For this month’s cover story on the future of Westchester, we looked back in time, to January 2008. That month’s cover story, on the history of our county (“The Way We Were”), was a really big hit with you. So, with this issue, we proudly present its unofficial sequel: “The Way We’re Going to Be (Perhaps).”
Okay, so how did we do it? Did we turn to psychics, soothsayers, or a Tarot card reader? Of course not. We turned to the experts—environmentalists, urban planners, business leaders, politicians, developers, et al—and asked them to peer into their professional crystal balls for a fun, speculative peek at what life will be like in our county in year 2020—and beyond. Thus, starting on page 61, we’ll let you in on what the future holds, from the air we’ll breathe, the storms we’ll suffer, the employers who will (hopefully) hire us, to the roads we’ll travel, and the malls and multiplexes we will (or perhaps will not) visit. And more. We think you’ll love it as much as you did learning about our past. We certainly do.
Remember the piece we ran last month profiling nine men and women who have lost their jobs due to the economic recession (“Laid Off—Now What?”)? I’m pleased to report that we’ve received inquiries from prospective employers interested in a few of our unemployed subjects. Our mission statement, in part, reads: “To publish a high-quality magazine that makes a difference in our community.” We hope to do just that in their lives. We all hope the future for them, and for all the 37,000 or so of the county’s laid-off residents, holds the promise of new opportunities.
Speaking of the new… We know you love to dine out (who doesn’t?)—and we know that you don’t always want to invest part of your kids’ college funds to do so, perhaps especially now. And so…introducing our new budget dining reviews, Under $20 (turn to page 168), which spotlight restaurants at which good food can still be had for under 20 bucks. With dandy deals like these, there’s no reason not to go out, enjoy someone else’s cooking, and, for an evening or a few evenings, revel in the simple pleasures of life: a glass of wine, a good meal, and the good company of friends and family.
And now that spring is in the air, those of you eager to rid yourselves of cabin fever from this long winter should check out our monthly “What, Where, When” section (it begins on page 198). In addition to being a handy compendium of many of the wonderful things happening throughout our county, it flags those events that are free. Money, as you know, can’t buy happiness—sometimes it can’t buy fun, either.
Esther Davidowitz
Editor-in-Chief
