TV-star friends Reshma Shetty and Noel Gatts took on a builder-grade home and filled it with personality and color in Westchester.
When friends and TV stars Reshma Shetty and Noel Gatts came together to design Shetty’s new Westchester home during the pandemic, it was a match made for TV.
The two have known each other since college, but their careers went in different directions. Shetty became an actress, starring in such shows as Royal Pains, Monarch, and most recently the Hallmark Channel’s A Jolly Good Christmas, while Gatts launched an interior design company, beam&bloom, but also ended up in TV, cohosting the HGTV show Home Inspector Joe, with Joe Mazza.
The two kept in touch over the years, and when Shetty and her family (including her husband, young daughter, and two cats), who were living in Manhattan, decided they wanted more square footage and outdoor space during the pandemic, they purchased and moved into a builder-grade home in Westchester, enlisting Gatts to take on the design upgrades they wanted.
“I didn’t want the formality of interviewing and hiring someone, because it was crazy times; I wanted to pick up the phone and say, ‘What do you think of this?’” says Shetty. She automatically had that with Gatts.
“We are a nice, little support for each other in this crazy world of TV,” says Gatts. “[Designers] push people out of their comfort zones, but we gave each other more leniency, where I might push other clients more. We were a little forgiving of each other during the process, which is fun.”
The 7,000-square-foot house was built as a modern farmhouse, with a ton of windows and builder-grade finishes. The challenge, according to Gatts, was infusing the house with some glam, character, warmth, and color, but on a fair budget.
“I wanted it to feel as if I were in a really airy, not too formal, just comfortable home,” says Shetty of the original concept.
“Reshma loved NYC lounges and hotel lounges with a more high-end contemporary feel,” says Gatts. “She loves jewel tones, but more natural hues, and it was funny how much her cats came into play. She said, ‘I can’t have real plants or draperies,’ but [without these,] how can we add life and character?”
They agree that new builds give homeowners a chance to come in and inject their own styles, which is what they did here, but it was not without its own set of challenges.
Because of supply-chain issues and some convincing by Gatts, the furniture was ordered first, and the finishing touches were added afterward, like the colors on the walls and the wallpaper choices. “We furnished the house before she agreed to color,” says Gatts. “I would normally never recommend that; I would normally want to do everything together. But once she knew she really wanted to invest in the colors and the textures, we were then able to pull from the rugs, furniture, and art.”
Shetty’s husband loves blue, so they went with varying shades in the piano room and dining room, and while the den was his domain, the main bedroom was hers to design.
“My favorite color is dark green,” says Shetty of the main bedroom’s palette. “Noel found these two awesome green swivel chairs, and I put a dark-green-and-gold wallpaper behind them, and it just makes me very happy.”
In the breakfast nook, Shetty originally bought a rectangular table and ended up giving in to Gatts’ idea of a circular table. The rectangular one is now in storage and has been replaced by a circular marble table with which both are happier.
“The breakfast nook is my favorite spot. The circular table adds movement and flow. And with all the windows and the subtle Schumacher wallpaper, which adds character but doesn’t compete, and the light fixture, which is big but not overwhelming…,” says Gatts before Shetty injects: “It’s so much more social.”
What the project ultimately reveals is how much can be done with a simple base. “It is the power of decorating,” says Gatts. “You can really elevate something builder-grade with color and imagination.”
And the homeowners’ personalities really shine through. “When I walk into my home, I feel like I’m home,” says Shetty. “There are little corners in each space that I can sit in, and it feels like me.” What homeowner wouldn’t want that?
Read up on these criminal accounts in Westchester. Photo courtesy of the Westchester County Archives
An exploration of the Westchester County archives in Elmsford unearthed old photos that tell of criminal happenings in the region.
Edited by John Bruno Turiano, with research by Lindsey Smith & Gabrielle Beechert
The Westchester County archives, in Elmsford, are a treasure trove of the county’s rich and storied past. While perusing some old photographs there not long ago, we unearthed stories that reveal Westchester’s sometimes-sordid history, ones that involve a rough-and-tumble lot who dwelled in the gloom of dive bars, darkened streets, and back alleys rife with illicit activity and short tempers, as you will see.
O’Reilly/ Barry Robbery & Assault Case, 1929
Bad Deeds Across Three Towns
Crime: Robbery, Assault Perpetrators: Thomas Barry, aka Thomas O’Reilly, and John Kelly, plus Joseph Heal and Dominick Graziano Victims: Frank De Ruggiero, the McGennis family, the Lee family, and Officer Robert Philip of Yonkers
Photo courtesy of the Westchester County Archives
In the early morning of August 18, 1929, Thomas O’Reilly, John Kelly, Joseph Heal, Dominick Graziano, and a fifth man who was never apprehended arrived at the Roma Gardens, a low-rent cabaret on Taxter Road in East Irvington, in the town of Greenburgh. All were under the influence of alcohol. Their purpose was to see one of the hostesses, an alleged friend of Heal’s. After about two hours of drinking, the defendants started to quarrel among themselves, and four gunshots were fired, one of which struck the proprietor, Frank De Ruggiero. After the shooting, the men fled from the Roma Gardens in a Buick sedan (that had been stolen in New York City earlier), which they wrecked about a mile down the road. The McGennis family were on their way to early church services when they were held up at gunpoint by the men, who took their car and drove toward Yonkers. They then wrecked the McGennises’ car in front of the Lee home, in the village of Hastings, held up the Lees, took their car and again proceeded toward Yonkers. Once in Yonkers, they were stopped by Officer Robert Philip following a running gunfight, exchanging fire as they were chased. Several shots were fired at the officer, one of which struck Philip in the abdomen but inflicted only a shallow wound. O’Reilly was the driver and Heal was the gunman who shot the officer. All four men were convicted; O’Reilly and Kelly, however, who had previous records, received harsher sentences.
Mugshot, 1917
Career Criminal
Crimes: Assault in the 1st Degree, Carrying a Concealed Weapon (revolver) Perpetrator: Frank Buonofiglio, alias “Buck O’Neill”
Photos courtesy of the Westchester County Archives
This Mount Vernon resident had a litany of offenses, prior arrests, and sentences beyond the two associated with this mugshot. His listed profession was bartender, though it seems he spent more time stirring up trouble than drinks. Perhaps a more convincing alias would have done the trick.
Sloans Murder Case, 1929
The Missing Cook
Crime: Murder/Sexual Assault Perpetrator: William “Willie” Sloans, aka Joseph Madison Victim: Elsa Marshall
Photo courtesy of the Westchester County Archives
Twenty-four-year-old Elsa Marshall was a cook at the Kelly residence in the Knollwood section of Greenburgh and wife of the Kellys’ butler, William Marshall. She went missing on the evening of September 26, her birthday. Marshall alerted police and an all-night search began. Her body was found the next day, in the bushes alongside the road adjacent to Knollwood Country Club, with a shotgun wound to the left side of her body, under the arm. She apparently had been sexually assaulted (her clothing was ripped, and the body lay in a compromised position). Sheriff Thomas V. Underhill initially thought the assault may have been staged to throw off the investigation, implying the shooting may have occurred accidentally, as men often hunted with shotguns in the area.
William “Willie” Sloans, aka Joseph Madison, wasn’t even a suspect until his sister came forward, saying her brother had confessed to accidentally killing Marshall. However, Sloans was also wanted for murder in North Carolina and was sent there to be executed by the state in 1931. Even up to his execution, Sloans maintained that he accidentally killed her but never explained the state in which her body was found.
Sing Sing Prison Escapee, 1919
$50 Reward For the Man With the Faded Tattoos
Crime: Felonious Escape Perpetrator: Charles Marchall
Photo courtesy of the Westchester County Archives
Charles Marchall, who was incarcerated and serving a sentence for second degree assault, escaped from Sing Sing Prison in October of 1919 after having served not quite a year of his maximum four-year, 10-month sentence. Notable features include a faded tattoo on both back and front of his left forearm, plus a small horizonal scar at lower breast. No record shows he was captured.
On the evening of August 25, 1923, Raffaello Castaldo, Vincenzo Castillo, and other neighborhood men were playing cards outside of Castaldo’s grocery store at 224 South 7th Avenue in Mount Vernon. An argument broke out concerning alleged cheating on Castaldo’s part. The neighbors broke up the argument between Castaldo and Castillo; later that evening, however, Castaldo retrieved a pistol and murdered Castillo outside of his tenement residence at 229 South 7th Avenue.
Sloane Robbery Case, 1929
Jewel Heist
Crime: Grand Larceny, Robbery Perpetrator: Roy H. Sloane Victims: Three office workers at Karos & Stein
Photo courtesy of the Westchester County Archives
Just a few months after he was released from Ossining’s Sing Sing prison, Roy H. Sloane, who was dubbed the “Boy Lawyer” because he studied law while incarcerated, and two other men held up the office of jeweler Karos & Stein in the Miller Building at 562 Fifth Ave in Manhattan. They bound and gagged the workers and took $25,000 worth of goods. He was released soon after the arrest. In May of 1931, at age 26, he was mysteriously gunned down by a passing sedan outside a bar in Upper Manhattan.
Agostino Murder Case, 1923
Scarsdale Slaying
Crime: Murder, Second Degree Perpetrator: Nicola Agostino Victim: John Piccino
Photo courtesy of the Westchester County Archives
Nicola Agostino and John Piccino worked on the grounds at the Fenimore Country Club in Scarsdale. (Fenimore was the predecessor to Fenway GC. It was founded in 1920 and reorganized in 1936, during the Great Depression, as Fenway.) They lived on the premises in rooms adjacent to and within the garage. The two men had an argument and, after the other workers were already asleep in their bunks, Agostino shot and killed Piccino. He was indicted and later convicted of murder in the second degree.
