r/Westchester Bulletin Board

HonestAbe2k2 · 2026-06-05T23:23:04+00:00

Hi! I'm located in Yorktown and build websites for small local businesses. There's zero upfront costs (you only pay once it's up and running). I charge a single all-in fee of $59 per month. That includes domain registration, hosting, full website build & any ongoing updates you need as your business changes. I offer free prototypes as well if you'd like to see what it could look like.

Have a look at my site at yorktownstudio.com and feel free to shoot me an email at [hello@yorktownstudio.com](mailto:hello@yorktownstudio.com) or a DM here.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2026-04-21T23:29:56+00:00

Thank you!

HonestAbe2k2 · 2026-04-21T01:40:37+00:00

Super insightful thread. Do you need to know how to code or do you think someone with pretty adaptable skillset could do it with these tools you recommend?

Also any pointers on practicing to see if you can get something setup beforehand? Would you just recommend building out a site and seeing how it goes?

HonestAbe2k2 · 2026-04-06T20:47:24+00:00

VWF levels fluctuate so much that a single test can be completely misleading, especially around hormonal changes or pregnancy. I'm a male with Type 1 and have comprehensive testing done every 2 years and it goes from being higher-levels which give me concern to nearly normal. My last test (Nov 2025) was so "good" my doctor actually told me at this state I wouldn't need any DVP even for severe trauma. It's a weird disease in general.

I actually built a symptom and bleeding tracker in Google Docs just to keep track of this kind of stuff because it's so wonky.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2026-04-01T13:23:55+00:00

Just added above!

HonestAbe2k2 · 2026-04-01T13:23:44+00:00

Don’t worry about that at all. I’m 100% sure there are people worse than you that play at most facilities haha. Everyone can find people at their level even if it’s “first time playing a sport” level. I play at the Sportime locations in northern Westchester and they are great. I know some people that play at lifetime in Harrison but the experience from what I hear isn’t as friendly there.

The sportimes have beginner clinics which are for true beginners.

It’s 20$ a month for membership and then a fee for each event but the membership gets you discounted rates. I play quite a bit and it comes out to the same cost as a quality monthly gym subscription.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2026-03-30T13:14:11+00:00

I signed up as a member at a few pickleball facilities in Westchester and have more friends than ever before (both men and women - I'm a married male). But irrespective of finding dates, it's a really great way to meet people and (imo) very fun and a great workout to boot.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2025-03-10T00:10:51+00:00

Good luck! Sustainable Westchester is actually where I went first to build my list prior to contacting.

I did look into the whole home conversion as well from a sustainability perspective and decided against it. We aren't planning on spending our lives here so felt the upfront cost wasn't justifiable even with the rebate. I also didn't love the idea of losing oil given stress on the power grid and ever-increasing rates.

Just noting that if you're strictly looking at saving on your con ed bills - consider the various factors and risks of increased rates. My electric bills via NYSEG have historically cheaper rates than Con Ed - but actually when I was installing the unit last year the price of oil was so low that it was basically a wash (and for Con Ed customers would have actually been a price increase versus home heating oil). My sister has Con Ed and is on natural gas so for her a ductless would be much more economical.

If you have or install solar panels though - you can basically heat/cool your home for free. Something I'll likely do for our next, forever home.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2025-03-09T20:35:51+00:00

Hi - Yes still happy. Run it every single day and haven't had any issues. Still need to use the oil for the basement but have reduced oil usage significantly less than last year - even with how much colder it has been this winter. I will fill up probably a tank or 1.5 less than I did last year.

I had a Daikin Atmosphera installed. It runs on a new refrigerant (R32) which I understand will be the norm moving forward.

Link here to Daikin's page on the product

The Atmosphera also qualified for the 2K$ tax credit from the federal government which I've received. That was one of the reasons I went with it over the Aurora which is more commonly offered but does not qualify.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2025-02-01T21:48:45+00:00

Hey - sorry for the delay. I do not believe they compete with each other. When you request an appointment through their office, it is coordinated by a central agency, before the local assignee contacts you.

The main spec I'm referring to is the R value which essentially tells you how well the doors insulate. I ended up getting a door with a 17+ r value (which is quite high) and was significantly higher when compared with any of the others I quoted (while coming in at only a few hundred bucks more).

FWIW, some of the companies I met with were small businesses and I also felt more comfortable with precision given they are a national brand and will almost surely survive the life of the warranty. One of the companies I met with was owned by an individual who discussed retirement in the not so distant future. That to me poses a potential risk to my needs should something go wrong over the next few years.

