Photo by Cathy Pinsky Owner Alvin Clayton makes his rounds, ensuring that guests feel right at home. |
R5 Restaurant Review: Alvin & Friends in New Rochelle
R5 Best 18 Golf Holes at Westchester County’s Clubs and Courses in 2013
Every golfer has a favorite hole on his or her home course. It may be the one where they sank that clutch putt to win the club championship, or the par 3 where they made their one and only hole-in-one. Sometimes it’s the hole with that great view of the Hudson, or maybe it’s where the azaleas light up the landscape every spring. Regardless of the reason, we all have our personal favorites, which is really what makes our annual compilation of the “best” holes in Westchester so much fun.
This year, we asked the head pros of all the clubs in the county to identify their favorites on their home course. Some chose the signature hole—a few the most challenging. Most of them, though, picked favorite holes for the same reasons you and I do: because they enjoy playing them. They picked holes with multiple strategic choices and demanding approach shots, but very few of them picked the hardest holes on their course. A surprising number made their choice based on the natural beauty of the hole and its setting, which should serve as a reminder to us all to stop and smell the roses while we’re hacking away at par. If the pros were to put together a course, here’s what it would look like.
Wykagyl Country Club
New Rochelle • Hole 5 • 397 yards • Par 4
Ben Hoffhine: “The fifth hole requires not only an accurate but a strategic tee shot, because you have to be on the left side of the fairway for your best shot into the green. It’s also the hardest approach shot we have into any of the par 4s on our golf course. It’s a very narrow green from front to back, especially if the pin is on the right side of the green where you have to carry the bunker to get to it. If you hit a little long, you’re on the hill behind, which makes it very difficult. It’s also a very picturesque hole because the tee is elevated, and you get to look at the stream that runs parallel to the fairway and then across it. The view from the fairway to the green is also great, with the fescue on the hillside behind the green. Depending on the wind conditions, longer players will hit something other than a driver—because you have to keep it short of the creek—but you still have to be long enough to leave a lofted iron into the green. It’s the widest fairway on the course, but may play as the narrowest because the desirable landing area is so small.”
Century Country Club
Purchase • Hole 6 • 430 yards • Par 4
Nelson Long: “Our sixth hole sets so perfectly into the land-scape it looks like it just grew there. You don’t really need any direction on where to hit your ball since everything is right there in front of you. You can see the fairway bending a little left off the tee, so you know it would be good to hit a bit of a draw. You see the trees on the left, though, so you know you shouldn’t get too aggressive. Then you see the green perched on the hillside with bunkers down below on the left, so you know to hit your approach to the right side of the green. It just fits your eye.”
Trump National Golf Club Westchester
Briarcliff Manor • Hole 2 • 515 yards • Par 5
Carey Stephan: “It’s one of the prettier holes here, which is saying a lot since we have so many of them. Not only is it a great view from the tee, with water on the left and right, but it also has that risk and reward for a long hitter. The creek meanders all along the right-hand side, and it’s well bunkered, so it’s challenging even if you’re not going for the green. You can get on in two, but you have to navigate the pond and stream. It’s entirely possible to make anywhere from a three to an eight—or worse.”
Quaker Ridge Golf Club
Scarsdale • Hole 9 • 143 yards • Par 3
Rick Vershure: “Every great course that has great par 3s has a little one. Ours is number nine. It’s a little bitty hole and our tiniest green. It’s almost Redan-ish in that it slopes from right to left, and the ball will release from right to left in every instance. There are four really spectacular pin positions on that green. If you miss it long and right, you’re working to make bogey. The back center pin is the most difficult. In the Hochster every year, the guys will stand on the tee and see the yardage number then try to hit it. But if you’re above the hole or to the right, you almost can’t two-putt it. The guys who’ve played in the tournament before will play short and left of the flag. We have four par-3s and they’re all different clubs at 164, 185, 201, and 234—and they all face in different directions. Number nine is a little hole, but you can lose your lunch on it.”
Leewood Golf Club
Eastchester • Hole 18 • 408 yards • Par 4
Dean Johnson: “Eighteen has gone through a major transformation. It may now be one of the strongest holes on the course. In all my years playing in the Met Section, it’s definitely now one of the best finishing holes I’ve played. You have a shot coming into the green that has a creek down the right, and the green feeds down to the water. We put a trap left. If you aim right you’re pointed at trouble, and if you pull your shot left you’re going right at the bunker. We have tall fescue behind the green, so a little bit long and you’re in trouble there. It’s very hard but very fair. For the average player who hits a drive 210 yards, you’ll have 180 yards in there. There’s ample landing area in front of the green, and it’s a little bit bigger than most of the greens here at Leewood—but it’s your finishing hole, so you don’t want to end with anything worse than a par. That will put some butterflies in your gut.”
Winged Foot Golf Club, West Course
Mamaroneck • Hole 3 • 216 yards • Par 3
Mike Gilmore: “Even the pros rarely play from the back tees on the third hole because it’s such a severe shot. The narrow opening to the green gives it a visually intimidating view no matter which tee you’re using. And you should be intimidated! If you don’t hit the green, your chances of getting up and down are nil. If you land in one of the bunkers on either side of the green you’ve got a problem, because the green runs away from both of them. Even if you hit the green from the tee, it’s not an easy two-putt.”
Continued on page 2 …
Ardsley Country Club
Ardsley • Hole 6 • 430 yards • Par 4
Jim Bender: “I’ve always warned members and their guests that this hole plays harder than it looks. You can get in trouble off the tee, although that’s not the real challenge. The toughest shot is the approach to the green. It’s uphill all the way, and the green itself is elevated with a false front—just to make it more important to use enough club.”
Metropolis Country Club
White Plains • Hole 17 • 350 yards • Par 4
Craig Thomas: “You might be surprised, but I like the 17th hole. It shows that there’s more to this game than length. It’s certainly not long, but it’s an interesting hole that puts a premium on accuracy. Your tee shot has to be straight, and you have to hit your second shot on the nose or you’re going to get in trouble. The green is elevated and small, almost like an island surrounded by bunkers and grass swales, so you really have to float your ball into it.”
Whippoorwill Club
Armonk • Hole 16 • 551 yards • Par 5
Jim Wahl: “Par on this hole is harder than you think. Even a long, straight drive off the tee will leave you with an uphill approach with cross bunkers in play on the second shot and a really tough green for the third. Even a short chip or little pitch into the green can cause problems because the green is highly contoured and can be very fast, since it’s perched up high where the wind can keep it dry and slick.”