Flegenheimer Wanted Poster, 1933
Don’t Mess With the IRS
Crime: Federal Income Tax Violation Perpetrator: Arthur Flegenheimer (aka Dutch Schultz, Arthur Schultz, George Schultz, Joseph Harmon, Charles Harmon)
Photo courtesy of the Westchester County Historical Society
Bronx-born bootlegger Arthur Flegenheimer, best known as Dutch Schultz, allegedly amassed a $50 million fortune and hid it somewhere in New York’s Catskill Mountains (the town of Phoenicia is the best guess) prior to being gunned down in a New Jersey steakhouse in 1935 at age 33. In the years before his death, Schultz lived in Yonkers and Bronxville with his wife, Frances Flegenheimer. He beat a charge of income-tax fraud but, while hiding out for months prior to the trial, he lost much of his business to his New York rivals.
Every bride needs her something blue, but why not make your color palette a myriad of blue hues? From light to midnight, these ideas are sure to inspire.
Floral design by Rena’s Fine Flowers; wedding gown purchased at Lily Saratoga; groom’s apparel purchased at Saratoga National; hair and makeup by Make Me Fabulous, shot at DeMaranville Farm and Gardens
Calling all food lovers! Look no further for our top 11 picks for the hottest new restaurants to visit in Westchester County.
By Cristiana Caruso and Michelle Gillan Larkin with John Bruno Turiano
It’s unfortunate that COVID shuttered a number of our favorite Westchester restaurants, but a healthy, new crop has sprung up across the county over the last year or so, each one uniquely (and deliciously) answering the age-old question: Where should we eat? From a noodle shop and a mom-and-pop chop shop to a long-loved Manhattan refugee, a French-style steakhouse, and a Rivertown tapas spot, these are our best bets for a shiny-new dining experience in Westchester.
The liveliness of Ani Ramen rushes at you from the moment you cross the neon-lit threshold, swirling around from start to finish like the umami-bomb dropped in your bowl of ramen. The animation of the space is fed heartily by the richness of the food and lively nature of the drinks. For libations, Ani offers both on-tap cocktails, like the Princess Peach (white wine, white peach purée, pineapple, peach liqueur), and such signature drinks as the Okinawa Pineapple Old-Fashioned (Japanese whiskey, Okinawa brown sugar, pineapple). For purists, the bar serves seven varieties of sake and a handful of Japanese beers.
Pork belly bao buns. Photo courtesy of Ani Ramen.Photo courtesy of Ani Ramen
The vibrancy and warmth of the food is impossible to overshadow. As the star of the show, Ani’s ramen receives top billing on the menu, and after your love-at-first-slurp, there’s no turning back. Partner/Executive Chef Julian Valencia works from New Jersey’s own Sun Noodle ramen to build his luscious bowls, delicately layered with fresh vegetables and spices. The eponymous signature bowl ignites a ginger-energized dance party, with chopstick-tender pork belly and crunchy peanuts to add some buttery texture.
A donburi bowl with panko shrimp. Photo courtesy of Ani Ramen.
Curated and specialty izakaya small plates lend themselves to epicurean explorers. Two-bite, soy-glazed chicken bao buns are fluffy and flavorful, while the miso-and-sake-glazed wings have an audible and delectable crunch that will wipe all Buffalonian iterations from your mind. And donburi bowls shouldn’t be overlooked just because they’re not ramen: Pillowy steamed rice, a sake-soy glaze, pickled veggies, kale with miso dressing, and either pulled pork, soy-glazed chicken, or panko shrimp make for a delectable ramen alternative.
Kurobuta sausage with a sweet and spicy glaze are must-savor bites at Ani Ramen. Photo courtesy of Ani Ramen.
Chef Mark Taxiera came to the Westchester culinary scene swinging. Previously the executive chef of the famed Russian Tea Room, Taxiera has mastered how to bend flavors to crescendo across the palate. Marry that (literally) to wife Brianne Myers’ successful restaurant management career as the GM of Eataly, BLT Steak, and Loring Place, and you get a creative menu with local ingredients and a bar program that’s anything but basic. And don’t let the restaurant’s name set your expectations — this is not your nonna’s Italian food. It is, however, an homage to Taxiera’s grandparents: From the kitchen of a restaurant named after his grandfather, he concocts fresh takes on the Italian comfort food his grandmother made for him growing up.
The malfada, with grass-fed beef and goat ricotta on top. Photo by Enormous Creative.
Currently living in Manhattan, the culinary couple had Westchester squarely in its crosshairs for a while. “I grew up in Ossining, so Westchester was always in my mind,” says Taxiera. “We’ve been in the city for 25 years. We wanted a new backdrop, and Mamaroneck was the perfect canvas for our debut. The culinary scene here is amazing, with so many talented chefs and great restaurants.”
Augustine’s is a welcome addition to Mamaroneck, where pasta is house-made. Photo by Enormous Creative.
Pastas are made in-house, including the malfada, paired with stewed, grass-fed, longhorn beef from Walking R Ranch (where Taxiera and Myers source their ethically raised beef), red wine, tomato, and whipped goat ricotta. For must-have mains, the pan-roasted Cornish hen with pickled cherry peppers and black-garlic mashed potatoes is a plate of tenderness wrapped up in a savory bow.
“We are so blessed that we have planted the flag here, and the reception has been amazing,” says Taxiera.
On the heels of a COVID closure and a hugely successful two-decade run in the Midtown West neighborhood of Manhattan, Albanian native Aleks Kola and his partner, Chef Paolo Catini of Rome, say they feel right at home in Westchester, doing what they do best. “We are true to our commitment to bring passion, love, and dedication to the table,” says Kola. Much of that ethos stems from a starting part that involves treating customers like family. “Like they’re dining at our house,” says Kola. “That’s how we see it.”
By Miguel Rivas/ Courtesy of Basso56
That level of inviting Albanian hospitality lends warmth to the chic, upscale surrounds, and his partner’s hearty Abruzzo cooking cements an unmistakable family-oriented feel. Whitewashed walls and floor-to-ceiling windows inject a quality of uplifting brightness, as shelves lined with wine bottles (mostly Italian and Californian) bring coziness to the fore.
The mountains of Abruzzo are home to game animals, explains Kola, suggesting diners come hungry for meat-laden meals, like the signature house-made spaghetti with succulent lamb ragu sauce and Pecorino Romano, served “Abruzzese style.” Wild boar makes an appearance when available, and the proximity of the Adriatic translates to a number of seafood entrées on the menu, including lobster crêpes, another signature standout.
“Abruzzo produces the best cooks in the world,” says Kola of his partner. Wines from the region occupy a spot on the restaurant’s wine list, which is near endless and, in many instances, exquisite. For cocktail drinkers, simple classics can be expected, shaken with a shot of digestivo flair.
It’s a delicate art form to perfect the ideal combination of seasoning, cooking, and presentation of a good steak. It’s even more the marker of a superior dining experience if your guests return in hoards for the salad dressing. Manhattan’s Bistro Le Steak has now been reinvented as Brasserie Le Steak, taking Larchmont’s Palmer Avenue restaurant scene by the horns. “The community, and very much the French community, has been welcoming of us here,” says Yonkers resident and owner Nicki Jakupi.
The escargot at Brassiere Le Steak are served in the shell. By Andre Baranowski
“I wanted it to feel like you could close your eyes and think you’re in France,” Jakupi says. Each bite is a transportive experience. Even the garlic bread is a decadent pirouette of crisp French bread and savory garlic, tied together with Gorgonzola fondue for dipping. For starters worthy of a Seine view, Le Steak offers frog’s legs Provençale, escargot served in the traditional French style (shells and all), and a goat cheese tartlet with a house-made crust. Definitely indulge in the perfectly seasoned steak frites, the crisp, pan-seared brook trout, or the tender mussels marinière to round out the experience.
After three decades slinging near-perfect brick-oven pizzas and scooping house-made ice cream at The Brick Oven Pizza, Frank Donato finally used the extra space in his perpetually popular Rivertown establishment to create the second coming of his culinary dream. “I’ve always wanted to do wine; I have a real passion for wine,” he says. He also considers himself a “tapas guy” who gets a real kick out of pairing beloved Italian wines with Italian small plates (complete meals too).
Photo courtesy of Bellacosa Wine & Tapas Bar
“My food is simple,” he says. “It’s fresh; it’s made to order.” That includes just about everything, from top-of-the-menu crusty bread, which is house-made, to the broiled baby lamb “pops,” meatballs (traditional beef or crispy eggplant), handcrafted ricotta gnocchi, and of course brick-oven pizza, prepared with a decidedly artisanal arc. “I’m not trying to be a superstar chef. I’m just trying to give you a good product — and I cook well,” he says with chummy sincerity.
Of the five pies on the menu, the one with the goat cheese, caramelized onions, and a balsamic vinaigrette glaze proves an especially savvy order. Photo courtesy of Bellacosa Wine & Tapas Bar.
While the lamps are dimmed and the mood is cozier on this shinier, newer side of Donato’s mini-empire of Italian favorites, that good old-fashioned ice cream, which put him on the local mom-activity fun map, tastes just as sweet in any light.
Family — and more specifically, not-to-be-meddled-with family dinnertime — is the foundation on which this village newcomer is built. It’s evident everywhere you look, from the casual, nostalgic decor to the crowd-pleasing yet elevated American comfort food.
A melting pot of classic American fare with a twist makes for a crowd-pleasing meal at Freddy’s for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Photo by Tiffany Keegan. @breakfastatetiffany
“As kids, we made sure we were home every day at five o’clock,” says Chef Matt Safarowic, who co-owns the restaurant (named for his father) with wife Christina. “It wasn’t about what we were eating; it was about being together.”
Red-and-white-checkered tablecloths — which always manage to scream family wherever they’re placed — grab the attention upon entry and exude an extra-warm welcome when set against rustic exposed brick and a wall heavy with family photos.
The menu is in perfect harmony with the atmosphere (which borders on boisterous in the best way possible) and comprises house-made everything, beginning with the focaccia starter and finishing with classic, knock-your-socks-off chocolate layer cake and fruit-dappled cheesecake. In between, expect a melting pot of American fare fashioned with a fancy, crowd-pleasing twist, including a dry-aged tavern burger, organic roasted chicken with grilled sweet potatoes, a handful of fresh fish entrées, vegan risotto, and the standout spaghetti limone.
The beverage program is highlighted by an array of taps pouring mostly local beer and house wine, alongside a lineup of reimagined old-school cocktails (Dirty Shirley, anyone?), making for laid-back, fun-filled gatherings at dinner, weekend brunch, or late-midweek happy hour. “No pretense, just fun,” says Christina.
