Pleasantville

Tree-lined streets, rocking chair front porches, little red wagons and the occasional lemonade stand ... Pleasantville seems to come from a Normal Rockwell brushstroke. Children can be seen walking to school or playing ball in any of the grassy fields. There is a lovely little town brimming with shops, cafes and boutiques. There still exists that sense of "local" ... the local bookstore, the local pharmacy, the local bakery and you get to know each other on a first name basis. Step off the train and into a world with clean streets, village parades, and a weekly farmers market.
And yet, she can still offer you any of the modern conveniences of contemporary society .. sports bar, wine bar, salons, a movie theatre, and my own personal version of utopia .. within a two-block radius there runs a river of lattes and cappucinos, espressos and americanos, ... Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Jean-Jacques, The Black Cow and, a worthy contender, The Pleasantville Diner.

Pleasantville is probably Mount Pleasant’s most affluent village. Its 1.7 square miles is home to 7,000 residents.

Tenant farmers were the first to settle in the area. During the Revolutionary War, the area was “neutral ground” so no fighting happened, but British spy John André was captured en route to meeting Benedict Arnold, an event many historians view as pivotal to the Americans’ ultimate victory. In the following century, Pleasantville was a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Metro-North service is available directly in the village, with travel time averaging around 50 minutes. The station is located by the small business district, which has small shops and restaurants but no big-box stores. A proposal to build a Stop & Shop supermarket was defeated a few years ago, leaving residents to continue grocery shopping in nearby Thornwood.

The village has its own recreation department, which oversees four parks, one pool and tennis courts, which are located at the middle school. The 431-acre Graham Hills Park is located in the southern part of the village, with 5 miles of rugged trails for mountain biking.

The Jacob Burns Film Center, which was established in 2001, shows documentaries and independent films. It also draws well-known speakers from several fields, including Bill Clinton, Stephen King, Woody Allen and Martin Scorcese. The Center is popular with residents, but film buffs come from all over the region to see movies at Jacob Burns. Every July, the recreation department and a local radio station, 107.1, organize the Pleasantville Music Festival, which features three stages and well-known musical acts.

Pleasantville’s schools are well-regarded and are a major draw for house-hunters who have or are planning families. There are about 2,000 students in the district. At Bedford Road School, the district’s only elementary school, passing rates on state exams were between 98 and 100%, depending on the grade and subject. At the middle school, all of the students in grades 6, 7 and 8 passed their state exams; in the fifth grade only 2% failed to meet standards. Pleasantville High School also had excellent results on state-administered Regents exams. The high school rounds out its academic offerings with several extra-curricular activities, including performing arts, sports and service clubs.

Taxes are high in Pleasantville, as they are across most of Westchester. House prices vary widely, but more choices will be found at the higher end. Most of the lower-priced homes appear to need work, but house shoppers with smaller budgets also have several co-op and condominium complexes to consider as well.

Does the name Pleasantville remind you of the Reese Witherspoon-Toby McGuire black and white movie? This town is far from it – not full of repressed people with no color in their lives, but a vibrant community with a great downtown area. It is on the train line making it a popular bedroom community in Westchester County.

Pleasantville has a nice mix of houses on sprawling lands and close-to-town Victorians. And there are also some apartments and coops for those looking to rent and explore the neighborhoods. The town’s schools have a good reputation.

I personally like Pleasantville because of the great restaurant and the justifiably-famous Jacob Burns theatre where you can watch one-time screenings of unusual films and even get to meet and interact with famous movie personalities. This is a place that fosters the film as an art form!

There are many good restaurants in Pleasantville and it includes representations from various types of cuisine – Iron Horse Grill, Sundance Deli, Magic Wok, Meditarraneo and Bollywood Bistro are some of the popular ones. In a county with many good pizzerias, this is not really a big deal for many folks - But if you family, like mine, has a Pizza Hut fan(!), there’s one in Pleasantville and it is the only one among several neighboring towns!

The fact that this is a fairly compact town, 1.8 square miles, gives it a cosy and warm feel and it is possible to get a real sense of community. While it does not have the look of a traditional downtown, many of the storefront near the station area look inviting and on summer evenings you can sit a sip a coffee or enjoy an ice-cream as you people watch.

Pleasantville really is appropriately named. It is an area with a laid-back feel and sunny disposition. Pleasantville has an artistic and bohemian vibe and many of my own theatre friends and local musicians choose to live there.

Considering the attractiveness of the area, and the fact that it is still in fairly expensive Westchester County, Pleasantville has quite a few affordable living options ranging from stunning Victorian’esque homes on quaint tree-lined streets to condos, cooperatives and apartments, some of which are rentable in those aforementioned homes.