Hudson National Golf Club
Croton-on-Hudson • Hole 18 • 470 yards • Par 4
Theron Harvey: “Our 18th is simply the best golf hole I’ve ever played. It’s aesthetically perfect. The views of the Hudson River from the tee are spectacular, then you turn around and you’re faced with a long, narrow fairway with trouble on both sides. The second shot is a long iron or more. It plays at least 15 yards longer than you think, and it’s into a wide but shallow green.”
Westchester Country Club, West Course
Rye • Hole 13 • 419 yards • Par 4
John Kennedy: “I enjoy our 13th hole because it has both challenge and beauty. You have a forced carry—depending on which tee you’re playing—of from 160 to 190 yards, but the fescue on the side of the hill lends a touch of visual appeal. Then you’re approaching a green that’s elevated and slopes from back to front like all our greens. The green is also outlined against the sky. It’s a great combination of beauty and challenge.”
Anglebrook Golf Club
Lincolndale • Hole 16 • 484 yards • Par 5
Rob Davis: “I think this hole has tremendous potential. It may not be perfect, but it is a challenge to both the average and the better player. Most players can reach the ‘go for it’ zone off the tee, but then they have to decide whether to challenge the bunkers around the green. If you go for it, your shot has to land soft, because the green slopes away from the fairway. The 16th also has the best views on the course. From the tee, you can see much of the course as well as the rolling hills into the distance.”
Glen Arbor Golf Club
Bedford • Hole 14 • 138 yards • Par 3
Brian Crowell: “The aesthetics of this hole are fabulous. I love the water setting, the wild flowers all around—and the Swilcan Burn Bridge replica gives it a wonderful look. The hole also gives you a lot of risk-and-reward opportunity. Depending on the wind and the pin placement, it can be a really, really tough short hole. It’s rare to have to deal with water and sand all at once. I especially like the far left pin placement where, from the tee box, it looks like the pin is almost in the water.”
Continued on page 3 …
Old Oaks Country Club
Purchase • Hole 13 • 420 yards • Par 4
Bobby Heins: “It’s a good par 4. It’s got enough length, and the green sets nicely in relation to the hole. It’s the kind of hole you can play a lot of different ways. Where you drive it determines how you play it, because there are challenges from each side of the fairway. The longer second shot can be tough, but the shorter one has issues too because of the way the green is pitched. If you spin the ball too much, it can hurt. If you hit the green it’s a tough putt, and if you miss the green it’s a big challenge. The hole really gets to a lot of people.”
Sleepy Hollow Country Club
Scarborough • Hole 18 • 426 yards • Par 4
David Young: “I like the 18th hole. Between the strength of the hole and the view of the clubhouse in the background, it’s special. It’s hard, especially from the back tee. There’s plenty of trouble around the green, and the green itself is challenging, too. For the longer hitters, the tee shot gets harder the farther you hit it because the fairway slopes more to the right the closer you get to the green, and the trees get involved in the second shot.”
Salem Golf Club
North Salem • Hole 13 • 407 yards • Par 4
Charlie Poole: “Just about every shot on the 13th hole is intimidating. The tee shot certainly is. It’s downhill, but there are hazards on both sides of the fairway. Then you have to hit a really strong second shot. The approach is hard for even the best players. The green is difficult, too. The hole just never lets up.”
Brynwood Golf & Country Club
Armonk • Hole 8 • 216 yards • Par 3
Josh Lowney: “This hole may measure 216, but it plays more like 240 because it’s uphill and the green is elevated. There’s water in front of you, so it’s visually intimidating, too. The water shouldn’t be in play, but there are thousands of balls in it. Even though it plays long, the hole requires accuracy off the tee because of the deep bunkers and trees around the green. The green has two tiers and is heavily undulating, so even when you get there, you’re not home yet. The hole averages well over four strokes throughout the year.
Siwanoy Country Club
Bronxville • Hole 4 • 511 yards • Par 5
Grant Turner: “Eighteen is our most famous and certainly most difficult par 5, but my personal favorite is number four—the first of our back-to-back par 5s on the front side. With a good drive with a little draw, there’s always a chance you can reach it in two. The green has some really great pin positions, too, so there is a lot of challenge.”
R5 A World Bazaar
Photography by Gus Cantavero
Yvonne Jean Rabie and Daniel Carranza amid their wares in Ethnika Home Décor & Antiques, the shop they opened in 2007. |
She’s a Lebanese Brazilian with expertise in textile history and an eye for interior design. He’s an Argentinean with a black English ivy cap worn at a tilt, whose paintings have been exhibited internationally. Now Hartsdale residents, Yvonne Jean Rabie and Daniel Carranza met in Brazil 15 years ago, married in Scarsdale three years later, and have been travelling the globe together since, seeking out rare and worthy home furnishings and accessories to bring back to the States. Their purchases can be found at Ethnika Home Décor & Antiques, their 3,000-square-foot store in New Rochelle, which is chock full of the results of their wide-ranging aesthetic sense and discriminating taste.
On a recent afternoon, I joined Rabie and Carranza, both 55, at Ethnika, where Rabie brewed Mei Jia Wu Longjing green tea that we drank from delicate Japanese teacups. We sat around a 19th-century Brazilian colonial table, Rabie on a Brazilian country chair made of pink peroba wood, Carranza on an 18th-century wooden American school stool. Nearby, a low Mongolian table held a foot-tall stone Buddha from Tibet, a bowl made of Peking glass, and a pair of Venetian lamps. Beyond that were armoires stacked on chests, piles of Oriental carpets, cabinets topped with figurines and candlesticks, and Chinese pancake baskets full of mysterious objects carved from wood. The softly lit space vibrated with alternating colors—bright reds and purples, muted blues and greens, the sheen of brass and silver. Of the more than 10,000 pieces from all over the world, prices range widely, from an $18 miniature bronze opium weight from Thailand to artwork worth $50,000; all furniture prices are wholesale.
Perusing the shop, Rabie and Carranza began enumerating the origins of their goods. “Peru, Uzbekistan, Africa,” she said, pointing toward one corner. “Spain, Japan, Russia,” he followed. “There’s a French daybed, and those small boxes are from Turkey…”
The list went on: India, Korea, Scandinavia, Iran, Papua New Guinea. Could they think of a country that wasn’t represented? They were quiet for a moment. “Maybe Australia?” Rabie said.
