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Westchester’s Best Steakhouse
— Westchester Magazine, 2013
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Sophisticated Décor • Award Winning Food
Beautifully renovated Private Event Spaces for 12-200 guests
Contact our Events Department today!
on, or an intimate client dinner, our expertise, service and elegant menus will truly impress your guests this holiday season!
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WESTCHESTER
610 W Hartsdale Ave, (off Route 287) White Plains, NY 10607
914.428.6868 • benjaminsteakhouse.com
38
Q4 2013
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
A VIBRANT CORE:
White Plains BID
The White Plains Downtown District
Management Association is a non-profit corporation formed to enhance the economic, social and cultural landscape of the White Plains Business Improvement District. The BID strives to make White Plains a vibrant location for business and an exciting place for city residents and visitors.
The BID provides a number of services, including marketing member businesses and beautifying the streets of downtown White Plains, but it is probably best known for the cultural events it sponsors—some in partnership with the city or other agencies, such as ArtsWestchester. These special events and festivals provide an economic boon for local merchants, who benefit from the increased foot traffic downtown, but more than that, according to White Plains BID Executive Director Kevin Nunn, “They add flavor to White Plains.”
Some of these special events have become annual happenings, such as the three-day Jazz Fest that was a huge success this past September. The celebration of jazz attracted many well-known performers, including Bernie Williams and Grammy nominee Bobby Sanabria, and culminated in a
full day of outdoor culinary and musical treats. As Nunn says, “Being outside, eating great food and listening to Bernie Williams play jazz for free.... that’s a good deal.”
The BID offers special events that appeal to every demographic, age group, and interest: Earth Week, a BID/City event in April, showcases the town’s efforts towards sustainability and educates the community about recycling, while Oktoberfest brings bars and restaurants out into the streets and typically draws a younger crowd. The BID partners with the City of White Plains and Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Committee to sponsor the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and hosts the City Fest Music Festival in June. But the biggest and probably best-known of the BID’s programs is the Annual New Year’s Eve Spectacular, which the BID jointly sponsors with the City. New Year’s Eve brings between 10,000
to 20,000 revelers downtown, depending upon weather, and features a ball drop, a DJ, a live band, fireworks, and confetti cannons.
There is never an admission fee for these special programs and most are held rain or shine. Weather is just one of the variables which can pose a challenge for those planning these events; says Nunn, “These things have a million moving parts,” and sponsors, insurance, and scheduling conflicts must all be taken into consideration. But people have embraced these special events and Nunn is hoping to add a yearly Winter Fest and art events to the BID’s roster of cultural happenings. Last year, BID-sponsored events attracted 40,000 visitors and brought in $960,000 in spending to invigorate the downtown area. But according to Kevin Nunn, “The greatest value of these events is that they are ‘place making.’ They make the city come alive.”