28 People You Need to Know to Do Business in Westchester

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(L to R) Jaime McGill, Thom Kleiner, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Natasha Caputo
Photo by Stefan Radtke. Makeup by Ashley Corcello, Salon Posh

If you want to do business in Westchester, make sure you’re within the proverbial six degrees of separation of these heavy-hitters.

By Amy R. Partridge & Duke Ratliff

Photo courtesy of Ben Boykin II
Photo courtesy of Ben Boykin II

Who: Ben Boykin II
What: Westchester County Legislator
Why: The four-time county legislator and longtime CPA with corporate stints at Deloitte and RJR Nabisco has devoted himself to nonprofit organizations for more than 30 years. If you hear a hint of a Southern accent when he speaks, it’s a reminder of just how far he’s come from being born a North Carolina sharecropper’s son — and why he’s so civic-minded.

He is a four time county legislator, a longtime CPA, and a veteran corporate exec.

 

Noam Bramsom
Photo by Stefan Radtke

Who: Noam Bramsom
What: Mayor, City of New Rochelle
Why: Mayor Noam Bramson has overseen zoning changes and fast-track permits, leading to an expansive downtown development plan, including new residential towers and retail, plus upgraded parks and playgrounds. Next on his agenda? Perhaps it’s renaming the city Newer Rochelle… Newest Rochelle… or even the New New Rochelle!

Natasha Caputo
Photo by Stefan Radtke

Who: Natasha Caputo
What: Director, Tourism & Film, Westchester County
Why: When you see a familiar Westchester locale in a movie, TV show, or commercial, chances are it’s thanks to Natasha Caputo. She oversees everything that is related to attracting and servicing filmmakers to the area, including promoting its diverse locations. Film production generates more than $30 million a year for the county — as well as cool bragging rights.

Heidi Davidson, PhD
Photo by John Vecchiola

Who: Heidi Davidson, PhD
What: Chairman of the Board, Business Council of Westchester (BCW)
Why: Because Marsha Gordon can’t run Westchester entirely by herself, other top execs at the BCW are in-demand for their expertise and insights — none more so than Heidi Davidson, PhD, who was elected as BCW’s chairman in 2020. Davidson, who is also CEO of marketing-and-communications consultancy Galvanize Worldwide, has earned high praise for initiatives that include the launch of BCW’s Data Exchange and for helping to keep BCW members virtually connected throughout the pandemic.

Jan Fischer
Photo by Stefan Radtke

Who: Jan Fischer
What: Executive Director, Nonprofit Westchester (NPW)
Why: Anyone who thinks the nonprofit sector flies under the radar in Westchester hasn’t met Jan Fisher. As head of Nonprofit Westchester, the well-networked Fisher works hard to ensure that the impact, capacity, and visibility of the nonprofit sector in Westchester County remains high. Throughout the pandemic, NPW served as a key resource for its nonprofit members, which provide vital services to residents and comprise a large employee base throughout the county.

She works hard to ensure the visibility of our nonprofit sector.

 

Jon A. Dorf
Photo by Stefan Radtke
Jonathan B. Nelson
Photo by Stefan Radtke

Who: Jon A. Dorf & Jonathan B. Nelson
What: Partners, Dorf & Nelson
Why: Paying more than just lip service to the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce, Jon Dorf and Jonathan Nelson run the first law firm in the U.S. to receive Gender Fair Certification. Dorf, Nelson, and their team of lawyers not only enjoy a progressive workplace but also serve up top-notch counsel to a wide range of local corporations and entrepreneurs, with sought-after practice areas ranging from commercial real estate and intellectual property to labor and medical-malpractice defense.

Tim Foley
Photo courtesy of Tim Foley

Who: Tim Foley
What: CEO, The Building & Realty Institute of Westchester & the Mid-Hudson Region
Why: A resurgence of respect for Westchester’s essential industries may well be one of the pandemic’s silver linings. Leveraging this momentum to advocate the interests of the region’s building, realty, and construction professionals, newly promoted CEO Tim Foley plans to continue leading the BRI by focusing on smart growth, affordable housing, and common-sense sustainability.

Bridget Gibbons
Photo by Toshi Tasaki

Who: Bridget Gibbons
What: Director of Economic Development, Westchester County
Why: As director of economic development, Bridget Gibbons is focused on helping businesses prosper in Westchester County. She’s headed the Element46 business incubator program, incentivized foreign corporations to open offices in the county, and most recently helped launch the county’s Economic Development Strategy, Recovery and Development Plan. Gibbons knows that post-pandemic businesses in the county are increasingly incorporating technology and digitalization to make their companies more competitive. Can you say, “advanced manufacturing”?

She has headed a business incubator and incentivized companies to come here.

 

Martin Ginsburg
Photo by Toshi Tasaki

Who: Martin Ginsburg
What: Founder & Principal, Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC)
Why: Toss a rock along the shores of the Hudson River, and there’s a good chance it will land on property either owned, developed, or enhanced by Martin Ginsburg, whose GDC has been building prestigious residential developments in Westchester and Rockland for more than 50 years. Ginsburg also recently opened The Abbey Inn & Spa in Peekskill (ranked one of the best new hotels in the country by USA Today in 2020) and has continued to be an advocate for helping the Rivertowns improve their waterfronts.

Marsha Gordon
Photo courtesy of Business Council of Westchester

Who: Marsha Gordon
What: President/CEO, Business Council of Westchester (BCW)
Why: Here’s a tip for any newcomer to the Westchester business community: Talk to Marsha Gordon. Whether it’s healthcare, labor, hospitality, or general business, BCW’s president and CEO knows the ins and outs like no one else. Her status was confirmed yet again last year, when she was named to Westchester County Executive George Latimer’s Reopening Task Force.

Anne Janiak
Photo courtesy of Women’s Enterprise Development Center

Who: Anne Janiak
What: Founder & CEO, Women’s Enterprise Development Center (WEDC)
Why: Helping women “roar” a little louder has been Anne Janiak’s calling for her entire career. Since 1997, Janiak has served as founder and CEO of WEDC, a White Plains-based nonprofit microbusiness-development organization that helps women achieve economic self-sufficiency through entrepreneurship. With advice, training, and capital for entrepreneurs, Janiak’s WEDC has helped countless women launch, maintain, and expand small businesses in Westchester.

William Harrington, Esq.
Photo courtesy of Bleakley, Platt & Schmidt

Who: William Harrington, Esq.
What: Chairman, Board of Directors, Westchester County Association
Why: One of the reigning elder statesmen of Westchester’s business and legal community, William Harrington may indeed know everyone in the 914 (or at least it seems that way). As partner and head of the Litigation and Toxic Tort/Complex Litigation Practice Groups at prestigious law firm Bleakley Platt & Schmidt, Harrington knows his way around a legal brief. His steadfast service to the WCA has helped invigorate the local think tank on such important issues as workforce development and promotion of the healthcare sector.

Thom Kleiner
Photo by Tom Artin

Who: Thom Kleiner
What: Executive Director, Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Board
Why: Westchester County is open for business, and Thom Kleiner is focused on expanding all opportunities to make the county a destination for commerce. He’s also responsible for developing the policies and outreach efforts to maximize employment opportunities for residents of Westchester and Putnam counties.

He is focused on making the county a destination for commerce.

Janet Langsam
Photo courtesy of ArtsWestchester

Who:  Janet Langsam
What: CEO, ArtsWestchester
Why: A force in the Westchester arts scene (some say she is the Westchester arts scene) for more than two decades, Janet Langsam headed up the Restart the Arts program earlier this year to help artists and organizations get back on their feet in the post-pandemic environment. The result: $1 million in state funding for area arts organizations.

Some say she is the Westchester arts scene — and has been for more than two decades.

 

Louie Lanza
Photo by Ken Gabrielsen

Who: Louie Lanza
What: Owner, Hudson Hospitality Group
Why: For residents of Northern Westchester, Peekskill is an entertainment destination. With its mixture of galleries, restaurants, and performance spaces, it’s a suburban entertainment cocktail, and Louie Lanza, owner of numerous Peekskill properties — many of which house the city’s most popular restaurants and entertainment venues — is the straw that stirs the drink.

George Latimer
Photo courtesy of Westchester County Government

Who: George Latimer
What: County Executive, Westchester County
Why: From reducing property taxes and improving the airport to banning gun shows, promoting diversity, and leading the post-pandemic recovery, George Latimer performs a high-wire balancing act to rival the most accomplished tightrope walker. So far, he’s received plaudits and positive reviews for his administration’s actions on business development, with efforts like an incubator program for new businesses and funding for COVID relief. (We only wish he let the circus come to town!)

Jaime McGill

Who: Jaime McGill
What: Executive Director, Yonkers Industrial Development Association
Why: You may have heard that there’s a lot of new development going on in Yonkers? (If you haven’t, we’re not sure what to say.) As ED of the Yonkers IDA, Jaime McGill has her fingers on the city’s frenetic pulse — and its purse strings — when it comes to funding incentives for projects with dizzying dollar figures, such as the $181 million Teutonia Buena Vista residential complex and a $177 million waterfront conversion project, among others.

There is a lot of development going on in Yonkers. She has her finger on the city’s pulse — and its purse strings.

 

Ross Pepe
Photo courtesy of Construction Industry Council

Who: Ross Pepe
What: President, Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley (CIC) and President, Building Contractors Association of Westchester & the Mid-Hudson (BCA)
Why: If you build it in Westchester, Ross Pepe is probably involved in some way. As head of both the CIC and BCA, as well as executive director of the Construction Advancement Institute of Westchester & Mid-Hudson, his legendary influence spans a 50-year career in the local building trades. Seek him out for wise counsel on any building, construction, or industry labor-relations matters.

Deb Milone
Photo by Howard Copeland

Who: Deb Milone
What: President, Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce (HVCC)
Why: Northern Westchester small-business owners know that Deb Milone has got their backs: In the decade since becoming its president, Milone has helped increase the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce’s membership rolls from 324 to more than 520 and has acted as a strong business advocate for them throughout the pandemic. Her leadership helped the Chamber nab a “Chamber of the Year” honor in 2015 from the Business Council of New York State.

