The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Christine Pasqueralle

Returning to Raise a Family in the Tree Streets of Briarcliff Manor

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Briarcliff natives and high school sweethearts, Cari DeRose, an auditor and Cesare DeRose, owner of Tegra, a building maintenance supply company, live in the Tree Streets section of Briarcliff Manor with daughters Sabrina, age 9 and Juliana, age 5. Having both grown up in the area, settling there with their young family was a no-brainer. “When we got married in 2008 we did not consider any other towns when looking for our first place together. The sense of community and positive experience we had growing up in Briarcliff is exactly what we wished for our own children,” said Cari.

The Tree Streets were named by Walter W. Law, who founded Briarcliff Manor in the 1890’s. He wanted to name the streets after the species of trees planted in the surrounding areas such as Elm, Pine, Oak and Linden. Cari grew up in the Tree Streets and her parents still live in her childhood home. The DeRoses purchased their home three years ago and love their neighborhood. The area is very safe for kids to go out and play. As Cari says, “Since there are only two access points into the Tree Streets (Ash and Larch), there is not a lot of “thru traffic.” This allows the kids to bike and walk around a little bit more freely.”

Living in the Tree Streets provides many opportunities for neighbors to gather. On Halloween, the DeRoses saw over 400 trick-or-treaters come to their home. There’s also an annual adults-only block party held each fall.

As Cari says, “We love being a part of the Briarcliff community.” The family enjoys many local events including Family Fun Night, Santa Express, which is hosted by the Briarcliff Manor Fire Department, the Chamber of Commerce Summer Concert Series and the Halloween window painting, which takes place in town each year.

Pleasantville: A Close-Knit Community with Walkability

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It can be said that residents of Pleasantville “bleed green” (the school district’s official color). Many in the community don’t just consider themselves residents, but members of a tight-knit community that is always there to help one another. The Gorsuch family has called Pleasantville home since 2008. Abe, a private financial advisor for a large bank, Jenn, co-owner of Go Take a Hike Dog Walking with fellow Pleasantville mom, Beth D’Alessandro, Elizabeth, age 15 and Jack, age 12 love living in Pleasantville.

The family moved from the Upper West Side citing the great schools and quick city commute and soon embraced everything Pleasantville had to offer. It was hard to adjust with both parents working full-time in Manhattan, but as Jenn said, the community made it so much easier. “I met so many wonderful families just because we don’t have any buses. This is a walking community, we were forced to make new friends at school pick-up, the library, the playground. Lifelong friendships were made and I then knew we had the ideal community to raise a family in.”

The Pleasantville community comes together both in happy times and times of tragedy. After a recent loss in the community, Jack said to Jenn, “Mom, we did not have to know the family to be sad, this is Pleasantville, we are family.”  Jenn continues, “We don’t just support each other during a tragedy, we are there to celebrate each other, coach each other, parent together.” One event the family participates in each year is Break the Hold’s Into the Light Walk, which aims to break the stigma on mental illness and honor the memory of Pleasantville’s own Brian T. Halloran.

The Gorsuch family enjoys walking to most places in town. Some favorite spots include the farmers market, Jacob Burns Film Center, Arc Stages and countless restaurants such as Bistro 146. There are many community events throughout the year such as the Halloween Ragamuffin Parade, Pleasantville Day, and the fire department parade.

As Jenn says, “There is nothing like this village. I am truly blessed and so lucky to be part of it and my family is too. You can see as people come back to raise their own families here after growing up here. We are a special mix of people.”

Ossining: River Views Plus A Warm Welcome Make Newcomers Feel at Home

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In 1813 Ossining became the first incorporated village in Westchester to be state chartered. Originally named Sing Sing, the village changed its name to Ossining in 1901 for obvious reasons. Recent transplants to the area, the Stoever/Pfaff family has only lived there for six months but has already found plenty things to love about it. Alissa Stoever, Assistant Principal at Chappaqua’s Westorchard Elementary School, Nick Pfaff co-owner of Pro-Activity (a NJ-based Health and Wellness company) and Blair Pfaff, age 6 enjoy their new neighborhood.

The family moved from Glen Rock, NJ, a very close-knit community. After commuting for over ten years, they were eager to find someplace with the same feel yet closer to Alissa’s job. “We chose the area to be close to Westorchard and also have easy highway access for my husband for when he did need to go into the office. 9A, the Taconic, etc. are all less than ten minutes from our house,” says Alissa.

Their new neighborhood feels like a community within Ossining. It’s quiet and spaced-out but always with an opportunity to connect and socialize. As Alissa says, “The neighborhood is set on a hill and our house is at the very top. When we came for the Open House we were driving back down and noticed a spectacular view of the Hudson River. That was the “cherry on top!” We called our agent and put an offer in before we even made it back to Route 133!” The Stoever/Pfaffs love the waterfront and parks that line it. In summer, they are able to bike along the river and explore local trails. Another favorite is the Ossining Library. “My daughter and I visit weekly and take full advantage of the cozy spaces for reading,” says Alissa.

