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Hastings-on-Hudson Summer Music SeriesĀ 

Hastings-on-Hudson Summer Music Series

Stop down to Hastings-on-Hudson’s inaugural River Spirit Summer Music SeriesĀ Tuesdays and enjoy a cool, summer evening on the Hudson, in MacEachron Waterfront Park. Hastings-on-Hudson now joins Dobbs Ferry’s long standing, Wednesday Summer Music Series,
The Hastings-on-Hudson, Tuesday series, from 7PM – 9PM, is already well underway, with only 5 events left. Tonight’s performer is Wess Meets West who infuse elements of electronic music and post rock to blend otherworldly soundscapes. Please park in the Zinsser Commuter Lot across from the Hastings-on-Hudson train station. If there are no spaces available, please cooperate with police and event staff who will direct you to available parking, free after 6PM. Also, free shuttle service is available from 6PM ā€“ 9PM. The shuttle will run in a loop from the Zinsser Commuter Lot to the park. You may bring food and beverages to the event, however they will also be available for purchase. Should you wish for a slightly more formal way to enjoy the show, a great place might be at a table, outdoors, in the garden at Harvest on Hudson, directly adjacent to the park, a proud sponsor of the event.
On September 8 there will be the Grand Finale ā€“ The River Spirit Music & Arts Festival, a full-day event at Draper Park, also in Hastings-on-Hudson. The September 8 event requires tickets, which range in price from $10 – $15 for children to $35 for adults. Children under 5, free.

See you there!

More information can be found at: River Spirit Summer Music Series

For information about buying or selling a home in the Rivertowns or to stay abreast of future events like this one, please fill out the form below. Or simply subscribe to this newsletter, in the upper right sidebar.

 

Rivertowns Fireworks: Dobbs Ferry, Irvington and Tarrytown

Rivertowns Fireworks

UPDATED POST LINK FOR 2018

With the 4th of July rapidly approaching, in the Rivertowns of Westchester County NY, here is a quick rundown on what shows can be expected:

Dobbs Ferry will be hostingĀ its fireworks display on July 4th at dark, probably in the vicinity of 9:00 PM. The display will be shot off from the north end of Waterfront Park on the Hudson River. Parking permits are required to park in Waterfront Lot, but those permits must be purchased in advance at village hall. Other than parking, this event is open to the general public. Prior to the show the village is also sponsoring the Thomas Cullen Picnic starting at 3:00 PM, alsoĀ on the waterfront, parking permits required as well. Entertainment by Joe Rooney. A great way to enjoy a dinnerĀ and fireworks show might be at one of the waterfront patios at The Half Moon Restaurant.

The village of Irvington will be having its fireworks show at dark as well, from the north end of Matthiessen Park on the Hudson. This event is limited to Irvington residents for those wishing to enter the park and park passes are required. Parking is never guaranteed for this event, so the best bet might be to park in the village ahead of time and partake in one of the many fine Irvington restaurants for dinner before walking down toĀ the show. Excellent viewing most likely can be alsoĀ had from Red Hat Restaurant on the Hudson.

The Village of Tarrytown in cooperation with the Village of Sleepy Hollow will have its July 4th fireworks shot off at the General Motors site in Sleepy Hollow. The rain date will be July 5. Pierson Park remains under construction and will not be available to the public as a public viewing area. Scenic Hudson RiverWalk Park will be open, as well as Kingsland Point Park in Sleepy Hollow. The Hudson Harbor property, located just east of the RiverWalk Park and north of West Main Street is not available to the general public for viewing the fireworks. All of the commuter parking lots will be open and available to the public, including the West Main Street commuter parking lot. West Main Street will be closed just west of the West Main Street parking lot. If you can time your reservations correctly, a great viewing spot might be the 2nd floor deck of the Moon River Grill in Sleepy Hollow, overlooking the General Motors property.