(Left to right) Vietnamese porcelain from the Hoi An shipwreck dates back to the late 15th century; A Tibetan Buddha head, quartz and crystal balls; Chinese porcelain and other treasures are displayed on a Cantonese table; A Korean Bandaji bridal chest from the late 1800s; French Art Deco bowl from 1920 sits between a pair of Murano glass lamps. |
The aptly named Ethnika, which opened in 2007, allows Rabie and Carranza to lead the lives they choose. They travel abroad several times a year to shop. “We wander and look, we find and we buy,” Rabie said. As for their next voyage, they haven’t yet agreed on a destination. “She wants to go to Indonesia and India,” Carranza said.
She oversees the shop, whose merchandise flows onto the sidewalk when the weather is warm. Prior to opening Ethnika, Rabie spent seven years running Alkadim Art & Antiques, a store she owned in Mamaroneck that took its name from her family’s antiques business in São Paulo. “From the time I was little, I’ve lived with such things,” she said.
It was in the Alkadim shop in São Paulo that Rabie first met Carranza when he came in looking for a particular French painting. “We started talking, and we clicked right away,” Rabie recalled. Carranza studied economics in Buenos Aires and ran an advertising business for four years. He moved to São Paulo to study painting, and there he, too, opened an antiques shop before becoming a full-time artist. Some of his award-winning oils adorn Ethnika’s walls. A recent cycle, which focuses on the beauty of nature in an endangered environment, presents mythical creatures with human bodies and the heads of animals and birds. It was exhibited last year at the Chung Young Yang Embroidery Museum in Seoul, South Korea.
This ecological concern is reflected in Rabie and Carranza’s commitment to sustainability in Ethnika’s purchasing practices. “Anything we buy that is not antique is made from ninety-five to one hundred percent recycled wood,” Carranza explained. “We are against cutting any trees.”
Rabie is constantly replacing pieces that are sold with others taken from storage. “Every time you come in here,” she said, “it’s different.” She pulled opened a drawer in a nearby chest to reveal a set of jade brush pots waiting their turn to be displayed. “More treasures,” she said with a smile. “We sell things quickly.”
Among the oldest selections is a collection of blue-and-white porcelain dating back to the 15th century, part of what was salvaged from the Hoi An, a trading vessel shipwrecked off the coast of Vietnam. The newest finds are the Venetian lamps, made from Murano glass. “We’re adding more modern pieces,” Rabie said, “but not ‘modern modern.’” Even when centuries old, her ethnic items make great accents in a contemporary space.
Those ethnic items comprise about 90 percent of the store’s sales. “The other ten percent is American and European,” Rabie said. “People want things that are different, unusual. Even in our home, I’m swapping some of the classical furnishings for Tibetan ones.”
Rabie and Carranza live with his grown daughter and their cat in a two-bedroom apartment that, like their shop, is filled with acquisitions from their journeys. “I love to live with beautiful things,” Rabie said. Visitors to Ethnika might even end up with a craving for something they never knew existed. But sometimes, Rabie said, customers are overwhelmed by the multitude of options confronting them. To help, she assembles items in appealing configurations, rather than grouping them by type or nationality. “I mix it up so people can get an idea of how to put things together,” she said. Once, she arranged an elegant table with two chairs and a selection of ornaments. “A customer bought the whole setup, everything together just like it was.”
Ethnika Home Décor & Antiques
1 Portman Rd, New Rochelle
914.813.8920
ethnikaantiques.com
Open six days (Tuesday-Sunday).
ethnikaantiques.blogspot.com
Susan Hodara (susanhodara.com) is a journalist, memoirist, and teacher, who frequently writes about the arts.
R5 January Highlights
Drawn to It
Sure, Minimal art looks easy. No doubt you’ve looked at a painting of all one color and thought, “I could do that.” The truth is, you couldn’t have—and the Katonah Museum of Art can show you why. Its newest exhibition, Drawn/Taped/Burned: Abstraction on Paper, features Minimal, Post-Minimal, and Conceptual art from artists who really know what they’re doing: Jasper Johns, John Cage, Sol LeWitt, Richard Serra, and others. And, while the works may be minimal, the exhibition itself certainly is not; there are 65 pieces representing 58 artists. You can see the exhibition from January 23 to May 1. |
Mark diSuvero
Untitled, 1983
Ink on paper, 24 x 17 ¾ inches
Photography by Ellen McDermott
Tea UpWhen January rolls around, sometimes we can’t stand the thought of going out. We just want to grab our blankets, brew some tea, and curl up with a good book. The Westchester Library System understands the hibernating instinct and rewards us for venturing out in the cold by giving us exactly what we want. On January 17, it’s hosting its annual African American Writers and Readers Literary Tea at Abigail Kirsch’s Tappan Hill Mansion. The featured speakers will be Yvonne Thornton (The Ditchdigger’s Daughters), Dolan Perkins-Valdez (Wench: A Novel), and Tanya Wright (Butterfly Rising). The event kicks off the Westchester Library System’s programs for African American History Month. |
Clockwise from top left: Dolan Perkins-Valdez, Tanya Wright and Yvonne Thornton
Show Off
They say that gift-giving is an art, but the real secret is that art always makes good gifts. On January 8 and January 9, you can stock up on a year’s worth of upcoming birthday presents—or housewarming or hostess gifts—at the annual Art Show: Bedford in the Fellowship Hall at St. Matthew’s Church. There, talented artists present their locally made wares. If you want your pick of the best items, spring for a ticket to the Champagne Preview Party on January 7 ($95 to $125). Not in the buying market and looking to sell? On Sunday, experts will be on hand to appraise your junk—we mean treasures—for $20 for your first two items and $10 per item after that. For more information, visit stmatthewsbedford.org. |
Yellow Vase With Red Bird by Mireille Duchesne
Twelve Monkeys
Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, Twelfth Night, is also one of his best. You might be inspired to see it again and again. Luckily, this month, the local Red Monkey Theater Group will give you the opportunity to do just that. The troupe is bringing Twelfth Night on a mini-tour around the county, stopping in some great venues along the way. We recommend the first performance the most—and not just because it’s free (though that certainly helps). We just think that it’s fitting that the play will premiere at a historic venue, St. Paul’s Church in Mount Vernon, on January 8. After that, you can see it at the Larchmont Temple on January 9, ArtsWestchester’s Arts Exchange in White Plains on January 14, and the Rochambeau School in White Plains on January 21. For more information, visit redmonkeytheater.org.
