Get to Know Armonk, Pleasantville, Bedford and Pound Ridge
Armonk, New York
The Hamlet of Armonk, in the town of North Castle, is in the northeastern sector of Westchester County and is bordered by Connecticut to its east. It is approximately 35 miles from mid-town Manhattan. Also located within the 26 square miles of the Town is Banksville and North White Plains. Except for the IBM world headquarters located on the site of the historical Indian fort which was shaped like a castle, the Swiss Re (Reinsurance) America Headquarters, MBIA Insurance and Citicorp conference center, he community has remained almost exclusively residential. There was an attempt during 1948 to locate the United Nations Headquarters there, but the residents of the town rejected the idea.
The original inhabitants of Armonk were part of the Algonquin nation, known as Siwanoy Indians. The first European settlers arrived in the area in 1644 and began appropriating land. The name Armonk finds its meaning in the Indian word Cohamong, which meant "the open, flat place where water runs". During the Civil War, Armonk became an important stop on the Underground Railroad. During that era, the region's economy was based mostly on agriculture with some manufacturing as well.
The area remained isolated from New York City for the most part until the completion of the Kensico Dam, when wealthy New Yorkers bought up country estates. Even though in later years developers began building homes, the zoning regulations kept the overall appearance of the land in check. The North Castle Historical Society on Rt.22 has an educational complex including a stagecoach stop, a blacksmith shop, a tavern and the 1798 Quaker Meeting House.
Today, the area boasts not only one of the nicest regions of the country, but also one of its best school systems. Known for its wooded beauty and sparkling lakes, this hamlet has a friendly village center with gourmet shops and excellent restaurants. Rural in nature, yet sophisticated in style, Armonk offers itself as a bridge between city life and country living.
Winding roads lined with old stone walls meander through wooded glades and climb to hilly retreats giving way to majestic views. This restful atmosphere completely belies its convenient location to all the major sources of corporate employment and transportation. Only 38 minutes from mid Manhattan via the Metro North train, I-684 also provides easy access to New York City. Westchester Airport is 10 minutes away; international airports are within an hour's drive.
A small and special school district, Byram Hills offers a superior education for each child with an emphasis on high quality education and a rich curriculum. Among the priority goals at Byram Hills are individual needs, combined with a firm foundation in basic skills and staff development. This school district has been awarded the national "School of Excellence" designation from the U.S. Department of Education. Parents are very involved with the school. There is the Byram Hills Educational Foundation that the parents have established independently to raise funds to enhance the schools. They sponsor an annual dinner dance and auction every year. Over the past years, fundraising has been instrumental to enhance the school programs and cirriculum for students and teachers. The schools are "wired" and have recently been expanded and renovated. Kindergarten is full time and everyone is eligible for bus transportation. Ninety-eight percent of Byram Hills Students go onto to a college degree, many to "Ivy League" schools. There have been semifinalists and finalists from the Intel Science competition as well.
There are 5 Houses of Worship in Armonk, all very conveniently located. A variety of local recreation is available, from wildlife sanctuaries for nature walks, to golf and tennis clubs. There are several town parks, tennis courts and playfields, including a new community swimming pool under construction. The Recreation Department of the Town of North Castle offers year round diversified activities for both children and adults. There are town summer day camps for pre-schoolers thru teenagers, and an active Recreation Adult Club. AYSO soccer and Little League are also available. Unique to Armonk is a pre-school association that welcomes families from newborn through pre-kindergarten. This group of over 350 families allows new and pre-school mothers to meet each other in playgroups and adult events, such as the Annual House Tour in May.
The Wampus Pond on Rt. 128 has rowboats available on weekends and holidays over the summer months and ice-skating and ice fishing, (weather and freezing permitting) over the winter. There are picnic tables available at this beautiful setting. There is also the Wampus Park, where a gazebo and stream enhance the setting. Every year the town sponsors a children's fishing derby here. People sit on benches to picnic or just to pause and reflect on a daily basis. There is a footbridge reminiscent of a Monet painting tiptoeing over the stream. Actually, many wedding photographers use this site because of the natural beauty and soft light.
The Fol-de-Rol, a popular arts and crafts fair and carnival run by the Armonk Lions Club for over 25 years takes place in June. The annual Armonk Outdoor Art Show, a nationally recognized event that has over 200 artists, has been in operation over 40 years to benefit the public library. This is a fall event. Additionally, the library sponsors film and music events throughout the year.
For the North Castle Town Link click here.
