Riverdale

If you think Riverdale is only about mansions, think again

By Patrick Verel | Special to amNew York

October 12, 2006

Riverdale. The very name conjures the popular notion of magnificent estates framed by stately oak trees and immaculate lawns. The reality includes those million-dollar mansions, but also plenty of modest houses, down-to-earth apartment buildings, and huge, gleaming towers that could fit right into the Upper East Side.

Riverdale's three square miles are divided into North, Central and South Riverdale, as well as Fieldston and Spuyten Duyvil. The contours of the Henry Hudson Parkway help define the boundaries. Fieldston, the private historic district that most people think of as Riverdale, is just east of the parkway. Across from it is a section of Central Riverdale known as the Estate Area West of the Parkway, and it too has a rustic, rural feel more in line with villages in the Catskills. What they all have in common is they're no longer off the radar.

Daniel Wright, a sales associate with Halstead Properties whose Riverdale branch just celebrated its first anniversary, said the area has become an escape hatch for Manhattan and Brooklyn residents.

"I was running on the trails along Palisades Avenue this morning, and I was all alone, but at the drop of a hat, I can be in midtown in 20 minutes," from the Metro-North station, Wright said.

Diversity of housing is key when it comes to Riverdale, and even Fieldston, with its private security firm and off-limits street parking, is no monolith.

"These guys I'm showing a house to, they told me they really like the variety," said Bradford Trebach, of Trebach Realty. "You'll find houses with elements of Georgian, Greek Revival, Tudor, contemporary, even a few that look like they've been done by Frank Lloyd Wright. Riverdale is in the Bronx, but it is not of the Bronx."

Susan Goldy, owner of Susan Goldy, Inc., said one of the overlooked aspects of being in the Bronx is its proximity to the suburbs.

"There a lot of instances where you'll get a family where one person may work in the city and the other will work in Westchester or Connecticut," she said. "You're only 30 minutes from Greenwich here, so there are a lot of people who find it's a great midpoint."

Lorraine Coyle, owner of Koppell River Realty, said there is a sense of community linking the residents of Riverdale with Westchester.

Said Goldy, "It's one of the last boroughs that has a lot to offer and a lot that's affordable. If you look at Brooklyn Heights or Park Slope, which are right across the bridge just like Riverdale, you won't find much that's affordable. I think we're where they were a few years ago."

Real estate

As a general rule, co-ops sell for $200,000 to $300,000 for one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms are $275,000 to $700,000 and three-bedrooms are $400,000 to $975,000. Houses start at $600,000 and can reach into the millions. Rentals are scarce, but typically run $1,200 a month for a one bedroom.

What's selling
-A 2,000-square-foot three-bedroom condo with a parking space on Oxford Avenue between Johnson Avenue and Tulfan Terrace: $800,000
-A one-bedroom apartment on Greystone Avenue between West 236th Street and West 238th Street: $210,000
-A renovated studio on Independence Avenue between Kappock Street and Palisade Avenue: $147,500
-A one-bedroom apartment with doorman and outdoor pool on Kappock Street between Netherland and Johnson avenues: $185,000
-A 1600-square-foot three-bedroom, two-bath apartment on 236th Street and Johnson Avenue: $440,000
-A three-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in a new building on Waldo Avenue between Dash Place and Manhattan College Parkway: $649,000
-A five-bedroom, five-bathroom Mediterranean Revival-style house with attached two-car garage on Fieldston Road between West 245th West 246th streets: $2.6 million