Margaret Schneider, of Summit Residential LLC, the developer of The Landing at Dobbs Ferry luxury townhome project, says that part of the current crop of prospective buyers can be traced to the World Trade Center tragedy. Summit Residential is an affiliate of Cappelli Enterprises of Valhalla.

"There is no question that the interest in purchasing at The Landing from New York City residents, particularly those living in Manhattan, has increased since the tragedy," she notes. "For many people, especially those living in the area below the World Trade Center site, there are practical as well as emotional reasons for considering a move to the suburbs. We're finding that the proximity of our site in Dobbs Ferry to Manhattan is an enormous attraction. And interestingly, the fact that we are situated directly on the Hudson is a draw for people who are accustomed to water views."

While Schneider says the firm has no definitive sales statistics to indicate how many buyers were drawn to the site due to concerns about living in Manhattan, the development has attracted a significant number of New York City residents, even prior to Sept. 11.