Coping
Clarence Greenwood may not be a household name, but, chances are, if you’re a fan of modern radio, you’ve heard of the singer/songwriter/DJ’s alter ego and band: Citizen Cope. Greenwood has had an itinerant life, having lived in Memphis, Washington, DC, and Brooklyn, and has managed to channel musical influences from all these areas into Citizen Cope. The result mixes straight-up rock with hip-hop, R&B, blues, and even a little electronic music (Greenwood plays keyboards as well). Of his most recent album, The Rainwater LP, All Music Guide writes that “from Greenwood’s rhythmic leanings to his vocabulary, there is no overlooking the hip-hop sensibilities that assert themselves on introspective tracks.” To hear Citizen Cope perform these new songs, visit the Tarrytown Music Hall on January 21. |
Greenwood, aka Citizen Cope
Continue reading for our Home Theater section.
Home Theater
Genre movies to add to your queue this month
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest DVD Release Date: January 25, Music Box Films Home Entertainment Those of you who have been swept away by Stieg Larsson’s popular book series—and, really, by now, who hasn’t?—need the sense of closure from this third (and final) film of the Millennium Trilogy. Definitely go for the Swedish version of the films: Sweden’s Noomi Rapace has received all-out raves for her portrayal of hacker Lisbeth Salander—better than any starlet David Fincher can dredge up for his upcoming American versions of the series. |
Machete DVD Release Date: January 4, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment If you miss those exploitation films of yore and are looking for something over-the-top to watch, well, Machete lives up to its name. It started off as a spoof—a fake trailer created for the Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino joint venture Grindhouse—but Rodriguez and a co-director decided to try and make a real movie that lived up to the trailer’s promise of big blades, big guns, and big explosions. The grizzled Danny Trejo is a perfect match for his revenge-seeking ex-Federale character. |
The Naked Kiss and Shock Corridor DVD Release Date: January 18, Criterion Collection From the always top-notch Criterion Collection comes a pair of films from master director Samuel Fuller. The Naked Kiss is another one of those tales in which there’s trouble brewing in a seemingly idyllic suburb—and Constance Towers plays an ex-prostitute who uncovers it. Shock Corridor provides another uneasy tale, in which a reporter has himself committed to a mental hospital to investigate a crime—and his own sanity. Both DVDs come with cool artwork from cartoonist Daniel Clowes (Ghost World). |
Justified: The Complete First Season DVD Release Date: January 25, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Who knows grit better than Elmore Leonard? This FX series adapts and expands one of Leonard’s stories, “Fire in the Hole,” into a 13-episode first season. Justified follows Raylan Givens, a U.S. Marshal who gets transferred from glamorous Miami to the eastern Kentucky county where he grew up, where there are plenty of bad guys and loose strings for him to tie up. Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood) steps into the role of Givens—and man, does he look good in a cowboy hat (if that’s your thing). |
R5 The Pulse: A Survey of Residents' Fitness Habits
I hate to work out because…
I don’t like other people staring at me while I pant away on the treadmill. I’m too busy. No matter how much I try, my waist size stays the same. I have bad genetics. I’m too lazy! It always hurts the
next day. I get too concerned over how much the guy next to me has already done.
I made getting fit/getting in better shape
one of my New Year’s resolutions this year:
Yes 55%
No 45%
For those who answered YES, this is
the ____ time I’ve made this resolution.
first 24%
second 52%
third 14%
I’ve lost count 10%
I prefer to work out…
…at a gym/health club 45%
…at home 37%
…at an on-site gym at work 18%
My main reason for working out is to…
lose weight 32%
de-stress 24%
improve health/prevent issues 18%
look good in that outfit I love 15%
pick up a hot girl/guy at the gym 11%
My main type of exercise is:
lifting weights 29%
cardio 24%
playing sports 18%
circuit machines 16%
martial arts 8%
clicking the remote control 5%
That expensive piece of exercise
equipment I bought last year…
…has been repurposed as a
napping place for the cat 42%
…is a good plan B when I don’t feel
like schlepping to the gym 37%
…has been getting a workout
from me 21%
What motivates me the most when it comes to working out is…
…working out with a buddy 34%
…my significant other’s nagging 21%
…watching exercise videos 18%
…the camaraderie at the gym 11%
…that pint of Ben & Jerry’s waiting
for me in the freezer 16%
R5 Kiawah Island: Great Golf and Grits in South Carolina
The Sanctuary Hotel on South Carolina’s Kiawah Island offers guests luxurious accommodations — as well as jaw-dropping ocean views |
R5 Where to Buy…Now
Ever walk through a ritzy neighborhood with an old-timer? At some point, as you stare with unabashed lust at some drop-dead gorgeous property, he or she will remark with sadistic glee, “I remember when you could have had your pick of these places for next to nothing.” Ruefully, you imagine what it’d be like to journey back in time (with checkbook in hand, of course) to the days when river-view mansions, soon-to-be-trendy lofts, and historic estates went begging.
Perhaps you have your own real estate story (which, like fish stories, are always about the one that got away). You were all set to buy that magnificent prewar when your mother-in-law prevailed upon you to buy in a “more established area.” If only you had listened to that little voice saying, “One day, this neighborhood is going to be hot.” It was within your grasp, and you let it go. You could kick yourself! Well, kick yourself no more. Westchester is home to a few up-and-coming towns where spectacular properties, while not exactly going begging (this is Westchester, after all), are politely clearing their throats for attention. So grab your checkbook for a brief tour of Westchester’s best real estate fishing holes. Years from now, you’ll be telling some drooling tourist about the day you landed the big one.
New Rochelle |
Median Sold Home Price: $705,000
The Pros: Quick (34-minutes) commute to the city; 9.3 miles of shoreline; public beach; mix of urban and suburban environments; reasonable taxes; diverse population.
The Cons: No public pool; faded downtown (currently revitalizing); densely populated.
“When I was growing up, down-town New Rochelle was where everyone came to shop,” says Scott Cohen, a broker at Wykagyl/Rittenberg Realty in New Rochelle as we drive down Main Street, a motley assembly of storefronts in various states of disrepair. “There was a Macy’s and a Bloomingdale’s—you never needed to go into Manhattan to shop. But it kind of petered out when White Plains took off. They stole our thunder.” Nowadays, the thunder is rumbling again in New Rochelle, a city of 72,182 people contained in 10.67 square miles. Downtown, the city has stolen a page from White Plains’ playbook. Tall towers, high-end high rises, and mixed-use developments by real estate’s biggest names, are helping the city shake its downtown doldrums. The excitement is transforming both the city’s skyline and its bottom line. Trump Plaza, Westchester’s tallest building-to-be, at 175 Huguenot Street, for example, is selling out quickly—even though it’s still under construction. A joint effort between Donald Trump and Louis Cappelli, Trump Plaza will top out at 40 stories (surpassing their Trump Tower in White Plains, at 35 stories, currently the county’s tallest building). The apartments here range from $500,000 for a one-bedroom unit to $1.4 million for a three-bedroom penthouse.
