Rye NY

[Anonymous]

Has anyone lived there or in the area? Did you like it? Do you think it is a good place to raise a young family (elementary school aged kids). Is it stuffy/snobby?

[Anonymous]

I've lived in Rye for almost 20 years. Wonderful place to raise a family. I've found that the vast majority of people are very down-to-earth and not stuffy at all. But it's quite different from DC socially. If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to answer.

[Anonymous]

Thanks! What do you mean that they are different socially?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! What do you mean that they are different socially?

I find people in Rye to be less formal, less guarded, more genuine, more willing to put themselves out there socially, less judgmental. They also don't define their lives based on their professions or where they went to college or where their children go to high school....these things rarely come up in conversation where as in DC they would be amongst the first facts I would discover upon meeting somebody. Hope that's helpful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! What do you mean that they are different socially?

I find people in Rye to be less formal, less guarded, more genuine, more willing to put themselves out there socially, less judgmental. They also don't define their lives based on their professions or where they went to college or where their children go to high school....these things rarely come up in conversation where as in DC they would be amongst the first facts I would discover upon meeting somebody. Hope that's helpful!

You forgot to mention that Rye is completely non-diverse ethnically and you can substitute economic stratification for the professional / educational status separators you mention above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! What do you mean that they are different socially?

I find people in Rye to be less formal, less guarded, more genuine, more willing to put themselves out there socially, less judgmental. They also don't define their lives based on their professions or where they went to college or where their children go to high school....these things rarely come up in conversation where as in DC they would be amongst the first facts I would discover upon meeting somebody. Hope that's helpful!

You forgot to mention that Rye is completely non-diverse ethnically and you can substitute economic stratification for the professional / educational status separators you mention above.

Some people don't mind that.

Living in a diverse area, whether racially or economically, is not a priority for me. If I have diverse neighbors, great! If all my neighbors are white? That's fine too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! What do you mean that they are different socially?

I find people in Rye to be less formal, less guarded, more genuine, more willing to put themselves out there socially, less judgmental. They also don't define their lives based on their professions or where they went to college or where their children go to high school....these things rarely come up in conversation where as in DC they would be amongst the first facts I would discover upon meeting somebody. Hope that's helpful!

You forgot to mention that Rye is completely non-diverse ethnically and you can substitute economic stratification for the professional / educational status separators you mention above.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that people in Rye aren't exhaustively and singularly focused on race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! What do you mean that they are different socially?

I find people in Rye to be less formal, less guarded, more genuine, more willing to put themselves out there socially, less judgmental. They also don't define their lives based on their professions or where they went to college or where their children go to high school....these things rarely come up in conversation where as in DC they would be amongst the first facts I would discover upon meeting somebody. Hope that's helpful!

Sounds like heaven!

[Anonymous]

It's an excellent place to raise a family. The town has top-notch schools, a lovely downtown, a beach, and Playland (which is not just the amusement park, but a children's museum, skating rink, and wildlife sanctuary). The Art Center has an good selection of creative classes for both children and adults. While it is not diverse, it is not snobby, either. And I know this sounds weird, but people have very good manners there. You go into Manhattan bracing yourself against rude, abrasive behavior, and come back to Rye and breathe a sigh of relief because people are generally kind and respectful. I miss Rye a lot.

[Anonymous]

I had a negative experience growing up in Rye. The lack of diversity was definitely a problem as it translated to, among other things, my peers being incredibly unwelcoming to newcomers. I hope things have changed, but from what I've heard anecdotally, they have not. As mentioned by a previous poster, the town certainly has a lot of great resources, which you would expect given the high taxes there. One specific point to consider: as was the case when I grew up there, most moms there now are SAHMs. If your family has two parents who work outside the home, Rye may not be the best fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! What do you mean that they are different socially?

I find people in Rye to be less formal, less guarded, more genuine, more willing to put themselves out there socially, less judgmental. They also don't define their lives based on their professions or where they went to college or where their children go to high school....these things rarely come up in conversation where as in DC they would be amongst the first facts I would discover upon meeting somebody. Hope that's helpful!

You forgot to mention that Rye is completely non-diverse ethnically and you can substitute economic stratification for the professional / educational status separators you mention above.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that people in Rye aren't exhaustively and singularly focused on race.

No need to in a town that is 87% white (half of the diversity consisting of non-professional class Hispanic families living in one section of town) in a metro area that is 53% non-white. Think deeply now.

There are lots of historical reasons for this makeup, and I am not saying that an AA or other minority family would not feel comfortable in Rye - to the contrary (I am AA and lived in Scarsdale for many years). But before anyone paints these towns as bucolic, judgement free zones they should also understand that homogeneity reduces all kinds of social challenges and sources of friction. I will leave it to you to evaluate if that comes at a cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! What do you mean that they are different socially?

I find people in Rye to be less formal, less guarded, more genuine, more willing to put themselves out there socially, less judgmental. They also don't define their lives based on their professions or where they went to college or where their children go to high school....these things rarely come up in conversation where as in DC they would be amongst the first facts I would discover upon meeting somebody. Hope that's helpful!

You forgot to mention that Rye is completely non-diverse ethnically and you can substitute economic stratification for the professional / educational status separators you mention above.

Some people don't mind that.

Living in a diverse area, whether racially or economically, is not a priority for me. If I have diverse neighbors, great! If all my neighbors are white? That's fine too.

Darien, CT is the town for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! What do you mean that they are different socially?

I find people in Rye to be less formal, less guarded, more genuine, more willing to put themselves out there socially, less judgmental. They also don't define their lives based on their professions or where they went to college or where their children go to high school....these things rarely come up in conversation where as in DC they would be amongst the first facts I would discover upon meeting somebody. Hope that's helpful!

You forgot to mention that Rye is completely non-diverse ethnically and you can substitute economic stratification for the professional / educational status separators you mention above.

Some people don't mind that.

Living in a diverse area, whether racially or economically, is not a priority for me. If I have diverse neighbors, great! If all my neighbors are white? That's fine too.

Darien, CT is the town for you.

No, you didn't understand the PP's point....she didn't say she didn't want diversity, she simply said it wasn't a priority. It may come as a shock to you but I and many other people agree with their comment.