The current New Rochelle revitalization can only be complete with the addition of elevated, walkable cuisine. For Chef Chris dos Reis, the culinary revolution is personal. Having been born and raised in New Rochelle, his excitement over witnessing his city suddenly on the minds of the masses is palpable.
Duck breast with huckleberries, foraged mushrooms, and quince at Town House. By Andre Baranowski
“Seeing guests’ faces light up as they talk about how they love having a restaurant with a sense of community so close to home really helps them feel welcomed to the city,” says dos Reis. “It’s good to know that our mission of being a restaurant for New Rochelle and its surrounding communities is being felt.”
By Andre Baranowski
Town House’s menu comprises small plates inspired by dos Reis’ time cooking in Europe. Feast on a little bit of everything, from chicken-liver mousse on sourdough, beef tartare with pommes allumettes and chorizo sabayon, oysters, and the kimchi tempura green beans that will leave you dreaming about their crunch a week later. The house-made sourdough bread with house-made cultured butter is not to be slept on and the perfect vehicle to soak up the remaining dressings and sauces from the plates (leave no culinary morsel behind).
The cocktail menu is as exploratory as the menu, offering drams named Clarified Milk Punch (rum blend, citrus, spices, and fig leaf) and the Fix & Chill (butter-washed bourbon, caramel, and popcorn).
In dos Reis’ eyes, there’s still work to be done to reach the echelon of neighborhood go-to. “We hope to have a greater impact and voice in our community and invite more guests into our doors as more people relocate and choose to call the Queen City home.”
In an intimate space on Main Street in the tiny Tuckahoe downtown, Yonkers native Nickolas Odoardi delivers a tightly curated menu of Italian specialties spun from his father’s roots in the Abruzzo region of Italy. In homage to his ancestors, he aims to introduce a sense of “old-world tradition and nostalgia” through the quality and flavor of his house-made food. “No matter how you grew up, you do have a sense of home cooking and warm hospitality,” he says.
With nary an ounce of formal culinary schooling, Odoardi leans on his natural-born knack for cooking. “I’m the black sheep of the family,” he says, noting how most of his relations own car dealerships throughout Yonkers. “I went in another direction,” spending his time at the stoves of well-known Westchester eateries (The Cookery, MP Taverna).
By Tiffany Keegan/ Courtesy of ODO
At his own place, Odoardi serves meats he cures himself, like prosciutto, and proffers a small lineup of popular pastas (the one with olive oil, garlic, anchovy, pepperoncini, and parsley is a must), whole-fish entrées, and the signature speducc (above), which more or less translates to “lamb on a stick in a clay pot.”
His special prix fixe Sunday dinners are a big draw and a down-home Italian treat. “We feed you just like your nonna would,” reads the web verbiage, advertising an ever-changing menu comprising family-style pasta, a protein, dessert, and a couple of bottles of wine for parties of four, at a minimum. “When I was building the place, my goal was to not make it look like a restaurant,” Odoardi says. “And when the staff came in, my goal was to make it not feel like a restaurant.” With wines by the glass or bottle, Italian beer, and classic and seasonal craft cocktails, it’s no surprise that cozy little ODO is keeping pace with the more established big boys — four within walking distance — that dominate Lower Westchester’s Italian-dining scene.
Border Newbies
These two Connecticut restaurants tempt across county lines.
Latin-inspired fare, mostly tapas and tacos, is what to expect at this second of Jean-Georges Vongerichten forays into our area (his Inn at Pound Ridge is in the same town as the Michelin-starred chef’s country estate). The kitchen, led by Executive Chef Ron Gallo, formerly of the Inn at Pound Ridge and the Upper East Side’s JoJo, offers delectable, crispy-edged broccoli rabe quesadillas, smoked ham and Manchego cheese fritters, pistachio guacamole, and arroz con pollo with bits of addictive crackling skin. A margarita menu that reflects the seasons is a highlight from behind the bar, and honeynut-squash flan and Mexican chocolate pudding are superior house-made desserts. The casually swanky digs include moss-green banquettes, rattan lights, and a communal table, behind which is a mural depicting Frida Kahlo alongside a pet spider monkey.
Sourcing ingredients from top-tier purveyors, including Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji Outer Market, this highly sophisticated yet warmly welcoming fine-dining den on Greenwich Ave dishes out authentic hot and cold Japanese specialties with equal parts precision and flair. “I strive to exceed expectations with every detail, from our modern, Japanese-inspired interiors and professional service to the quality ingredients that make each dish,” says co-owner K Dong, who also helms sister spot Kumo in Scarsdale. The raw fish is a standout for sure, particularly when served as a Nori taco, but the soup dumplings and king crab hotpot are not to be missed. Reserve the omakase experience for a chef’s table like no other.
Don’t expect Coors Light, cheap well liquor, or wings and pizza at chef/owner (and Croton native) Michael Boulos’ classy nightspot. What you can expect (from a kitchen too tight to accommodate more than one chef) is a petite menu of inventive, deeply satisfying small plates and blooming charcuterie and cheeseboards that pair phenomenally with ultra-fresh, house-made, fine-tuned cocktails.
Westchester’s Ukrainian community reacts to the war and reflects upon the past, present, and future.
By Simone Ellin, with Nick Brandi Advanced work by Samantha Richter
It’s been one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, and no end in sight anytime soon. With deaths already in the tens of thousands, Vladimir Putin’s bloody campaign has caused Europe’s greatest refugee crisis since WWII, having displaced roughly 10 million citizens to date. According to the latest census data, Westchester County is home to more than 8,000 Ukrainian Americans, approximately 1,800 of whom were born there. Based mainly in Yonkers and Greenburgh, the Ukrainian community in Westchester is tight-knit and actively working in support of the Ukrainian war effort. Recently, Westchester Magazine sat down with some of then, to get their unique perspectives on this historic atrocity.
Courtesy of Nataliya Kisseleva
Nataliya Kisseleva of Rye Brook owns a Massage Envy franchise in Scarsdale and The Lash Lounge in Dobbs Ferry. She grew up in Chernihiv, Ukraine, but emigrated to the States at age 27. Though she has lived in America for more than 20 years, Kisseleva says she has always kept a “close eye” on what was happening in Ukraine. She was devastated to witness what has befallen her hometown and native country.
“At the end of March or April, [Chernihiv] was on the front cover of The New York Times, and it was [depicting] a residential building that was hit with one of the Russian rockets,” says Kisseleva, who often was in touch with friends in Ukraine several times a day despite the seven-hour time difference.
“The town was surrounded for about a month, with limited means to deliver any type of supplies,” Kisseleva says. “The infrastructure was destroyed. People had no heat. Mind you, it was March, and in that part of Ukraine, it’s pretty cold. There was no electricity or plumbing. People were cooking outside on an open fire, getting water from the river.”
Courtesy of Nataliya Kisseleva
Kisseleva goes on to say that she never planned to settle in the U.S. She only decided to remain in the U.S. after meeting her husband and business partner, a Russian émigré who is also against the war.
Kisseleva says she sees her husband experiencing confusion for what Russians are doing to Ukrainians and pain because Putin’s actions have destroyed Russia’s standing in the world.
“Anytime something is happening to your home country,” says Kisseleva, whose husband preferred not to be quoted directly but permitted his wife to represent his feelings, “it hurts your national pride. People can cut off ties with former jobs, bosses, friends. But separating yourself from your background and where you came from is one of the hardest things to do.”
Like Kisseleva’s husband, Russian-born Dmitri Ostashkin of Port Chester is also vehemently against Putin’s war.
A former competitive dancer and owner of New York Dance Center in Ardsley, Ostashkin says he led a comfortable life in Russia. He left his homeland in 2000 (the same year Putin was first elected president) because he “didn’t like the way the country was trending. … Every country has [a level of corruption], but in Russia, it’s on steroids, so I made a change.”
As far as Ostashkin is concerned, the war is “nothing but madness. I mean, what other opinion can you have?” He says he was surprised when Putin initiated the attack.
“I thought it was just posturing, because it was so counterproductive, not just for Ukraine but for Russia as well,” says Ostashkin, who keeps close tabs on what Russians have to say about the situation. “Unfortunately, a lot of people do support [the war] until it comes to their house, until they get drafted, until they get killed,” he says. “People want to think they are winning in something. They want to feel good about themselves and they want someone to blame. Now, when the war goes totally against the predictions, do they have second thoughts?”
Oksana Kulynych of Yonkers is the daughter of two Ukrainian refugees who came to the U.S. after World War II. For her, overcoming the Russian aggression is a global imperative from several standpoints.
“We hope that people will realize that this is the largest war in Europe since World War II. We have to win this war,” she says.
Since the war began, the retired educator has been using her skills as a teacher to raise awareness about the war and the history of her ancestral homeland by speaking to students around Westchester County. She wants them to know that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Putin’s tactics are not without precedent.
“It goes back to Stalin in the 1930s,” says Kulynych. “Stalin instituted a policy — a genocide called the Holodomor, meaning ‘murder by starvation’ — where he closed the borders of Ukraine and exported the grain out. Millions of Ukrainians starved to death. Now, Putin is using food as a weapon again. He’s using energy; he’s destroying the infrastructure and the civilian lives there. So, it’s happening again with Russia, this genocide, this cruelty.”
Though they were driven out of Ukraine, Kulynych’s parents were determined to raise their six children with strong Ukrainian identities. “Even though I was born here, [Ukrainian] was my first language, the first language of all my siblings. We kept that culture. We went on demonstrations. I remember in the 1970s when the political prisoners were sent to the gulags. It was very important to keep that culture alive,” she says.
Often, Ukrainian medics must treat wounded without the benefit of running water or electricity. In this makeshoft cella hospital — the leftovers of a bombed-out house in the decimated town of Bakhmut — the generators providing power were purchased with funds donated by Westchester Rotary clubs. / Photo by Anastazia Kovtuin, courtesy of Rotary Gizycko, Poland
Jaroslaw “Jay” Palylyk, a retired pharmacist and president of the Westchester branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, has been at the center of the local movement to support Ukraine since the war began on February 24, 2022.