Across the street from Trump Plaza, there’s LeCount Square, a $750-million project that encom passes a full downtown block. A planned mixed-use development comprising two 32-story towers, the complex will include a 125-room hotel, 135,000 square feet of office space, 193,000 square feet of retail space, 15,000 square feet devoted to restaurants, 841 on-site parking spaces, and 201 units of luxury residential housing (most likely condos). A Cappelli companion project, The Lofts at New Roc, offers 98 co-op apartments (it’s one of Westchester’s rare co-op conversions from a rental building) ranging from under $200,000 for a studio apartment to $355,000 for a two-bedroom.
Like its rival, New Rochelle offers a convenient city commute (just 34 minutes by train to Grand Central), ethnic diversity, and urban amenities (i.e., stuff to do past 6 pm). But New Rochelle has a significant edge: the Long Island Sound. While much of the shore is in private hands as homes, beach clubs, and marinas, a 25-acre industrial strip known as Echo Bay is mostly owned by the city. The site, encompassing the southeast side of East Main Street from Echo Avenue to Salesian High School, is currently occupied by a public-works maintenance yard, a naval armory, a city-owned marina, and an abandoned Con Ed substation.
But New Rochelle has big plans for its property. In a few years, this area will feature a waterfront promenade, green space, housing, and shops. Four different plans from competing developers are before the City Council for review, and City Manager Chuck Strome predicts that work will begin as soon as 2008 or 2009.
When complete, Echo Bay will link the city’s existing parks and open water vistas. “It’ll also link Main Street to the waterfront,” says Strome. This is critical for the health of downtown development. Without a master plan, buildings like Trump Plaza are just isolated beacons of upscale flash and the only people who get to enjoy the waterfront are those who peer at it from their penthouses. The Echo Bay plan, in addition to the current development, should transform this part of New Rochelle and once again put the city on par with its old rival. Or perhaps steal some of its thunder.
Although downtown is clearly on the move, there is also real estate opportunity in the city’s North End. In this quieter, residential section of the city near the Scarsdale border, one of the most desirable communities is Wykagyl Park, where gracious Tudors from the 1920s, and vintage Colonials, mostly 2,000 to 4,000 square feet, are perched on manicured quarter-acre lots. Homes here aren’t cheap. According to Cohen, prices in Wykagyl Park range from $900,000 to $5 million, depending on size, updates, and amenities. But the real bargain here is in taxes—especially when compared to surrounding towns. Taxes on a typical Wykagyl Park home might be around $12,000. “That’s a bargain compared to someplace like Pelham,” Cohen explains. “In Pelham, they’re reassessing taxes based on the sale price, so a comparably-priced home might have taxes that are twice what you’d pay here.”
While we’re in the North End, here’s a bit of trivia: Do you remember the Dick Van Dyke show from the 1960s? Remember how he would come home to his suburban split ranch and trip over the ottoman? It just so happens that Dick’s split ranch was a real house located right here in New Rochelle on Bonnie Meadow Road off of Grand Boulevard on the Scarsdale border. (Which is where Carl Reiner lived and where Rob Reiner grew up.) Fast-forward nearly 50 years. The split ranch is still standing, but the person tripping over the ottoman might very well be African American, Asian, Hispanic, an Orthodox Jew, or a homosexual. “The people who live in the North End of New Rochelle have the same income as the people who populate Scarsdale, Larchmont, and Bronxville,” Cohen says, “but they’re more diverse in terms of background. This is a very accepting place. You could walk down North Avenue painted green and no one would blink an eye.”
While the market for individual homes in New Rochelle, as elsewhere, has cooled in recent months, Cohen says the market for condos remains relatively strong. “They’re very in demand,” he says—and plentiful in New Rochelle. One Ginsburg development, Kensington Woods, appeals especially to seniors (each home has its own elevator), but there are no pools, tennis courts, or clubhouses. Prices for a home in Kensington Woods range from $1.48 to $1.875 million.
For the moment, New Rochelle is popular with those who know her best. “Many of our buyers grew up in New Rochelle or never left,” says Cohen. “They know the community and this is the only place they want to be.” The ranks of those who love New Rochelle are growing. If you long to trip over an ottoman of your very own, you might want to hurry.
On the Market: New Rochelle
Neighborhood/location: Bayberry Listing price: $795,000 Square feet: 2,000 Year built: 1954 Bedrooms/bathrooms: 3/3 Est. acreage: 0.39 Taxes: $11,534 Features: Renovated one-level ranch with Bayberry community amenities like pool and tennis. Taxes with star are $11,534. Listing provided by: Scott Cohen/Prudential Wykagyl/Rittenberg Realty/(914) 632-9100 |
Neighborhood/location: Paine Heights Listing price: $1,999,999 Square feet: 4,800 Year built: 1929 Bedrooms/bathrooms: 6/4.5 Est. acreage: 0.55 Taxes: $29,000 Features: Grand-scale Tudor with two fireplaces, sweeping staircase, leaded glass, architectural detail, renovated baths, central air, and tri-level deck. Listing provided by: Scott Cohen/Prudential Wykagyl/Rittenberg Realty/(914) 632-9100 |
Ossining |
Median Sold Home Price: $510,000
The Pros: Great little bodegas where the prices are low and the ambiance authentic (you can imagine you’re on vacation in some Latino country); lots of little ethnic restaurants where the sangria flows and the flan is homemade; the Teatown Reservation for hiking and grooving on nature.
The Cons: Almost an hour commute to the city; much of the town is not close to any major highway; lack of parking downtown; no gourmet shops, upscale boutiques, or bookstores.
Ossining is diverse in every possible sense of the word. This northwestern town encompasses a bustling riverside village, suburban subdivisions, rolling countryside, and deep woods. Ethnically, according to the 2000 census, Ossining Village is approximately 60 percent white, 20 percent black, and 28 percent Hispanic (the numbers don’t add up to 100 because of rounding). The economic picture is no less diverse. Although long considered one of the county’s more affordable communities, Ossining includes day laborers huddled in crowded tenements, successful professionals in sprawling McMansions, and wealthy owners of grand estates. According to the Briarcliff Manor office of Houlihan Lawrence, housing sales prices for June 2005 through June 2006 ranged from $200,000 to $2.85 million in the Ossining school district.
