in nearby Croton Falls and the commute time to Grand Central Station is about an hour and fifteen minutes which is definitely still doable for a day long excursion to Manhattan.

The North Salem School District is excellent and has been nationally recognized as being such by the Department of Education. The median SAT score for North Salem Middle School High School Students is 1673.

The median household income is about $147, 258 and the median home value is around $727, 817.

North Salem is approximately 88% White, 7.5% Hispanic, 2% Asian and 1% Black.

The population is roughly 5,104 with the median age being 41.

North Salem is a town famous for the Balanced Rock, which is a boulder that weighs 60 tons balanced upon five limestone rocks beneath it. It's home to three hamlets: Purdys, Croton Falls, and Salem Center. Homes here range around $700,000 and beyond. (For more affordable rates, visit Cotswold Condominiums, which can be as low as within the $200,000 range. Generally, North Salem is not the cheapest place in Westchester--and within good reason, as you'll have amenities like horseback riding on acres and acres of privately owned, elegant farmland. Most homes here are estates. There's a great community here with organizations like the 4-H and North Salem preserves its town history within its own Historical Society, where you can learn about the Pehquenakonck Native Americans that once populated this densely wooded area. In the summer, you'll want to bring your friends and significant other for a fine wine tasting at North Salem Vinyard. Or, you can take a pleasant stroll at Joe Bohrdrum Park (it has several sports fields, a playground and great picnic area, full of 16 acres of land). Titicus Reservoir is great for fishing. There's lots of farms which will never be overtaken by industrial endeavors: farms like Old Salem, Vail, and River Horse, among others. Golfers, enjoy two 18 hole golf courses. Kids will want to join the 4-H. There's also a private school for those with extra needs, Westchester's well-renowned Exceptional Children's School, a non-for-profit school that hosts 36 different school districts, and not just within Westchester County. Schools are excellent and mostly all students are expected to graduate.

While affluent, North Salem is worth the price if you wish to live in a quiet, peaceful place with plenty of outdoor activities. "Second Time Around" is a funky thrift store where you can find second-hand items that are still in good use, like once-used saddles for future horseback riding. Visit North Salem Market for food shopping; otherwise, you'll have to drive to neighboring towns. Good restaurants for couples are 121 Restaurant and Blazer Pub; Bella Ella's to get pizza for the kids.