A village that at one point rested at the bottom of Lake Newark, Airmont has a relatively short history considering the fact that the named area was only proposed in 1985 and incorporated in 1991.
Located within the town of Ramapo, Airmont was once described by the New York Times as a village created simply to preserve the "Better Homes and Garden ambiance" that brought people to the county of Rockland in the first place. Although village officials have been in constant court battles over their zoning practices, this in no way affects the residents or quaint nature of the village that they created to keep the area beautiful.
Moving to Airmont
Moving is always a hassle, but when you need to find an apt for rent in Airmont, you're faced with a challenge. The simple fact is that the village looks like it was literally taken from the pages of a Better Homes and Garden magazine. In fact, if you ever want to be on the cover, just stand on your lawn for a few hours every day and hope for the best. Don't get discouraged, though; if you're willing to put a little elbow grease into the task, you can become an inhabitant of a village in no time flat.
When to Start Looking
What time is it now? Time for you to be looking for rental homes in Airmont, that's what time it is. Renters make up less than 15 percent of all residents in Airmont, but this isn't because tenants don't love it here. Au contraire, my dear! People love this place so much that they just end up purchasing their homes. If there were any fewer apartment rentals to go around in this village, the place would be fully packed, and with a population density of nearly 2,000 residents per square mile, it may feel that way at times.
When to Make the Move
Fortunately, Airmont is far enough away from the Big Apple that traffic shouldn't be a real consideration when deciding on when you move. If possible, though, you may want to avoid the winter since average low temperatures reach 20 or below for at least two of these seasonal months. Of course, you probably don't have that option. Weren't you listening when we said how popular and packed this place is? Sure, there's plenty of living space, but homes aren't being built with a mass influx of new residents in mind. So whether you're looking for a large home or a studio apartment for rent, you should probably move whenever the chance presents itself.
What to Bring Along
Oh yeah, you're going to need stuff when moving here. Lots of stuff, and we don't mean your X-Box or yoga mat. The crime rate in the village is nearly nine times lower than the rest of New York, and some sites have ranked it as safer than 81 percent of all other cities throughout America. Add that to the beauty the community provides, and landlords can be awfully picky if they want. This means having more than the essentials, such as a completed rental application and proof of income; it means you'd do well to come with references from former landlords, a credit check and even a background check if possible. Pretend as if this is a job interview, because in many ways, it really is. The job of living somewhere amazing, that is.
Airmont Neighborhoods
When you're ready to find an apartment in Airmont, you can't just pick out the first available one you see. Well, you could; that would make it insanely easier. But if you're one of those people that likes to be completely satisfied with where you're living, the least you could do is look at what the few areas around town are actually like. Yes, we know the entire area is awesome; but there are little differences here and there. Plus, we put all this work into it already, so pay attention!
Saddle River Road: The area just west of Saddle River Road makes up the easternmost area of Airmont. You'll be hard-pressed to find a small home that doesn't have plenty of space between neighbors, but if those neighbors still manage to get on your nerves, Interstate 87 is nearby. Or take a break at Schwartz Memorial Park. Whatever floats your boat.
Central Airmont: The homes in this area have even more wide open space, as impossible as that seems. Also, if you're in the Tallman neighborhood area, you'll have easy access to the delectable Waterwheel Restaurant and Cafe. You're also nearby Cherry Lane Elementary School, so no speeding! Besides, you never know when a speed bump might take out your fender.
Western Airmont: Homes are a bit closer together in this neighborhood, but you should see the size of some of these front yards. Seriously. You need to be a track star just to get the mail. That's an exaggeration of course, but only a little. You'll be close to the Airmont Cemetery and Clark Recreation Center, which are only about 500 feet from each other. That's creepy, right?
Living in Airmont
Airmont is a quiet place, so if you're going to act crazy, do it in your basement! This doesn't mean, though, that there aren't some cool things around town and nearby that you can enjoy. So check out some of these areas, and once you're there, you'll undoubtedly find a million more things to do. Come on now, we can't do all of the work for you. But we can tell you where to eat: The Purple Pear, Kyo Japanese Restaurant and Ray's Restaurant are good places to start.
If you thought the cemetery being nearby the recreation center was creepy, who knows how you'll react to nearby Spook Rock. Legend has it that a young woman's ghost appears at the rock every year on the date of her death. Though there's not much of a nightlife in Airmont, you can always catch a flick at the Lafayette Theater, which is only five minutes away, after having a bite to eat. You're literally only about an hour away from New York City if you move to Airmont. Seriously! You get the quaintness of village living, but you also can go run amok in NYC. Just don't end up on an episode of Law and Order.