All this diversity means that Ossining lacks a cohesive identity akin to a Scarsdale or Katonah. Think of Ossining and what comes to mind? Probably Sing Sing, the storied prison that residents barely even notice. Nestled among the surrounding towns of Briarcliff Manor, Croton, and Yorktown, Ossining is all but unknown to most outsiders. “I’ve heard Ossining referred to as ‘upstate New York,’” says David Fink, a real estate broker with Houlihan Lawrence’s Briarcliff Manor office. The town’s low profile might explain, at least in part, why Ossining hasn’t enjoyed the kind of popularity and explosive growth of other Westchester communities. That’s all about to change.
The past few years have brought improvements and boosted civic pride. A state-of-the-art library, built with green construction methods, is almost complete. An indoor/outdoor pool complex is under construction at 95 Broadway, and there’s talk of putting an arts center in the former Ossining Bank for Savings building on Main Street. A teahouse and a salon with spa services have set up shop on Main Street. A formerly vacant art deco bank, at the intersection of Croton Avenue and Route 9, now houses a banking business. A farmers’ market convenes every Saturday and Sunday in good weather. And Wobble Café, a restaurant noted as much for its family-friendly atmosphere as for its breakfast menu, is a welcome harbinger of all things wholesome and hip.
Other signs of civic health abound. The town’s electorate are passing school budgets—a good sign, real estate agents say, because it means that the town has both the resources and the political will to fund quality education. (The 2006 graduating class of Ossining High School produced four Harvard-bound students.)
But the big news in Ossining is the development of One Harbor Square. A joint venture between Cappelli Enterprises and Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC Homes), the mixed-use waterfront development is on the banks of the Hudson River. (The site is located at the convergence of the Hudson River, the Village’s downtown and Main Street, the Metro-North station, and the Ossining-Haverstraw ferry dock.) When complete, it will include 150 condominiums, 10,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a waterfront park, an esplanade, a fishing pier, a kayak launch, a public beach, and the preservation of the existing commuter ferry pier. (The ferry runs between Ossining and Haverstraw in Rockland.) The $78-million project, stretching along 4.5 acres of waterfront, is expected to have an impact far beyond its borders.
On a tour of the village, Fink points out various vacant storefronts and says, “I have clients who are looking for commercial and retail space in Ossining and I can’t get it for them. Everyone is holding onto property, waiting for Harbor Square to be built because they know rents and property values will be that much higher after it opens.”
According to Geoffrey Thompson, a Cappelli spokesperson, One Harbor Square won’t open until mid-2008. That leaves time to snap up some property.
What to buy? The choices—surprise—are diverse. Co-ops in low-rise apartment buildings can be had in the $200Ks. Within the village proper, there are modest homes in Crotonville, a small, historic neighborhood loosely bounded by Route 9 to the south, Quaker Bridge to the north, Glendale Road over to Cedar Lane to the east, and the Croton River to the west (its bounds include tiny slivers of Cortland and New Castle where they intersect with Ossining). Here, $350,000 will buy you a starter home. And there are condo developments, including a Ginsburg development, Mystic Pointe, at the intersection of Old Albany Post Road and Route 9, where many of the townhouses enjoy river views. Prices here range from $539,000 to $900,000. But if you’re looking for a big return on your investment, you might want to consider buying something with some acreage. One of Ossining’s big selling points is that homes often come with real land—a scarce commodity almost everywhere else in the county.
“Despite the fact that we’re less than an hour from New York City, there’s lots of land here without buildings on it,” Fink says. It’s possible to buy a home—even a new home in a subdivision—and not be cheek-by-jowl with your neighbor. As proof, we drive to The Estates at Fair Hills, a subdivision near Route 134, at the edge of Yorktown, where new homes sit on two-, four-, and even five-acre lots. The selling prices here are $1.25 to $1.6 million. I’m nonplussed (new construction doesn’t float my boat) until Fink observes, “If they were in Briarcliff, they’d be selling into the threes.” That’s as in “three million” dollars.
Briarcliff’s upscale gloss and the fame of its school system provide a study in contrasts with Ossining. Homeowners on one side of Scarborough Road, for example, send their kids to the Ossining schools while those on the other side send theirs to the Briarcliff schools. All the homes here are priced north of $700,000 (some are well into the millions), but you’ll pay a sizeable premium to be on the Briarcliff side. “There can be hundreds of thousands of dollars of difference in the sales price based on which side of the street you’re on,” says Mary Ann Tighe, Fink’s colleague at Houlihan Lawrence. Looking for charm? In the area surrounding Teatown Lake Reservation (a gorgeous preserve of wildflowers and hiking trails), you’ll find antique homes tucked deep in the woods. Prices here are all over the map with some homes going in the $600Ks and others for much, much more. There’s privacy, dirt roads, and such profound quiet that you can hear dragonflies on the wing. Here, the crack about “upstate New York” doesn’t seem that far-fetched.
“I was showing this area to a buyer who was moving up from Scarsdale,” Fink remarks. “She said this area reminded her of the Adirondacks.” Historic Sparta, just west of Route 9, is a historic hamlet within Ossining’s boundaries. Along streets with names like Revolutionary Road and Liberty, you’ll find homes dating back before the Revolutionary War, including Jug Tavern on Revolutionary Road, a starting point for walking tours of the area. With a changing riverfront, open space, improved civic amenities, and historic charm, realtors are predicting that Ossining has a bright future. We think the smart money is right behind them.
On the Market: Ossining
Neighborhood/location: Overlooking Hudson Hills Golf Course
Listing price: $1,323,000
Square feet: 4,200
Year built: 2001
Bedrooms/bathrooms: 4/3.5
Est. acreage: 1.22
Taxes: $22,113
Features: Mint condition home with all the fancy upgrades: stone fireplace, mahogany deck, gourmet kitchen with cherry, granite, and center island, master suite with walk-in closets and marble bath
Listing provided by: David Fink/Houlihan Lawrence/ (914) 262-8893
Neighborhood/location: New Castle (Ossining P.O. and schools)
Listing price: $690,000
Square feet: 2,600
Year built: 1966
Est. acreage: 0.97
Bedrooms/bathrooms: 4/2.5
Taxes: $15,977
Features: Open floor plan, master suite with walk-in closet and luxury bath, hardwood and stone floors, hot tub on patio
Listing provided by: David Fink/Houlihan Lawrence/ (914) 262-8893
Peekskill
Median Sold Home Price: $385,000
The Pros: Arts galore; diverse community; inexpensive historic homes; low taxes; Metro-North station; vibrant restaurant scene; Hudson River views.
