Deborah Altieri

White Plains, Westchester’s Golden Apple, the Place I Call Home

I live in this wonderful City and have for the past 30 years. While NYC has been called the Big Apple, many people in Westchester have referred to White Plains as the Golden Apple of Westchester County. Centrally located in the County, White Plains holds the county seat with our County Government offices and County Court House centrally located in downtown. We also have the privilege of housing a Federal Court House along with many Fortune 500 Companies, small businesses, a financial center, and all the retail shopping anyone could want or ask for. From Sears, Walmart and Target to Neiman Marcus, Nordstroms, and Bloomindales; from Old Navy and H&M to Michael Kors, Burberry, and Mary Jane Denzer to name a very few: you name it and more than likely you can find it in White Plains.

Combine this with the variety of dining experiences; Sofritas, BLT Steakhouse, Sera Fina, Asian Temptation, Mulinos, 5 Guys, Buffalo Wild Wings, (a short list) to the Thursday through Sunday nightlife at our many pub style taverns and sports bars dotted along Mamaroneck Avenue; Porter House, Black Bear, Butterfield 8, Lolas, Ron Blacks, Wicket Wolf, Brazen Fox etc. to the 15 screen movie theater at the City Center and the live performing arts at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, and well, you can see why White Plains is a special place in the sleepy suburbs outside of Manhattan.

A 35 minute express train ride to Manhattan, a 15 minute ride to Westchester Airport, a City surrounded by major highways… you can get here easily and you can leave just as easily. When I think of White Plains, I think of convenience.

But having said all of this, there is much more to this vibrant City than all the things named above. As a resident and local Realtor I appreciate the beauty of our lovely neighborhoods which many non-residents never get a feel for. There are the million dollar homes and neighborhoods, there are the more modestly priced homes in many of the surrounding neighborhoods. You can choose a home in an affordable co-operative building or perhaps the high-end luxury of a Ritz Carlton residence. You can choose to live in the hustle, bustle part of our City where stepping out your door you can walk to everything, or in one of the many quiet surrounding neighborhoods, whereby you would never know you live in a “City”. By day we are a City of approximately 250,000 people but by night we are a small, but exciting City of 55,000 residents. What does that mean in lifestyle terms? You will bump into your neighbors and friends while in the City. Shopkeepers will get to know you because you frequent their place and live locally.

The various forms of recreation offered through the City Recreation Department will allow you to pursue the sports activities you like whether they are tennis, golf, ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating, running, biking, soccer, soft ball, or others. We have an ice rink, many tennis courts including lit ones for evening play, a public golf course as well as private golf course. There are various sports clubs and spas such as The New York Sports Club, Planet Fitness, YMCA, YWCA (the Ys offer classes on various subject matters) and spas such as Arden’s Red Door, The Ritz Carlton Spa and Apogee Spa where you can get a spa treatment after your yoga class. You can bike or roller blade the Bronx River Parkway on Sunday afternoons in the fall. Go a bit further out and you will find kayaking on the Hudson River, hiking in the many County Parks. Or spend a quiet afternoon in the White Plains Library.

Enjoy philanthropy, volunteer at the White Plains Hospital, a state of the art medical facility, or Gilda’s House; or join the White Plains Woman’s Club, a local club dedicated to raising money through fund raisers to give to local charities. This is a great way to become a part of the community and get to know your neighbors. There is so much more and little space to put it all in.

What sets us apart, hmmm. I would say as is common with most Cities, we are the “real world” with all the fascinating and exciting avenues that open up when you explore the variety of the world around you.