Page 68 - Westchester Magazine - January 2011

The Performing Arts Center
Purchase
(914) 251-6200; artscenter.org
Where would we be without the PAC? The offerings at the Performing Arts Center are so consistently strong that it might prompt classical music fans to dream of boarding on the campus of Purchase College. The roster is full of world-renowned orchestras parading in and out, with master solo performances thrown in there as well (with some dance and film for good measure). Not convinced? Look for upcoming performances with New York’s Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Japan’s NHK Symphony Orchestra, British violinist Daniel Hope, and Broadway legend Bernadette Peters.
found itself—after surviving the Great Depression and World War II—on the chopping block, before a group of concerned citizens deemed it worth saving. Today, the theater is in the midst of a top-to-bottom renovation. And,
if you build it, they will come. Indeed, stars like Richard Gere, Alan Rickman, and Charles Grodin already have. We plan to drop by as often as time allows. You'd be foolish not to do the same.
PLAYLAND (1)
Rye
(914) 813-7000; ryeplayland.org
There’s a reason we all have Playland bumper stickers on the back of our minivans (and it’s not just because they're given out for free). It’s that a summer trip to Playland is one of Westchester’s most hallowed traditions, and taking a spin on the Dragon Coaster is a rite of passage for every local youngster. (And you can picture it being like that all the way back to 1927—we love seeing historical photos of men in hats and ladies in pearls enjoy- ing the rides.) Sure, Playland’s future is in doubt, but you’ve made it known that you value
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the amusement park: in a recent online poll conducted by us, an overwhelming 79 percent of you want Playland to remain open, no matter the cost.
ROCKEFELLER STATE PARK PRESERVE Pleasantville
(914) 631-1470; nysparks.state. ny.us/parks/59/details.aspx
Sometimes, we’re not looking for a night out or a great meal. Sometimes we just want...quiet. Enter the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. The park offers more
than 1,400 acres of serene scen- ery. There are trails to hike (car- riage roads courtesy of John D. Rockefeller, Jr.). There are birds to watch (it was named an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society). There are bass to catch, and, when you feel like rejoining society, the fact that it abuts the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture doesn’t hurt, either.
SPOKEN INTERLUDES
Irvington
(914) 307-1683 spokeninterludes.com
66 / JANUARY 2011 / WWW.WESTCHESTERMAGAZINE.COM