Residence Park

Residence Park is one of the first planned garden cities in the country, an urban residential community combining the natural beauty of the countryside with the conveniences of urban living. The neighborhood offers residents easy access to the natural attractions and city centers that define New Rochelle. “New Rochelle is a great area and a wonderful investment opportunity for people who want to be close to the city and the water,” says Rachel Jones, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty who has been selling homes in New York for eight years. “There’s something that would suit any lifestyle.” Located along the New Rochelle Bay and the Long Island Sound, residents can watch the sunset over the water from their yards while enjoying easy access to the city center of Downtown Rochelle.

The neighborhood’s narrow city sidewalks are shaded by oak trees and lined by residential properties standing shoulder-to-shoulder on narrow lots. Residence Park is primarily made up of high-rise rental apartments or condo complexes. Homebuyers can purchase a two-bedroom condo on the harbor for around $250,000. For those looking for more living space, Residence Park has a mix of larger traditional homes, including Queen Annes, colonial revivals and Tudors built in the early 1900s. In this neighborhood, homebuyers can get a five-bedroom colonial revival home with a modest lawn for $585,000 to $650,000. A six-bedroom colonial revival home with bay windows and a columned front porch ranges from $825,000 to $925,000. “There’s a lot of flexibility here. Homes are priced right and give you your own space,” says Jones. Most homes here are on quarter-acre lots and feature fenced-in yards with room for a small garden or patio area.

Residents are about a mile away from greenspaces like D’Onofrio Park, a 22-acre recreational area with two baseball fields, a playground and an outdoor pavilion. There are picnic tables, benches and grills, that help make the pavilion a popular spot for community events and summer barbecues. Other options for play include Eddie Foy Park, which features a playground and sandbox, and A-Game Sports, an indoor sports complex with youth programs in sports like basketball, football, lacrosse and more. Locals also enjoy easy access to the shorelines of the New Rochelle Harbor, where boats cruise to ports along the Long Island Sound from New York City to the southern shoreline of Connecticut. Glen Island Beach, just two miles away, has a small stretch of sand and many opportunities for swimming, sunbathing and windsurfing.

Students attend the New Rochelle City School District, which earned an A-minus from Niche and has an average student-teacher ratio of 14 to 1. Younger children attend Trinity Elementary School, which earned a B-minus from Niche, before moving on to Isaac E. Young Middle School, which earned an A-minus from Niche. Teens attend New Rochelle High School, which earned a B-plus from Niche and offers students the opportunity to enroll in Advanced Placement and dual-enrollment courses to earn college credit. The school also boasts the Museum of Arts & Culture, an on-site museum displaying artwork from students and members of the community.

Homes are within minutes of shops, restaurants and markets along the harbor, including Foodtown of New Rochelle for groceries. Next door, Mamma Francesca serves homestyle Italian dishes and brick-oven pizzas, complete with views of the water from the restaurant’s sunroom. Downtown New Rochelle is less than a mile away and is a growing community center offering residents easy access to stores like Costco and Home Depot. “Downtown is revitalizing, and the community is thriving. They’ve seen a lot of changes recently and a lot of great businesses on Main Street,” says Jones. Local favorites along Main Street include The New Rochelle Diner, a retro diner featuring 1950s décor and classic American dishes served from sunup to sundown. With a mix of residential and commercial properties along the shoreline, Residence Park offers residents walkability among nature.

If New York City calls, residents are less than a mile away from the New Rochelle Train Station and major thoroughfares like I-95.

Written By

Sally Stimpson

Photography Contributed By

Stephen Mihalchik

Video By

Benjamin Rose