Tom Roach
Photo by Stefan Radtke

Who: Tom Roach
What: Mayor, City of White Plains
Why: White Plains Mayor Tom Roach, who has run the New York City Marathon in under three hours, will be the first to tell you that Downtown redevelopment is a marathon, not a sprint. So far, he’s clocked in with major enhancements to Downtown, improvements to the city’s financial outlook, and spearheaded important environmental and sustainability initiatives.

He knows that Downtown redevelopment is a marathon, not a sprint.

Michael Romita
Photo courtesy of Westchester County Association

Who: Michael Romita
What: President/CEO, Westchester County Association (WCA)
Why: Michael Romita was a scratch golfer when he was a student at Tufts University, and his first year as the head of Westchester County Association started in the rough —just as the country shutdown due to COVID-19. Romita has led the WCA’s call for a recovery plan by focusing on healthcare, affordable housing, sustainability, and expanded digital connectivity. Fore!

Mike Spano
Photo by Stefan Radtke

Who: Mike Spano
What: Mayor, City of Yonkers
Why: Since taking office in 2012, Mayor Mike Spano has led a waterfront rebound, and Westchester’s largest city has attracted FedEx, Target, MGM, and Lionsgate, along with legions of hipsters taking up residence in the Y-O’s influx of new luxury buildings. (There’s even the hype about Yonkers as the “sixth borough” of New York City.) So when do we get to see Mayor Spano riding one of those electric scooters he keeps talking about?

Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Photo by Stefan Radtke

Who: Andrea Stewart-Cousins
What: New York State Senator
Why: Lots of “Will she or won’t she?” speculation about running against scandal-plagued Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary has swirled around State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers. (She flatly says she is not planning to run.) Regardless, she still wields impressive power as the state’s senate majority leader and top Democrat not named “Cuomo.” She has overseen transformative legislation on issues including healthcare, gun rights, and immigration, among others.

She wields impressive power as the state’s senate majority leader.

 

Geoff Thompson, Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson & Dean Bender
Photo by Stefan Radtke

Who: Geoff Thompson, Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson & Dean Bender
What: Partners, Thompson & Bender
Why: Is it really an official Westchester business event if either Liz, Geoff, or Dean isn’t hosting, serving as panelists, or at least in attendance? We’re not sure. Arguably the best-known and most-connected trio in the county, these PR partners have built Thompson & Bender into a powerhouse firm, with big-name clients that include the City of Yonkers, Business Council of Westchester, Cross County Center, and Simone Development.

John Tolomer
Photo courtesy of The Westchester Bank

Who: John Tolomer
What: President & CEO, The Westchester Bank
Why: If there is such a thing as a local banking legend, John Tolomer is it. He has helmed The Westchester Bank since its humble 2008 beginnings in two double-wide trailers in Yonkers. He led the bank through the Great Recession shortly after its founding and this year oversaw his now-thriving bank’s distribution of more than $85 million in PPP loans to help businesses survive the pandemic.


 

5 Brunch Spots in Westchester With Epic Hudson River Views

Harvest-on-Hudson / Photo by Simon Feldman

As the weather heats up, head to brunch at one of these gloriously tempting spots along the majestic Hudson River.

By Samantha Garbarini and Michelle Gillan Larkin

3 Westerly

3 Westerly Rd, Ossining; 914.762.1333

At sunset, the view from this stylish waterfront restaurant can’t be beat, whether you’re sitting in the nautically inspired interior or on the spacious 100-seat terrace, but on sunny Saturdays and Sundays, the view is also divine, as is the bottomless brunch menu, which includes stiff drinks, smoked salmon and avocado toast, banana-Nutella pancakes, and jazz or DJ, depending on the day.

Weekends, Noon to 4 p.m.

Half Moon

1 High St, Dobbs Ferry; 914.693.4130

With a loaded brunch menu bursting with all manner of brekkie and elevated lunch-type items (alongside craft cocktails with hard to resist names like “it takes two to mango”) quiche, fried chicken and waffles, and lobster rolls, this riverside spot satisfies every craving for every bruncher from the quintessential quiche lover to those who can’t ever say no to a lobster roll no matter the time of day, to those curious cravers who somehow believe fried chicken qualifies as breakfast simple because it’s served atop a waffle.

Weekends, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Harvest on Hudson

1 River St, Hastings-on-Hudson; 914.478.2800

Take your pick of lush outdoor spaces at this riverfront stalwart. We’re partial to the 2,000 sq. ft. landscaped garden, where you can relax under an orange umbrella with a bacon-egg-and-cheese pizza, a seafood tower, warm espresso bomboloncini with caramel custard filling, or plate of whole-wheat-mascarpone waffles.

Weekends, 11:15 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

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Red Hat on the River

1 Bridge St, Irvington; 914.591.5888

This French-American bistro, situated in a pleasing 1910 brick building, hosts spectacular liquid vistas from nearly every seat in the house, making focaccia eggs Hollandaise, Brioche French toast with sweet cinnamon butter, and the classic “Sunday Sandwich” go down easy like Sunday morning (or early afternoon, you pick).

Sunday, Noon to 2:30 p.m.

X2O Xaviars on the Hudson

71 Water Grant St, Yonkers; 914.965.1111

Chef Peter Kelly’s venerated New American restaurant on the Yonkers Pier manages to be both a splurge and a steal at brunch. The $48 price tag includes three luxurious courses (poached eggs with crabmeat hollandaise, anyone?), plus unlimited Champagne cocktails that feel like they’re always being topped off; passed bites, including plump lamb chops and Kelly’s signature coconut shrimp; and clear-day views that stretch all the way to Manhattan.

Sundays, Noon to 2 p.m.

 

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How to Spend a Perfect Saturday in Larchmont

Enjoy a Saturday in Larchmont | Adobe Stock | jptinoco

With attractions, boutiques, and restaurants galore, there’s so much to do in Westchester County’s walkable village.

At just 1.1 square miles in area, Larchmont is tiny — particularly next to neighboring New Rochelle, more than 10 times its size — yet the offerings are abundant, much like the Sound that laps its shores. No real need for wheels to spend a day here; just a good pair of kicks and a healthy dose of get-up-and-go are all that’s required to enjoy the vibrant shops, eateries, culture, and coast of this quaint, compact, and bountiful little village. What are you waiting for? Head to Westchester and enjoy your Saturday in Larchmont.

By Michelle Gillan Larkin & Anthony Tornatore

8 a.m. – Start Your Day on a Positive Note

Nothing like a nice stretch and a deep breath to start the day off right; a class at Balance Yoga & Wellness (2444 Boston Post Rd.; 914.833.9703) will set a positive tone for the whole weekend. If you require a cup of coffee first, pop into Sunshine Coffee Roasters (1932 Palmer Ave.; 914.341.1899), where beans are roasted on-site, and brewing begins by dawn.

10 a.m. – Shop in the Village Heart of Larchmont

It is so time to shop, and Larchmont’s four intersecting, dynamic retail thoroughfares make it way too easy. Head to The Souk at maisonette (170 Myrtle Blvd.; 914.732.3330), which beckons browsers to “shop the world without leaving Westchester” for unique global home goods. Head back to the village heart for hot designer threads from the always on-point Palmer & Purchase (1905 Palmer Ave.; 914.481.8500) or a boutiquey new outfit from Love Bella (1907 Palmer Ave.; 914.630.2602).

 

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12 p.m. – Take Your Pick of Lunch at These Eateries

Lunch at local institution Stan’z Café (26 Chatsworth Ave.; 914.833.9760) is never a miss, with an inventive, upmarket take on salads and sammies, and be sure to dip your paper straw into an all-natural house-made soda. Apiary (157 Larchmont Ave.; 914.834.3572) is another solid spot for soup and paninis, like the one with fresh mozzarella and prosciutto, though you could also splurge on a lobster roll.

 

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2 p.m. – Buy Your Home a Present in Town

Still time to spend, and a piece from the always changing, finely curated, one-of-a-kind inventory at Fofie & Mia’s (2417 Boston Bost Rd.; 914.275.0375) will surely find a place of prominence in your home. Then, visit the iconic Village Mercantile (28 Chatsworth Ave.; 914.341.1066) for modern, thoughtfully made personal and home effects.

 

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4 p.m. – Sit and Relax at the Larchmont Manor Park

Take a short trek to the Larchmont Manor Park (108 Park Ave.; 914.834.4309), where residents hit the private beach and everyone enjoys the green space, walking trails, and 5,000 feet of shoreline with spectacular natural sculptures born from glacial rock.

5 p.m. – Devour Your Dinner at These Establishments

Have a satisfying meal at family-owned neighbor-hood gem Lusardi’s (1885 Palmer Ave.; 914.834.5555), an excellent choice for fine Italian classics. Or check out the new farm-to-fork hotspot, Heritage 147 (147 Larchmont Ave.; 914.292.5320) and the stellar Christopher’s by Chef Joe (2382 Boston Post Rd.; 914.787.8749), which is everything you’d want from a proper Italian steakhouse.

 

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7 p.m. – Have a Cup or Cone at Longford’s

Made with premium ingredients, Longford’s (1941 Palmer Ave.; 914.630.4503) is your go to place for fresh and homemade ice cream in Westchester. Being open since 1992, Longford’s offers a plethora of flavors, including mint Oreo bomb, caramel sea salt, and so much more.

9 p.m. – Stay the Night at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel

The Sleepy Hollow Hotel (455 S Broadway; 914.631.5700) is where you want to be if you want to be pampered. With an indoor pool, sauna’s, a fitness center, and a bar & lounge, this hotel is the definition of relaxation. They also have an award-winning restaurant, Bistro Z, where creative chefs use locally sourced ingredients.

 

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Related: Best Places to Live 2018: Larchmont

Two Popular Italian Eateries Add Brunch to Their Westchester Menus

Sugar glazed cinnamon French toast from tredici SOCIAL.
Photo by John Bruno Turiano

The best meal of the weekend just got better with mouthwatering brunch offerings at L’inizio in Ardsley and Bronxville’s tredici SOCIAL.

By Michelle Gillan Larkin and John Bruno Turiano

At L’inizio, where Heather and Scott Fratangelo dish out locally sourced, inventive, and elevated Italian-inspired fare, Sunday brunch service (11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.) is just a natural progression of their fine and thoughtfully curated culinary craft. And, it’s a welcome addition to Ardsley’s downtown dining scene.

