What You Need to Know Before Moving to Mt Vernon

Planning to move soon? Thinking about more than one option around New York City?

Ladies and gentlemen, from the county of Westchester, only 28 minutes from The Central Station, we present you Mount Vernon!

Mount Vernon, NY switched from being a village to being a city in 1892. and since then, it has been growing. Today we know it as the third-largest city in Westchester County! Its popularity continues growing to this day, and we blame it on beautiful food smells on the street, diverse cultures mixed up in one place, and lots of vividly green trees!

Breathe in and out and start visualizing your new life in Mount Vernon. We hope our list of 10 pros and cons will be helpful!

Buckle up, and let’s go on an adventure toward the information!

Quick City facts

• Mount Vernon is located in Westchester County, just north of the Bronx.
• It has a population of 75,873 people! This is the same number as the population of Wyoming.
  That number of people could fill out the N.F.L. stadium!
• It is the most densely populated city in Westchester County.

Pros of living in Mount Vernon, NY

1. Celebrities love it!

It seems like today; everyone wants to move to Manhattan and Brooklyn. Small cities and boroughs around New York City are left in the shadow, and some people, such as celebrities, wish to live precisely there! Choosing privacy over the over-exposing streets of Manhattan is a very smart move!

The same goes for people who plan on raising a family or having peace of mind after work.

Some famous faces are still strolling Mount Vernon’s streets! Some of them just tried it for some time. For example, David Chase, screenwriter of epic T.V. shows – The Sopranos and Mad Men! Actor Denzel Washington enjoyed the Vernon Hills and its upscale homes and scenic views, as well as actor Michael O’Keefe.

Movie buffs will know one of the most heartbreaking and creative romantic movies, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It was filmed in Mount Vernon! Specifically, two incredible talking scenes between Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) have been filmed in Hutchinson Field and Gramatan Avenue!

2. The industry game is on point

The trees dancing and the birds singing don’t mean a thing when you don’t have a secure job.

Mount Vernon has a couple of powerful employers and a bunch of small ones.

The biggest employers are the Mount Vernon City School District, Michael Anthony Jewelers, and Mount Vernon Hospital.

Pay close attention to this! Growing industries are electronics, engineering, high-tech, and retail.

Know that the first thing to do after your big move is to research jobs in your area. Start with our small list, and you will go a big way!

3. Hail to affordable housing!

One of the most common reasons people move to Mt Vernon is its affordable housing! It is a beautiful starting point for young families and singles. Being 30 minutes away from Manhattan, the average rent of $1,860 for an 825 sq ft apartment is a good bang for your buck! Compare it to Manhattan’s average of $4,500, Brooklyn’s average of $3,250, or Yonkers’ average of $2,220. Do you see how affordable it is?

The median sales price for a house is around $480,500; this is a jackpot for everyone aware of the housing prices crisis!

4. T.G.I.F. – thank God it’s Friday!

Once you see Friday and the weekend crawling around the corner, know that Mt Vernon has a big pallet of activities for all ages waiting for you!

For the shoppers – Gramatan and Fourth Avenue’s shopping districts.

For foodies – Mount Vernon’s Farmer’s Market is calling your names with all the fresh fruity smells! Locals love El Patio food trucks! You could grab a bite of the beloved shrimp empanadas with salsa verde! Johnny’s Pizza always waits with arms open for the teens and those who feel like that. These are just two of the 300 excellent restaurants in and around Mount Vernon!

For adrenaline junkies – Pioneer shooting center is waiting!

For dancing queens – Mingles, La Clave, and Nitro Lounge are just a tiny part of what a night in Mt Vernon got in its pocket. The cherry on top is the bodega for the after-party

5. Parks and forest pixies

Imagine walking down the street and being surrounded by a bunch of bright green treetops! It sounds like a fairy tale, right? Well, those are the streets of Mount Vernon!

But the parks are actually the real deal! Willson’s Woods Park is a 23-acre county-owned park with water slides and a playground. The kids will love it!

South Side Mt Vernon has landmarks like Brush Park, Hutchinson Field, and Hartley Park!

We can’t imagine a better date or a family weekend than a picnic in one of those parks. All you would need to do is pack salami sandwiches and fresh fruits and get going!

6. Manhattan at your doorstep

One of the most prominent locations around Manhattan is the one Mt Vernon has. Once known as a ‘bedroom community’ (the city where people go only to sleep), it is now using its location for the best!

Not only that it is a 30-minute car ride from Manhattan, but the city also has three Metro-North Railroad stations! The train operates every 30 minutes, and for just $8-$19, you can get to Manhattan in 33 minutes.

Cons of living in Mount Vernon, NY

1. Incomes could be higher…

Since the cost of living is high (more on that later), it is only fair that the income rate is high as well. Unfortunately, the average income per capita is 5% lower than the national average, and the poverty rate is 16%.

The average household income is $82,000 annually.

75% of Mt Vernon’s families earn $122,000 annually and $59 an hour.

These numbers are sad, but those all depend on the industry you’re working in.

2. High living expenses

We know everything in and near N.Y.C. is very expensive…

But when comparing to the national average, the numbers are that Mt Vernon has 14% higher gas prices and 18% higher grocery prices. Transportation prices are 14% higher than the national average! This sounds very scary while we face a significant economic crisis.

Conversely, when comparing it to N.Y.C.’s average, Mt Vernon does all right.

3. Problematic roads

If you choose to drive your own car here- you are making the right choice considering the lack of traffic and many free parking spots. But be aware that many locals complain about road holes lacking repairs and upkeep!

Since safety always comes first, be sure to inform yourself about the locations of the bad roads before moving.

4. Public schools are not at a good name.

The Mount Vernon City School District has 20 public schools. The word on the street is that those are not upscale schools. We are not sure why, but we are confident that not all 20 schools are under the bad name!

The beautiful thing that the ‘Boys and Girls Club’ do for all the kids and parents in need is that they organize free after-school programs! Also, summer and special programs in arts and sports. Kids love it; it is a fantastic chance for all the kids to be part of something beautiful and informative.

We hope that you learned something new and useful about Mount Vernon, NY. If you ever need moving services to, from or within Mount Vernon, you may get your free estimate from Roadway Moving here.

If you are still researching best places to live that are close to NYC, you may check our article about Tenafly, NJ which is less than 15 miles away from Manhattan. You may also call us at (212) 812-5240 and ask our sales representative for insider information on what are the most popular places around NYC that people are moving to. You will surely get some valuable insights!