Palylyk, who grew up in Yonkers and now lives in Rye, is the child of Ukrainian-born immigrants. He believes Putin is targeting Ukraine because of a wish to “put back part of the Soviet Union.” Palylyk says restoring the Soviet Union has been Putin’s goal since he was first elected in 2000. “Putin has a twisted sense of how that should be done: The attacks, the terrorist nature of his army, the rapes of women; [his efforts to] terrorize women and children to make them scared of what might come next, are just unbelievable. Sure, I understand there are wars for certain reasons, but here Russia is the aggressor and just wants to take land that is not theirs.”
Palylyk is well-informed about happenings in Ukraine and has friends and family in the country. He even knows people who have lost their lives because of the war.
“It’s very sad. Some [deaths] are military, of course, but there are many casualties who are just civilians. Many women, many children,” says Palylyk, who is also aware of several accounts by credible news agencies and statements by Ukrainian officials claiming that many Ukrainian women — some as young as 10 years old — have been beaten, tortured, and raped before being murdered and deposited in mass graves.
Despite the massive trauma Ukrainians have experienced, however, Palylyk says Ukrainian morale is high.
“The attitude of Ukrainians I’ve spoken to, including my family and really good friends, some of whom are on the front lines, is over-the-top positive. They know that they are in the right, that this is a war that is imposed upon them by the terrorist state of Russia. They’re sure that because Ukrainians are in an uproar about what’s going on and how innocent civilians are being killed that they will accomplish the inevitable freedom they deserve and expel any Russian activity on their lands.”
Palylyk says he is “thrilled” with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership and also “pleasantly surprised” by the Biden administration’s efforts to help Ukraine. As for the Ukrainian community in Westchester, Palylyk says it has great resolve. “When the war first started, we were able to collect and distribute not only a monetary fund, but there was a tremendous outpouring from the community for volunteers who would come to the Ukrainian Youth Center on Palisade Avenue [in Yonkers] or St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church on Shonnard Place [also in Yonkers]. For weeks,” he says, “we were packing clothing, diapers, and medical supplies so that we could get them over there.”
He adds that while he’s been grateful for the efforts of the broader Westchester community, he worries that aid has slowed down since the onset of the war.
“When the war first started, it was the first item on the news,” says Palylyk. “We were getting a lot of inquiries, a lot of monetary donations. All the local police departments in Westchester were donating supplies, [such as] bulletproof vests. All this was unbelievable, and we were so happy to hear and see that this was coming our way. [But] once Ukraine wasn’t the top story anymore, things changed. The donations stopped coming or trickled down to a very small amount. We hope that the people of Westchester still are able to support us. We’re going into a winter war, so you need winter supplies, clothing, medicine, stuff for the troops.”
As director and CEO of the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, Masha Turchinsky, whose paternal grandfather was born in Ukraine, shares Kulynych’s concerns about sustaining Ukrainian culture.
“Given what I do professionally and my personal interests, I often think about what’s happening in Ukraine from the vantage point of cultural heritage,” says Turchinsky, who grew up in Yonkers and lives there currently with her husband and children.
“I have been deeply disturbed that Russia has gone beyond a strictly military war to a place where they are attacking civilians. They are also attacking centers of cultural heritage that are frequented and/or supported by the citizens of Ukraine,” says Turchinsky. “Numerous museums have been attacked, shelled, bombed; artwork has been destroyed. Churches, which contain artwork within them, have been demolished.”
Turchinsky also fears not only for the lives of family members who live in Ukraine but also for their livelihoods.
“For example, I have two cousins who are classically trained musicians, and [their careers are] not really flourishing during this time,” says Turchinsky. “Another cousin, who lives and works in Kharkiv, reported to me that a missile destroyed a portion of the laboratory where she works. That felt very close to home. The other thing that they’re reporting is an incredible level of stress in terms of alarm sirens going off at all times of day. The things that we hear in the news are very real. They have had to prepare basement shelters in which to hide or escape during the time when the sirens go off.
“This is clearly a war with the intent to annihilate Ukrainian heritage, identity, and autonomy,” Turchinsky continues, “and this country is a democracy that has been illegally invaded. I’m sure that for Putin, the most unanticipated and unwanted outcome of this war is that Ukraine has never been this united. There’s a tremendous pride now in one’s Ukrainian identity, and there is a determination to preserve and perpetuate Ukrainian cultural heritage, whether that is through art or writing or language or music.”
Like Palylyk, Turchinsky believes in the indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people as they seek to win the war.
“I’m instilled with pride at their perseverance,” Turchinsky says. “They are fully determined to win. I don’t think they know exactly when the end will be, but there is a genuine belief that because they are fighting for something so strongly, they will ultimately prevail.”
Dr. Augustine Moscatello has experienced the ravages of this war firsthand. Moscatello is a surgeon who is also the director of the otolaryngology department at Westchester Medical Center and the department chair of otolaryngology at New York Medical College. In September of 2022, he and colleague Dr. Manoj Abraham (also of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network) mounted a 10-day medical relief mission to Ukraine. After landing in Kraków, Poland, and hopping a bus for an eight-hour ride to Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Hospital, Moscatello says the first image that greeted him upon his arrival at the facility would prove emblematic of the entire mission and even the conflict overall. “I walked into the lobby of the hospital with the group,” says Moscatello, who evaluated and treated dozens of patients suffering from a variety of war-inflicted wounds, including gunshots and shrapnel from artillery blasts, “and we were standing at the elevator, waiting to go up to the floor where the otolaryngology clinic and operating rooms were. When the doors opened, there was a man in his 20s being wheeled out on a stretcher, and he had a black patch over his right eye, and his left foot was missing. That scene really epitomized the type of experience we would have from that point on.”
Artist Ola Rondiak has drawn on her family’s experiences in Ukraine for much of her work, including Motanka Installation, on display at Yonkers’ Hudson River Museum. Ola Rondiak (American, b. 1966) Motanka Installation (detail), 2019. Papier-mache, plaster of Paris, and other mixed media. Courtesy of the artist (c) Ola Rondiak. Photo: Hudson River Museum
Yet despite all of the horror and tragedy he witnessed during those 10 grim days in Ukraine, Moscatello, who has gone on several medical missions during his career, came away from the experience with something of a renewed faith in people — especially the Ukrainian people. “Everyone there had this same attitude of bravery, dedication, patriotism, and what they were willing to sacrifice to prevail. We operated on one young woman who was a medic in the armed forces. She was wounded; she lost an eye. She was there to have her orbit reconstructed so that she could get an implant placed for a prosthetic eye. The day after her surgery, we were making rounds, and when we got to her, the first thing she asked us was, ‘When can I go back to my unit?’” says the surgeon, marveling at the resiliency of a people determined to charge their attackers, even as pieces of them are being blown off.
Moscatello says he intends to return to Ukraine in the spring of 2023.
WMCHealth Goes to Ukraine
For 10 days beginning September 14, WMCHealth otolaryngologists Drs. Augustine Moscatello and Manoj Abraham traveled to Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Hospital to render elite surgical care to the war-torn citizens of the region. Having evaluated and treated more than 30 patients during their mission, treating wounds inflicted mostly by artillery blasts and gunshots, Dr. Moscatello — who is the director of the otolaryngology department at Westchester Medical Center — said the indefatigable bravery of the Ukrainian people has inspired him to return to the country in 2023 to continue the humanitarian work he began last year.
This CT scan depicts the result of a gunshot wound inflicted by a Russian sniper to a woman in the city of Bucha after exiting her car with her son. The woman required extensive surgeries to repair the wound but survived despite having much of her mandible blown off. Her son was taken by Russian soldiers at the scene of the shooting; she has not seen him since. Photo courtesy of Dr. Augustine MoscatelloThis woman’s hypertrophic scar was the result of a blast injury. Surgeons at Ivand-Frankivsk Regional Hospital repaired the damage by transferring tissue from other parts of the patient’s body. Photo courtesy of Dr. Augustine MoscatelloDr. Bruce Moskowitz (left) of Manhattan performs an orbital reconstruction procedure on the victim of a blast injury. he is joined here by surgeons Dr. Scott Tatum (seated) and Dr. John Frodel (Right). Photo courtesy of Dr. Augustine MoscatelloFrom left to right: Dr. Natalia Komashko, Dr. Mandj Abraham, Dr. Ivanka Nebor, Dr. Augustine Moscatello, and Dr. Boris Chernobilski formed a key part of the medical team that treated numerous civilian causalities of war at Ukraine’s Ivand-Frankivsk Regional Hospital, eight hours by bus from the Polish Border. Photo courtesy of Dr. Augustine Moscatello
Showing Support for Ukraine
Throughout the county, the people of Westchester wasted no time in demonstrating their support for the embattled citizens of Ukraine. Even the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge was lit in the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
By Samantha RichterBy Samantha RichterBy John Bruno TurianoBy Frank RobertsCourtesy New York State Thruway Authority
You Can Help
No strangers to philanthropic work, Westchester’s Rotarians have stepped up to help the people of Ukraine. In Rotary District 7230, for example, financial advisor Amir Asadi, who is the chairperson of International Service Projects, was integral to banding together 13 local Rotary Clubs to raise funds for the beleaguered citizens of Ukraine. Together, this humanitarian coalition has raised nearly $30,000 (at press time) in relief funds and is working directly with its Rotarian counterparts in Poland and Ukraine.
The best part is, you can help too. To join this effort, please email Amir Asadi at aasadimail@gmail.com.
Two sisters tap into their interior design expertise at their curated shop in Bronxville, which offers on-trend home goods and accessories.
Sisters Erin Hackett Marschall and Meghan Hackett Cassidy are still bringing the interior design expertise they’ve become known for at Hackett Interiors, but now they have entered into a new venture: a curated retail shop.
Village Design Studio offers delightful hostess gifts, beautiful coffee-table books, and home accessories.
The duo behind Village Design Studio. Photo by Julia D’Agostino
The shop, located in Bronxville, opened in the fall. The sisters had leased the space two years before and were using it for their interior design studio, but as people came knocking on the door, they felt there was a need for not only their own clientele to come and shop for decorative accessories with meaning but also the general public.