The duo’s regular offerings are the foundation of the brunch menu, with a handful of well-placed breakfast-type items that make it a full-on legit brunch, instead of just an early lunch. (Pro tip: $25 gets you a selection from the “large plates” section and makes brunch bottomless with sangria, seasonal mimosas, and spicy bloodies.)

 

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Along with dinnertime standards like crispy cauliflower with lemon aioli and sweet lime vinaigrette, the divine Gouda burger, and bucatini with shrimp, brunchers can expect cannoli-stuffed French toast with chocolate sauce, a perfect egg and cheddar brioche sammie, and steak and eggs — a classic that’s prepared with quintessential Fratangelo flair (think: chimichurri, arugula salad, and parmigiana).

In addition, and new to the kitchen lineup, is octopus with chorizo, potato hash, and chipotle aioli, which comes topped with a soft-boiled egg (which spells brekkie all the way).

Also, somehow hitting the right note for first-meal-of-the-day status, the prosciutto-lemon arancini is a welcome and belly-warming amuse bouche.

 

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Interestingly, Heather’s knockout bombolini, which is normally reserved for a dinner-ending dessert, has found a home among the starters for brunch. And, somehow, it works, because if you’re mature and sophisticated enough to take yourself out to brunch, then surely you can bend the rules and enjoy dessert before your meal.

The small village of Bronxville, just 1 square mile and with 6,300+ residents, is apparently a sidewalk stroll kind of place. A nice cross-section of humanity made for excellent people-watching trying tredici SOCIAL’s updated brunch menu (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) in the 30-seat, open-air tented dining space adjacent to the sidewalk.

“We had stopped brunch due to COVID,” says Michael Colucci, general manager of the Modern Italian/American eatery, “but with the warm weather here and the number of those vaccinated rising daily, it was time to bring it back.”

Buttermilk pancakes topped with cannoli cream and fresh berries from tredici SOCIAL
Buttermilk pancakes topped with cannoli cream and fresh berries from tredici SOCIAL. Photo by John Bruno Turiano

The menu, designed by chef/owner Giuseppe Fanelli, who also owns tredici NORTH in Purchase, has brunch favs either done elevated (eggs Benedict over Maryland crab cakes, avocado toast with chilled Maine lobster, penne vodka with a shot – or two – of Grey Goose) or via fun, even quirky takes (buttermilk pancakes with house-made cannoli cream, chicken and waffles with Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch fried chicken, a towering Fat Bastard burger which Colucci suggests tackling by “smashing it down and using a knife and fork”).

The drink menu is equally as appealing, the highlight being six Bloody Marys from the traditional to the Bloody Bulldog made with English Bulldog gin, fresh-squeezed lemon, minced garlic, horseradish, aged balsamic, Worcestershire, celery salt, black pepper, and Tabasco with a bacon rim.

L’inizio
698 Saw Mill River Rd, Ardsley; 914.693.5400

tredici SOCIAL
104 Kraft Ave, Bronxville; 914.793.1313


 

These Westchester Wunderkinds Lead the Business Scene in 2021

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Lea Carpanzano and Tyrae Woodson-Samuels

Meet the 19 under-30 business professionals who are generating change across a spectrum of industries in Westchester County.

By Marisa Iallonardo, Duke Ratliff, and Kevin Zawacki
Photography by Stefan Radtke
Shot on location at Cambria Hotel, White Plains

Lea CarpanzanoTyrae Woodsen-Samuels

Samara Graca • Ryan Finch • Aaron Hopkins

Stephanie Giordano • Ned CoronaBrittany Arocho

Frank De Santis • Sokhona Sillah • Jessica Cheng

Jasmine Graham • Emma Housman • Carlos Santos

Avi Rafalson • Alina Pedraza • Christopher Calabro

Nella DeCarlo • Alina Pedraza • Alex Acaro


Lea Carpanzano
24

Social & Digital Media Manager
Iona College

At just 24, Lea Carpanzano is responsible for all digital and social media at Iona College, including daily content across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. She also produces all the video content for the college, from virtual tours to program highlights.

When COVID-19 forced the world to go virtual, Carpanzano helped transform the Iona experience to video platforms. In-person commencement couldn’t happen, so she worked with a professional production company to transform it into a high-quality virtual graduation. Prospective students and families couldn’t visit the campus due to safety restrictions, so tours and live chats had to be done virtually. All the while, social media became paramount to reaching students, and Lea was the main interface across all social platforms for Iona.

“I think, overall, while the need for more video and digital content increased, it felt like a natural progression,” says Carpanzano, who joined Iona in 2019. “Maybe it was exacerbated by the pandemic, but it was going to happen anyway. Part of the world of social media is to keep pushing and moving and innovating, so the pandemic just made me have to do all of that in a different way.”


Tyrae Woodsen-Samuels
28

County Legislator, District 13
Westchester County Legislature

In November, Tyrae Woodson-Samuels was elected as a Westchester County legislator, making him, at 28, the youngest person ever to represent Mount Vernon.

Woodson-Samuels was already known to local sports fans as the quarterback who led Iona Prep to a state championship in 2008. Political watchers knew him as a former aide to Congressman Eliot Engel, for whom he worked with residents and public offficials on issues including immigration, gun safety, military, veteran’s affairs, and healthcare.

All of these activities reveal Woodson-Samuels to be a man of action.

“I like to say that involvement matters,” he says. “You can’t just stand on the sidelines. Helping other people carries with it a reward upon which you can’t place a value.”

Woodson-Samuels is also a legislative committee member of the Westchester Black Democrats, serves as Caucus of Color chair for the Westchester Young Democrats, and has leadership roles with the local chapter of the NAACP. A proud native of Mount Vernon, he is a board member of the Shamoya McKenzie Foundation, Fleetwood Neighborhood Association, and the Community Service Associates Soup Kitchen.

“My phone never stops ringing,” Woodson-Samuels says, “and it’s often cries for help. People are looking for problems to be solved, like only a strong government can do. If we all work together, we can work through this.”

Samara Graca
29

Property Manager
Ginsburg Development Companies

Most county residents are familiar with the work of Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC), whose luxury apartments dot Westchester waterfronts from Yonkers to Peekskill. What many residents don’t know is the outsized role Samara Graca plays in making these developments successful.

Graca, 29, has had a rapid ascent at GDC. In just two years, she’s risen to become the youngest property manager at the firm. She currently oversees Harbor Square, the 188-unit high-rise in Ossining, where she manages 17 employees.

On an average day, Graca takes on enough to keep a small team busy. “I address all comments, complaints, and concerns from staff and residents,” she explains. “I walk the building and the grounds to make sure everything is in tiptop shape. I pay invoices, post checks, and make sure all books and logs are up-to-date.”

As a result, Graca has had a significant impact on the bottom line. She alone leased 60% of the Harbor Square units while increasing revenue for her building between 3% and 6% year over year.

But Graca’s success at GDC hasn’t been limited to Ossining. She played a key role in property acquisitions in White Plains, Mohegan Lake, and Yonkers. Graca was also instrumental in GDC’s ambitious project at Fort Hill in Peekskill, shepherding it from the construction phase to three completed luxury apartment buildings.


Ryan Finch
29

Creative Technology Director
Corporate Audio Visual Services

Before COVID hit last year, Ryan Finch was his company’s youngest senior account executive — focusing on sales but also managing the live productions his company is contracted to enact. After the pandemic eliminated person-to-person contact, he was instrumental in helping to reinvent the company’s products and services to focus on virtual-event productions.

In his current role, Finch leads the creative-technology end of dozens of virtual-event productions, designing customized experiences for a wide array of programming. He serves as virtual technical director on many of the productions, working directly with live on-air presenters, including heads of state, industry experts, media personalities, and local powerbrokers.

“I found myself in a much more creative role,” says Finch. “My day-to-day now consists of graphic design, video editing, animation, and digital design for broadcast applications.” He adds that continuous learning, such as attending classes to add to his graphic design and media skills, prepared him for this more creative role.

“You have to continuously develop yourself because you never know where the career opportunities are waiting,” Finch says. “You are either prepared to jump on them or not.”

Aside from his professional duties, Finch has worked with the United Way, co-chairing its Special Events and Fundraising Committee.

“We all reap the benefits when a community is properly cared for and tended to by the people living there,” he says.


Aaron Hopkins
27

Administrator, Ambulatory Network Operations & Strategic Planning
Mount Sinai Health System

As an undergrad at Morehouse College, Aaron Hopkins was pre-med and planning to become a physician. After spending a summer working for the vice president of a hospital, he opted for the administrative side. “I wanted to be able to influence strategies that can affect procedures and processes in an arena where I could help impact multiple patients as opposed to treating patients individually,” says the Yonkers resident. “I always knew I wanted to be in healthcare, as it is the center of innovation and compassion.”

Hopkins earned a master’s degree in health services and administration from the University of Michigan, and he took part in Mount Sinai’s Administrative Fellowship program. Today, he’s the administrator for the Mount Sinai Doctors Yonkers site, where he oversees 25 staff members and supports 15 providers. Hopkins handles the financial and business operations, plus helps regional leadership with strategic initiatives, like ensuring supply sufficiency and PPE. “What I love about my career path and my current role is being able to help and empower others,” Hopkins says. “I have the ability to care for and help members of my staff, who have dedicated their lives to caring for and helping our patients.”


Stephanie Giordano
25

Research & Development Associate
Regeneron

“It is every scientist’s dream to see his or her efforts become something greater than their own contributions,” says Stephanie Giordano, a research-and-development associate at Regeneron. “To be able to work on a project and see it from start to finish — from research to clinical drug therapy — is one of the most fulfilling opportunities I’ve ever experienced.”

The experience of the past year is undoubtedly one Giordano will never forget: As the youngest member of Regeneron’s five-person rapid-response team for infectious diseases, she made critical contributions in helping the company develop REGN-COV2, one of only two antibody treatments authorized for emergency use in treating COVID-19.

Giordano kicked off her work in early 2020, when the company became aware of the novel coronavirus. At times working 90-hour weeks, including weekends and late nights, Giordano helped the team screen thousands of antibodies and identify candidates to be used potentially as part of a treatment to fight the virus.

Giordano says she foresaw the direction of her career when she fell in love with the intersection of biology and chemistry as a chemistry major at Fordham University: “In a way, my end goal was to get to Regeneron.”

She adds there are days where her job is incredibly stressful, “but at the end of the day, even on those bad ones, to be able to contribute to a cause so much greater than yourself makes it worth it and more.”