View An Updated Version Of This Post For 2018 At: 4th of July Fireworks in The Rivertowns For 2018

Rivertowns Artists Studio Tours: Sat. April 27 & Sun. April 28

2013 RiverArts Studio Tour

2013 RiverArts Studio Tour

This coming weekend marks the 20th Annual RiverArts Studio Tour of local artists in the Rivertowns. Some artists are well known and some artists have never been featured before. A total of 80 artists studios will be open to the public on both Saturday and/or Sunday, April 27 and 28th. The studios are located in Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson and Irvington. This will be a unique opportunity to meet and greet local artists, see them at work in their own environment, engage with them and possibly purchase their art. Some of the artists involved, whose work I am familiar with, include Mark Gilliland, Larry and Peggy Blizard, Eva Bouhassira, Tim Duch and John Maggiotto.
“The mission of RiverArts is to produce a wide range of high quality cultural events and educational programs which diversify participation and engage our communities in the support and understanding of the arts and artists, thereby enriching our quality of life.”

Download the Studio Map or for more information click here: http://riverarts.org/_images/VisualArtsImages/2013%20Studio%20Tour%20Map.pdf

Visit RiverArts on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/RiverArts.Org

Great Value in Hastings-on-Hudson. Open House Sun. 1 – 3

218 Farragut Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson NY

Click The Photo For A Link To The Full Listing Or http://www.postlets.com/res/7922850

Outdoor Dining on the Hudson in the Rivertowns

It seems an apropos time to repost something I wrote last year, about summer dining opportunities on the Hudson River waterfront in the Rivertowns. It is a testament to the strong experience of dining on the water and the quality of the restaurants mentioned in that post that nothing seems to have changed much, except for perhaps some prices. There is word however of the future opening of an offshoot of Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant, based in Chappaqua, on the Tarrytown waterfront, in the Hudson Harbor condo development under construction, adjacent to the Metro North commuter parking lot.

“One of the really great things about living in the Rivertowns, is the easy access to a number of waterfront restaurants at virtually all price points. From a $12 glass of Chardonnay at Half Moon on the Dobbs Ferry waterfront to a $4 plastic cup of Pinot Grigio at Sunset Cove in Tarrytown. When the light is just right and the breeze is just so, if you squint your eyes you can easily imagine yourself sitting out in the Hampton’s or on the North Shore of Long Island. Dining spots on the river have their own special charms though. Some, like Sunset Cove and Striped Bass in Tarrytown are even accessible by boat.
Every Rivertown has its own special place. Harvest-on-Hudson in Hastings-on-Hudson, Half Moon in Dobbs Ferry, Red Hat in Irvington and both Sunset Cove and Striped Bass in Tarrytown. Try to sample each one sometime this summer.”

http://harvest2000.com/hoh

http://harvest2000.com/hmn

http://www.redhatbistro.com

http://www.sunsetcove.net/index.php?

http://www.stripedbassny.com/default.asp

Hastings-on-Hudson River Cleanup Finalized By The DEC

Hastings-on-Hudson Cleanup

Former Anaconda Wire & Cable on the Hastings-on-Hudson Waterfront
Photo by Scott Rosasco

According to a recent news release from the NY DEC, another cleanup plan has been finalized for the 28 acre waterfront property in Hastings-on-Hudson NY, formerly occupied by the Anaconda Wire & Cable Company. The comprehensive plan was developed with input from Scenic Hudson, the Riverkeeper, the village of Hastings-on-Hudson and the Atlantic Richfield Company. This plan caps a 60 day comment period and is expected to cost over $250 million by completion. Atlantic Richfield, the successor to the Anaconda Wire & Cable Company, will bear the cost of the cleanup. 
Portions of the remediation will include a new sheet pile bulkhead at the northwest corner of the property, creating almost 1 acre (.88 acre) of new land for the purpose of the containment and recovery of liquid PCBs. Sediments will also be dredged from the Hudson riverbed, extending up to 80′ offshore of the site, to a depth of 6′, including the former marina area. The expectations are to remove tens of thousands of cubic yards of contaminated river sediments and land soils, including the PCB and heavy metal contamination.
This decision follows on the heels of a recent meeting to begin to address a similar, although perhaps less severe, contamination issue at the former GM site in Sleepy Hollow NY, also on the Hudson River, approximately 6 miles to the north of Hastings.
With any hope, the collaborative combination of these efforts will help the Westchester Hudson riverfront to live up to the incredible potential it has for scenic beauty, waterfront uses, development and as a great natural recreational resource.

