Fun & Leisure

Photo courtesy of MSquash Accelerator

Tennis Alternative

MSquash Accelerator

Squash isn’t just for fancy prep-school folks anymore with the opening of this six-court high-performance center featuring a glass court with 360-degree video analysis and a glass floor with light-up target zones. For tennis players looking for a fun racquet-sport alternative, this is the place.

Winery Experience

South Salem Winery

South Salem; www.southsalemwinery.com

Set on the attractive grounds of Gossett Brothers Nursery, Vintner John Vuolo’s micro-winery produces small-batch, easy-drinking wines that contain only naturally occurring sulfites using grapes from Long Island, the Finger Lakes, and California. The charming, albeit tiny, tasting room was designed with repurposed materials (note the black-walnut bar and railroad beams) and offers a standout selection of charcuterie, seasonal vegetables, and sandwiches to pair with your vino.

New Performance Venue

The Chappaqua Performing Arts Center

Chappaqua; www.chappaquapac.org

It’s not every day a performing-arts center opens up in Westchester, and this brand-new Chappaqua facility is a real gem. With incredible digs in the old Reader’s Digest auditorium, an updated sound system, and a constant stream of exciting acts, ChappPac represents the next generation in cultural hotspots.

Photo courtesy of Spins Hudson

New Entertainment Venue

Spins Hudson

Peekskill; www.spinshudson.com

Serving up 40,000 square feet of pure fun, Spins Hudson at Factoria is the largest entertainment venue on the Hudson. In addition to a ropes course with four levels of difficulty, there’s a two-story laser-tag arena and arcade. The Factoria complex also has on-site dining options, picturesque views, and its own microbrewery.

Place to Play Vintage Video Games

Broken Bow Brewery

Tuckahoe; www.brokenbowbrewery.com

This isn’t your parents’ basement. Broken Bow Brewery offers a large-screen TV and all your favorite videos games from your youth — with way better beverages. This family-owned brewery has a full roster of craft ales brewed on location with favorites and seasonal options on the menu.

Multicultural Exhibitions

Katonah Museum of Art

Katonah; www.katonahmuseum.org

When searching for exhibitions that offer a unique perspective on a range of different cultures and races, the Katonah Museum of Art is there to fill the gap. With a mission to broaden the scope of art in Westchester, this masterful museum just recently held tour-de-force shows of Islamic-inspired and women-led art.

For Reel

If you make every conversation about movies, these winners are for you.â€‹

Film Geek Event

YoFi Fest

Yonkers; www.yofifest.com

The Yonkers Film Festival, fondly referred to as YoFi Fest, is pretty much heaven-on-earth for local film geeks. With screenings of short- and full-length movies produced by some of the region’s top filmmakers, as well as workshops and parties, this November fest is a must-visit for anyone with a soft spot for cinema.

Popcorn

The Picture House

Pelham; www.thepicturehouse.org

Popcorn is most delicious with a simple recipe and real ingredients, and this indie-film-and-education center keeps it as such. Popped with Iowa kernels, real butter, coconut oil, and salt at a lower temperature than most theaters (resulting in less half-popped/unpopped kernels), the popcorn is bagged and goes into a warmer that shoots hot air so that every piece stays warm and crispy.

Luxury Cinema

iPic Theaters*

Dobbs Ferry; www.ipictheaters.com

Anyone who thinks a movie theater is a movie theater has never been to iPic. Boasting state-of-the-art sound systems; premium-leather, fully reclining, chaise-lounge seating; and gourmet food service (with available farm-to-table cocktails) brought right to your own chair-side dining table, you might just forget that you’re there to see a movie.

Film Discussions

Jacob Burns Film Center

Pleasantville; www.burnsfilmcenter.org

While this celebrated film center holds year-round screenings of acclaimed indie and foreign flicks, the discussions are where it really shines. With world famous directors, conservation experts, writers, producers, and film-center executives all waxing wise on movies in just the last few months, this is the place to talk about talkies.

Full-Service Party Rentals

Party Line Rentals

Elmsford; www.partylinerentals.com

Need a tent for your next event, or maybe barware and an entire buffet? How about just a few linens and a table? Whatever your soirée demands, this trusted company is ready with services ranging from event planning and delivery to countless party necessities for rent and for sale.

Bibliophile Destination

Booksy Galore

Pound Ridge; www.booksygalore.com

“Ideal for treasure hunting,” is how owner Susan Williamson describes her eclectic book (and vinyl) store. In the front, customers find new adult and children’s books — bestsellers, as well as staff picks. The back of the store is where older books, divided by categories, find new homes.

Under-Appreciated Gallery

Brother Kenneth Chapman Gallery

New Rochelle; www.iona.edu

If you haven’t heard of Iona’s Brother Kenneth Chapman Gallery, you aren’t alone. Even we weren’t tracking the great work of this established New Rochelle gallery until a recent Peter Paul Rubens show. With socially significant exhibits featuring both classical and cutting-edge artists, this gallery should be on any art-lover’s list.

Photo courtesy of Phil the Magic Man

Magician (Adult)

Phil the Magic Man

Pleasantville; www.philthemagicman.com

Available for corporate events, conferences, and parties, Phil Deutsch has been wowing audiences as a mentalist, illusionist, and magician for two decades. A favorite among the celebrity set, he studied with legend David Copperfield and has performed for sports Hall of Famers like Derek Jeter, Lawrence Taylor, and Dennis Rodman, in addition to rapper DMX and actor Tom Green.

Restaurant Playlist

The Cookery

Dobbs Ferry; www.thecookeryrestaurant.com

Count on some seriously good tunes to match the seriously good eats at David DiBari’s Dobbs Ferry digs, where a hardcore playlist adds to the whole gastro-pub vibe. Your ears will pick up on an eclectic mix of genres and artists… Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Amy Winehouse, to name a few.

Limo Service

Armonk Limousine

Armonk; www.armonklimo.com

After a quarter-century of excellence, Armonk Limousine has become a Westchester institution and the local standard-bearer of luxe amenity. Immaculate vehicles, world-class service, and industry-leading drivers are just three reasons why Armonk Limo provides peerless opulence for any occasion.

Reopened Cultural Destination

PepsiCo Sculpture Gardens

Purchase; www.pepsico.com/sculpture-gardens

Catch some culture in a stunning natural setting at this renowned local treasure, a must-visit destination featuring 45 works by the likes of Calder, Rodin, and Giacometti amid 11 gardens on 168 beautifully landscaped acres. Closed for four years, it is again open free to the public, albeit on a more limited schedule.

Photo courtesy of Bouncless Adventures

New Park

Boundless Adventures

Purchase; www.boundlessadventures.com

Make like Tarzan and swing through the trees at this exhilarating new 12-acre outdoor aerial adventure park with nine tree-top obstacle courses for all ages and abilities to climb and explore. Started by former Wall Streeters who love outdoor adventuring, there’s nothing else like
it around.