Ned Corona
25

Director, Program Operations
YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester

Ned Corona makes a difference in his community each and every day — and his devotion to the nonprofit sector is personal. “For me, the most exciting and motivating part of working in nonprofit is that my work is linked to our mission, eliminating racism and empowering women,” says Corona, a son of Cuban immigrants who has worked at YWCA since 2011.

Corona’s day-to-day activities revolve around data tracking and management, assisting program leaders, and managing projects. He also helps oversee revenue-generating programs, for which he’s made programmatic decisions that include expanding summer camp and converting the fitness center into childcare space.

When the pandemic hit, Corona added a COVID-screening protocol and created a plan to keep each YWCA program separate to ensure limited exposure. Meanwhile, he helped launch the Distance Learning Program servicing the White Plains School District, a program offering in-person learning to grade school students during their remote days.

Aside from his work at the YWCA, Corona is also the co-chair of a senior health-and-wellness committee through the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services, where he helps seniors gain access to a wide range of public benefits, from housing to transportation.

“We have experienced an increase in our senior population in the last decade,” Corona says, “and it is our responsibility as a community to take care of our seniors.”


Brittany Arocho
28

Event Director
Decicco & Sons Events & Cuisine

In charge of DeCicco & Sons’ in-store, private, and corporate events, Brittany Arocho manages a five-person event-planning team for the locally owned grocery chain.

Before the pandemic, Arocho would manage up to 12 weekend events, for which she consulted with clients, curated menus, and oversaw event design and staffing. She also coordinates pickup and deliveries across all nine DeCicco locations.

During COVID, Arocho and her team shifted their focus to support the communities they serve. She organized more than $20,000 in food donations for a variety of groups, including Community Food Pantry of Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, Hope Soup Kitchen, County Harvest, Westchester Community College’s Food Pantry, local police departments, hospitals, firefighters, and other first responders.

Additionally, Arocho personally dropped off donations while leading DeCicco’s to be one of the first to partner with Open Table for grocery-shopping reservations. Today, the young executive, who started with DeCicco & Sons in 2017, finds herself in the enviable position of being able to help her community yet build a rewarding career in her chosen industry.

“I’ve been passionate about food since I was a child, when my grandfather cooked with me in the kitchen,” Arocho says. “The ability to work with food in so many ways has been very rewarding — and challenging at times. I love a challenge and have always had that as a motivating factor in taking on any new project.”


Frank De Santis
27

Human Resources Manager
Stew Leonard’s

Starting at Stew Leonard’s Yonkers location as a cashier when he was 17, Frank De Santis has risen through the ranks to become human resources manager at the chain’s only Westchester location, which is the sixth-largest employer in Yonkers.

De Santis and his team of four human resources professionals work closely with directors, management, and the 500 frontline employees (more than 700 during the holidays) to partner on all aspects of HR. He oversees hiring, onboarding, training/development, performance management, employee relations, culture initiatives, “and much more,” he says.

His unwavering leadership was an integral part of Stew Leonard’s remaining open and safe as an essential business during the pandemic, says coworker Christie Verschoor. “He helped the team and the store navigate the uncharted territory, maintaining a clean, safe, reassuring place to work and shop, providing essential food, groceries, and supplies to the surrounding community.”

De Santis also represents his company as a member of the Yonkers Workforce Development Board, where he designed and implemented an annual High School Hiring fundraiser program that has offered employment opportunities to more than 500 Westchester-based students.

“I am proud of the many lives I have been able to impact in a positive way,” De Santis says. “It is especially fulfilling for me to watch people around me learn and grow.”


Sokhona Sillah
25

Manager, Professional & Support Services
Westchester Medical Center Health Network

If you took a COVID-19 test at WMCHealth’s Valhalla campus, you may have seen Sokhona Sillah… directing traffic. This activity isn’t part of Sillah’s official job description, but it’s a perfect example of how she has gone above and beyond during the pandemic.

Sillah has been in the center of the storm as a key lead in WMCHealth’s COVID-19 operation. As a manager in the professional and support services department, she’s responsible for the day-to-day management of WMCHealth’s testing facility on its main campus in Valhalla. Since March 2020, this drive-thru testing site has served more than 65,000 people. Sillah is there on a daily basis, scheduling staff, ordering supplies, and coordinating with WMCHealth’s Call Center.

She is also a floor lead for WMCHealth’s vaccine administration program, which operates out of the Westchester County Center, including the allocation and distribution of the vaccine across providers. In both of these roles, Sillah is responsible for ensuring a safe environment for patients and staff.

“Working in healthcare during this global pandemic has allowed me to unlock new levels of myself personally and professionally,” Sillah says. “The most fulfilling moments are when patients express endless gratitude via thank-yous, notes, and cards.”

She began her career at WMCHealth as an administrative assistant in 2015. Says Keri Tone, senior director, ambulatory services, and Sillah’s direct supervisor: “She has grown personally and professionally and has taken on additional responsibilities every step of the way.”


Jessica Cheng
29

Marketing Manager
Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, Rye Brokerage

In the competitive world of Westchester real estate, marketing is indispensable. Thankfully, Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty has Jessica Cheng.

Cheng, 29, is the marketing manager at the firm’s Rye brokerage, but the title doesn’t do her justice. She has extensive experience in everything from social media and graphic design to branding and training.

Cheng’s talents are on display at the popular @RyeNyHomes Instagram account, which showcases the region’s poshest homes — from stunning interior shots to vistas on the Sound. “Agents around the world message me on Instagram about New York, expressing how they want to visit our office and how much they enjoy our office’s social media designs and home photography,” Cheng says.

The pandemic turned the real estate market upside down, but Cheng adapted with her signature prowess. “Many forms of advertising switched to a more digital route, but from my perspective, social media was one of the strongest forms of advertising for our agents,” she explains.

During her time at the brokerage, Cheng has amassed impressive engagement numbers — the most important metric of all in the marketing world. “As an office, we experienced a significant, 38 percent increase in closed-dollar volume from 2018 to 2020,” she explains. “In addition, on social media, our two corporate Instagram accounts now have an impressive 56,000 followers.”


Jasmine Graham
25

Program Manager, Westchester Power
Sustainable Westchester

Don’t be fooled by Jasmine Graham’s youthful appearance. As manager of Westchester Power, Graham oversees all aspects of securing clean power for the 28 municipalities that are members of Sustainable Westchester, which administers programs to create economically efficient climate solutions.

At just 25 years old, Jasmine has earned the respect of peers twice her age, through her confidence and poise, says her supervisor, Dan Welsh. “Her mastery of industry-specific knowledge in this new and fast-changing area has ensured both market retention and acquisition for our program,” he says. “Her undeniable passion and dedication have allowed her to become the trusted face of the program.”

Graham’s responsibilities include complex data reporting, preparation of regulatory compliance documentation, and planning and executing outreach communications.

Graham is also working with Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Port Chester, White Plains, Mamaroneck, Ossining, and Peekskill as part of an environmental justice program. She cites things like dilapidated buildings, inefficient heating and cooling systems, and high asthma rates from industrial pollution as problems that need to be addressed.

“These challenges might seem overwhelming, but we are committed to finding the solutions in partnership with those communities,” Graham says. “As a woman of color who has experienced life as an underdog, I’m incredibly proud to fight for the marginalized and the disenfranchised to ensure a resilient future for us all.”

Emma Housman
25

Program Manager, Corporate Social Investment
Xylem

Emma Housman is many things: a young executive, a volunteer, and a leader. Perhaps the label that most personally describes her, though, is “plogger.” For the uninitiated, plogging is a multitask combination of jogging and picking up litter. This regular activity for Housman best represents how devoted she is to the environment, particularly water quality, and how she leads by example.

“[Plogging is] a really easy way to incorporate a sustainable action into my daily routine. You may get some funny looks, but it’s always worth it when someone sees you and takes inspiration from it,” Housman says. “Leading by example is important, because I’ve found it can lead to a tidal wave of collective action.”

At the Rye Brook-based Xylem, a leading global water-technology company, Housman manages the firm’s corporate social responsibility program, Watermark. This includes managing partnerships with global nonprofit organizations to help provide education and access to safe water.

She also manages Xylem’s employee and stakeholder management volunteer programs, leading her 16,000-plus colleagues in volunteer events around the globe.

“A large part of my role is keeping our colleagues engaged in volunteer opportunities, and since the pandemic has prevented us from gathering in groups, we’ve had to get creative,” Housman says. “We’ve also run a variety of activities where people take action on their own and with family, then share photos, videos, and stories. This has allowed us to stay connected while continuing to make an impact.”


Carlos Santos
27

Managing Partner
Aqui Es Santa Fe/Nadas NYC

Running a successful restaurant is difficult enough, considering how many shut down before reaching even the one-year mark. Running a restaurant that not only survives a global pandemic but somehow manages to parlay one of its signature dishes into a mass-distributed retail brand is nothing short of remarkable.

Carlos Santos managed to do both before his 30th birthday.

Santos, 27, is the proprietor of Aqui Es Santa Fe, in Port Chester, a Colombian restaurant serving up ceviche, arepas, guacamole, and several other beloved dishes. It has become a hotspot within Westchester’s competitive dining scene, winning praise from the likes of The New York Times and VICE.

Santos’ mother, Olga, opened the restaurant in 2008, after she and Santos had emigrated from Colombia when he was a boy. Santos joined his mother as an owner-operator of the restaurant in 2015, after he graduated from college.

“My vision was to create a level of service that felt white-linen but also familiar,” Santos says.

In pursuing that vision, Santos now does everything from staffing the restaurant to running marketing campaigns to overseeing the restaurant’s charitable food-pantry work.

One of his signature achievements is exporting the kitchen’s most popular item — homemade empanadas — beyond the restaurant’s walls. Dubbed “Nadas,” the rainbow-colored empanadas have found their way to major New York City grocers, like CTown and Key Food.

“Since Nadas’ inception, we have produced and sold close to 1,200 orders — that’s more than 10,000 empanadas,” Santos says.


Avi Rafalson
29

Strategic Finance Manager
Caremount Medical

As strategic finance manager at CareMount Medical, Avi Rafalson spends his days working with the organization’s key stakeholders “to drive decision-making on critical strategic initiatives, including corporate development, financial planning and analysis, service line performance, and project management,” he says.