“It is a highly curated shop by designers, which is unique,” says Hackett Marschall. “I also think the merchandise has a nice range so there is something for everyone because it’s not style-specific.”
Some of their favorite pieces in the shop include the colored glassware and the matchbook watercolor prints. “The glassware is practical and fun,” says Hackett Marschall. “I think the matchbook watercolor prints are a great price point as a gift for a friend or if you put one in a frame on your own wall.”
They have a variety of partnerships with local artists and galleries, so the artwork is constantly evolving, plus they will be going to market and pulling in new items for the spring and summer.
And, if you want to start a wish list for future birthdays, anniversaries, or other celebrations, you can enter your favorite items on their website. 46 Pondfield Rd, Bronxville; shopvds.com
Inside Village Design Studio. Photo by Julia D’Agostino
Local industry leaders are celebrating numerous signs of a true economic recovery over the past year…and looking forward to an even better 2023.
By Bill Cary and Elaine Pofeldt
Manufacturing
While pandemic-related supply-chain issues have mostly resolved themselves in many industries, some local manufacturers continue to be hit hard by difficulties in getting the materials they need.
“The supply chain has become an exorbitant part of our business,” says Oliver Stauffer, CEO of Hawthorne-based PTI (Packaging Technologies & Inspection), which has 70 employees who focus on package integrity and seal-quality assurance for the healthcare industry. “A year ago, we were ahead of it, and we had lots of inventory.”
Courtesy of stock.adobe.com
Today, what PTI produces may have 40 or 50 unique parts. “If one of those is missing, we can’t ship the product,” Stauffer notes. “All it takes is one part to be missing. Getting electronic components is really problematic. We manufacture leak-detection systems for the healthcare industry and develop sensory technologies.”
Price gouging has also become a problem, he says. “It may take eight months to get a product, and then at double the price. It’s a unique, scary environment, and it hasn’t gotten better.”
For Don Vibbert, CEO of Elmsford-based Image-Works, supply-chain issues have definitely gotten better. “We got hit hard on the microchip front, and now we’ve gotten a lot smarter about how to manage it so that our customers don’t feel it as much,” says Vibbert, whose company provides imaging devices and solutions for dental and medical offices. “We have global manufacturers we partner with. We have our own software platforms, and then we configure them for the North American market.”
Courtesy of Ball Chain Manufacturing
Vibbert adds that the past couple of years have not been easy ones. “It’s definitely been a wild ride, to say the least. First COVID hit, then the world shut down. Yes, 2021 was our best year ever, but then Russia invaded Ukraine and the stock market crashed. Many of our clients are dental professionals who own their businesses, and most of them have stock portfolios. When the market tanks, they definitely get more conservative about spending money.”
But despite these global challenges, things are looking up for Vibbert. “We’re optimistic for 2023,” he adds. “We’re seeing signs that our customer base has gotten more optimistic as well.”
Bill Taubner, president of Ball Chain Manufacturing in Mount Vernon, the world’s largest manufacturer of ball-chain and related accessories, has also seen some lingering supply-chain issues. “At times, it has been difficult to secure flat metal stock from suppliers, and prices are skyrocketing due to inflation,” Taubner says. “We keep inventory levels high to help ensure production remains constant and that our customers have the products they need.”
“At times, it has been difficult to secure flat metal stock from suppliers, and prices are skyrocketing due to inflation. We keep inventory levels high to help ensure production remains constant and that our customers have the products they need.” —Bill Taubner, President, Ball Chain Manufacturing
The family-owned company was founded in 1938 and now employs more than 80 people. Its many products are used in ceiling fans, toilets, handbags, keychains, curtains, and U.S. military dog-tag IDs.
Courtesy of Ball Chain Manufacturing
“The COVID-19 pandemic was a true challenge,” Taubner says. “During the crisis, at the request of Michael Romita, president of the Westchester County Association, we pivoted our business to help address the critical shortage of PPE by launching Bona Fide Masks, which makes and distributes KN95 masks and related products.”
And like many manufacturers who were forced to pivot, Ball Chain remains committed to staying in the county. “My father and grandfather made a decision years ago to keep our operation local,” notes Taubner “My brothers, Val and Jim, and I feel fortunate that as of today, we’ve been able to honor that commitment.”
Commercial Real Estate
After two very strong years, local real estate experts say we are poised for another one. “I’m very optimistic,” says Paul Adler, chief strategy officer at Rand Commercial. “We expect business to increase quarter over quarter in 2023. The Westchester market is still the most desirable market outside of New York City and in the state of New York.”
A lot of growth can be traced back to the residential sector. “Commercial always follows residential growth, and the residential market in Westchester is hotter than the sun,” Adler says. “That’s why we’ve just had such a great year in 2022 and why we believe 2023 will be a great year. We’re still in the wake of that hot residential market, which will come roaring back when interest rates stabilize.”
“The pipeline is healthy going into the first quarter of 2023, but it’s hard to say beyond that. The interest-rate environment obviously is a big deal now, and we’re seeing some developers pumping their brakes a little bit.” —Tom LaPerch, Director, Houlihan Lawrence Commercial
Compared to pre-pandemic days, pricing in the retail market is down slightly, but there is still strong demand and limited inventory, he says. “It’s not like anybody is going to build a new shopping center.” Interestingly, some of the former mall and big-box spaces are seeing new tenants, including nonprofits, medical facilities, and what he described as “experiential retail, things like fitness and indoor sports and the like.”
Courtesy of Tom Laperch
Tom LaPerch, director of Houlihan Lawrence Commercial in Rye Brook, agrees. “Retail has rebounded very nicely, and rental rates have stabilized,” he says. “People are tired of buying stuff online. It’s a touchy-feely thing.”
Restaurants and the hospitality sector are also “coming back in a big way,” LaPerch adds. “The restaurant market is a very healthy sector now.”
“I thought hospitality would be the last sector to make a comeback, but it is back with a vengeance,” notes Adler. “Restaurateurs are capitalizing on the fact that people want to go out and be with other people and have that dining experience.”
They are no longer just setting up tables with white tablecloths and leaving it at that, he says. “Today’s hospitality provider is much more savvy, and everything is fashioned to being multidimensional.”
Courtesy of RPW Group
Overall, LaPerch is more cautious about commercial real estate in the coming year. “The pipeline is healthy going into the first quarter of 2023, but it’s hard to say beyond that,” he says. “The interest-rate environment obviously is a big deal now, and we’re seeing some developers pumping their brakes a little bit.”
The numbers of new developments have changed drastically based on the cost of capital, he says. “We’ve lost a couple of deals already. When they got their approvals, money was cheap. We’re not sure what their Plan B will be, so there are definitely some challenges ahead.”
“Overall, office is back,” LaPerch says, especially Class A office. During the pandemic, building owners took the opportunity to “freshen things up” and “put money into their buildings to get people to come back in. We’re seeing parking lots full again.”
For Westchester to remain a dynamic market, there needs to be a “sophisticated zoning regimen that reflects the mix people want,” adds LaPerch. People want rentals, and they want walkability near a transportation hub. “Our downtowns are being reimagined, and our older buildings are being reimagined.”
The county’s industrial sector is also performing well, particularly “that last-mile e-commerce market,” Adler says. Buyers want modern and green spaces, with solar panels, LED lighting, heat-pump systems, easy access to transportation, a loading dock and high ceilings being prominent desired features. “There is a big difference between a 13-foot ceiling and a 35-foot one,” he adds.
Higher Education
Coming on the heels of its remarkable success at reaching new audiences with its wide array of remote and online courses during the pandemic, SUNY Westchester Community College (WCC) is increasing its outreach to adult learners, many of whom are pursuing training and certifications that lead to higher-paying, middle-skill jobs, according to college president Dr. Belinda Miles. “Online courses allowed us to reach new markets, including adult learners who might be juggling busy work schedules and childcare needs and cannot easily spend the time commuting to campus.”
In order to help address the needs of the business community and support the region’s economic growth, WCC has developed or revised programs in Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, Health Studies, and more. The Valhalla-based community college recently partnered with Port Chester, Ossining, and Peekskill high schools to provide automatic admission for qualified seniors and the college is looking to expand the program with additional school districts in the county in 2023. WCC also recently opened a new state-of-the-art facility at the Cross County Center in Yonkers that is triple the size of its previous Extension Center, with computer and science labs and a full array of student services.
Over the past three years the graduation rate of WCC students has increased by 45%, Miles says. “This trend is due to several factors, including programs designed to assist students who require increased support in their post-secondary education.”
In January, the newly named Iona University will officially open the flagship building of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences at its 28-acre Bronxville campus (formerly Concordia College), as the Kelly Center for Health Sciences, named after benefactors Alfred F. Kelly Jr. and Peggy Kelly. The nearly 32,000-square-foot building spans three floors and features state-of-the-art equipment, spaces, and amenities, according to Dr. Seamus Carey, president of the New Rochelle university. Notably, the entire top floor is dedicated to recreating a hospital setting, with simulation labs, exam rooms and training equipment.
“We also will utilize the new campus for athletics, club sports, performing arts, and other student activities as we grow into the new space,” Carey says. Currently, the most sought-after Health Science program is Iona’s Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, which offers both a traditional four-year bachelor’s degree as well as an accelerated degree for those who already have a bachelor’s in another field but want to make a career change. Outside of the classroom, Iona is adding women’s acrobatics and tumbling and men’s lacrosse as the school’s 22nd and 23rd intercollegiate sports.
Pace University is adding new undergraduate and graduate programs in such areas as information technology, healthcare, business, and law that respond to market demands, and the university is providing more flexibility in how coursework is delivered, according to Pace president Marvin Krislov.
Courtesy of Pace University
Enrollment is up across Pace campuses, with a 17% increase in graduate students, an 18% increase in international students, and 7% growth at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, which once again was named by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 environmental law program in the country.
“Across our campuses, and at Pleasantville in particular, we are making significant investments in our science labs and our healthcare simulation labs … to help address a critical need in the region for more clinical lab technicians and nurses,” Krislov says.
Also in 2023, Pace expects to complete its Pace University Cyber Range, a controlled, interactive technology environment for cybersecurity education. In the fall, the university will open a new, 26-story residence hall and academic building in New York City.
