Kids will love walking this flat stretch that finishes at Westchester's beloved Gothic castle.
April 27, 2013
There’s no reason to drive hours away to hike with your kids. The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, a 26 mile unpaved trail that runs from Yonkers to Croton, offers plenty of lovely spots to go for a walk outdoors. There’s one particular section of the trail in Irvington that’s great for all ages. It’s not too long, so young dawdlers will tolerate it, but it’s long enough to keep older kids interested, especially at the end since you finish at Lyndhurst. Here, rolling hills run all the way down to the river.
You can take a hearty stroller on the trail, but it is unpaved and there are parts of the path where it can get rocky or thick with roots. To get there, you’ll want to park behind Main Street School in the village of Irvington (park here on weekends; on weekdays, find a spot on the street nearby). The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail runs north and south through Irvington. To access the hike written about here, walk to the northeast corner of Main Street School’s parking lot. Here, you can pick up the trail. (In other words, you’re going to walk north on the trail, not south.) [...]
A guide to Westchester's Ice Rinks.
January 20, 2013
It’s winter and we’re all thinking of ways to stay active and have fun. There are tons of places in Westchester to go ice skating. Many of the ice rinks offer lessons, have a snack bar for lunch and will let you schedule your next birthday party. The indoor ice rinks are heated, but it’s still a good idea to dress in layers and dress little ones in snow pants. If you’re new to skating (ahem, that’s me), your ice skates should be a half size smaller than your shoe size. They should be snug, but you should be able to wiggle your toes. Also, lace your skates tightly from the bottom. Now, go have fun!
Brewster Ice Arena is a three level, 90,000 square foot facility with two regulation rinks, a studio rink, Players Sports Bar and Restaurant (below photo), pro shop and gym. You can take group lessons, join a league, have a birthday party, go to skating and hockey camp and skate for fun! Weekend public skating times are: 12:45pm – 2:15pm, 3pm-4:30pm and 8pm-10pm on Saturdays and Sundays 12:45pm – 2:15pm and 3pm-4:30pm. For weekdays, public skating is 9am – 2pm and Fridays also from 3pm – 5pm. The cost: kids (under 12) $5, adults $7, seniors $5, skate rentals $3, walker rental $2, Friday Nights are $10. 63 Fields Lane, Brewster (North Salem border); 845-279-2229 [...]
No shortage of fall fun this weekend and we'll tell you where to get it.
October 11, 2012
Get your fall on this weekend with these family events in and around the best county in the world!
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Hiking with kids is easy at this breathtaking spot.
October 1, 2012
Westchester may not be known for its hiking trails, but it should be. There are dozens of fabulous hiking spots in the region, and many are relatively easy to do with children. A spectacular hike to do this fall is at Croton Falls Park in Cortlandt, about 25 minutes north of White Plains. (Seriously, look at that photo: I swear, it’s Westchester!)
Here’s why my husband, my dog, and yes, my 2-year-old love it: You don’t have to work too hard (read: walk too long) for an incredible payoff. Soon after you pay the park’s $5 entrance fee, you’ll drive past the waterfall as you head into the parking lot. Once you park, there are two options. You can hang out and picnic at the base of the falls. (In winter, it isn’t unusual to see a deer drinking from the spillway at dawn.) Or, pack a backpack and head up the Aqueduct trail for a short hike to walk along the reservoir. From here, you’ll be able to walk over the Croton Bridge and look down on the falls. We typically do both. [...]
A guide to local happenings in and around the county.
September 1, 2012
In town this holiday weekend? Consider yourself lucky. Say goodbye to summer with one of these sunny day ideas.
Head to Katonah for a Labor Day Antiques Fair at Lasdon Park from 10am to 5pm on Monday, September 3. See the wares of several dozen antiques dealers selling everything from vintage costume jewelry to fine Persian rugs and pillows. There’s also a plant sale and live music. Another big draw: Lasdon Park itself. The 234 acre park is definitely worth a stroll. There are lovely hedged gardens, fountains and trails meandering through, making this park perfect for restless children — and adults. Admission is $7 for adults; free for children under 13. Lasdon Park and Arboretum, 2610 Amawalk Road, Katonah; 914-273-4667, cordshows.com. [...]
Hurry up and go: The park closes September 3.
August 28, 2012
With Labor Day fast approaching, there are only a few days left to enjoy one of my favorite summer activities – taking the kids to the sprinkler park at Harbor Island Park in Mamaroneck. (Read more about Harbor Island Park here.)