That was before the onset of the pandemic. Since then, Rafalson has added to his responsibilities, working closely with senior leaders to reevaluate and restructure the group’s strategic plan in light of the many problematic issues arising from the coronavirus. “Avi’s analyses and financial perspectives helped leadership create stability for the organization during a time of great uncertainty,” says Dr. Scott Hayworth, CareMount’s president and CEO.

In 2019, Rafalson was the first hire under the organization’s strategic finance function. “Creating a new function in a large organization is never an easy task, but Avi successfully rose to the challenge,” Hayworth says.

Healthcare appealed to Rafalson because it’s a touchpoint for everyone. “I was very attracted to the idea of working in healthcare from the financial side of the house, helping grow and develop a healthcare platform that could improve the patient experience and the way healthcare is delivered.”

As for the future, Rafalson hopes to build a team and work his way up to an executive finance role.


Christopher Calabro
28

CEO/Wealth Advisor
CPC Financial Group

Earning a reputation as a successful and trustworthy financial planner can take several decades. Christopher Calabro has managed to do it in less than 10 years.

But Calabro isn’t just a certified financial planner. At just 28, he’s also the CEO of CPC Financial Group, in Hawthorne, where he and his team help more than 400 clients plan for retirement, chart investment strategies, and pursue other financial goals.

For Calabro, “each morning begins with the firm’s daily research call, where we get the latest market updates and economic data.” From there, it’s on to client meetings, research, and planning, he explains.

As a CFP, Calabro offers considerable expertise and a customized approach to client services. “We recognize that every client is unique, with different resources and needs,” he says. “By taking the time to listen, we can create strategies tailored to their needs.”

This approach leads to lots of satisfied clients; it also means Calabro and his team don’t need to put much effort into business development. “Our clients are our advocates, with 95 percent of new clients coming from referrals,” Calabro says.

Calabro started in the wealth management business in 2014 and founded CPC about two years ago. Since then, his trajectory has been impressive: He now boasts more than $90 million in assets under management and has brought on two additional advisors and a client relations manager.


Nella DeCarlo
27

Owner
Beascakes Bakery

There’s no shortage of bakeries in Westchester, which makes it even more impressive when one of them stands out — and Nella DeCarlo’s Beascakes Bakery definitely stands out.

Located in Armonk, Beascakes has earned a delicious reputation, from its signature chocolate-chip cookies and popular cakes to such unique treats as churro bites, homemade Pop Tarts, and the Monster cookie. But Beascakes has also earned a reputation for its familiarity.

“I have great relationships with my customers, and I’m honored that they always choose Beascakes,” DeCarlo says. “It’s awesome to see the growth and changes in their lives, whether it’s making someone’s engagement cake or doing their child’s first birthday party.”

DeCarlo’s own growth as a baker has been swift and impressive. She started her Beascakes journey at 17, working the counter part-time while attending college. “I found that my passion was geared more toward the bakery business and eventually dropped out [of school],” she recalls. “I learned the trade and was able to work full-time in the kitchen.” By age 24, DeCarlo had the opportunity to buy the business and step into a leadership role.

Today, DeCarlo oversees the kitchen, the marketing (which includes an Instagram account, with 10,000 followers), and the entire Beascakes staff. “I’m very proud of the space that has been created,” she explains. “My employees are happy at work, and it’s proven in their performance. In addition, our staff have built lifelong friendships, and I couldn’t be more proud of that.”


Alina Pedraza
29

Founder and CEO
Fused Fitness

“What I absolutely love about what I do is the opportunity that my members and clients give me to help change their lives,” says Peekskill resident Alina Pedraza. “The fitness industry is extremely saturated, so I don’t take it lightly when someone chooses to work with me and Fused Fitness.”

Originally housed in a 3,600 sq. ft. facility in Jefferson Valley, the studio featured classes like spin and HIIT and small-group personal training, with approximately 100 members. When COVID hit, the Cortlandt Manor native quickly pivoted to offer online classes and lifestyle and nutrition coaching. Soon after, she made the tough decision to close her brick-and-mortar studio: “It still breaks my heart to this day, but I know I made the right decision,” Pedraza says.

But that’s not stopping her. The SUNY Albany grad pivoted again, and, along with a few online coaching clients, Fused Fitness now focuses on in-person, small-group training sessions out of Iron Health Physical Therapy in Peekskill. She also has plans, with Iron Health Physical Therapy, to open a wellness center in Peekskill in the near future.

“It’s rewarding watching people change their bodies, but the biggest reward comes from the change in confidence and seeing someone literally becoming and feeling more empowered over their health — and really their life,” she says. “It’s inspirational for me to experience that with them.”


Alex Acaro
26

CEO
Blue Media Project

Alex Acaro was working in advertising when he volunteered with local political campaigns and officials and “began to explore my talents and align my creative passions with my social stances,” says the New Rochelle native and resident, who has a newly minted MBA from Iona College.

In 2017, he began Blue Media Project, which he describes as a “digital creative agency and political consulting firm that helps amplify social causes, progressive figures, and social movements through robust marketing campaigns, photography and videography that capture rare moments, and web design that grabs the viewers’ attention.”

Acaro’s work includes a campaign for newly elected Congressman Mondaire Jones, as well as current projects for races in Mount Vernon, Peekskill, Bedford, and Mount Pleasant. He also helps churches impacted by the pandemic to revitalize their digital presences.

The first member of his family to graduate from college and graduate school, Acaro loves “the flexibility of tackling inspiring projects and experimenting with different emerging technologies,” he says. “I consider inspiring projects those that move people and push for social change in communities. I like knowing that the work I do has a direct, positive impact in the lives of people who share my story and my experiences.

“Building engagement in underrepresented communities,” he adds, “gives me a sense of purpose and hope for the next generation of leaders.”


 

Yorktown Green Is Getting a Mixed-Use Resurrection

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Rendering courtesy of Jarmel Kizel Architects and Engineers

Oster Properties has a plan to demolish vacant buildings and construct a retail-and-residential complex at 335 Downing Drive.

By Nick Brandi & Hannah Teligades

People familiar with the address known as 335 Downing Drive are already aware that its occupant, Yorktown Green, had been in a state of steady decline going back more than a decade, to when the Food Emporium closed in 2010. Adding insult to injury, the property was rendered even further moribund when its anchor store, K-mart, shuttered in 2019. In response to this, Yorktown Town Supervisor Matt Slater is planning a major resurrection. Oster Properties, a NJ-based real estate company with more than two million square feet of property in northern New Jersey, Rockland County, and NYC, has taken up the project, which includes demolishing the vacant buildings and constructing a mixed-use property. The development would be a residential-and-retail complex, which Slater hopes will spur economic growth and create a larger sense of community in the town.

Describing the current languishing lot as an “eyesore,” Slater says the new project will not only be a visual asset but an economic and a social one too. By building up the commercial real estate sector, his hope is to lessen tax burdens on homeowners and stimulate innovation. Slater adds that with “traditional retail taking a hit,” the Oster project will infuse new energy. Some existing businesses, like Suburban Wine & Liquors, will be staying, but with a new façade. “[This project] symbolizes the changing economy we are all facing,” Slater says.

A Kid’s Guide to Fun in Westchester County From A to Z

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Photo courtesy of LEGOLAND New York Resort

By Paul Adler & Michelle Gillan Larkin

Banish boredom from your little ones with this comprehensive A-to-Z list of the best activities, venues, attractions, and events expertly tailored to tikes.

A is for Acting

It’s no secret kids come preloaded with drama, and savvy parents can tap into that energy with acting classes at Arc Stages in Pleasantville, where young drama queens and kings, ages 3 to teen, learn the fundamentals of acting, singing, and dancing for stage and screen via whimsical classes and conservatory-style workshops. The offerings are similar at Artistree Performing Arts, in Mamaroneck, which hosts daylong camps when school is out for spring break and other extended holidays.

B is for Books

*Since press time, the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival has unfortunately been canceled this year, but will return in 2022.

Burgeoning bookworms and parents who want to inspire and cement a love of books and reading descend in droves upon the annual Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, held each autumn (rain or shine) since 2013 under tents on the grounds of Bell Middle School. This year’s event is scheduled for October 2, and the usual 150-plus authors and illustrators are expected on-hand for signings, readings, and drawing demos, along with a gazillion books for sale and food trucks galore. Admission and parking are always free.

C is for Chopping

Among cherished holiday memories, few shine brighter than chopping or cutting down a fresh, pine-scented Christmas tree on a blustery December day. Those looking to relive this holiday rite of passage may want to stop by Yorktown Heights’ Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm. A wonderful spot to pick a pumpkin or some apples during fall months, this popular pastoral gem really shines during their “choose-n-cut” Christmas tree event, when Douglas and Fraser firs can be chopped or sawed down and hauled off to your home anytime between Thanksgiving and the Big Day.

D is for Dinosaurs

What kid doesn’t love a scary, scaly dinosaur? Adults may think dinosaurs have gone the way of the dodo, but they’re alive and well in the Dinosaur Garden at Lasdon Park, Arboretum & Veterans Memorial, in Katonah. Footprints, plant specimens, and gigantic, life-sized replicas of all the big-name, overgrown geckos decorate the blooming outdoor space, while a smartphone app lets visitors watch and learn how the creatures lived and what Earth was like during their heyday.

E is for Egg Hunts

When Easter season rolls around, egg hunts become the thing for toddlers to tweens in a number of locations around the county, including the yearly standouts in Pleasantville, Pelham, Tuckahoe, Rye, Yorktown, Cortlandt Manor, and more.

F is for Flips

Going strong for more than three decades, GymCats, in Yonkers, has been producing gymnasts from 20-month-old tumblers to fiercely fit and flexible kid and teen athletes who appear to fly among the apparatus with the greatest of ease. Competitive and non-competitive teams attract the most committed “gym cats,” along with summer camp, for fun-filled training when school is out. Nearly 50 years ago, Hawthorne’s Westchester Gymnastics & Cheer began training aspiring gymnasts and today continues to offer intro and advanced classes from the mommy-and-me level to teen team competitions and summer camp.

monster minigolf
Photo courtesy of Monster Minigolf

G is for Golf

Not your grandfather’s course, Monster Mini Golf at Ridge Hill in Yonkers is miniature golf in a whole new stratosphere. Indoors — in near total darkness and to pulsing musical beats — these 18 glow-in-the-dark holes are brought to life by beaming black lights and monsters that move and talk. It’s a similar scene in the companion bowling alley and the arcade, where the hottest video games mesmerize the young while their young-at-heart parents get drawn in by classic (albeit glowing) Skee-Ball, air hockey, and hoops.