Following the retirement of college president Dr. Michael Geisler, Manhattanville College will be seeking a new leader this year. The Purchase-based college began its fall 2022 semester with one of the largest increases in new student enrollment in its recent history, according to interim president Louise Feroe. College enrollment for new first-year students is up 40%.
Courtesy of Pace University
“Across our campuses, and at Pleasantville in particular, we are making significant investments in our science labs and our healthcare simulation labs.” —Marvin Krislov, President, Pace University
Manhattanville will renovate its main athletics center, Kennedy Gymnasium, to include additional gym space for a growing program in physical education this year. The college will also add new meeting space in the library for commuter students to study and gather, and it will continue to expand its School of Nursing and Health Sciences, which opened in 2020.
Manhattanville, like many colleges nationwide, is at an inflection point, Feroe says. “Our world has been profoundly affected by the pandemic, and, not unexpectedly, there has been financial and interpersonal fallout for higher-education institutions.” Like many liberal-arts schools, the college has seen a shift in the type of student it is attracting, resulting in fewer international students and a decline in traditional residential students. “But the college has been able to increase enrollment by offering more career-oriented programs and programs for nontraditional students, as well as launching online offerings,” concludes Feroe.
Healthcare
The aftereffects of the pandemic have had a big impact on healthcare planning in Westchester. Patients who are finally seeking postponed medical treatment are now coping with problems that didn’t get caught early and turning to locally based providers for increasingly advanced care and outpatient services.
Across the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), Josh Ratner, executive vice president and chief strategy officer, says the patient population includes a rising number of patients who have arrived there sicker than before the pandemic, with the average patient stay increasing by 10% between 2019 and 2021. “It could be that they were avoiding preventive care, or they waited,” Ratner says. “They were scared to go to the doctor. As things progressed, they got more severe.”
By Ben Hider
Many of these patients are moving from inpatient to outpatient care after discharge, so they can get ongoing follow-up. “Sicker patients require higher levels of care,” says Ratner.
The number of patients being transferred by ambulance or helicopter to WMCHealth is also up, by 40% since 2017, Ratner adds. To address the needs of this new surge of patients, WMC established a new critical care tower, with private rooms for patients. WMCHealth is preparing for 5.5% growth in the patient population through 2027, driven in part by migration to the suburbs. It is expecting growth of more than 25% in patients ages 65 and up and a 7.3% uptick in patients ages 18 to 34, Ratner says.
White Plains Hospital continues to expand access to high-quality care close to home, according to its executive vice president and chief medical officer, Dr. Michael Palumbo. One example is the cardiac surgery program it launched in late 2021 with Montefiore Einstein. “Cardiac surgery can be stressful not only for patients but for their loved ones too,” says Palumbo. “Being able to have this world-class program in Westchester County has been remarkable for our patients, and our clinical outcomes in 2022 far exceeded national quality and performance metrics.”
Beyond this, the hospital opened a state-of-the-art intensive care unit (ICU) in August 2022 and will soon be launching a neurointerventional surgery program that will offer the most advanced stroke treatment procedures currently available. The hospital is also investing in the WPH Cares program, which offers patients support after discharge, so they can recover effectively or manage their chronic diseases at home. WPH Cares offers remote patient monitoring, access to a clinical pharmacist, and, if needed, home visits by a paramedic to provide patients with necessary treatments.
“In the past few years, this care model has proven successful for patients with complex needs, such as those with COPD, and we are working to expand these services to more patients in 2023,” says Palumbo.
Meanwhile, New York Presbyterian-Lawrence Hospital has been renamed New York Presbyterian-Westchester, to reflect its commitment to community care. “As we’re coming through COVID, it’s a way for us to renew our commitment to exceptional care,” says Paul Dunphey, senior vice president and chief operating officer.
The hospital system purchased the WestPark office complex for $83.5 million in March, with plans to establish a new ambulatory care outpatient facility that will bring access to clinical teams from ColumbiaDoctors. The location will offer Centers of Excellence in areas such as women’s health, cancer care, and neuroscience. It has also expanded its spine program, known as a national leader in the space, and opened a new 6,045-square-foot facility at the site of the former Pier 1 store in Larchmont, at 1329 West Boston Post Road.
Courtesy of WMCHealth
“It could be that they were avoiding preventive care, or they waited. They were scared to go to the doctor. As things progressed, they got more severe.” —Josh Ratner, Executive Vice president and Chief Strategy Officer, WMCHealth
Amid industry-wide staffing shortages, all three healthcare systems have prioritized talent recruiting and retention, with NewYork-Presbyterian partnering with Iona University School of Health Sciences; WMCHealth teaming up with Pace University and New York Medical College; and White Plains Hospital partnering with Mercy College to develop their talent pipelines. White Plains Hospital offers an “Earn While You Learn” program, in which full-time hospital employees can return to school to earn certifications for hard-to-fill positions. “Our greatest asset is our staff, and we work continually to find ways to invest in their growth and development,” says Palumbo.
Banking
Westchester County’s banking sector is bracing for a slowing economy. “I would say to people for 2023 to be prepared for some difficult economic times,” says John Tolomer, market vice president and executive vice president at Valley Bank, which acquired The Westchester Bank in 2021. “Avoid taking undue risk. The slowdown is here.”
With higher borrowing costs for commercial mortgages, Tolomer is recommending that local businesses reduce any unnecessary costs. The county is home to 27,684 job-creating firms and 104,393 non-employer establishments, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Courtesy of Carlucci & Associates, Inc.
“When you see Meta and Amazon reducing their workforces, you know there is going to be some difficulty ahead. Small and midsize businesses should prepare for that.” —John Tolomer, Market Vice President and Executive Vice President, Valley Bank
“When you see Meta and Amazon reducing their workforces, you know there is going to be some difficulty ahead. Small and midsize businesses should prepare for that,” Tolomer says. “I think for small-business owners that have been able to navigate the last couple of years, what is in front of us won’t pose any more challenge than they’ve come through already. If they’ve been strong enough to survive the last few years, they will be just fine.”
As a result of their merger with The Westchester Bank, Valley Bank is now a $55 billion institution. “We are always looking to build our business,” says Tolomer. “We have a very strong balance sheet. We have been prudently aggressive in terms of loans from a consumer standpoint and an SMB perspective. We believe we are well positioned to assist the consumer in Westchester, as well as the business community. Since our merger with Valley, we’ve been able to increase our ability to help businesses get the financing they need and will continue to do that.”
Courtesy of Valley National Bank
Despite the challenges, there are some positive developments that will influence the economic environment in which banks operate. County Executive George Latimer recently unveiled a $2.3 billion budget that will not increase the county’s tax levy. Because of high inflation, the county is seeing sales-tax revenue that is at a record high.
Beyond that, jobs in the county are plentiful, at least for now. “Overall, our unemployment rate is 2.3 percent, lower than it was before COVID,” notes Bridget Gibbons, director of the county’s Office of Economic Development. “We have strong growth across almost all of our sectors. We are very optimistic about the county’s ability to weather a recession.”
Retail
Westchester’s malls and downtowns are seeing the effects of pent-up demand, and new stores have been springing up around the county.
“In-person shopping is definitely the trend for 2023 and beyond, says Bridget Gibbons, director of the county’s Office of Economic Development. “During the pandemic, we all shopped online, and even local businesses added online ordering to their websites. Westchester County offered free services to help companies that didn’t have an e-commerce component on their websites to add one. Now we’re seeing people are finally comfortable going back to boutiques and restaurants.”
Courtesy of The Westchester
Retail occupancy has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, with the availability rate at 6% to 6.5%, according to Sarah Jones-Maturo, president of the commercial real estate firm RM Friedland. “Availability is now at a healthy spot,” says Jones-Maturo. The lowest availability is in Southern Westchester.
However, pricing has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. “We think that was lack of confidence on the side of ownership rather than a true indicator of where the market is today,” says Jones-Maturo. The average asking price is $35.66 [per square foot].
Off-price retailers, such as TJ Maxx and Target, have been very active in Westchester, says Jones-Maturo. “They didn’t have much of a downturn. They continue to be strong and active.”
As a result, spaces suitable for big-box retail have been in demand. Port Chester has the highest availability rate, and demand has been high for the largest blocks of space in the Waterfront Shopping Center, according to RM Friedland’s research.
“There is tremendous demand for some of the larger blocks of space that came on the market recently, some of which was left behind by Bed, Bath & Beyond, which closed locations,” says Jones-Maturo. “We expect they will be leased in the coming months.”
Courtesy of Bridget Gibbons
“In-person shopping is definitely the trend for 2023 and beyond.” —Bridget Gibbons, Director, Westchester County Office of Economic Development
Some of the most significant transactions for Q3 included Wren Kitchens’ lease at the Yonkers Gateway Center, in the former location of Pier 1 Imports, and the Genesis Auto Dealership, which took over what was once the Lazy Boy shop on Central Avenue in Scarsdale, according to RM Friedland’s market report.
Experiential retail — including trampoline parks, boutique fitness, and pickleball — are making a comeback, the firm found. “Those users are active in the market again,” says Jones-Maturo. However, there is still room for growth. Restaurants, for example, were far more active than in the pandemic but have now been weighed down by high food prices and the labor shortage.
The Arts
“I’m cautiously optimistic about 2023,” says Janet Langsam, longtime CEO of ArtsWestchester in White Plains. “I think things have eased, and we’ve turned a corner. The arts had a difficult time with COVID, but we’ve seen some sold-out events recently, and that gives me a lot of hope. Arts organizations are trying really hard to ease the concerns of the public.” Timed tickets, reservations, markings on floors to separate people, and new air-quality systems are legacies of the pandemic. “People are being really selective about what they go to, but they’re going,” she says.
The Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC), which recently announced the hiring of film industry veteran Ryan Harrington as its new programming director, was planning on launching an overhaul of its three original ground-floor auditoriums in February. Look forward to new seats, layouts and flooring, more legroom, and better access and comfort. The third-floor gallery of the Pleasantville film center will get new bar space and casual seating.