The Cons: Far-north location means a long haul to the city; still shedding legacy as one of Westchester’s poorest cities with struggling industrial base.
This city has so much to offer that you might wonder why it isn’t already hot. There are seven different art galleries here, including the well-regarded Maxwell Fine Arts on Main Street, Avant-Garde Gallery on South Street, and Flat Iron Gallery on Division Street. There’s a vibrant restaurant scene, boasting hip and contemporary Division Street Grill, family-friendly Susan’s Restaurant, 51 Hudson Café (30 omelet varieties and a view of the Hudson), and Zephs’, where a typical entrée might be Vietnamese shrimp wrapped in a sweet-potato fritter. There are historic homes, a Metro-North station (it takes just under an hour to get to Grand Central), and Hudson River views. There’s a hip, bohemian vibe, a few cute shops for browsing (the Bruised Apple for used books and Side Effects for gifts and accessories), a coffee house-cum-gallery, and did I mention the Hudson River?
Right now, you can snap up single-family homes in Peekskill for as little as $250,000 and, if you can stretch all the way to $494,850, you can get a restored 2,600-square-foot Victorian with inlaid parquet floors, ornate moldings, and all the details that give charm freaks the vapors. In the Fort Hill neighborhood, which was recently declared a National Register Historic District (it runs along Nelson Avenue from Main Street to near the Bear Mountain Extension), there’s a 2,700-square-foot Victorian with stained glass, carved banisters, and an entry hall fireplace (it’s just one of the house’s three) and summer porches off two of the rooms. The house is on a quarter acre and, if I can come to terms with the “motivated seller” (asking price: $549,900—a little on the high side for this area where homes typically sell in the high-$400-to mid-$500-thousand range), it might be mine before this article sees the light of day.
The Mortgage Hill neighborhood (so named because the homes in this location once commanded a substantial bank loan), also called Riverview Park, runs along Maple Avenue, traveling east out of the city. Here, many of the large, stately homes from the early 1900s, ’20s, and ’30s enjoy beautiful river views. (Because Peekskill, like Yonkers, is built on steep hills, you don’t have to be down by the river to get wonderful views.) Homes here sell in the $500- to $600-thousand range.
Another historic area to watch in coming years: the Belden Street neighborhood. Currently a bit run down, the area boasts some of Peekskill’s oldest and quaintest homes. Because Belden Street borders a new Ginsburg development, The Abbey at Fort Hill, the area might soon experience a transformation. According to Joe Lippolis, co-owner of River Towns GMAC Real Estate in Peekskill, taxes in all these areas are low, thanks to the city’s industrial base. Lippolis’s colleague, Maryann Ottaviano, says the median tax on a single-family home is $7,500.
“We’re seeing a lot of first-time home buyers and families moving into Peekskill,” says Ottaviano. “Where else in Westchester can you buy a really nice home for under five-hundred thousand dollars? Most of the homes here are older—there’s not a lot of new construction—so while you might not get four bathrooms, you’ll definitely get ten-inch moldings.”
Even if you’re immune to the seductive power of pocket doors, buying in Peekskill makes a lot of sense. Peekskill voters recently approved a near $60 million bond that included $48.3 million for a new middle school, which is now under construction. And the city has worked hard to gain a reputation as a mecca for arts and culture. Resident artists, the high concentration of galleries, and strong cultural institutions like the Paramount Center for the Arts (a beautifully restored movie palace from the ’30s that now presents both live performances and art-house films) and the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, contribute to the vibrant scene. (The New York Times dubbed the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art “the most dynamic contemporary art site in Westchester.”)
Upscale new construction and condo conversions provide more reasons for optimism: completed in 2005, Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC) converted Chapel Hill, a former girls’ boarding school on 100 acres between Peekskill and the Blue Mountain Reservation, into 72 semi-attached homes, 94 townhouses, and 28 lofts in the historic St. Germaine’s Building. Riverbend, another GDC development, put gracious townhouses with river views ($345,000 to $649,900) on the market. Overlooking the Hudson River off of Route 9, the planned 124 townhouses and 12 multilevel condos of The Abbey at Fort Hill, yet another GDC development, is a community designed around the historic Stone Abbey of St. Mary’s. Prices are estimated to start in the $500,000s.
“Chapel Hill marked a real turning point for the city,” says Peekskill spokesperson Tony Seideman. “Before Ginsburg took over the project [it had been started and subsequently abandoned by another developer], world-class developers weren’t interested in Peekskill. After Chapel Hill went up, a unit there sold for five-hundred thousand dollars and the value of the nearby houses went up dramatically. Then the value of the houses near them went up. And so the wave swept over the city.”
Still not seeing dollar signs? Two new projects might change your mind. In February of 2004, Peekskill asked GDC to come up with a comprehensive plan for the redevelopment and revitalization of the city’s waterfront. And Scenic Hudson, an environmental group, was brought in to ensure that the magnificent waterfront wasn’t put at risk. The result is a two-pronged development plan. Scenic Hudson is developing Peekskill Landing, a public green space with cultural attractions. West of the train tracks, GDC is putting residential units along Water Street, uniting its existing Riverbend development with West Main Street.
GDC’s portion of the project is east of the train tracks. It combines the now-familiar mix of residences (to be built along Water Street) with shopping, dining, and a connection to the waterfront park on Peekskill Landing. Looking west along Central Avenue, towards the Hudson River, an artist’s rendering shows a wide pedestrian plaza with gardens and plantings. Flanking the plaza, buildings with first-floor level shops, restaurants, and outdoor cafes set a lively scene for the residents of the upper-story lofts. At the western end, there’s a fountain with reflecting pools and the restored Lincoln Depot Museum celebrating Abraham Lincoln and Peekskill’s contribution to the Civil War. A stairway and footbridge leads across the rail tracks to the riverside park beyond.
In addition to the park, Scenic Hudson’s portion of the project, west of the train tracks, will feature Lent House, Peekskill’s oldest building. Built just after the Revolutionary War, the wooden house, now in a sad state of disrepair, is to be moved to the site and opened as a museum of the City’s early history. Another special feature of the park, a ferry pier, is designed to attract Hudson River cruise ships and ferries of tourists to Peekskill. Who knows? Maybe my house (and yours) will be on the tour.
