June 20, 2005
Larchmont
While Larchmont may not be a typical singles community, it offers an
alternative for those who want a leafy waterfront suburb, a 35-minute
commute to Manhattan and lower decibel ratings than those recorded in
more densely populated locales.
For Mr. Uman, the retired lawyer, the 1.1-square-mile village on the
Sound is all of those things and more. In addition to its many obvious
charms, Larchmont is a culture-loving community, in Mr. Uman's
estimation. It even has its own chamber music group, for which he
plays clarinet.
The village, population 6,485, has a busy downtown, albeit a small
one, with quaint shops and some highly rated restaurants. But rather
than going out to local bars, Mr. Uman said, he prefers to meet new
friends during his daily activities: walking along the town's
shoreline, visiting the local library and shopping in the supermarket.
But the community's many assets come at a steep price. The recent
median sale price for a single-family home in Larchmont was just under
$1 million, far above the county's median, which is $615,000. Spacious
one-bedroom co-ops in doorman buildings start at $275,000; two-bedroom
units begin in the low-$400,000's, also above the Westchester County
median.
Barbara Cleary, the manager of the Larchmont office of Merritt
Associates, described the village as "mostly a family community."
According to census data, 65.9 percent of the population over 15 is
married. "But we're also seeing more and more singles moving here from
Manhattan," she said, "because they can work and socialize in the city
and still have plenty to do at home."
Singles who move to the village, she noted, are more focused on its
quality of life than "in just meeting other singles." Many of the
local restaurants have "an upscale and stylish New York kind of feel
to them," she said, and the village is near public and private golf
courses, and sailing and boating clubs. It also has its own municipal
tennis courts and beach.
[NYT]
Posted by omor at 10:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 19, 2004
Main Street, Bedford, N.Y
Main Street, Bedford, N.Y.
The New York Times
December 12, 2004
WESTCHESTER
Main Street of Dreams
By KATE STONE LOMBARDI
WOULDN'T it be heaven if your favorite places in Westchester could be
within walking distance? No more time on Interstate 287 or sitting in
traffic on the parkways to get to the best of everything the county
offers. Imagine an old-fashioned Main Street, custom-tailored for your
hometown. What follows are my unabashedly personal choices for a such
street.
First, this fantasy Main Street would have some remarkable geographic
boundaries. To the east of downtown is Long Island Sound, with
shorelines incorporating the best of Mamaroneck, Larchmont and Rye. On
the west side is the Hudson River, and the most beautiful vistas from
Peekskill to Yonkers. Each shoreline has paths that accommodate both
bikers and pedestrians, as well as picnic grounds and play areas. Both
have casual and formal waterfront dining.
Main Street itself is very wide, and down the middle is another park,
this one with fountains, benches, gardens, mature trees and artworks
from the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Gardens at the PepsiCo
Headquarters in Purchase. Scattered along the park are Auguste Rodin's
"Eve," a standing nude sculptured in 1881, and George Segal's 1979
work, "Three People on Four Benches."
Incidentally, there is no driving on Main Street. It is a strictly
pedestrian area, though fully handicapped accessible. There is ample
free parking for cars on the north and south side of town. (S.U.V.'s,
however, pay a graduated fee, based on the size of the behemoth, to
subsidize the rest of us.) On the north, parking is right after you
pass the dramatic waterfall that has been moved from Croton-on-Hudson.
To the south, it's adjacent to the rolling hills from Rockefeller
State Park Preserve in Pocantico Hills.
Now that you have your bearings, it's time to visit. Just a few more
structural details: the wires in town run underground, so they are out
of sight. A big village clock is on Main Street, which is known as the
meeting spot for blind dates and other important rendezvous. There is
ample lighting - though no neon - throughout town, because there is an
active night life. It's the kind of place where young families,
teenagers and older people all feel comfortable congregating.
There are a few basics any Main Street needs. To begin with, a coffee
shop. Slave to the Grind, in Bronxville, gets the spot. With more than
50 varieties of beans, like Brazil Bourbon, Chocolate Crème Brûlée and
White Russian, this establishment lives up to the sign behind the
counter: "Death before Dishonor. Nothing Before Coffee." It's not just
the caffeine, though; what makes Slave to the Grind a draw is its role
as a neighborhood gathering spot. The business crowd goes in the
morning, mothers meet there by day, and teenagers congregate at night.
Patrons can settle on leather banquettes, or at the tables that look
out onto the street in front. Music is playing and the décor is
eclectic - hand-painted lamps, community bulletin boards and games
like Stratego stashed near the phone booth. Customers get so
comfortable that a sign from management urges them to "please be
considerate and be aware of how long you're taking up a seat."
Any good Main Street deserves a bakery, and ours is Kneaded Bread from
Port Chester. Man could live by its chocolate bread alone. But that
would mean missing the cinnamon swirl, raisin walnut, rosemary olive
and aged provolone boule. Besides the roughly two dozen artisanal
breads, there are also foccacias, muffins, croissants, cakes, brioches
and other temptations. Get there early. Many favorites sell out.