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Pleasantville, New York
This small village of 7000 residents on 1.9 square miles is charmingly set in the rolling hills of central Westchester County. It evokes images of small town wholesomeness and is one of the few villages where the children still walk to and from school while having fun watching daily life around them and laughing and playing games with their friends on the way. There are several happenings during the course of the year such as "Pleasantville Day" in May, when the village stages a celebration attended by hundreds of residents and visitors as well. It is like a country fair with a pancake breakfast, local booths set up for sidewalk sales and to end it all, there is a wonderful fireworks display.
Then there is the Memorial Day celebration when a parade goes down Bedford Road, which is lined with the wonderful traditional homes with porches where they all display the American flag proudly. People are happy to participate and bring friends and many visitors come out of Manhattan. One is then reminded of how close the hub of the Big City really is. Also during the summer, there is the Green Market or Farmers' Market every Saturday morning right through October. That takes place in front of the Pleasantville train station, and again, participation is enthusiastic especially by the children who enjoy the "farm" sweets and homemade treats.
Homes in the actual village of Pleasantville tend to be older, especially the traditional Victorian colonials, which were built in the early 1900s. The lots are pretty but not very large which accounts for a relaxed atmosphere as you are fairly close to your neighbors. Of course, one finds every style home from small cottages to spacious contemporaries, ranches and colonials. There are condominiums and townhouses; the largest condominium is the Tudor-style Foxwood complex with 241 units. It is on the former estate of Hiram Manville, the founder of the John Manville asbestos company. The condos range from one to three bedrooms. Trophy Ridge is an almost new complex of 72 attached homes hugging the 9-hole golf course of the Country Club at Pleasantville.
Homes in or near the village seem to be the oldest as that area was developed first when residents were more used to walking to shops and trains.
The Pleasantville postal zone also covers parts of the unincorporated town of Mount Pleasant where older homes still predominate but you will also find the more spacious contemporaries built in the 70's, 80's and 90's.
Pleasantville was once part of the huge estate owned by Frederick Philipse, a Loyalist whose lands were confiscated after the American Revolution. Pleasantville later became a prosperous farming community and part of the newly created town of Mount Pleasant. Some of the traditional homes even predate the Revolution and some of them have been beautifully restored. In 1818 the Pleasantville station was built and the New York Central opened the village to commuters to New York City.
Just outside the village, in the town of Mount Pleasant, Usonia was created, an enclave of 47 homes inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. The layout and 35 of the home sites were planned by Wright in a circular manner, preserving most of the original trees and "encouraging the flow of the land". Wright himself designed 6 homes; of these 3 were actually constructed. The balance of the homes were decreed to be in the modern "organic" style ordained by Wright and the architectural plans were subject to approval by Wright. With little turnover and several homes occupied by second generation Usonians, it can justifiably be said that the opportunity to own a Usonia home is truly rare and unique. Some original owners still live there and others have been there for 30 years .
"The Estates" and part of "Heritage Court" are neighborhoods just outside of the village of Pleasantville. "The Estates" was developed in the late 80's and 90's and boasts about 90 homes: some are colonials, others are contemporaries and still others are considered to be post-modern. The properties range anywhere from three quarters of an acre to roughly an acre. The same is true for "Heritage Court" where most of the homes were built in the 80's. They are both wonderful neighborhoods tucked into rolling hills. The children living in "The Estates", "Heritage Court" and Usonia attend the Byram Hills Central School District at Armonk, whereas children who live within the village of Pleasantville attend the Pleasantville Union Free School. Fortunately for these children, both school districts have excellent reputations.
The Town of Mount Pleasant boasts an all encompassing Recreation and Parks Department with a tremendous number of activities, courses and programs for young and older. The child friendly town pool was completed in 1997 and a multitude of programs are offered there. Additionally, the Rosenthal JCC on Bear Ridge Road offers programs in health and fitness, arts and culture for adults, children & families, special education & services, and preschool programs, and a summer camp is organized each year.
Living in Pleasantville or Mount Pleasant, you are in a very central location close to the Hudson River and just as close to the New England feel of Westchester County. New York City is just a stone's throw away; shopping is at one's fingertips in all directions such as White Plains, Chappaqua, Armonk, Mount Kisco and even Greenwich and Stamford (both in Connecticut). Nearby hospitals are excellent in White Plains, Mount Kisco, Valhalla and Greenwich. There is a little bit of everything if you should be thinking of relocating to Pleasantville/Mount Pleasant.