The neighborhood embraced the family when they moved in. “Within 24 hours every surrounding neighbor had come over to introduce themselves and to bring us gifts. We were so touched by their generosity and kindness but also struck by their genuine appreciation and pride in the neighborhood.” The family is also realizing what a big deal Halloween is there. A neighbor hosted a pre-trick-or-treating party and as Alissa said, “I far underestimated the candy purchasing for our own house and will definitely need to at least triple it next year!”

Neighborhood Park in Briarcliff: Perfect for Families and Pups

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The Neighborhood Park area of Briarcliff Manor is perfect for families with growing children. The park itself was dedicated to the Village of Briarcliff Manor in 1954 and covers five acres of land featuring a baseball field, basketball court and playground. Many streets around the area are named for soldiers that served in combat, such as Schrade Road. The Wichman family calls Neighborhood Park home.

Amy, assistant to a high school Athletic Director, Steve, who works in sales, Zachary, age 16 and Madeline age 14 have lived in Neighborhood Park five years this April. The family moved from an Ossining townhouse because they were looking for more space and a neighborhood with a suburban feel. “Moving to Neighborhood Park allowed our kids to remain in the Ossining Schools and we also gained the benefit of access to the Briarcliff Recreation Department. My children utilized the Briarcliff Camps for the first few years we lived here. They had many friends in the neighborhood, both in Briarcliff and Ossining and were able to safely walk or ride bikes to see them,” says Amy.

Living in the neighborhood means close access to the park. The Wichman children can safely walk there with friends as well as to the local shops. “Now that our children are older, when they have friends over, they often walk to the shops, specifically, Euro Pizza and Starbucks,” says Amy. The neighborhood is the perfect place for families with pets too. The Wichmans have a puppy and they love walking her around the neighborhood. As Amy says, “Almost everybody seems to have a dog.”

In addition to the safe community feel of the area, Neighborhood Park also celebrates various events throughout the year. One family holds an annual Halloween party for the neighborhood children. As the years go by, the adults now gather while the kids trick-or-treat on their own. The Briarcliff Manor Community Day event is also an important part of the village. Says Amy, “The kids have a blast and we get to run into many friends and acquaintances.” Definitely a great way to meet new neighbors while catching up with old friends.

Why Westchester Dancers Have Thrived at Logrea Dance Academy for More Than Three Decades

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Talented faculty member Vivian Freking instructs students

A child’s first foray into the world of dance is a big milestone. Choosing the right studio is an important decision, depending on what type of training they wish to receive. Logrea Dance Academy in Ossining teaches not only dance skills, but also skills that will help children as they navigate their way through life.

Founded in 1986 by Beth Fritz-Logrea and Jean Logrea, the academy provides training in ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance. The two came about opening the studio in a serendipitous way. While home in NYC on vacation from dancing with the Graz Opera House in Austria, they noticed the name of Jean’s former ballet teacher on a building marquee. Stopping in to see her, she told the pair that a company and school in Westchester was in danger of closing unless it could find new directors. After much discussion, Beth and Jean decided to stay, become Artistic Directors of the Westchester Ballet Company (WBC) and open their own dance school – Logrea Dance Academy, which is the school of the WBC.

Classes Tailored to Each Student’s Strengths

Logrea offers classes to students as young as 3, with its Pre-Ballet program. Students 8 years and older are offered a brief evaluation to ensure proper class placement – with or without prior dance training. Private instruction is also available for new students so that they may be brought up to the level of their age group. As was the case for the daughter of Tara Bernzweig who said, “We had private lessons from Jean Logrea over the summer. He was kind enough to do this so she could catch up to girls closer to her age group. My daughter is now signed up for three classes this fall. Jean was amazingly patient and sees potential in her.”

Having danced her whole life, Fritz-Logrea always strives to instill the love of dance in her students. “In dance, you have to express emotion through the body without words. You have to interpret and tell the story through the music and choreography alone. Our students carry this kind of creativity and imagination into their own lives, no matter what the forum,” she states.

Training with Talented Faculty

The academy has a superb faculty of 19 including the Logrea’s son Nick. In the spring, Logrea Dance Academy presents a series of performances at SUNY Purchase Performing Arts Center. In addition, WBC performances of the Nutcracker take place at the Westchester County Center each year (December 14 and 15, 2019). These in particular are a wonderful way to bring dance to children. “The audience is filled with many students who have never been exposed to the arts, or seen a live show before. You could hear a pin drop in the audience filled with well over 1,500 students – they are so enthralled. Especially in this age of technology and social media, it’s important to expose our children to the arts. Not just as participants, but as supporters and audience members. The impact of both is enormous,” says Fritz-Logrea.

Studies have shown that dance lessons have a positive impact on many facets of a child’s life including their confidence, discipline, creativity and development. As Fritz-Logrea says, “They acquire so many skills that greatly impact their academic school success — and make them into more well-rounded adults. As we tell our parents, whether your child wants a career in dance, or just wants to dance for the joy of it, he or she will learn life-skills at Logrea that will last a lifetime.” 

When speaking with Fritz-Logrea, you really feel that she and Jean share a passion of teaching dance to children and watching them succeed in dance and in life. As she reflects on the decision to open the academy on that day in 1986 she says, “That one moment totally changed our lives in extraordinary ways – and, hopefully, the lives of our many students, who have walked through our doors for the last 33 years.”