When we arrived at Harbor Island Park, the day was already warm so we packed our strollers with towels and lunch and headed for the beach, about a five minute stroller ride away. The beach has a small roped in area for swimming, but the main attraction is the sprinkler area. My five-year-old immediately took off for the sprinklers while my three-year-old grabbed a bucket and shovel and joined her friends in the sand. [...]
This Sleepy Hollow park packs stunning river views.
August 13, 2012
Kingsland Point Park is one of the Rivertown’s best kept secrets. It’s tucked away behind a charming neighborhood in Sleepy Hollow, and you wouldn’t even know it was there unless you happened upon it, like I did several months ago. “Kingsland is the best park in the Rivertowns,” I overheard one mom tell another recently at the Irvington Farmers Market.
It reminded me of how much I love it too — so I found myself there with my sister and son last week. [...]
Sip a margarita and let the kids enjoy the show.
August 12, 2012
Every time I visit Harry’s Burritos in Larchmont, I feel like I’m back in the East Village. It was one of my favorite spots in the city when I lived there. The Larchmont Harry’s has the same menu I remember, but it also has something I didn’t think about in my East Village days: An awesome kids menu. Plus, Sunday night is kids movie night!
First up, the frozen margarita is my absolute favorite margarita around – not too sweet and not too tart – and their hand rolled burritos and enchiladas make me feel young and hip even if I’m far from the East Village. Still, what I love about Harry’s is that they try to be healthy; they vow never to use preservatives or lard in their cooking. [...]
Dance to live music on the Long Island Sound, watch Shakespeare under the stars and shop an Indian bazaar.
August 2, 2012
Can you believe it’s already August? Fear not, summer is still going strong! Here are a few events that promise to make the first weekend in August your best weekend this summer. (For even more ideas check out our calendar.)
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This tiny park in Pleasantville is the stuff of little boys' dreams.
July 31, 2012
I spotted Roselle Park while house hunting a year ago, and I never forgot it. Roselle is a community park in a charming little neighborhood in Pleasantville, but it was the sandbox that moved me: A large 40′ x 11′ rectangle filled with diggers and wheel loaders, bull dozers and dump trucks. Truck broke down? No worries, grab a tow truck. There are probably 30 or so trucks in the sandbox at any given moment; they’ve all been donated by local families whose kids have outgrown their use.
Little boys kinda go ballistic here. Take my 2-year-old. As soon as we pulled up, he made a beeline for a large metal crane and pretended to lift a smaller tractor, then he found a shiny red bulldozer he couldn’t part with for the next 15 minutes. Other little boys were busy driving big-wheeled trucks through the sand. One was hunting around for a wheel that had broken off a cement mixer truck. Little girls were playing in the sandbox too — but they had taken the sand buckets and shovels aside and were making a pretty row of castles. [...]
Pack up the sand toys. The beach is closer than you think.
July 15, 2012
Part of the reason I moved to Westchester from NYC a year ago was the water. I was tired of having to schlep out of the city to dig my toes into the sand and go for a swim. Lucky for us Westchester folks, we can take a dip in the Hudson — or head to one the region’s many beaches in Mamaroneck or Rye. (If you’re lucky enough to snag a spot at the oh-so-private Larchmont Manor Park Society’s Manor Beach, then you’ve got it made.) But for the rest of us, the nicest public beach is actually in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Our friends in Greenwich took us to Greenwich Point Park for the first time in the spring. We were wowed by the Hamptons-like beach houses on Shore Road along the way, but it was the long sandy stretches that thrilled us. After driving over a one-lane bridge built of riverstone, we found ourselves on a peninsula surrounded by the calm waters of the Long Island Sound. The beach itself is expansive, even if the sand is soft in parts, pebbly in others.
Still, we’ve gone several times this summer. Swimming is perfect for young children since the water gets deep gradually, and there are lifeguards on duty. [...]
With Magestic Views of the Hudson, this Hastings-on-Hudson park is perfect for a hot summer day.
July 9, 2012
My mom was visiting and I wanted to take her somewhere new, so we hopped in the car with my three-year-old and drove to Hastings-on-Hudson. I heard that MacEachron Waterfront Park on River Street has a great playground with spectacular views of the Hudson, and on this hot Friday that’s what I craved.
We parked on Hasting’s main drag, Warburton Avenue, because we wanted to check out the shops, which is about a fifteen minute walk to the park. The entrance to the park is at the end of River Street next to the restaurant, Harvest-on-Hudson. But there is a large parking lot right in front of MacEachron Waterfront Park, if you’re not in the mood for a walk.
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