Read the full news release here: http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/82111.html

Boating On The Hudson, In The Westchester River Villages

Irvington Boat Club, Irvington, NY

Irvington Boat Club, Irvington NY

As Spring slowly makes its way into the area, the pungent odor of anitfouling paint fills the air in many of the area’s waterfront locales. One of the wonderful things about living in the Westchester County, Hudson River villages, stretching from Hastings-on-Hudson, thru Dobbs Ferry into Irvington and on to Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow, is the great direct access we all have to the water. Opportunities abound for river use whether via kayaks, sailboats, powerboats or any other kind of craft you can imagine. Some of us even swim in the Hudson River. Aside from the legalities of launching watercraft from any of the public waterfront park areas, there are also a number of affordable boat clubs and marinas in the Rivertowns that cater to all types of boaters.
Read More With The Complete List And Links

Hastings-on-Hudson: Best Place for History Lovers

Riverview Manor History

"The Palisades From River View Manor" Postcard, circa 1909?

According to the latest issue of Westchester Magazine, featuring this years top choices for the best places to live in Westchester, Hastings-on-Hudson was voted “The Best Place For History Lovers.”
One reason for this distinction is that several years ago in 2005, the Hastings-on-Hudson Historical Society inaugurated its Museum In The Streets. This walking tour of the village starts at Boulanger Plaza, in the center of the village and helps to give a sense of place to 34 different locations, village wide. Each spot is marked with a plaque consisting of historical pictures and a brief outline of what happened there, in Hastings-on-Hudson’sĀ historic past. These descriptions are printed in both English and Spanish. In total, there are more than 80 photos in various spots in the village. Among some of the more well known village landmarks depicted via this unique museum are the Croton Aqueduct and the Hastings-on-Hudson waterfront with the old Anaconda Wire Company. You will also find lesser known sites such as the home of Frank Morgan, the actor who portrayed The Wizard, in The Wizard Of Oz, the Revolutionary War era Peter Post Tavern and the home of Admiral David Farragut, who coined the phrase “Damn the torpedoes…..”
Read the complete post on the Westchester Magazine website: http://www.westchestermagazine.com/914INC/April-2012/Westchester-Real-Estate-2012-Hastings-on-Hudson-Is-the-Best-Place-for-History-Lovers/
Or check out the links to the Hastings-on-Hudson Historical Society: http://hastingshistoricalsociety.blogspot.com/
or:
http://hastingshistorical.org/

Try Porch Paint For a New Front Door Color This Spring

Front Door Repaint
With Spring 2012 right around the corner here in the Rivertowns of Westchester County NY, we are all starting to think about ways we can freshen up our real estate for the best possible look in the coming warmer months. A great idea to accomplish a new look without spending a lot of money, is to paint your front door a different color and then accessorize your entranceway to match the new color. Don’t just use any paint though. Use a full bodied porch enamel, deck paint. There are so many different styles of front doors in the charming villages of Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington and Tarrytown that to try to pick the most ideal color for every unique door could take forever. Suffice to say that the possibilities for a great new look, in a short period of time, with a little elbow grease are endless.
A quick color change can give an entryway a whole new look, but painting a door isn’t exactly the most fun job on your to-do list. We’re all for taking a shortcut, as long as it doesn’t mean more work down the road. And that’s when we hit the point in our lives where we were excited about door paint.
It turns out the key to painting a door in one easy step is to use…porch and floor enamel. This type of paint dries to a hard, colorfast, moisture and mildew-resistant surface. (All without needing a primer coat.) It’s ideal for front doors because the enamel dries to a super-strong coating that offers unparalleled protection against scratches. Once you paint a door with it, the color will stay bright and fresh-looking for season after season.
The caveat: Enamel dries to a very glossy finish. So if you aren’t a fan of the look, try an oil-based enamel, which has the same benefits of porch and floor enamel, but comes in eggshell finishes. Just be prepared for a slightly longer drying time.”
http://www.stylelist.com/2011/10/23/paint-a-door-porch-floor-enamel_n_1027701.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008