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Bedford, New York
The town of Bedford is located about 16 miles north of White Plains, 38 miles north of mid-Manhattan, in the northern part of Westchester, and includes the Villages of Bedford, Bedford Hills and Katonah. The small village of Mt. Kisco is nearby to the west as is the city of Greenwich, CT to the east.
It is a community often referred to as the "Gateway to New England". Bedford celebrated its 300th birthday in June 1980 with great pomp and pride, with a tri-centennial Celebration unmatched in spirit and community participation. The Village Green, a national historic site, is in the heart of Bedford Village. The local Bedford Historical Society also maintains a one-room schoolhouse dated from 1829 and a 1787 Courthouse Museum. Bedford is an unspoiled center of activity combining homes, churches and shops, gracefully interwoven around a large triangle of common park space known as The Village Green.
The Bedford area is, without a doubt, a horse lover's paradise. The Bedford Riding Lanes Association (BRLA) offers, for a small yearly membership fee, 100 linear miles of riding through a historic system of trails and dirt roads. For peaceful, uninterrupted riding through open fields and dense forests, the equestrian can enjoy fabulous views of the countryside, while traveling from the southernmost part of Bedford through the historic John Jay Homestead of Katonah, and into the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. New trails are being added.
In addition to horseback riding, Bedford offers a multitude of recreational facilities such as golf, tennis, cross-country skiing, hiking, fishing, etc. There are numerous nature preserves and sanctuaries in the area where one can find organized nature walks, study groups and activities for children. There is a town park near the village that offers a community pool, ball fields, and a summer camp program. There is also a shopping center with a full-sized supermarket, drycleaner, pharmacy, bakery, wine shop, two banks and a garden center. A movie theater is in the heart of town as well as a charming library.
On the Bedford town line in Katonah is one of the nation's premier outdoor music festivals at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. The center features classical and jazz music. Visitors are welcome to picnic on the grounds. There is a museum and a garden shop. There is a collection of fine and decorative arts from Europe and Asia as well.
As is so typical for Northern Westchester County, Bedford has its share of streams, ponds and lakes dotting the countryside; it is a peaceful enclave known for its tranquil landscape and woodsy retreats for those seeking a weekend hideaway. There is a wide variety in home styles ranging from elegant estates and manor houses, and bucolic horse farms, to attractive homes on country roads, and moderately priced homes in the villages.
The Westmoreland Sanctuary straddles Armonk, Bedford and Mt. Kisco. There are 8 miles of hiking trails and a nature museum. This 625-acre park is open year round with a large fall festival held every year. A naturalist lives on site and conducts weekly hikes and activities for all ages.
Last but not least, there is the famous and historic Bedford Oak tree thought to have been two hundred years old when Bedford was purchased from the Indians in 1680!
For additional information on Bedford click here.
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Pound Ridge, New York
It is located on the Connecticut border of Westchester County, adjacent to New Canaan & Ridgefield, about 18 miles northeast of White Plains and 40 miles from mid-Manhattan.
It originated over 300 years ago, yet it remains one of Westchester's most unspoiled towns. Characterized by lushly wooded hills combined with rugged cliffs and rock out-croppings, sparkling lakes and ponds, Pound Ridge offers a unique setting for quietly elegant country life, abundant recreational opportunities, cultural offerings and countless nature and hiking trails.
The Ward Pound Ridge Reservation and Nature Center is here, the largest park in Westchester County, featuring open lean-tos with reservations for camping on its 5,000-acre site. It also features The Trailside Museum, bird walks and other events such as natural history and Native American Indian exhibits. The National Audubon Society lists this nature preserve as an "Important Bird Area".
Scotts Corners, the main shopping area in Pound Ridge, has quaint antique shops, restaurants, specialty stores, a variety of services and, about twice a year, is the venue of sidewalk arts and crafts fairs. The town park has an annual fireworks show on July 4th for the residents.
And how did Pound Ridge get its name? It is probable that the remains of an old Indian pound, used for the storage of game, existed near the present Hamlet center. From the 17th into the 19th century, Pound Ridge was also known as "Basket Town" for its flourishing basket making industry. Many of its sturdy baskets were used by Long Island Sound oystermen.
Due to the eclectic character of Pound Ridge, you will find antique colonials: historically significant and beautifully restored, prominently dotted along the winding lanes in serene compatibility with spectacular modern contemporaries, soaring above on high cliffs...or tucked away in total seclusion. A community with pride and privacy... for those who enjoy the involvement of small town life ... or the peacefulness of a country retreat.
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