Courtesy of the Hudson River Museum
“Our goal for 2023 is to reach our average audience engagement at the pre-pandemic level,” says JBFC executive director Mary Jo Ziesel. The theater’s masked matinees at select screenings will continue. “The pandemic taught us the importance of watching, discussing, laughing, crying, and celebrating with loved ones and strangers — together.”
Early this year, the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers will celebrate the opening of its new 12,000-square-foot west wing with inaugural exhibitions on “humanity’s interconnectedness and our relationship to the river,” says director and CEO Masha Turchinsky. Along with new exhibition galleries with great river views and a dedicated sculpture court, the wing will include a new Community and Partnership Gallery for emerging artists and community collaborations. The museum is also completing construction of a new 100-seat ADA-compliant auditorium.
While the pandemic has still kept visitorship rates below 2019 levels, “we not only increased our digital footprint to meet audiences where they were when they needed it; we also grasped that our communities rely on us as a convener and catalyst for many important topics,” Turchinsky says.
To protect its actors and theatergoers, the White Plains Performing Arts Center (WPPAC) has installed a brand-new air purification system into all five of its HVAC units. Using state-of-the-art technology from Global Plasma Solutions, the system filters out not only harmful pathogens but also adds ionization purifiers to clean the air before it re-enters the venue, says WPPAC general manager Kathleen Davisson. “GPS ionization permanently reduces or eliminates the indoor air of particulates, pathogens, mold spores, and viruses,” Davisson notes.
By Toshi Tasaki
“We not only increased our digital footprint to meet audiences where they were when they needed it; we also grasped that our communities rely on us as a convener and catalyst for many important topics.” —Masha Turchinsky, Director and CEO, Hudson River Museum
As far as any lingering pandemic issues, “sponsorships have been difficult to secure, but other than that we have recovered pretty well,” she says. “Attendance has been great.”
During the pandemic, ArtsWestchester got $1 million from the state legislature, Langsam says. “We got that money out quickly to affiliates in grants between $5,000 and $25,000. It was very needed, very necessary. We’re thrilled to get another $1 million for 2023,” she says. “This time, we’re trying to get it out to some of the more local groups.”
Every five years, ArtsWestchester does an economic development study; the next is set for 2023. The previous one reported a $172 million economic impact from the arts annually and that the arts are responsible for 5,000 jobs in the county, Langsam says. “I would be thrilled if we do as well as the last one; I’d be ecstatic if we did better.”
Residential Real Estate
Prices for residential homes in Westchester County are holding steady, even in an atmosphere of higher interest rates — and that trend is likely to shape 2023.
“Even though our supply is down, and the buyer’s demand is down, we are still in a market that is supporting price,” says broker Mary Stetson, founder of Stetson Real Estate in Mamaroneck. “Even with the interest-rate changes, the supply has been constrained and will be constrained. There will be fewer people who will choose to move and give up their low interest rates. Most people who want to refinance, already have.”
By Susan Nagib/ Susa Designs
“Whatever town was perceived to have high test scores has been sought-after more. Now, we’re seeing the demand spread out. People are going to where they can afford.” —Mary Stetson, Founder, Stetson Real Estate
Data shows the market is slowing a bit. As of October, there were 1,200 homes on the market in the county, down from 1,348 last year, according to Stetson. The median listed price in October was $795,000, down .5% since September. Listings spent eight days more on the market in October 2022 than in September 2022, and October 2022 saw the sale of 477 homes, down from 567 in October 2021.
However, the median sale price for homes in Westchester over the last 12 months was $645,312 as of October 2022, up 1.6% since last year, according to Rocket Homes.
Stetson says that with interest rates higher, purchasers’ buying power is down, so they are looking at houses in lower price points than before. “People who might have been prequalified before at $1.2 million might be looking at $800,000 now,” she says.
Against this backdrop, demand for houses in every community in the county has been high, according to Stetson. “Traditionally, Rye was really sought-after, or Larchmont, or Chappaqua,” says Stetson. “Whatever town was perceived to have high test scores has been sought-after more. Now, we’re seeing the demand spread out. People are going to where they can afford.”
Regardless of the community where they are shopping, many potential buyers are looking for single-family and larger homes, Stetson says. “Places with their own front doors will be dramatically more popular than places within buildings,” she says. “That’s a holdover from COVID.”
Also popular are houses with backyard amenities, such as pools, and home offices. “With people working from home, they want two home offices,” she says. “They want a door and some Sheetrock between two people’s conversations.”
This year marks a return engagement for the Harrison office of this elite international accounting and advisory firm — except this time, PKF occupies the top spot. No surprise, considering the myriad perks and benefits the firm offers employees, including flex hours, profit sharing, first-day healthcare eligibility, and five weeks’ paid parental leave. PKF also provides employee mentorship, supported by formalized career-development and job-advancement programs. Additionally, this multi-award-winning industry leader offers chair massages, Fresh Fruit Mondays, Healthy Snack Day, Trivia Thursdays, and daily Bingo during peak season, as well as such team-building activities as the annual summer picnic, JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, after-tax-season party, monthly DEI events, and Women’s Initiative-sponsored events. PKF supports the community, as well, through such agencies as Habitat for Humanity, Golden Scoop, Toys for Tots, Nourish Now, and the Winter Wishes Gift Drive.
Courtesy of PKF O’Connor Davies LLP
“We’re committed to providing a meaningful work/life balance and rewarding our high-performing team members,” says Dawn Perri, chief human resources officer. “In the past year, we’ve remained flexible with our hybrid work policy, introduced a four-day Summer Schedule Pilot Program, and implemented an enhanced bonus schedule. These benefits, among many others, reflect the appreciation we have for the great work our team members do day in and day out.”—NB
With a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a cutting-edge workspace in Downtown White Plains this past October, employees are sitting pretty at this boutique advertising agency. Founded in 2011 by Elena Rivera-Cheek, Copy & Art is a woman-owned company servicing both midsize and large businesses across the globe. Employees enjoy a wellness/yoga room with a Peloton at their new office, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip to the Caribbean for two years running, team-building days, a hybrid work schedule, career and personal-development opportunities, a 401(k), long- and short-term disability, and even free snacks to sweeten the deal. This attention is paying off, as the agency was inducted into the Business Council of Westchester’s 2022 Hall of Fame and twice named one of America’s fastest-growing private companies in the annual Inc. 5000. —PA
Appearing in the top rankings for the second year in a row, Prospero has not only cemented its legacy as a titan of beverage distribution across the country and Canada but also as a welcome staple to the county. For its employees, Prospero provides an equal balance of work, play, and paying it forward. While the company provides institutionalized training and mentoring for its staff, Prospero also contributes 100% toward health insurance and offers life insurance, dental, 401(k), PTO, and holiday pay. In tandem with those corporate benefits, Prospero offers such fun perks as company lunches, birthday celebrations, free wine for employees on holidays and special occasions, an annual wine dinner, and employee discounts on products from the company store. —CC
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion” aren’t just buzzwords at the Purchase office of this global digital-marketing agency. DAC’s internal DEI Committee ensures that no employee feels discriminated against, deprived of opportunities, or treated differently due to race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. The company partners with the Mom Project for mothers re-entering the workforce as well as veteran’s associations as part of its hiring efforts. A few times a month, employees have meditation sessions with an instructor, and Thursdays at the firm are marked by staff enjoying bagels and afternoon food and drinks, dressing down, and even bringing well-behaved dogs into the office. The company also offers employees one wellness afternoon each quarter, maternity leave with full pay for 16 weeks, cross training on a variety of media platforms, and tuition reimbursement. The Purchase team even created an Office Olympics, during which employees played games and competed for bragging rights, last summer. —JC
So what is the secret sauce behind the success of this global consulting company and their White Plains division? “Simply put, Slalom puts people first — and we always will,” note local Slalom executives. And putting people first starts with partnering with diverse groups to assist recruiters in filling positions and launching Me@Slalom, a career framework designed to guide employees toward growing their careers. The company regularly presents awards to its employees for various service distinctions and accomplishments, and offers a Slalom Moves program to promote outdoor activities and wellness. Every year, employees have an all-expenses-paid retreat, which includes an invitation for a plus-one and a company picnic. Employees can also earn “thrive dollars” to spend on any well-being expense — from exercise equipment to a spa weekend. Finally, there is Slalom City Limits, a weeklong festival of learning that gives employees a chance to “take the stage” and share a passion or some personal expertise with their colleagues. —JC
With a half-century of experience and in-depth knowledge of the commercial real estate landscape in Westchester, RM Friedland has demonstrated that it also cares about its workforce. Employees cite things like providing a safe work environment, copious company support for personal and professional growth (including mentoring, job-shadowing, and cross-training), and a sense that each employee is essential to the success and growth of the company as key reasons RM Friedland is a great place to work. Other sources cite the vision and nurturing spirit of company president Sarah Jones-Maturo, who not only endorses flex time for parents’ school events and doctors’ appointments in addition to company happy hours but is also credited with having created a close-knit team with a best-in-class mentality that permeates everything the company does.—NB
Perhaps one of the most eloquent testaments to LWD’s success — not just as a modern, forward-thinking direct-and-performance-marketing agency but also as an employer — rests in a culture of emphasized work/life balance that has produced a workforce with an average 10-year employee tenure. The company proudly offers employee bonus and incentive programs in addition to 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans. Staff also benefit from on-site wellness and fitness programs; tuition reimbursement and/or assistance for advanced or post-grad degrees; mentoring, job-shadowing, and cross-training, as well as free or discounted tickets to local family entertainment and sporting events. Twice-weekly massage therapy sessions are available to every employee, as are quarterly team-building outings, summer barbecues and softball games, holiday-themed celebrations, bimonthly birthday celebrations, and team volunteer opportunities. —NB
This full-service tax, assurance, and business advisory firm is known to go to bat for both its clients and its employees. Citrin Cooperman is serious about cultivating and supporting a satisfied workforce. The company offers workers a new-hire advisory program, combined with events like holiday parties and monthly happy hours, a staff sabbatical program, sports competitions, annual meetings with the CEO, and benefits such as ID Theft Protection, short- and long-term disability plans, and a paid parental-leave program. This attention to employees has paid off beyond its recognition on our Best Places to Work in Westchester list, with Citrin Cooperman having been ranked in the top three of five categories in “The Best of 2022” by The Legal Intelligencer as well as a “2022 Best Company to Work For” by Vault.com. —PA
Photo courtesy of Citrin CoopermanPhoto courtesy of Citrin Cooperman
A commercial HVAC company might not be the first place you would think of as a top place to work, but it’s hard to argue with major benefits and a stellar retirement plan. Not only does Atlantic Westchester subsidize health and dental insurance premiums (including both types of coverage for dependents) 100%; it also sees to the future needs of its workforce. After two years of employment (which equates to being fully vested), the firm contributes 5% of the employee’s annual salary each year into a defined contribution retirement plan for them (unless otherwise modified). Atlantic Westchester also offers tuition reimbursement for employees attending business education conferences or workshops. Pair that with support from those in leadership positions, and what you have is a great company that sets up employees to climb the ranks. —CC
A.S.A.P Mortgage Corp. knows how to make both clients and its workers happy. Founded by Irene Amato in 2001, this full-service mortgage brokerage firm — led by loan originators licensed and bonded through the National Multistate Licensing System & Registry (NMLS) as well as by state regulatory agencies — not only guides its many customers through the mortgage process but also understands the value of happy employees. Workers are offered complimentary professional social media photo shoots monthly as well as paid days off for birthdays, a company-subsidized weekly office lunch, discounted tickets to concerts and events, and even glitzy company retreats to spots like Fort Lauderdale and Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa in Tucson. —PA
Cuddy & Feder is known to be one of Westchester’s premier law firms, but did you know it’s also a great place to work? In addition to bonus and incentive programs, after two years of employment, the firm contributes 5% of the employee’s annual salary each year into a defined contribution plan (unless otherwise modified). Cuddy & Feder also offers on-site wellness and fitness programs, with health-club fee reimbursement in whole or part; adoption assistance; lactation facilities for breastfeeding mothers; and free or discounted tickets to local family entertainment and sporting events. An employer-sponsored Employee Assistance Program provides counseling for marital, parental, or financial problems, along with assistance for conditions like substance abuse, smoking, and gambling. There are also on-site personal development and/or stress-management workshops and seminars. —NB
Focusing on community service, top-tier materials, and the health and happiness of all employees, it’s easy to see why this Briarcliff-based supplier has been in operation for 76 years. Offering quality aggregate, asphalt, and recycled products to the construction industry as well as to local builders, Thalle was nominated by the State Department of Environmental Conservation and received the Outreach Award from the National Association of State Land Reclamationists. Thalle encourages this progress through unwavering support of its employees, with benefits like classes, training, and certifications as well as plenty of perks, including off-site retreats, employer-sponsored eldercare assistance, and tickets to sports games. —PA
Photo courtesy of Thalle Industries Inc.Photo courtesy of Thalle Industries Inc.
13) Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers
Photo courtesy of Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers
As a government agency dedicated to providing affordable, safe housing opportunities to residents of Westchester’s most populous city, the Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers (MHACY) is always focused on the needs of people. The agency partners with local nonprofit Greyston to help offer meaningful job opportunities to individuals facing barriers to employment. As a relatively small agency comprising 49 people, MHACY can offer its employees personalized assistance. The agency also provides free COVID testing, OSHA compliance training, and other job-related training to employees at different stages of their careers. On-site stress counseling, holiday parties at Thanksgiving and Christmas, an annual summer barbecue, and events such as Pizza Fridays round out the perks for MHACY staff members. —JC
Photo courtesy of Municipal Housing Authority for the City of Yonkers
14) LGS Specialty Sales, Ltd.
New Rochelle lgssales.com Westchester Employees: 15
Photo courtesy of LGS Specialty Sales, Ltd.
This New Rochelle-based wholesale-food company prides itself on a team environment that is as unique as its history. LGS Specialty Sales, Ltd. began as a one-man operation when founder Luke Sears become involved in the first batch of clementines being imported to the U.S. from Spain nearly 30 years ago. The company grew to expand into avocados, grapes, and oranges, and is currently a leading importer of fresh produce. LGS employees never stray far from the company’s core values of being driven, accountable, respectful, loyal, innovative, nimble, and grateful. In return, the company provides cultural holiday celebrations, in-office chair massages, free citrus and avocados, as well as flexible hours to accommodate employees with families. Each department within the company is also tasked with creating a quarterly team-building activity, which could be an in-office event or a field trip to a sporting event, meal, or wine tasting. —JC
Thanks to satisfied employees and a tremendous work ethic, Tarrytown-based executive-search-and-consulting firm Madison-Davis is on the rise. In fact, the staffing company has grown by an impressive 65% since 2020, doling out 20 promotions in 2022 alone. Focusing on IT, credit services, risk management, legal and compliance, corporate finance, investment banking, and equipment and commercial finance, Madison-Davis has already filled more than 10,000 jobs for Fortune 500 companies and hedge funds alike. Employees are the driving force behind this success, with the company offering them training programs and quarterly company events in addition to bowling and happy hours, President’s Club trips, summer Fridays, and a benefits package that features a 401(k) with company matching. —PA
Flexible work hours and free food from the cafeteria are just two of the major perks offered by luxury full-service, fixed-based operator (FBO) Million Air, which operates out of Westchester County Airport. Additionally, meetings and staff-only events are scheduled during business hours exclusively, in order to maintain a healthy work/life boundary. Million Air HPN also offers Employee of the Week and Month incentive programs, along with recognition of employees’ birthdays and anniversaries. It’s no wonder its White Plains hangar was in the top 20% of the highest-rated FBOs in the Americas in 2021. —CC
Since 1892, this Middletown-based independent bank has worked hard to offer the very best financial services to community and business clientele alike, today boasting more than $2.2 billion in total assets. Its portfolio includes business banking, cash management, personal banking, and wealth management, such as trust services and investment strategies. This dedication to great work is matched by the firm’s devotion to its employees, who enjoy a 401(k) with a “Safe Harbor” company contribution, enhanced short- and long-term disability, EAP and wellness benefits, tuition reimbursement, summertime ice cream days, employee discount programs, a paid volunteer day, raffles, theme days, ongoing professional development, length-of-service recognition, as well as a host of other attractive perks and benefits. —PA
A family business at its core, DeCicco & Sons views each employee as an extension of its family tree. Caring about and catering to each employee’s needs, the company offers vocational opportunities for programs that help special-needs individuals enter the workforce. To keep morale boosted, the stores also engage in the celebration of cultural holidays on top of free lunches every day and discounts at local gyms. The company also offers bonuses for employees who refer new hires. For long-term planning, DeCicco & Sons matches employee contributions to retirement plans up to 4%. But the benefits buck doesn’t stop there. The company not only hosts an annual outing to Playland Amusement Park in Rye; it also announces the coveted Employee of the Year award at its annual holiday party. —CC
What will your New Year’s Eve outfit look like? Adobe Stock / Kzenon
Ready to ring in 2023 in style? Make sure you’re dressed to the nines when the clock strikes midnight with a showstopping outfit.
By Gina Valentino and Sabrina Sucato
New Year’s Eve is the time for creating resolutions, popping bubbly, and, of course, going all out with the glitz and the glam. Sure, some of us purchased outfits long before solidifying actual plans for the evening — because, priorities — but if you haven’t scored the perfect ensemble for closing out the year yet, check out these dazzling styles you can purchase at boutiques around Westchester.
Sashay into 2023 with one of these fun and flirty tops from March Boutique in Briarcliff Manor.
How could you not feel like the life of the party in this feminine and floral top from Fado in Katonah? It pairs just as well with jeans as it does a festive skirt.
It’s all about the sparkle with these glamorous cuff and link bracelets available at Desires by Mikolay in Chappaqua. P.S. If you’re looking for earrings and rings to match, the boutique has those, too!
Have an outfit or a bodysuit you wanted to wear but would like to spice up? OverLay from Katonah has you covered (figuratively) with a sheer collection meant to place over your own clothes.
Make a statement with these recycled leather pants found at Palmer & Purchase, which has locations in Larchmont and Rye. They’d make for the perfect elegant and edgy New Year’s Eve outfit with a sparkly number on top.
Lastly, is there anything more luxurious than stepping into the new year in a sparkly jacket? Plus, if you’re that person who is always cold, this jacket from Whim, which has locations in Bronxville and Mount Kisco, will warm you up a bit while still looking chic.
Look inside legendary record producer Clive Davis’ new, high-tech home theater in Pound Ridge. Warning: you may want one yourself.
Music-industry icon Clive Davis recently remodeled the theater in his Pound Ridge vacation home, which he’s owned for about 35 years. Prior to the update, Davis had an outdated projector that lacked vivid color and sharp, high-contrast images — and it would take more than 20 minutes to start up! Not okay when you are as busy as Davis is.
The project team, which included Architechnology Designs and Samsung Electronics America, was brought in to find a solution that was dependable, easy to operate, and provided the kind of next-level entertainment experience Davis’ VIP guests are accustomed to.
Davis, whose life and career have been dedicated to entertainment, sought a design upgrade that would deliver on those expectations. He wanted a room where he could relax and enjoy a sports game (including his favorite team, the New York Yankees) or the latest blockbuster movie with his closest friends. “I love film, documentaries, concerts, and sports, whether it’s baseball, football, tennis, or boxing,” says Davis.
To bring his vision and experience full circle, the team removed the previous projector and redesigned the home theater to fit Samsung’s The Wall, which is a modular, large-format microLED that works like a TV. Individual sections are mounted to a custom, Samsung-designed frame that prevents any gaps in the picture. The team also constructed custom niches for sound speakers to the left and right of the screen to complete the immersive theatrical experience. Complete with comfortable, theater-style seating, cozy curtains, and moody lighting that would stand up to even the most quintessential commercial movie theater, the result is a true moviegoing experience.
Davis is a big entertainer and now can host as many as 80 people in his theater, as well as more intimate gatherings, in total comfort and with the knowledge that a screening will be easy to set up while offering guests an experience they’ll not soon forget. “I use it every weekend,” says Davis. “The results have been spectacular, and I enjoy it thoroughly.”