The Jacob Burns Film Center is Pleasantville’s piece de resistance and residents are rightfully proud of this top-notch old-fashioned movie theatre which shows the crème de la crème of movies and also plays host to year-round special events including talk-backs and stimulating Q & A sessions with renowned actors, directors and screenplay writers. It also has a newer Media Lab which offers outstanding classes for adults, teens and children alike.

Before heading on over to the Burns, as it is oft called, there are a nice amount of quality eateries in the area including Haven Restaurant, Iron Horse Grill, Mediterraneo, McArthur’s American Grill, Bollywood Bistro, Magic Wok Chinese Restaurant and Jerry’s Brick Oven Restaurant, to name but a few of the slew.

As far as shopping, there are not a lot of options, but there are more than a handful of interesting ones such as a wonderful Independent bookseller, a very cool “Try and Buy” toy store, a charming gift shop with unusual and handcrafted items, a paper goods boutique and several impressive galleries. And do keep in mind that a quick fifteen to twenty minute drive into nearby White Plains will certainly take care of any and all of your more expansive retail needs. Also, the train station is located in the center of town and an express will take you into NYC’s Grand Central Station in a scenic forty-nine minutes.

The Pleasantville school system is high caliber and it is reported that the median SAT score is 1665 and that 98% of its high school graduates do go on to attend college.

The crime rate in Pleasantville is well under the national average at 13% and one generally feels quite safe and sound there.

The median income is $113,376. The median home value is $457,772 and the median rental rate is $1,600.

Pleasantville is approximately 79% White, 12% Hispanic, 4.5 % Asian and 3.6% Black.

The population of Pleasantville is 7,019 with the median age being 38.

One of my favorite towns is Pleasantville, which has the Jacob Burns Theater. I personally got toe meet Angela Basset at one of the events; she was great to talk to! When films are shown, you might get a treat to meet with the stars and the producers and directors behind the film, and become involved in a Q &A conversation with them (it’s quite a unique experience!) It’s a very old-fashioned theater (1920’s style) that shows mostly Indies and black and white films. When you walk inside, be sure to check out the unique contraption that is powered by a running marble (much like the game Mouse Trap that you might remember from your childhood). It’s got great medical care, and the houses are fairly affordable. The theater is also a part of a Media Arts lab and there are plenty of art-related events held in town throughout the year. The main drawback is not enough buses and it’s not very diverse (a predominantly white neighborhood). Only 30 miles from the city, it’s along the Metro-North route and the scenic ride is beautiful. The school system offers the quality education you’ve come to expect from Westchester schools. If you want good food, you’ve got a wonderful list of different types of food; among such lovely spots as: the Iron Horse Grille, Mediterraneo Restoranti and Café, Bollywood Bistro, or Magic Wok Chinese.

Located in central Westchester County, Pleasantville is a small village that is very safe and relatively affordable. The area is tiny, but housing is still pretty diverse. There are condos, co-ops, cottages, private houses, and some rental properties. While Pleasantville is certainly not the least diverse place in Westchester County, it definitely is not diverse. The population is overwhelmingly white, with very small groups of other races. Still, the people are pretty friendly and the village often hosts great community events, so it's still a nice place to live. The prices are relatively affordable, but the houses themselves are not as nice as those in other areas; they tend to be very old. It is, however, very well known for some of its architecturally renowned homes that were designed by master architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The school district in Pleasantville is pretty good; there are competitive programs and the town spends a significant amount of money on keeping the facilities updated. Some families actually send their kids to Armonk's Byram Hills Central School District, which is also really good. There are a lot of small stores and good restaurants here in Pleasantville, but if you don't find what you're looking for, White Plains is just a short drive away.

The first thing that struck me when I visited Pleasantville is that it's actually pleasant. There is no crime and it's the kind of place where you could leave your door unlocked when you go out shopping. The real estate is reasonably priced and it's easy to commute into New York City. For working parents there's even a daycare right across from the train station where you can pick your children up after work. Older kids tend to walk to school as the school does not offer a bus service.

The atmosphere in Pleasantville is great but I have to admit that its not my favorite thing about the village.

If you love movies you should move here immediately. There is a really beautiful downtown area that has shops, restaurants, and a refurbished 1920's movie theater. You can catch movies here throughout the month but the classes are big appeal. They offer them for all age groups including adults and even families. It's a great way to get involved in the community and do something silly like learning how to walk like a zombie. There are tons of celebrity guests who speak at the theater throughout the year so you can imagine the events get pretty big. I