North Division St, Peekskill

North Divison Street is Peekskill's livelihood, the place where you'll find all the best restaurants, including galleries and more! Whether you're in the mood for pizza (La Viletta has the best pizza in town), live music (Twelve Grapes is the place to be), authentic Irish food and award-winning drinks (The Quiet Man Pub is your destination), or a quiet romantic setting (The Division Street Grill), North Division has it all.

Weekends are North Division's busiest time. It's a one-way street and while there's not a whole lot of parking options on the street itself, right around the corner is a fairly-sized parking lot right across from the uniquely awesome neighborhood used books and music store, The Bruised Apple. You can park anywhere in Peekskill for free on the weekends, but during the week, you'll want to get here anytime after 6pm, so that you don't have to put quarters in the meters (most parking spots in Peekskill are metered, and will take up to 2 hours).

Patrons who go here to eat will love the Twelve Grapes' Two Course Dinner Deal---perfect for couples out on the town---which cost only $19 per dinner. Zagat has rated Twelve Grapes' food 20, décor 20, and service 19. Toni of ToniOn says of Twelve Grapes, “I Love This Place!”

Next to Twelve Grapes is Marlen's, where you can use the computer for 3 dollars per hour, as well as buy a variety of items that are encased in the front counter, and is Hispanic-run. Next to Marlen's is Marlyn Productions, and after that is The Division Street Grill, where you can buy yummy soup for 4 dollars a bowl (or 5 dollars a cup). (Dinner is a bit more for the soup, which costs 8 dollars, and the cheapest appetizer is the fresh mozzarella and tomato for $9). The priciest thing on the menu is the Rack of Lamb, which is $36; on the other hand, you can get a top-quality sliced frank of steak for only $14.95. (Yum!) All of these locations are on the left side of the street, and include Governor George E. Pataki's Leadership and Learning Center, as well as a real estate office. You can see from the street upstairs a funky-dressed mannequin in the window, and this is Maureen Winzig's Studio 44. Maureen Winzig is “a visual artist, a graphic artist, a poet and a writer” including “Master of Ceremonies”. She recently ran Peekskill's Open Studios Day, when all studios in town are open to the public. She's been an artist in both poetry and painting/drawing for more than 40 years! Standing in front of one of her paintings make you feel like you're actually there, surrounded by the Hudson's natural beauty---or you might find yourself in some wonderful world of her own imagining that draws you in with magic and ease. You can purchase Maureen's artwork directly at her studio or make an appointment (visit maureenwinzig.webs.com for more information).

Below Maureen's studio, next door, is the wonderful funky Driftwood Gallery, which has been a part of Peekskill for over 15 years! Featuring the lovely work of artists from all over and around the Hudson Valley, you can buy a wide variety of items including photography, portraits, general paintings, sculpture, furniture and ceramics. They are open Wednesday through Saturday, 12:30pm to 5pm, or you can make an appointment. Right now the web site (www.driftwoodgallery.com) is down for maintenance but you can reach the Driftwood Gallery by phone at 914-788-4650. Visit their home at peekskill-patch.com.

The right side of North Division contains the entrance to the Peekskill branch of the award-winning college, Westchester Community. WCC is affiliated with SUNY (State University of New York). The Peekskill branch offers a wonderful Center for Digital Arts, Nurse Leadership, and general education. There's Peluqueria Latina, a unisex hair salon, that's right next door (though I would recommend going to the Westchester School for Hair Salon on Bank Street for cheaper rates). There's Azimuth Multimedia Studios and 3 & Co., two graphic design companies (3 & Co. does web branding, packaging, illustration and design), and then, next door to 3 & Co, is the newest member of North Division: The Quiet Man Pub.

The Quiet Man draws in so much activity to North Division each night (but especially Saturday nights) that I would say it has become the pinnacle of North Division's night life. Inside is an authentic Irish pub, with authentic Irish food cooked directly on the premises, and Irish music to liven up the evening. The Quiet Man has the “finest pint of Guinness on the Northeast Coast” and one of the best meals is the Corned Beef Sandwhich. Patrons will tell you that the food is “awesome”, and one customer also raved to me about Joe, the bartender, who even has an authentic Irish accent to pair perfectly with the uniqueness of the environment. There's a lot of history to this pub, which has furnishings brought over all the way from Ireland. For instance, the centerpiece of the bar is from the inside of a church that's still in Ireland. The bar's wooden countertop is made out of planks from an old military ship. The atmosphere is very cozy but be prepared to get downright rowdy on Saturday evenings and into the night.

Perhaps after a drink (or before) you'd care for some pizza? La Viletta II has some of the best pizza in all of Westchester County. My favorite is the chicken, tomato and onion slice ($3.50 for toppings; $2.50 for a plain slice). You can have your pizza, calzone or whatever your heart desires in the world of Italian food here, as well as Italian Ice for $1.50 (there's even chocolate---but any flavor is perfect on a hot day---yummy!). You can eat indoors or take a seat on the Gazebo steps and watch the world go by.

No matter what your hunger is or your desire, North Division Street is the place to be---you can find either your favorite meal, drink, desert or live music band, or perhaps---if you take enough classes at WCC---the next step towards a great future!