When you live in the city, the suburbs can seem like a distant and foreign land. Driving a car? Having a backyard? Sure, these seem like nice things, but will you have to trade all of the convenience and excitement of the city when moving from NYC to the suburbs? Not exactly. Here are three things you should know about the NYC suburbs (and some of the best places to live outside of New York City).

Commuting can be a breeze

There are three Metro-North lines that serve the counties of Westchester and Fairfield: Harlem, Hudson and New Haven. The line that you use depends on the specific neighborhood you live in. There are several express trains to Grand Central in the NYC commuter towns, offering full express service (making no stops in between) or partial express service (making one or two stops in between). While most towns have at least one full express stop, others have multiple, making them convenient and ideal locations for commuters. See the list below for some of the best place to commute to NYC.

The Harlem Line
Serving the South County and North County
Top Full Express: White Plains, Scarsdale, Crestwood, Mount Vernon West

The Hudson Line
Serving the Rivertowns
Top Full Express: Croton-Harmon, Tarrytown, Yonkers
Top Partial Express: Ossining

The New Haven Line
Serving Sound Shore and Fairfield County, CT
Top Full Express: Stamford, Rye, Larchmont
Top Partial Express: Greenwich

To learn more about the commutes from different towns, view the Metro-North MTA Schedule here.

You don’t have to give up walkability

Both Westchester and Fairfield County offer walkable towns.

Westchester County

• White Plains is its own city, offering plenty of walkable restaurants, shopping and offices.
• Certain sections of West Harrison are also close enough to White Plains to walk to the city’s amenities.
• Bronxville is also a walkable neighborhood with easy access to the train, shops and schools.
• New Rochelle is known to have a high walkability factor with city amenities at hand.
• If you live near town in Larchmont, you can walk your kids to school, the library and the playground.
• You may be further from city life but you can still find homes within walking distance to quaint downtowns such as Pleasantville, Katonah or Bedford Hills.
• Irvington offers a walkable lifestyle to the train, an eclectic mix of shops and dining, and nature.
• Tarrytown is a lively downtown with homes that are within walking distance to the train and plenty of dining options.

Fairfield County

• In Greenwich Proper, homes in the downtown area offer easy access to an abundance of boutique and upscale shops and fantastic restaurants, as well as local services such as banks, gyms and libraries.
• Cos Cob is a snug and walkable enclave, with playgrounds, the post office and the terrific public library being often no more than a five-minute stroll away.
• In Downtown Stamford, you can enjoy easy access to all the city’s trendy restaurants, shopping and waterfront parks.

You can have all the green space you need and more

Whether you are relaxing in the privacy of your own backyard or visiting a nearby park, both Westchester and Fairfield County offer an abundance of green space to enjoy.

Westchester County

If you're looking for space to spread out, here are some of the best Westchester County towns.

• As you go further north into North County, you will generally find more land and larger lot sizes.
• But that’s not to say you can’t find multi-acre lots in South County, Sound Shore and the Rivertowns, each of which boast plenty of privacy and splendid views.

Lower Fairfield County

With stunning views and sought-after privacy, the below towns are some of the best places to live in Connecticut near NYC.

• In Greenwich Proper, the mid-country homes typically offer 1-2 acres, while homes in the back-country often boast 4 acres.
• In Riverside, you can find large leafy lots, often featuring water views.
• North Stamford is zoned almost entirely for one-, two- and three-acre lots. 
• Darien offers large wood lots towards the end of town.
• In Norwalk, you can find a variety of neighborhoods surrounded by woods and evoking a rural feel.