H is for Horseback Riding

When your li’l darlings ask, “Can I have a pony?” trot them off to Beech Hill Farm Equestrian Center or Fox Hill Farms, both in Pleasantville and in business for more than six decades apiece. At either location, young buckaroos saddle up for private and group horseback-riding lessons in the ring and/or on the trails of neighboring Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Boarding and leasing programs are available at both, while Fox Hill Farm hosts summer and winter camps, a show team, and “schooling shows” for kids to exhibit their equine abilities to friends and family.

I is for Imagination

If your child has a creative streak, there are few better places to nurture their budding talents than at ArtsWestchester. This White Plains institution offers countless youth classes and programs, including Zoom cartooning workshops for youngsters ages 6–12, Teen Tuesdays and Thursdays, and summer art classes for children ages 6 to 13 in specialties ranging from digital and clay to painting and drawing. ArtsWestchester also streams craft classes for kids from their ArtsMobile, an educational center on wheels that during non-pandemic times makes its way to various schools, venues, and community centers.

playland
Rye’s Playland. Photo courtesy of Westchester County Parks

J is for Joyride

Entertaining little ones since 1928, Rye’s Playland must be doing something right. Home to more than 50 rides and attractions, ranging from kiddie coasters to classic, family-friendly dark rides, Playland is the kind of place where you can enjoy a splash by the sea before getting some cotton candy and boarding a vintage carousel. A few years back, Playland received its first new ride in more than a decade, a topsy-turvy thriller called The Dragonator. When you’re done, try some mini-golf, build a sand castle, or a visit to the on-site children’s museum.

K is for Kids’ Museum

When trying to entertain kids, the local children’s museum may seem like an obvious choice, but Westchester’s iteration really is something special. Currently open on a limited basis, Westchester Children’s Museum remains a beacon of learning and enjoyment for area kids. Along with a ton of on-site workshops, summer programs, and classes, this Rye institution offers enriching at-home activities, including online programs, a virtual activity center, and STEAM kits to help kids experience science from the comfort of their living rooms.

L is for LEGOLAND

Kids can now put down their LEGO sets and enter an entire world themed to their favorite toy with this impressive new theme park debuting in Goshen this year. LEGOLAND New York Resort will feature seven themed lands, including LEGO Pirates and LEGO Castle, with more than 50 attractions, rides, and shows, as well as ample shopping outlets and eateries. The resort will also include a 250-room LEGOLAND Hotel, with themes like LEGO NINJAGO and LEGO Kingdom — oh yeah, and 15,000 LEGO models constructed from roughly 30 million LEGO pieces

M is for Music

If your kid seems to have an ear or you simply want to encourage a lifelong appreciation of music, Scarsdale’s Crestwood Music Education Center offers private, group, and Suzuki lessons (and recitals) in orchestra and chamber music, jazz, and music theory for all instruments and levels, for ages 3 and up. School of Rock, in White Plains and Mamaroneck, teaches guitar and bass guitar, drums, piano and keyboard, and voice starting in preschool, with serious learners joining the house band or auditioning to go on tour across the U.S. over the summer. Similarly, Mike Risko Music School, in Ossining, offers kids 3 and up “performance-oriented” private and group instrument, voice, and musical theater lessons with the goal of developing musicianship and performance skills; summer rock-band camp is one of the hottest tickets in town.

N is for Nature

In a world of cellphones, video games, computers, and 4K TVs, kids can sometimes lose touch with the great outdoors. If you are hoping to better acquaint your kid with nature, why not try a day at a farm? Katonah’s bucolic Muscoot Farm is an excellent place to start, featuring a working dairy farm, maple-sugaring classes, hiking trails, bird walks, and even a black-smithing shop. Meanwhile, Pocantico Hills’ Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture offers a host of educational resources, events, and conservation classes for budding farmers.

O is for Orchard

Few outings rival the sheer autumnal splendor of apple picking with the kids at one of Westchester’s many bucolic orchards. Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, in North Salem, is a fruity fantasyland that typically features hayrides, food stalls, pony rides, hard cider for patient parents, live music, and outstanding cider doughnuts. Also ripe for the picking (and more) are the venerable yet vibrant Stuart’s Fruit Farm, in Granite Springs, and Yorktown Heights’ Wilkins Fruit & Fir Farm, where guests can enjoy a variety of not just apples but produce, pies, doughnuts, and other baked goods.

P is for Play Spaces

On cold, rainy days, or for when the playground just feels passé, take the fun inside with indoor play structures and apparatus for climbing, tunneling, sliding, bouncing, and limitless active, physical entertainment. The Play Place, in Elmsford, and Kids U, in Pleasantville and Port Chester, boast the biggest, maze-like indoor jungle gyms, while Elmsford’s Bounce U and Rockin’ Jump, at Yonkers’ Ridge Hill and in Mount Kisco, feature roof-covered bounce houses and what seems like miles of trampolines, respectively. All facilities offer classes, camps, and birthday party options for tots to tweens (and to teens at Rockin’ Jump).

Bowlmor lanes
Photo by Heathwood Photography/William Michael Frederics

Q is for Quality Time

Whether it’s 1921 or 2021, bowling remains a popular pastime for families, and, luckily, Westchester boasts some of the state’s best lanes. A one-time stop for music megastar Justin Bieber, Bowlmor White Plains is a popular spot for kids’ birthday parties and other lighthearted events, with its psychedelic backlight bowling, cozy seating, tasty food and drink, and ultra-fun interior design. Plus, those who aren’t a prince of the pins can enjoy billiards, an arcade, a sports bar, and a lounge.

R is for Release Your Inner Warrior

Kids have plenty of ways to get in touch with their inner athletes, whether it’s during a day at an obstacle course or over years of in-depth training. If the former sounds good, try Pleasantville’s The Grit Ninja, Westchester’s first dedicated Ninja Warrior gym. Here, kids can take after-school classes, enjoy open gym, or hold private parties on an ever-changing obstacle course where they can jump, climb, swing, and run to their hearts’ content. If classic tutelage is better-suited to your fledgling martial-arts master, try Scarsdale’s Achieve Martial Arts, where kids 3 and up can learn both Tae Kwon Do and discipline in classes organized by age.

S is for Sports

For aspiring athletes or to just burn some of that endless energy (assuring a quiet night’s sleep) Ardsley’s House of Sports is the place parents turn to for fast-paced, physically engaging, and challenging classes, private and group training, team clubs, tournaments, camps, and birthday parties focusing on hoops, soccer, lacrosse, and baseball, for 2-year-olds and up. MVP Basketball Camp, in White Plains, offers week- and monthlong hoops camps for boys and girls, ages 6 to 16.

T is for Theater

Entertaining audiences for nearly 50 years, the nonprofit Emelin Theatre, in Mamaroneck, presents uplifting, educational, and downright funny plays, musicals, films, and concerts that are family-friendly and enjoyable for all. Live shows are highly watchable and easy to absorb, whether it’s a classic like, Peter Pan, a current book craze, like Pete the Cat, original content, or a singer with a rockin’ lineup of kids-bop tunes.

U is for Utter Holiday Fun

There are few ways to better embrace the holiday spirit than with Valhalla’s incomparable Westchester’s Winter Wonderland. In 2020, this all-out holiday extravaganza run by the Westchester Parks Foundation became a 1.2-mile-long drive-thru-only event, with a host of eye-popping lights displays, including a 40-foot Christmas tree, 50-foot illuminated dove, and 100-foot-tall light tunnel. In prior years, the Wonderland has included everything from a heated big-top circus tent and hot chocolate to a 55-foot Ferris wheel, ice-skating rink, and rides.

Kartrite Resort
Photo courtesy of the Kartrite Resort & Indoor Water Park

V is for Vacation

When looking for a place to cool off with the kids, it’s difficult to imagine a location more suited to splashing than The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark, in Monticello. Home to New York’s largest indoor waterpark, the Kartrite boasts wild slides, like The Kraken and Nor’Easter, an elaborate lazy river, a Flowrider for surfers and paddleboarders, aqua hoops, a splash area for very young kids, cabanas, and a host of other attractions and amenities, all kept at a balmy, 84˚, year-round.

W is for Water Sports

Armed with the philosophy that all children can learn to swim if given the right instruction and encouraging environment, Swim Tank, with locations in Mamaroneck and West Harrison, offers introductory lessons to bathing beauties as young as 4 months up to 15 years old, along with stroke development/refinement classes for more experienced young swimmers. At Elmsford’s Swim Labs, lessons start at 6 months and continue well into the teens, with swim camps, specialized technique clinics, and competitive and triathlete video stroke analysis and training. Swimfinity Swimming Academy, in North Salem, begins water-safety classes at 6 months of age, followed by lessons and stroke clinics for more advanced swimmers, with the overarching goal of results in weeks not years.

X is for X Marks the Spot

Why not safely explore the county with your little one while learning a bit about the region you call home? Rock Paper Scissors, a company that plans and hosts virtual parties and in-person events, runs popular town-based scavenger hunts in Westchester and Connecticut. Their Bedford/Pound Ridge Scavenger Hunt is a downloadable, fun activity for the entire family, consisting of 16 miles of enjoyment. Just hop in the car with the kids and set off on an adventure that supports a good cause, as 50% of every sale will be donated to the Community Center of Northern Westchester.

Y is for Yoga

Beneficial for all ages, yoga offers a world of good for kids and is believed to aid in relaxation and stress relief, focus, balance, confidence, physical strength and flexibility, and overall mind/body wellness. Like a traveling yoga studio, Budding Buddhas’ teachers lead classes for toddlers, tweens, and teens, in schools, libraries, and camps all over Westchester, as well as at Tovami Yoga Studio, in Mamaroneck (and virtually). At New Rochelle’s Westchester Yoga Arts, classes are virtual until further notice and offered for ages 6 to 16-plus.

