Westchester County

Part of the New York Metropolitan Area, Westchester County offers primary and second home residents a tranquil escape within an hour’s commute from Midtown Manhattan. One of the wealthiest and most desirable counties in the United States, Westchester has a high standard of living. The county boasts world-class recreation, culture, and entertainment; one of the nation’s best public school systems as well as prestigious private schools; and exceptional real estate offerings. Residents can choose from a vast array of grand country manor houses, historic Colonial and Victorian homes, large equestrian estates, and beautiful waterfront residences.

Throughout Westchester, charming towns and villages offer a wealth of award-winning restaurants, farmers markets, high-end boutiques, art galleries, performing arts venues, and luxury hotels and spas including the Ritz Carlton in White Plains and the Castle Hotel and Spa in Tarrytown. Diners will enjoy the choice of fare from coffee shops to organic cafes, and bistros to fine dining establishments such as Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, Equus in Tarrytown, La Crémaillère in Bedford, and La Panetiere in Rye.

With its enviable position on both the Hudson River and Long Island Sound, Westchester offers a bounty of scenic attractions for relaxation and recreation. The county is bestowed with 18,000 acres of parkland and wildlife reserves including Rockefeller State Park and Preserve, Kitchawan Preserve, George’s Island Park, Kensico Dam Plaza, Croton Gorge Park, Pocantico Lake, and the Cross River Reservoir.

The area's outstanding sporting and recreational amenities include exclusive country clubs, equestrian centers, sports stadiums, miles of trails, yacht clubs, including the prestigious Larchmont Yacht Club, and pristine beaches and inlets along Long Island Sound and the Hudson River as well aquatic centers and amusement parks including Playland in Rye. Golfers will delight in the number of championship courses including the exclusive Westchester Country Club, Brynwood Country Club, Blind Brook, and the Golf Club of Purchase.

The county is bestowed with a rich and fascinating history. Originally home to the Native American Algonquin peoples, the area was first explored by Giovanni da Verrazzano and Henry Hudson in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. After settlement by the Dutch in the 1620s, Westchester was officially established as a county of the Province of New York in 1683 by the English Crown colony, and named after the city of Chester in Northwest England. By the mid 1800s, Westchester’s popularity was on the rise. Prominent financiers and industrial magnates including John D. Rockefeller, James Boorman Colgate, and Jay Gould chose the county as the site for their grand Gilded Age mansions, while in 1871, a new addition to the Harlem Railroad, connecting New York City to Westchester, resulted in a rapid growth in population as New York City residents sought a better quality of life in the suburbs. Today, the county comprises 48 municipalities and a population of nearly one million.

Westchester’s history is on display at a host of attractions, such as the village of Sleepy Hollow, which was made famous by The Legend of Sleepy Hollow short story by Washington Irvington; the Thomas Paine Cottage and Museum, the home of the father of the American Revolution; the 1838 Lyndhurst mansion, a Gothic Revival–style country house; and the Bedford 1787 Court House and Museum, the county’s oldest government building.

Spanning Long Island Sound to the Hudson River, Westchester's towns and villages are among the most affluent in the nation. The most highly sought-after communities in Southern Westchester include the prized waterfront towns of Rye, Larchmont, New Rochelle, and Mamaroneck on Long Island Sound; the picturesque river towns of Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Croton-on-Hudson, Tarrytown, and Scarborough on the banks of the Hudson; and the upscale communities of Harrison, Scarsdale, Bronxville, and Purchase. Property options range from elegant Colonial townhouses, regal Victorian mansions, and sprawling waterfront estates. Northern Westchester offers a host of scenic towns and villages surrounded by a verdant pastoral landscape. Its exclusive enclaves include Bedford, which incorporates the peaceful hamlets of Bedford Village, Bedford Hills, and Katonah; Chappaqua; Armonk; Pound Ridge; and North and South Salem. Real estate offerings include magnificent equestrian estates and grand country manors. Whether a primary or weekend residence, Westchester’s exceptional range of luxury properties are the epitome of refined country living.

GETTING HERE:

Westchester ranks as one of the nation's premier suburbs due to its easy commute to New York City via the Metro-North rail link to Grand Central Station. Each of the county's six cities and many of its 42 towns and villages have their own train station with a commute ranging from just 30 to 90 minutes. Air transportation options include the convenient Westchester County Airport in White Plains, offering both commercial and private air services; and the major international airports of LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark Liberty International, which are within a one to two hour drive.