Coyotes in the Rivertowns

Dobbs Ferry CoyoteI grew up in an idyllic spot, directly adjacent to the 76 acre Dobbs Ferry Juhring Estate Nature Preserve, yet never saw much of any interesting wildlife. That all changed about 15 years ago. As more development in Dobbs Ferry occurred, particularly near areas of the Juhring Estate which had seen little previous human contact, more and more of the interesting, yet shy, wildlife population was pushed out to the borders of the Dobbs Ferry owned property. Now, I have a herd of deer sleeping on my front lawn at night. Wild turkeys brazenly walk down my driveway on Thanksgiving. A brown fox eats my neighbors garbage. Coyotes as well have been spotted in Dobbs Ferry and the Rivertowns. One report had a large one walking across Broadway, at the Hastings-on-Hudson border, recently.
The NY DEC put out an interesting bulletin that is required reading for anyone concerned about coyotes. In most cases it appears they are more afraid of us than we should be of them. Not always though. With winter upon us and the prospects for food in the “wild” diminished, the following excerpt might be something to take note of:
“Owners of large and medium sized dogs have little to worry about. Coyotes, with an average weight of 35 lbs., know they are overmatched by large dogs and will yield part of their territory (your yard) to the dog. A confrontation may occur between a mid sized dog and a coyote. Such confrontations, however, usually do not involve physical contact between the two animals. The dog and coyote usually come to an understanding on whose territory is whose.
Owners of small dogs have cause for concern. The outcome of a confrontation between a small dog and a coyote will depend a lot upon the behavior of the dog. A coyote knows it is physically superior to a small dog and expects the dog to be submissive. Trouble occurs when a small dog does not submit to a coyote. The coyote will discipline the dog to correct its inappropriate behavior. This discipline will continue until the dog submits or is eventually killed.
Very small dogs, e.g., small poodles, are viewed by coyotes as easy prey and are at risk to be killed year round.”
Read The Full Article at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6971.html

7th Annual Croton Aqueduct “AQUEFEST” This Weekend


A trail-long celebration of the Old Croton Aqueduct hosted by The Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct.
Saturday, Oct. 15th: Yonkers, Sleepy Hollow, Ossining
Sunday Oct. 16th: Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington
SPECIAL GUEST! 3-time Grammy Award Winner, Tom Chapin, performs at The Keeperā€™s House at 15 Walnut Street in Dobbs Ferry on Sunday, Oct. 16 1pm-2pm. Other highlights include: Bash The Trash in Yonkers, Annie & the Natural Wonder Band in Hastings, Solar Punch in Sleepy Hollow, The Fair Haired Tinkers in Irvington, Aqueduct Weir Tours in Ossining and The Rivertowns Rollā€”a 25-mile group bicycle ride or 12-mile family ride along the OCA. For all AQUEFEST! locations and full program visit . www.aqueduct.org/

Hastings-on-Hudson Friday Night Live

2011 Friday Night Live Schedule

September 16 –> Hastings High School Musicians’ Reunion, Boulanger Plaza

October 14 –> Spooky Story Night, throughout the downtown

November 4 –> Hastings Film Festival, James Harmon Community Center

December 2 –> Light up the Night Holiday Celebration, VFW Plaza and James Harmon Community Center

For more information:
http://www.rivertownsguide.com/fnl.php

Easy Concrete Countertops


In the competitive real estate markets of Dobbs Ferry, Irvington, Hastings-on-Hudson and the rest of the Rivertowns, where up to the minute styling and move-in condition are the cornerstones of a successful sale, can it really be this easy to get the now trendy look and easy durability of concrete kitchen countertops? According to this homeowner, on her great blog, it’s almost as easy as mixing and pouring the concrete. Perhaps having a handy partner helps and also assuming you don’t mind doing it all in your kitchen, since most of us tend to do things twice. The first way the hard, messy way, and the second, the clean, right way. And all of this, supposedly, for not much more than $200. Read more at:
http://designstocker.blogspot.com/2011/05/big-kitchen-reveal.html