Z is for Zipline

Axe throwing? Check. Ropes course? Check. Laser tag, VR, and an arcade? Check, check, check. Kids won’t have much to want for at Spins Hudson, a Peekskill-based mecca of all things entertainment. Spins boasts a dizzying array of family-friendly fun, like a 50-foot-high aerial ropes course (with more than 70 different elements) and a 5,000 sq. ft., two-story laser-tag arena boasting thrilling features like fog and bridges. Or, kids can simply enjoy the futuristic arcade, all of which can be booked for parties, camps, and field trips.


 

Westchester County Receives $189 Million From COVID-19 Relief Plan

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The American Rescue Plan will help New York State cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

In response to the economic slowdown that resulted from COVID-19, the federal government passed a $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan on March 11 that allocates about $189 million to Westchester County.

The American Rescue Plan includes $100 billion for New York State, of which $3.8 billion goes to the 57 counties in New York State and the five boroughs of New York City, based on population. Westchester County itself is expected to receive nearly $200 million.

Aimed at helping state and local governments, transit agencies, businesses, and other enterprises that have been financially affected by the pandemic, the relief plan will budget deficits and prevent cutbacks in programs, projects, and services that would’ve put thousands out of work.

The first half of the funding, about $94 million, will become available to the county in May. Federal regulations will help determine how the funds are allocated, but the Westchester County government hopes to administer these funds to specific programs including grants for small businesses, personal protective equipment, essential public employee overtime pay, and more.

“We’re definitely going to restart our program of grants to small businesses, which we did last year and we spent about $10 billion on that altogether,” Westchester County Executive George Latimer says. “We’ll definitely fund more money for our feeding programs. Last year, we spent about $5 million of the coronavirus Cares Act money on feeding.”

Westchester county will also be receiving allocations of $23 million for eviction protections and $47 million for transit costs, separate from and in addition to the $189 million.

The county executive says he is also hoping to allocate funds to support Westchester County Airport and Playland, which is expected to reopen next month at reduced capacity and with health restrictions.


 

Simple Satch Is a Necessary Accessory During the COVID-19 Crisis

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Photos courtesy of Simple Satch

A Mamaroneck RN partners with two friends to create a stylish belt bag that is jam-packed with COVID-friendly necessities.

While we all wish we could have left COVID-19 in 2020, the reality is it is not the case. And with WFH measures still the norm, shopping for purses isn’t likely even on the most fashion forward’s mind. But there is a satchel you might want to consider purchasing, and for all its practicality, it’s seriously cute.

 

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Simple Satch is an accessories brand that was founded during the height of the pandemic by three friends: Mamaroneck resident and registered nurse Corrine Daniels, product expert Susie Levitt, and fashion designer Chaiah Delouya. The three pooled together their various backgrounds to create the brand’s main product: a sleek satchel that boasts hands-free infection control: a patent-pending rubber port on its exterior through which antibacterial wipes can be pulled to the outside of the bag, eliminating the contamination you would create when digging through the average belt bag or purse. They thought of the idea “of having a bag for the purpose of cleanliness and hygiene,” says Daniels, more than two years ago, but launched the brand in June after the pandemic created the necessity.

La Vie en Rose Starter Kit & Mask for $60.

“The product is meant to be functional fashion and to be safe,” says Daniels.

Levitt says, “We wanted to create an innovative product that women could use every day no matter if you are on the frontlines, in the boardroom, or a parent raising kids.” The Simple Satch Starter Kit includes the satchel, a packet of hand sanitizing wipes, alcohol-based sanitizer, and a decorative non-medical face mask. (Daniels, the registered nurse, explains, “We wanted to keep the medical grade face masks on the front lines.”)

The satchel comes in a variety of prints: classic black, star print, crystal star print, and rose print. Each design choice is backed by the company’s core value of women empowerment: the signature bag in black represents women’s strength and resiliency while the rose and gold star options elevate the style with safety essentials. Each of these items can be purchased separately, as well as mask chains, and the face masks are available in a variety of colors.

 

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Ten percent of proceeds will go to the shopper’s charity of choice. Daniels says, “The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in challenging times for all of us, yet we refuse to let it stop Simple Satch from making a positive impact and highlighting our everyday heroes.”

For more information on Simple Satch, or to purchase products visit SimpleSatch.com.

How Much of Westchester’s Iconic Architecture Have You Seen?

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AdobeStock/Dronandy

This eclectic collection of must-see buildings and structures shows off the iconic architecture that anchors our county with a sense of place.
By
Paul Adler & Nick Brandi

– New Croton Dam, Cortlandt and Kensico Dam Plaza –
Valhalla

Few local structures inspire awe quite like the towering Kensico and New Croton dams. Each unique, both dams serve as points of leisure, exercise, and enjoyment for countless Westchesterites and others. Completed in 1906 (the tallest of its kind on earth at the time), the New Croton Dam (below) stands out for its stepped masonry, towering aqueduct, and popular park sporting biking and nature trails. Another eye-popping feat of county construction, the 307-foot-tall, 1,843-foot-long Kensico Dam was erected in 1917 and was acquired as parkland by the state in 1963. Today, the plaza remains a popular spot to soak in the structure’s soaring face of hand-hewn masonry; the 9/11 memorial, The Rising; and several acres of gorgeous parkland.

– The Armour-Stiner House –
Irvington

Like some strange treasure tucked away in the forest, the Armour-Stiner House — fondly referred to as The Octagon House — remains one of Westchester’s most oft-discussed architectural icons. To this day, it remains the only known fully domed octagonal home, as well as the only home built to the specifications of Donato Bramante’s 1502 masterpiece, the Tempietto. The Armour-Stiner home was actually modified from a far simpler edifice in the late 1870s, by tea merchant Joseph Stiner. About a century later, in 1976, the singular structure was designated a National Historic Landmark and subsequently sold to the ideal buyer: Joseph Pell Lombardi, a preservation architect specializing in building conservation.

Photo by Jessica Norman

– Untermyer Park and Gardens –
Yonkers

Overlooking the Hudson River, this renowned series of gardens and structures founded by attorney Samuel Untermyer fell into disrepair years after its 1916 birth and has been undergoing an incredible restoration since 2011. While the site boasts dozens of moving architectural tableaux, including a Ruin Garden, a staired vista, and even the fantastic Temple of Love, its most iconic architectural achievement is perhaps the Walled Garden, a breathtaking enclosed space inspired by Indo-Persian gardens of antiquity, containing the Temple of the Sky — an impressive semicircle of Corinthian columns — as well as several water features, rare plants, and a Greek-inspired amphitheater.

– Sunnyside –
Irvington

Boasting equal parts unlikely architecture and fascinating history, Washington Irving’s abode, Sunnyside, remains a popular haunt for curious locals and others. Writer of monumental stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle,” Irving, who is said to be America’s first internationally famous author, created a kind of pastoral paradise with his Dutch Colonial revival home, which also borrows elements of Gothic and Tudor architecture. Located on property he purchased in 1835, the fascinating home, boasting stepped gables and a soaring Spanish tower, is situated in Irvington and has since earned a well-deserved spot on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Photo by Jaime Martorano for Historic Hudson Valley

– The Union Church of Pocantico Hills –
Pocantico Hills

Entering this gorgeous stone structure is like being transported to another world. Built in 1921 by John D. Rockefeller, the stone church was revamped after the death of Rockefeller’s wife, Abby, in 1948, when Nelson Rockefeller commissioned the world-renowned French painter Henri Matisse to design the church’s prized rose window. Twelve years later, upon the death of John D., his children again commissioned a legendary artist, this time Marc Chagall, to design a gorgeous stained-glass window in his honor. The alterations have made entering this church like stepping into a jewel box, surrounded by the county’s most exceptional art.

– The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester –
White Plains

Designed by renowned architects Costas Kondylis and Partners, the 44-story twin glass towers of the Ritz-Carlton, Westchester in White Plains are currently the tallest buildings between New York City and Boston (until the 48-story, dual-tower development at 11 Lawton St in New Rochelle opens for business). The gleaming edifices have been spiring majestically through the White Plains skyline since 2007 and have long been sources of pride for the entire region. Though the exigencies of COVID-19 forced the Ritz-Carlton brand to divest itself of the luxury hotel (it will retain control of the buildings’ 365 residential units), the space will be reborn as a five-star Marriott International Autograph Collection hotel.

– Skinny House –
Mamaroneck

When one ponders Westchester’s many architectural oddities, few stand taller — or slimmer — than the famed Skinny House. A mere 10-feet wide, this utterly unique Mamaroneck structure was built by African American carpenter and contractor Nathan Thomas Seely on an incredibly narrow lot of donated land after he lost his job and prior home to the Great Depression. Seely hardly could have imagined his abode would go down in the history books as both a beloved Mamaroneck Village Landmark and a member of the National Registry of Historic Places.

– Sleepy Hollow Country Club –
Briarcliff Manor

Despite its titular implication, Sleepy Hollow Country Club is actually situated in the Scarborough Historic District of Briarcliff Manor. Founded in 1911, Sleepy Hollow Country Club includes its storied clubhouse, Woodlea, designed by the world-famous Stanford White and built between 1892 and 1895. Boasting 140 rooms, Woodlea was one of the famed Beaux-Arts Vanderbilt mansions and is a prime exemplar of Italian Renaissance Revival style, featuring buff-colored Italian brick and symmetrical façades south and west. Its circa 70,000 square feet of interior space makes it tied for No. 15 among America’s 100 largest privately owned houses.

Photo by Alice Gao

– Stone Barns Center –
Pocantico Hills

Hidden amid rolling woodland sits the pleasingly pastoral rock-hewn buildings and agricultural spaces that comprise the Stone Barns Center. A dairy farm for the Rockefeller Family during the 1930s, the center is now home to Dan Barber’s famed James Beard Award-winning restaurant, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, as well an expansive teaching farm, an exceptional bakery/café, and an inviting gift shop.

Photo by Tree Falls Photography/Anthony Moreno

– Usonia –
Pleasantville

The Usonia Historic District in Pleasantville was conceived and executed by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright himself, along with a coterie of protégés, on a circular plot of 100 idyllic acres purchased in 1945. The Midcentury Modern community, with its wood-and-stone construction, open floor plans, oversized windows, and flat, overhanging roofs, is quintessential FLW. The community got its name in an homage to Wright, for his ideas on the way Americans should live together. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, Usonia was dubbed five years later by Architectural Digest “the best-designed small town in the U.S.”

