Nestled  in the coveted location Garth Road , The Scarswold, a new condominium conversion has been open for business for about a month.  The Scarswold, along with her sister complex, the Craigswald are two of Garth Road’s most distinctive complexes.   Tudor in style,  so popular in the pre-war period, each are one- of-a kind. With finishes and details that can not be replicated today.  Just the detail in the brick work along truly amazing.

Behind the complex are beautiful gardens and from there, there there is easy access  to the Bronx River Parkway Reservation  which is 807 acres of linear park  that extends  from the Bronx to the Kensico Dam in Valhalla.  The park runs parallel to both the Bronx River and the Bronx River Parkway. This is fantastic if you have a canine friend to walk.  The Bronx River Parkway is also closed to automobile traffic on Sundays during the spring and summer months for biking. So if you are a biker, you have very easy access to this popular weekly event.

For its many years of existence, the Scarswold has stood out as one of Garth Road’s most distinctive rental complexes. How it  escaped being converted into coops during the 1980s, I don't know.  But today it is being converted over into one of the few pre-war condo complexes in the area. In the first phase, 12 units have been converted over. These are on the market now  and the pricing for a condo with Scarsdale P.O. are very competitive.  Part of the reason for this is that the complex does not have the “kitchen sink” mentality of more modern condo complexes which come complete with gyms, pools, media rooms, club rooms etc.  wich all come a  cost . (Did you really think all that was “free”?) But to compensate, the original leaded glass windows remain and  some units have fire places. There are a lot of finishes that simply can't be reproduced today.  Hardwood floors - a luxury in modern complexes, is the rule in a complex of this vintage.  The Kitchens and baths have been renovated, but original touches such as maid’s rooms (they can be used as dens) and Butler's pantries with their  wonderful walls of cabinets remain.  The spaces are lovely with a lot of attention given to preserving the best pf the past.


Of course the Scarswold offers all the advantages of Garth Road.  Less than 0.4 miles from the train, you can leave the car behind because getting into Manhattan is a piece of cake. Equally near to Scarsdale Village and all the shopping and fine dining it has to offer also allows you to forget the car. A short drive to downtown White Plains, means the nightlife is nearby (either by train to NY or by car to White Plains.)

The Cost of Living:

The price range of this current phase runs from $352,000 for an 880 sq.ft. 1 BR unit to $1,180,000 for a 2 BR unit with a large wood paneled library with over 2550 sq.ft.  Estimated common charges and taxes are about $730.84 for the 880 sq. ft. unit to $2176.17 for the 2 BR with library unit.  This is of course without STAR and before tax deductions.  All in all, a very competitive condominium complex for an area like Garth Road. A rough and dirty calculation of the $352,000 unit which includes STAR and tax deductions and assumes a 6% 30 year loan, results in a monthly cost of around $1550 a month which is highly competative with rental units of similar size.

Pet –Friendly Status:

There are no pet restrictions – dogs are welcome!