Can the Garcias survive with just one bathroom in Tuckahoe?

If you’re just joining us, we’re on a suburban adventure with the Garcias—newlyweds who want to buy, want to set down roots, but aren’t quite sure about kids, pets, or even where those roots should go. So far, they’ve scoped out Midtown, Harlem, and the Bronx.

Today, we’ll ride Metro-North about 45 minutes north and make our first stop in Westchester: Crestwood.

Quick note: Crestwood is the station stop for the village of Tuckahoe, which is part of the town of Eastchester.

Review the full methodology here, or scroll to the bottom for the abridged version.

Property #4: 86 Bella Vista Street, Tuckahoe, NY 10707

A charming 1,686 sq ft single-family home built in 1924, featuring:
3 bedrooms
1.5 baths
Formal dining room & hardwood floors
Fireplace for cozy nights in
Walk-out basement
Fenced backyard + patio for outdoor living
Driveway & garage parking
Shingle siding with classic Westchester curb appeal

Details on Property #4
Type: Single-Family Home
Location: Westchester / Tuckahoe

Commute Breakdown
Train Stop: Crestwood (Harlem Line, Stop #13)
Distance from Station: 0.7 miles | ~14 min walk
Train Ride to GCT: 43 min
Total Monthly Commute Time: 42 hours
Monthly Commuter Cost: $233.00 (Train only)

Financial Summary

List Price: $989,000.00
Monthly Mortgage (P&I): $5,001.00
Utilities & Suburban Overhead: $2,450.00
Property Tax: $1,702.91
Total Monthly Cost: $9,574.00

Comments
This is the classic Westchester tradeoff: more space + peace and quiet … in exchange for a longer commute. Compared to our previous options (Midtown, Harlem, the Bronx) the commuting time is:
7x longer than Midtown (walk-to-work dream)
3x longer than Harlem

Cost Check: At $9,574/month, it’s either:

• “Yikes, Tuckahoe is $264/month more than the 1,460 sq ft Midtown spot,” or;

• “Wow, for only $264 more, we get 200+ extra sq ft, a backyard, AND access to Lake Isle Country Club (Eastchester perk!) .”

Add in a fireplace, a walk-out basement, and impressive foliage…
…but only one full bath. That’s fine for now, but if kids or houseguests come into the picture, morning routines could get real competitive.

On the topic of “competitive,” it looks like this property recently dropped by $164K. Now, we’re only using current list prices as guidance—but you can already spot a few elements, like the carpeted floors, that are a bit... dated.

That gives prospective buyers a solid incentive: save on the purchase and put that money toward remodeling. Think: an added bathroom, sleeker finishes, and a whole new vibe—just like the Garcias might consider.

So, the big question: Will the Garcias trade subway convenience for backyard BBQs ?

Methodology
I identified properties priced at or below $1,000,000 near Harlem Line stops (plus one LES subway wild card) to compare commute time, costs, and ownership overhead. Assumptions include consistent walking pace, standard fares, and normalized monthly costs across property types.

Full methodology here.

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