– The IBM Legacy –
Various locations

Westchester has been the focus of prodigious architectural inspiration over the decades, but one of its corporations, IBM, is itself the recipient of some of the best architectural talent the world has ever seen. In the 1980s, legendary architect I.M. Pei was responsible for the tech giant’s 1.2 million sq. ft. modernist masterpiece in Somers (as well as its former Purchase location, now Mastercard’s global HQ), crowned with its opulent glass-pyramid summits. But it was back in 1961 that none other than Finnish-American virtuoso Eero Saarinen gave Big Blue in Yorktown Heights the crescent-shaped Thomas J. Watson Research Center, which, with its ascending curvilinear overhang perched at the entranceway, evokes the essence of a monolithic spaceship preparing to take flight.

– The Richard H. Mandel House –
Mount Kisco

Four years before the renowned International Style Museum of Modern Art debuted in NYC in 1939, its illustrious architect, Edward Durell Stone, created America’s first significant International Style residence in the form of the 10,000 sq. ft. Richard H. Mandel House in Mount Kisco. Set on 21 acres and boasting a commanding view of the Croton Reservoir, the two-story, concrete-block, steel-and-stucco building is coveted for its clean, smooth, horizontally oriented asymmetrical composition, which includes projecting balconies and wide banks of ribbon windows. The Mandel House is also considered groundbreaking for its use of materials, including cork floors, glass blocks, built-in furniture, and a technically advanced heating system for its time. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

– Jackie Gleason’s Round House –
Cortlandt Manor

Known to be fascinated with UFOs, comedy legend Jackie Gleason commissioned the construction of his famous “Mothership” house in 1959, still basking in the glow of his one-season smash-hit sitcom, The Honeymooners. The round, 3,950 sq. ft. modernist house was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright acolyte Robert Sika and built by a shipbuilder in an airplane hangar over a five-year period. The three-building campus on eight acres is replete with natural wood inside and out and is supported by trusses but not crossbeams, as those would have required right angles. Despite the undeniable structural references to his preoccupation with ET mythology, Gleason — a chart-topping composer and producer — is reported to have said that the domicile was circular because he wanted it to be “like a musical note that never ends.”

Photo by Tom Nycz for Historic Hudson Valley

– Philipsburg Manor House –
Sleepy Hollow

Way back in 1693, William and Mary of England granted 52,000 acres of land to Dutch merchant Frederick Philipse, who turned the massive estate into a trading complex, active farm, and mill. Since those days, much of Philipsburg Manor has been restored and/or reconstructed, though the stone exterior of the manor house is mostly original. Named a National Historic Landmark in 1961, the Colonial-style Manor House’s interior furnishings have been painstakingly recreated based on the most expert scholarship, with the reconstructed outbuildings serving as a valuable educational resource about pre-Revolutionary Westchester. Unfortunately, the Philipse family also owns the ignominious distinction of having had one of the largest slave-holdings in the Colonial North.

 

– Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge –
Tarrytown

One of Westchester’s newest architectural icons, the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, replaced the beloved but aging Tappan Zee Bridge in 2018 after a lengthy construction. With an eye-popping price tag of $4 billion, the brand-new conduit boasts futuristic, safety-forward, and community-centered features, including gleaming, 419-foot chamfered towers along its main span, color-changing LED lights, and a 3.6-mile biking-and-walking path ornamented with impressive sculptures and installations by eight New York-based artists.

AdobeStock/P. Meybruck

– The Lighthouse at Sleepy Hollow –
Sleepy Hollow

Also known as the Tarrytown Lighthouse or the Kingsland Point Lighthouse, this iconic Westchester structure was once situated a full half-mile from the Hudson River shore on which it currently sits. After decades of landfill, thanks to a now-demolished General Motors factory, the lighthouse found itself just a few convenient feet from the beach and has consequently become a popular local site. The lighthouse’s cast-iron tower was erected in 1883, and the lamp inside was automated during the mid-1950s. During the 1970s, the Tappan Zee Bridge rendered the five-story structure’s navigation lights obsolete, and so the lighthouse was taken over by Westchester County, which maintains it to this day.

– Gilded Age Mansions –
Kykuit, Pocantico Hills; Lyndhurst, Tarrytown; Le Chateau, South Salem 

Legendary robber barons and captains of industry epitomized the Gilded Age, and Westchester had some of its own to boast. One is John D. Rockefeller, of course, whose Pocantico Hills mansion, Kykuit, is an excellent example of a Classical Revival-style stone villa, completed in 1913 by architects Chester Holmes Aldrich and William Adams Delano. Meanwhile, tycoon Jay Gould’s Lyndhurst, in Tarrytown, is a Gothic Revival country house, designed in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis, that looms on 67 majestic acres overlooking the Hudson River. Not to be outdone, Le Chateau in South Salem is a sprawling Tudor-style mansion of brick and stone that was commissioned in 1907 by legendary banker J.P. Morgan and designed by architects Atterbury & Atterbury. Both Kykuit and Lyndhurst are National Historic Landmarks.

– 800 Westchester Avenue –
Rye Brook

Ensconced in the sleepy, little village of Rye Brook is the magnificent 800 Westchester Avenue complex, a 560,000 sq. ft. behemoth postmodern Class A office building that was once the corporate headquarters of General Foods. Having been described over the years as an “Aztec temple” and “aluminum business palace,” the seven-story, all-white building’s amenities include a semicircular entranceway rotunda, man-made lake with fountains, wooden garden bridges, and an underground parking facility. When commercial real estate developer Robert Weisz acquired the property for $40 million in 2004, it was the county’s largest real estate transaction that year.

Photo courtesy of Westchester County Parks, Recreation & Conservation

– Playland –
Rye

The first planned amusement park in the U.S., Rye Playland was created in 1928 by Frank Darling and well-known NYC architectural firm Walker & Gillette, with landscape architect Gilmore D. Clarke. Its 280-acre campus represents a synergistic tour de force of architectural-style integration, with original structures boasting chimerical flourishes in Art Deco, complemented by a Spanish Revival-style bathhouse. This one-of-a-kind amusement attraction was added to the list of National Historical Landmarks in 1987.

Castles
– Whitby Castle, Rye; Carrollcliffe, Tarrytown –

Westchester has been a hotspot for mansions and estates for well over a century, but the 914 also boasts its share of castles, including two of the most active, Whitby Castle and Carrollcliffe. Though architect Alexander Jackson Davis’ most famous creation is Tarrytown’s Lyndhurst, he also gave the county Whitby Castle, in Rye. Designed in 1852 and completed two years later, Whitby Castle represents one of Davis’ quintessential Gothic Revival designs. It was created for his friend William Chapman and is said to include stones from its nearly 1,400-year-old inspiration and eponym, Whitney Abbey in North Yorkshire, England. It sits on 126 impeccably manicured acres and is currently the home of Rye Golf Club.

Also referred to as Axe Castle (and formerly the Castle Hotel & Spa), the all-stone Carrollcliffe is rife with redoubtable battlements, including crenellations and merlons. It was constructed in two stages, beginning in 1897, with the intention of resurrecting the essence of Norman castles in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Designed by architect Henry Franklin Kilburn for journalist/playwright/businessman General Howard Carroll, Carrollcliffe sits on 10 lush acres perched on one of the highest points in Westchester County.

Photo courtesy of Greenburgh Public Library

Greenburgh Library

A $20 million, 22-month restoration in 2009 transformed the second-busiest library in the county into a true architectural masterpiece. Designed by Salvatore Coco, the library originally built in 1962 is now doubled in space, to 46,000 square feet, and sports a dramatic, cantilevered roof, a 140-foot reading room, and maple library desks. With ash-hued ceilings and soaring glass panels, it all amounts to a truly singular municipal gem.


The Art of Architecture

We round up a handful of stunning buildings that also happen to house many of the county’s most beloved arts organizations.

Caramoor Center for the Arts. Photo by Gabe Palacio

Westchester sports an impressive roster of cultural venues and arts organizations, many of which call some pretty remarkable structures home. Katonah’s Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts comprises lush, park-like grounds; a colonnaded Spanish courtyard; an incredibly expansive Venetian theater; and the center’s architectural triumph: The Rosen House, a Mediterranean-style home on the National Register of Historic Places, built sometime during the 1930s by Walter Rosen, which features unique carved wood, vaulted ceilings, exceptional artwork, and rare Chinese wallpapers, all while serving as a venue for classical music and arts education.

Tarrytown Music Hall. Photo by Bill Foley

For a more rocking respite, the Tarrytown Music Hall has served as a local outpost for good times since its 1885 birth. Built in the Queen Anne style, the structure was designed by renowned architects August Cordes and Thoedore De Lemos — who had also worked on Grand Central Station — for chocolate manufacturer William Wallace. The Hall is considered Westchester’s oldest theater, and during the early 1900s, it hosted everything from silent-film screenings to women’s suffrage gatherings. After making it on the National Register of Historic Places, the Hall fell into disrepair. It was saved from the wrecking ball in 1980 by an area nonprofit and to this day serves as one of the county’s most popular spots to soak in some rock & roll.

The Capitol Theatre. Photo by Scott Harris

The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester is yet another beloved local venue saved from the wrecking ball (and from serving as a catering hall), which now stands proudly as a prime spot to catch a musical act. Opened in 1926 as a dignified playhouse, The Cap, as it is fondly known, morphed into one of the country’s hottest rock venues by the mid-1960s, hosting musical megastars like Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, and The Grateful Dead. After falling into disrepair during the 1990s and becoming a catering hall, it was given a new lease on life in 2011, boasting a new interior and state-of-the-art-sound system.

ArtsWestchester. Photo by Mary Alice Franklin

An equally impressive structure can be found in Downtown White Plains, towering over Mamaroneck Avenue. Yet this edifice is not home to some billion-dollar firm; it is the abode of ArtsWestchester, one of the county’s most prominent arts organizations. The nine-story structure originated in 1929 as the Peoples National Bank & Trust Company and was immediately commended in local newspapers for its design. The space boasts 40-foot ceilings, a limestone-encased first story, and marble floors. This building also fell into major disrepair and was only saved in 1998, when ArtsWestchester purchased it from Chase Bank for a cool $1.2 million. After an extensive 2003 renovation, the space opened once again as the home of ArtsWestchester’s studios, offices, and exhibition spaces.

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