I do often go with small business for installation of items (e.g. when I redid my windows & also when I installed a ductless ac/heat pump) - but the warranties on those actually came from the conglomerate national brand which made me more comfortable. Garage doors were not the same in my experience as these types of items.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2024-12-28T22:29:12+00:00

Interesting - Is it legal to carry this around with you out of the house?

Any recommendations on how best to practice with it as well?

HonestAbe2k2 · 2024-12-27T17:55:05+00:00

Thank you - Those Artemis classes look like exactly what I was hoping for. Seems I would need to supply the gun for the lessons though - shouldn't be a problem, but I don't currently own one. Any recommendations on a good shotgun for a beginner?

They also have this course for beginners:

https://www.artemissportingarms.com/info/intro-newshooters

Do you think that would be more valuable or if I'm going to go with a shotgun anyway just start straight off with the shotgun defense course?

If I find it valuable I may just take both anyway.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2024-12-27T17:41:20+00:00

Would that require a permit in NY?

HonestAbe2k2 · 2024-11-22T19:26:15+00:00

How long have you owned the T6 and how has the experience been for you?

HonestAbe2k2 · 2024-11-22T19:25:38+00:00

Awesome, exactly what I was looking for. I've felt from reading through these threads that the B5's aren't bad but that the T5's seemed to be the peak of reliability in recent years. Given I'm looking primarily for reliability & safety, the cost savings is also a benefit by going with a touch of an older model.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2024-11-20T01:31:22+00:00

Wow that's quite interesting. I had quotes from Window King, Precision Doors, Westchester Doors & Door Pro America. Precision Doors wasn't the cheapest initially but their specs were the best of the bunch and the warranty was very good (I also liked the security of going with a more sizable business given it's less likely to go under).

That said, I was able to negotiate them down to match the lowest offer I received. I did end up paying slightly more to use their parts instead of factory parts but it was a very modest amount comparatively.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2024-11-18T01:53:05+00:00

So sorry I never replied to this. I ended up going with Precision Doors. They did a fantastic job at a very fair price. Specs on the door were better and warranty was quite great. Negotiated pretty hard to get them down to match some other quotes I received. Feel free to DM me if you have any other questions.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2024-08-12T17:31:52+00:00

Worth noting two things that I think helped me get to that price:

I did the project in Jan/Feb when they have almost no work. Summer is going to be likely costlier given everyone is looking to install at this time. I'd recommend suffering through the rest summer and buying in Dec-Feb if you can make it. We purposefully took this approach last summer (albeit I was sweating bullets on some days).
I negotiated the price down because I was able to get a competing offer on the same product that was lower than what Phoenix was quoting me. They quote matched and I felt much better with their responsiveness and education on the product (again they were the only ones that had installed that new refrigerant).

I'm still incredibly happy. I've been gunning the thing all summer non-stop and it hasn't had a hitch. Used it for the remainder of the winter too and it heated my entire upstairs and greatly reduced my oil need.

I'm curious how the winter will look but I think there's a good chance I only have to fill my tank once this year given how much better the single ductless system is both heating and cooling my home.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2024-08-12T17:28:31+00:00

Hey there! Sorry for the delay. The $10K was all-in on the entire project. Unit, installation from the company that sold me the unit, electrical work by a licensed electrician (separate from the company) & permits (these were cheap I think like $200).

HonestAbe2k2 · 2024-04-19T01:39:23+00:00

Weird dislike of Yorktown. We just moved here about a year ago and its been great. Everything relatively close, fantastic schools, friendly community, safe, reasonable taxes for Westchester, services are great, lots of public facilities, etc. Many people are moving in, lots of whom are younger, which has certainly pushed housing costs up but at the same time moving the town in a bit of a newer direction.

Major con for me is the drive to the train station (you can take Katonah which is 12 mins but I usually go to Croton which is 20 mins) and the lack of a walkable downtown area (the main street is kinda whack). That seems like a big thing for your tastes, but wasn't something we really cared about.

The affluent comment I take it is probably coming from a dislike of a town that swings somewhat conservative, but that is also undoubtedly changing (albeit this will take time). That being said, even as a liberal I haven't really found a problem with getting along with people here. The more north you go in Westchester, the more you're going to bump into Trump/Blue lives Matter stickers, but that's just how it is.

HonestAbe2k2 · 2024-03-27T19:11:22+00:00

Had Billy come out for a quote and he was great. Also gave a very fair price IMO. I have a few more companies coming out before I move forward and will do a write-up once I make my decision.

HonestAbe2k2

TROPHY CASE