Page 16 - 2025 Westchester Relocation & Moving Guide

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LIVING IN WESTCHESTER AND THE HUDSON VALLEY | RELOCATION & MOVING GUIDE
NORTH COUNTY
Leafy suburbs and pastoral towns with wide open spaces and plenty of parks sets the scene in the northern portion of Westchester.
􏰀 BEDFORD
This sophisticated rural town has been home to the likes of Ralph Lauren, Michael Douglas, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Replete with horse farms
and pastoral beauty, Bedford includes the hamlets of Bedford Village, Bedford Hills, and Katonah. Local perks: Cultural hotspots like Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts and the Katonah Museum of Art.
􏰀 MOUNT KISCO
Bustling Mount Kisco is full
of shopping and dining— everything from Target to small boutiques, plus a variety of ethnic cuisines. It’s home to many house styles, including beloved Victorians. Local perk: K1 Speed indoor go kart racing for family fun.
􏰀 NEW CASTLE Comprising the hamlets of Chappaqua and Millwood, New Castle is known for its top schools, convenient location, and celebrity residents, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as a walkable downtown. Local perks: The Chappaqua Performing Arts Center and swim clubs.
􏰀 NORTH CASTLE Homes within North Castle’s hamlet of Armonk sit on large plots of land, and the village bustles with eateries and high-end boutiques. The town also includes the hamlets of Banksville and North White Plains. Local perk: Wampus Pond for row-boating.
􏰀 NORTH SALEM
This quiet rural town, which includes the hamlets of Purdys and Croton Falls, has many farms and open fields, and is said to have more horses than
people. Local perks: Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard and Outhouse Orchards, and the Hammond Museum.
􏰀 SOMERS
With large tracts of open land, Somers offers a tranquil, country feel, but has also built
􏰂
up its business activity in recent years. It borders Putnam County and boasts well-regarded schools. Local perks: Stuart’s Fruit Farm and Reis Park.
􏰀 YORKTOWN
Yorktown combines suburbia and quiet country living. There
are five hamlets: Mohegan Lake, Shrub Oak, Crompond, Jefferson Valley, and Yorktown Heights, and it’s also home to the Jefferson Valley Mall and the Cortlandt Town Center. Local perks: Turkey Mountain Nature Preserve and Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park.
􏰂 MOUNT PLEASANT
Just 27 miles north of Manhattan, Mount Pleasant beckons with distinctive villages and hamlets situated in an area rich with history and natural beauty.
The 24-square-mile area encompasses the villages of Pleasantville and Sleepy Hollow, the eastern portion of Briarcliff Manor, and the hamlets of Hawthorne, Pocantico Hills, Thornwood, and Valhalla.
The town buzzes with community events and activities, like cultural heritage celebrations and concerts at the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla; cinema buffs enjoy the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville; and locals flock to the annual Pleasantville Music Festival.
The quaint village of Sleepy Hollow is celebrated as the setting of Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” One can visit Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate or tour living-history museum Philipsburg Manor, a mill and trading complex from 1750. Nature-lovers appreciate hiking the trails at Rockefeller State Park Preserve.
􏰂 LEWISBORO
Whether or not you love to ride horses or hike in the woods, living in Lewisboro offers a beautiful backdrop to call home, with its 4,700-acre Ward Pound Ridge Reservation and plenty of parks, lakes, and trails.
The 28-square-mile town is made up of six distinct hamlets: Goldens Bridge, South Salem, Cross River, Waccabuc, Lewisboro, and Vista. In 2018 it was ranked for a third year in a row “as the safest place to live in the United States” by Safewise, a home security company.
The variety of properties attracts an eclectic mix of homebuyers. There are vintage homes that were formerly summer-
only cottages along the lake, plus Colonials, raised ranches, and grand country estates.
Families love the 60- acre Lewisboro Town Park with pool access, and Onatru Farm Park and Onatru Preserve.
􏰂 Named a “best place to live” by Westchester magazine
POUND RIDGE
Choosing Pound Ridge as home base was a savvy move by actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, as it is known for its quiet elegance and sense of privacy—allowing for a way of life that celebrities seek and locals relish.
Nature abounds within the town’s 23 square miles
(Pound Ridge borders Bedford, North Castle, Lewisboro,
and Connecticut), including Ward Pound Ridge Reservation
and the Mianus River Gorge Preserve. The town includes
the hamlets of Pound Ridge, Sarles Corners, and Scotts Corners, and is the county’s smallest in population density, with just over 5,000 residents.
It has a compact but walkable business district that does not have a train stop or even a traffic light—though you will find a collection of cool antiques stores, restaurants, and an independent bookshop called Booksy Galore.
PHOTOS (TOP TO BOTTOM) BY FRANK ROBERTS; JOHN BRUNO TURIANO