Cravings for ice cream? Cue Longford's Own-Made Ice Cream parlor, from
Rye (with another branch in Larchmont), which dishes out flavors like
Cookie Monster (vanilla flavored, yet startlingly blue), Creme Caramel
and Oreo Bomb from its colorfully painted storefront. High in
butterfat, as all great ice creams must be, recent seasonal offerings
included pumpkin pie, cinnamon and spiced apple ice cream.
My pharmacy would be Weinstein's, from Katonah, which has been in
business since 1881. You might at first mistake it for a home
decorating store, because the windows are full of lamps, platters,
vases and pillows. Inside, the homey motif continues. Where else would
you find decorative pillows displayed over the Pepto-Bismol, casserole
dishes across from the shampoo aisle and chocolate-covered pretzels
under the hair dryers? The pharmacy is at the back of the store (near
the earmuffs), and on a recent visit the pharmacist was spending a
generous amount of time with an elderly man discussing possible side
effects of a medication and suggesting questions he might want to ask
his doctor.
One caveat here: There are only independent stores on this Main
Street. Those chosen are known for their excellent service, but not
necessarily for their low prices.
Another store that has a little bit of everything, Sundries Gifts and
Homewares, has been plucked from Bedford Hills. This is the spot to
duck into if you need a birthday gift for a child, a hostess gift or a
little treat for yourself. Among the dozens of items tucked into the
nooks and crannies of Sundries are frames, stationery, soaps and bath
oils, toys like kites and magic wands, whimsical books, cocktail
napkins, place mats, watering cans, martini glasses, dried flowers -
you get the idea.
But what about hardware, the stuff you really need to hold your home
together, be it a dish rack, a wrench or a doorknob? For that there's
Berger Hardware Company, in Hawthorne. This is a store where local
contractors get their materials, and it would be overwhelming if not
for the great service. There is stuff everywhere. Lawn chairs and red
wagons hang from the ceiling, toboggans are stacked up near the
Duralogs, 16 kinds of hammers are on display (that doesn't include the
mallets) under an equally dizzying array of tool belts. But where else
can you buy odd-size light bulbs, wire brushes, knee pads, vacuum
cleaner parts, knobs for your stove, pie weights and curtain rods
under one roof? There are special sections for gardening needs,
Christmas décor, paint, and more. And if you didn't get enough java at
Slave to the Grind, there is free coffee here on aisle one.
We need in this life both a good library and an independent bookstore.
Westchester has an excellent library system with an interactive loan
program that allows patrons to get nearly any book from any branch.
But the Hastings Public Library is the one I would want, for sheer
coziness with a view. Adults can settle on sofas that overlook the
Hudson River and out to the Palisades. On a clear day, the Manhattan
skyline is visible. Tables are set up with checkerboards and chess
sets. The library acts as a community center, with programs for all
ages. A recent reading of one-act plays by local authors drew a
standing-room-only crowd. The children's room is particularly
enchanting. Octagon shaped, it has a dome painted with a mural of
fairy-tale figures and a skylight with Humpty Dumpty sitting on a
ledge. There are cushions on the floor, and nooks in the window to
curl up in.
The number of independent book stores in Westchester is dwindling, but
one stalwart is Second Story Books in Chappaqua. Bill Clinton is known
to patronize this store, and must be pleased to see the "Get Well
Soon!" sign pasted over a display of his memoirs. The staff is
knowledgeable and helpful. There are several carousels of staff
recommendations, with special annotations like "Joan's pick" or
"Martha's pick" or "fine writing." Regulars know whose tastes run to
their own. The back of the store boasts a children's section and every
test review book imaginable is tucked into a closet. What isn't in the
store can be ordered, and as one sales associate recently told a
customer, "I'll call you as we're unpacking the book."
You can leave Main Street for the multiplex, but if it's a smorgasbord
of independent and documentary films, along with retrospectives of
great classic and contemporary filmmakers, not to mention discussions
with directors, producers and actors, visit the Jacob Burns Film
Center, formally of Pleasantville, now on Mythical Main Street. This
also gives our Main Street the opportunity for celebrity sightings,
since among others, the film center has already been host to George
Clooney, Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges and Martin
Scorsese. The center is also a magnet for children, who participate in
a variety of educational programs, like learning to make animated
films or understanding techniques used to tell stories on film. More
than a third of current students come from under served districts like
Mount Vernon, Yonkers, Peekskill and Ossining.
Westchester is rich in history, and the Main Street post office
represents part of it. The Bedford Post Office, which was built in the
1830's, was originally a harness shop. Bedford has gotten its mail
there for more than a century. The Greek Revival- style building was
bought by the Bedford Historical Society in 1972, which continues to
lease it to the United States Post Office. As in Bedford, on our Main
Street, the postmaster most likely knows you by name.