And for an even more in-depth look at how this was done:
http://designstocker.blogspot.com/2011/08/concrete-countertops.html

Second Quarter RE Market Results for Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow

According to the Westchester Multiple Listing Service the average sale price in the rivertowns is down this past quarter, over the same quarter last year, by $102,166, representing a 13.4% drop. The average sale price dropped from $762,874 to $660,708. The number of actual listings on the market for the same quarterly period is also down from 210 homes in 2010 to 178 homes this year, in the 6 villages combined. However the average days on the market, from the initial listing date until the final closing date, has decreased somewhat from 210 days in 2010 to 178 days in 2011. This information may tend to suggest that sellers are finally coming to grips with the current real estate market, pricing their homes accordingly and as a result selling them marginally faster. These numbers are somewhat less dramatic when spread out over all the villages and towns in the Westchester County area at large, as can be seen in the enclosed link:
http://www.randcenter.com/marketstatsprint.asp?AgentID=4607&cnt=Westchester&Headline=Rivertowns+Real+Estate+Market&D1=4/1/2011&D2=6/30/2011&D3=4/1/2010&D4=6/30/2010&R1ClosedCount=54&R2ClosedCount=79&R1ClosedCountcnt=995&R2ClosedCountcnt=1203&R1AskingAverage=688058.74074&R2AskingAverage=808072.759493&R1AskingAveragecnt=901871.318592&R2AskingAveragecnt=861296.919368&R1ClosedAverage=660707.962962&R2ClosedAverage=762874.240506&R1ClosedAveragecnt=853438.900502&R2ClosedAveragecnt=813370.453034&R1SoldMedian=603500&R2SoldMedian=670000&R1SoldMediancnt=615000&R2SoldMediancnt=605000&R1ListedMedian=629000&R2ListedMedian=715000&R1ListedMediancnt=699999&R2ListedMediancnt=649222&R1DaysMarket=178&R2DaysMarket=210&R1DaysMarketcnt=187&R2DaysMarketcnt=181&R1ListedCount=172&R2ListedCount=205&R1ListedCountcnt=3324&R2ListedCountcnt=3458&R1P=0&R2P=0&R3P=8&R4P=6&R5P=12&R6P=7&R7P=8&R8P=5&R9P=4&R10P=4&R11P=0&R12P=0&R13P=4&R1Pcnt=26&R2Pcnt=56&R3Pcnt=101&R4Pcnt=163&R5Pcnt=126&R6Pcnt=89&R7Pcnt=79&R8Pcnt=58&R9Pcnt=63&R10Pcnt=114&R11Pcnt=56&R12Pcnt=64&R13Pcnt=234&TotalActive=274&TotalActivecnt=4479

Summertime Dining on the Water

One of the really great things about living in the Rivertowns, is the easy access to a number of waterfront restaurants at virtually all price points. From a $12 glass of chardonnay at Half Moon on the Dobbs Ferry waterfront to a $4 plastic cup of pinot grigio at Sunset Cove in Tarrytown. When the light is just right and the breeze is just so, if you squint your eyes you can easily imagine yourself sitting out in the Hampton’s or on the North shore of Long Island. Dining spots on the river though have their own special charms. Some, like Sunset Cove and Striped Bass in Tarrytown are even accessible by boat.
Every Rivertown has its own special place. Harvest-on-Hudson in Hastings-on-Hudson, Half Moon in Dobbs Ferry, Red Hat in Irvington and both Sunset Cove and Striped Bass in Tarrytown.

http://harvest2000.com/hoh

http://harvest2000.com/hmn

http://www.redhatbistro.com

http://www.sunsetcove.net/index.php?

http://www.stripedbassny.com/default.asp

More waterfront dining possibilities:

http://www.lohud.com/article/20110731/LIFESTYLE01/107310316/Summer-half-shell-close-home?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Frontpage|s