On the Market: Peekskill
Neighborhood/location: Fort Hill Historic District
Listing price: $449,000
Square feet: 2,000
Year built: 1900
Bedrooms/baths: 3/3
Est. acreage: 0.09
Taxes: $9,760
Features: Entry with fireplace, dining room, 700 square feet of finished storage
Listing provided by: Maryann Ottaviano/River Towns Realty/GMAC R.E./ (914) 739-2667
Neighborhood/location: Fort Hill Historic District
Listing price: $549,900
Square feet: 2,700
Year built: 1890
Bedrooms/bathrooms: 4/2.5
Est. acreage: 0.24
Taxes: $9,844
Features: Victorian details including 3 fireplaces, stained glass, and pocket doors
Listing provided by: Maryann Ottaviano/River Towns Realty/GMAC R.E.(914) 739-2667
Port Chester
Median Sold Home Price: $535,000
The Pros: Waterfront location; historic downtown; diversity; one of Westchester’s best ethnic restaurant scenes; Metro-North station; surrounded by wealthy suburbs, like Greenwich, Connecticut.
The Cons: Development is lagging and what little there is, is controversial; one of Westchester’s poorest villages with a median household income of $44,139 (compared to a countywide median of $61,835).
Port Chester is definitely a “buy and hold” town with a high risk/reward potential. There’s a vibrant restaurant scene here that’s nearly as diverse as the local population: Alba’s Restaurante serves up Northern Italian cuisine, while Café Mirage offers an eclectic mix of French, Caribbean, and Asian; Ebb Tide Seafood & Lobster Shack, located on the waterfront, serves lobster rolls, F.I.S.H. serves (what else?) Mediterranean seafood, and Pacifico offers Nuevo Latino. But that’s just a nibble. Like Brazilian? Port Chester has it. How about Peruvian? Mexican? Japanese? Authentic barbeque? Prime steakhouse? Port Chester has those, too.
Boasting a thriving Restaurant Row, along with a piece of precious waterfront, Port Chester is already a dining destination for residents from wealthier surrounding towns. From a real estate investor’s standpoint, this is not an insignificant fact.
“The usual progression is restaurants come in first, then they’re followed by stores, which are in turn followed by condos,” says J.P. Endres, president of the Westchester County Board of Realtors and a realtor with David Endres Realty Group LTD, Scarsdale. Unfortunately, Port Chester seems to be stuck at first base.
“Downtown needs real revitalization before real estate can take off,” Endres explains. “Intelligent development is needed to anchor more growth.” And while there has been limited development here recently, residents and critics are divided as to whether it’s a step in the right direction or freshly minted urban blight. The Waterfront at Port Chester, for example, a new complex of big-box stores, a movie theater, and restaurants, opened to decidedly mixed reviews. While some applaud the development, others say it blocks the waterfront and deride it for its hulking presence and unwelcoming, nearly windowless architecture.
Elsewhere, there’s better news. A somewhat tidier Main Street and the Lifesaver Building, a condo/loft conversion of the former candy-making facility, where even one-bedrooms sell into the $300,000s, are undeniable signs of life. Moreover, these signs of life are, quite possibly, the first intimation of something huge. As anyone who has been to Manhattan’s Meatpacking District or Connecticut’s SoNo (South Norwalk, for you non-scenesters) will attest, where there are lofts, historic buildings, and restaurants, there’s hipster potential. Adjust those binoculars to take the long view, and it’s easy to envision a pedestrian-friendly district of boutiques, cafes, upscale lounges, and, of course, the requisite loft residences.
“Port Chester definitely has sex appeal,” says Greg Rand, managing partner of Prudential-Rand Realty in White Plains. “And I’m predicting that Port Chester’s rebirth will be in the form of conversions, not new development.” Rand says he knows of two conversions already in the works.
On the Market: Port Chester
Neighborhood/location: Port Chester Village
Listing price: $329,500
Square feet: 850
Bedrooms/bathrooms: 1 (loft bedroom)/1
Year built: 1900 (former Lifesavers building converted to condos in 1988)
Monthly common charges: $270
Taxes: $3,505
Listing provided by:
Features: SoHo style loft with doorman, gym, laundry room, sauna and pool. Listing provided by: Frank Pagnani/HarborView Properties/(914) 834-8200
Neighborhood/location: Port Chester Village
Listing price: $495,000
Square feet: 1,852
Year built: 1915
Bedrooms/bathrooms: 2/1.5
Est. acreage: 0.12
Taxes: $8,563
Features: Fenced yard, mint condition parquet floors
Listing provided by: Ann Peck/Zinsner Real Estate/(914) 939-4336
White Pla
R5 Westchester Health Pros' Favorite Health Apps
Recently, we signed into a popular Internet medical site—we won’t say which—and typed in “headache.” The result? One of the top search results included the word “emergency.” Frankly, we’re glad we stopped there and didn’t type in “panic,” “coffee cravings,” or “need for oxygen.” But qualified medical professionals are using new technologies to make good assessments about our health—and to help us do the same for ourselves. Here, they tell us their fave apps.
“I strongly encourage patients who have smartphones to download apps that can help them take their contraceptives on time.” — OB/GYN Tiffany Werbin-Silver, MD Westchester Health Associates, Mount Kisco, Valhalla, Yorktown Heights, and Katonah |
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“Myfitnesspal.com is a calorie calculator with an app, and, when used in conjunction with the personalized food plans and private counseling sessions, it provide clients an easy tool for tracking their intake and burn rate. My clients actually say they enjoy plugging their food and exercise into their iPhones and seeing how many calories they have eaten and burned each day.” —Amy Horwitz, MS, RD, CDN, Amy Horwitz Nutrition, Mount Kisco and Harrison |
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“I think calorieking.com is one of the best databases available, and they have an app, too. At the end of the day, it tells you if you are under or over the number of calories you should have. People can do the same thing by logging everything in a notebook, but you have your phone on you all the time so it’s more consistent. It reinforces patients to keep up with it.” —Elizabeth DeRobertis, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, Scarsdale Medical Group, Harrison |
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“I use a camera app to take videos of my patients and play them back for them so they can see their ‘functional movement,’ which is a great indicator of how healthy they are and a predictor of injury. It’s also very price-conscious.” |
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“I like the Lose It! app for iPhone and Androids. It allows you to set goals and establish a daily calorie budget to help you reach your weight loss/maintenance goals. It even has an option to add ‘motivators,’ which sets up reminders to log food and exercise. My clients really love it, and those who use it on a consistent basis do better in general than those who don’t.” |