After a day on Main Street, you're probably peckish for dinner.
Picking the perfect restaurant in Westchester is almost impossible;
there are too many choices. Instead, how about a mythical
establishment, with the best from everywhere? My menu would include
the cerviche from Sonora in Port Chester, the Peking duck quesadilla
from Peter Pratt's in Yorktown, the porterhouse steak from Flames in
Briarcliff, the paella from Caravela in Tarrytown, the cassoulet from
Cafe Mezé in Hartsdale, the wine list from Crabtree Kittle House in
Chappaqua, and for desserts ... ah, never mind, this will have to wait
for the next fantasy.
The Actual Tour
Slave to the Grind, 58 Pondfield Road, Bronxville, (914) 961-7777.
Kneaded Bread, 181 North Main Street, Port Chester, (914) 937-9489.
Longford's Own-Made Ice Cream, 4 Elm Street, Rye, (914) 967-3797.
Weinstein's Pharmacy, 101 Katonah Avenue, Katonah, (914) 232-5166.
Sundries Gifts and Homewares, 701 Bedford Road, Bedford Hills, (914) 244-9020.
Berger Hardware Company, 433 Commerce Street, Hawthorne, (914) 769-2400.
Hastings Public Library, 7 Maple Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson, (914) 478-3307.
Second Story Books, 75 North Greeley Avenue, Chappaqua, (914) 238-4463.
Jacob Burns Film Center, 39 Washington Avenue, Pleasantville, (914) 747-5555.
Bedford Post Office, 40 Village Green, Bedford, (800) 275-8777.
Sonora, 179 Rectory Place, Port Chester, (914) 933-0020.
Peter Pratt's Inn, 673 Croton Heights Road, Yorktown Heights, (914) 962-4090.
Flames Steakhouse, 533 North State Road, Briarcliff Manor, (914) 923-3100.
Caravela, 53 North Broadway, Tarrytown, (914) 631-1863.
Cafe Mezé, 20 North Central Avenue, Hartsdale, (914) 428-2400.
Crabtree's Kittle House Inn, 11 Kittle Road, Chappaqua, (914) 666-8044.
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May 07, 2004
Westchester for $545,500
The median sales price for a single family house reached $545,500 in Westchester
last year and has gone up again this year, according to P. Gilbert Mercurio, the
chief executive of the Westchester County Board of Realtors. The median price of a
condo reached $322,500 last year and a cooperative, $130,000. In contrast, in
1993, the median sales price of a house in Westchester was $280,000 while the
median price of a condo was $160,000.
It's too expensive to move back to NY to die, ex-New Yorkers in Florida lament. [NYT]
Posted by dc at 12:36 PM | Comments (0)
January 15, 2004
Migrants accumulate
Although there have been complaints in other Westchester communities where
Latinos have settled, like Mount Kisco and Tarrytown, Ms. Blanchfield,
a lawyer at the Westchester Hispanic Coalition, a nonprofit social services
organization in White Plains, said she had heard few objections to the presence
of illegal immigrants in Port Chester. "Mostly, employers and others call up to see
what they can do to help".
...
Port Chester's police chief, Joseph Krzeminski is also concerned with the
drunkenness that occurs at night and on weekends among some of the newer
immigrants, most of whom are here alone, away from their families. Mr.
Krzeminski said some immigrants have been attacked at night when they are
out alone. According to the police department, Port Chester recorded 57
robbery-assault cases in 2002. Of those, 54 involved Latinos and took place
on the street. In 2003, there were 49 robbery-assaults with 44 involving
Latinos and 34 taking place on the street.
Mr. Krzeminski said some changes in the village since he was a boy have not
been for the better, a sentiment shared by Frances C. Nugent, who is the city
clerk for Rye.
Born 83 years ago in Port Chester, which is part of Rye, Mrs. Nugent said she
misses walking at night with her children.
At the local public schools, administrators said they must tailor their instruction to
address the needs of the children from legal and illegal immigrants. In the latter
group, fewer children speak or read English well, and there are more health
problems.
Of the 3,527 students enrolled in the district's six schools (four elementary
schools for grades kindergarten through 5, a middle school for grades 6 though
8, and a high school), 65.3 percent are Hispanic, said Dr. Charles Coletti,
superintendent of schools. Ten percent are African American, 23.9 percent are
white, and 0.8 percent are Asian.
Dr. Ellen Santiago, principal of Edison Elementary School, said that one-third of
the students at the grade schools need assistance with English. In two of the
elementary schools, as much as 80 percent of the students receive free or
reduced-price lunches, which "indicates the high level of economic need in the
community," she said.Because many parents work long hours and hold several
jobs, the schools open at 7:35 a.m. and offer special-help classes until 6 p.m.,
Dr. Santiago said.
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