The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Shauna Levy

Stephanie Spiegel on Finding Centerpeace

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On a typical morning, prior to the pandemic, a keen observer would notice a stream of legging-clad women darting in and out of the chasm marking the brick structure nestled in the heart of Chappaqua. They exit with slightly mussed hair, a light sweat and an unmistakable peaceful glow. To those familiar with Chappaqua’s Stephanie Spiegel, it’s no surprise that she’s behind it all. She is the owner of Centerpeace, a studio based on the full-body workout developed by ballet dancer, Lotte Berk. Classes are challenging yet fulfilling and distinguished by Spiegel’s words, which convey a spiritual sensibility wrapped in the approachability of a longtime friend. Her trademark positivity transcends the studio, radiating through Zoom and even here in typeface. 

Stephanie Spiegel
PHOTO BY Carolyn Simpson

The Metamorphosis of Centerpeace

Born and bred in California, Spiegel came to New York almost 25 years ago where she was introduced to the Lotte Berk method. She recalls, “I danced my whole life. In college, I was a dance major with a psychology minor and I fell in love with the discipline of the method.” After undergoing teacher training and working at several studios, Spiegel launched Centerpeace in 2007. Her unique approach features a faster pace and longer reps, while integrating her background in dance and psychology. She explains, “When you weave the two together it creates, what I believe to be, an extraordinary practice and is a foundation for life. There is an intensity to the discipline of my classes that requires a focused lens. Life is filled with distractions–I wanted Centerpeace to be a lily pad where everything could be left at the door and anyone can tune in to their feelings.” 

Since its inception, the studio has indeed become a haven to its base of loyal followers. Longtime enthusiast, Rebecca Scarpati of Sleepy Hollow, credits the practice for changing her life. A passionate recreational dancer and breast cancer survivor, Scarpati was a self-proclaimed  “mess” when she found Centerpeace, recounting, “I had just completed chemotherapy as well as multiple surgeries for injuries I developed throughout the years and could no longer dance at my former level. Stephanie taught me to push through my limitations while listening to my body to grow strong. The exercises brought back the emotional connection I had for telling a story using choreography and I got stronger in my own body.”

The Centerpeace practice is a holistic integration of the body and mind. “The practice sculpts and strengthens while simultaneously elongating every major muscle,” Spiegel says. “The focus throughout class is mind/body alignment with an emphasis on core strength. The power of a body comes from our core. All exercises help to promote better balance and good posture; not to mention the chemicals that fire up our brains, which is important,” she adds, her eyes twinkling, “as we grow young.” 

Spiegel adeptly shifts between challenging seasoned devotees and supporting greener clients. Everyone receives the same encouragement. “Work from where you are. Be mindful and listen to your body.” And, Zoom has expanded her audience across the country. Spiegel steadily scrutinizes form and choreography, calling out adjustments while bestowing inspirational messages. 

Long Island resident Marni Ellis, for one, is “living in fear” that Zoom classes may ultimately end. The longtime barre enthusiast says, “The practice has changed me physically and mentally. Not only does Stephanie have a deep understanding of the body and form, but she’s a special human being with an organic teaching style, exuding a contagious energy and passion that translates across the screen.”

Stephanie with Morgan and Brandon. PHOTO BY Carolyn Simpson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lessons from the Studio

The positive vibe of the Centerpeace community is palpable, a fact Spiegel simply attributes to “the laws of attraction,” saying, “People come together to create good collective energy. I am so proud to be a part of such an amazing group.” Spiegel had no idea just how deeply she would come to rely upon this community when she opened the studio, candidly sharing, “My husband of 20 years was diagnosed with cancer ten years into my practice with Centerpeace. Week-after-week, day-after-day, that group of women were the life vest that held me up.” 

In 2017, Spiegel’s husband, Scott, sadly lost his battle. “There’s nothing more valuable than the net that holds us when we need it. The community gave me unbelievable support and strength at a time when my heart was so broken. I believe that my clients and my team know how central they are in my life. When you are surrounded by such great people, it becomes so much more than a job. It becomes part of the very fabric of your life.”

Woven within each class is the theme that life is a gift. Spiegel says, “I wake up every morning, look to the left and think, ‘This was not the way my story was supposed to go.’ I know how fast life can be taken away, so I always talk about the importance of making each day count. After losing my husband, every day I asked myself, ‘What’s today going to be Stephanie? You get to choose.’ And so I would cry, put the tissues in my pocket and head out to breathe in fresh air. I worked, walked miles and spent every day loving my kids through the most unimaginable pain.” Calling her children, Morgan, Brandon, Adam and Taryn “central in my life and in my heart,” she guided them through this time. There was no roadmap, but she said, “I don’t know how to do this either, but we’re going to learn together and I’m going to love you through it.”

When the pandemic came, those lessons proved instrumental. Spiegel and her family had just regained a semblance of normalcy when the ground was again pulled out from under them. This time, however, everyone was impacted. “I already knew that I could handle anything difficult because I’ve been through the worst.” Spiegel shared this insight with her children and Centerpeace family saying, “We’ve trained for this. We can do hard things. When you get deep into muscle and work your body hard like we do, you learn to center yourself when there is uncertainty. Stop asking when we can get our lives back. Life is happening. Life is right now.” 

Resilience

Living a life of resiliency has become central to Spiegel’s philosophy. The ability for our minds and bodies to bend, move and stretch is only achieved through practice. “We don’t become resilient simply because we want to,” she imparts. “Taking the time to move and connect to yourself, whether at Centerpeace of somewhere else, makes us better to ourselves and the people in our lives. It’s creating strength from the inside out and maintaining that discipline to stand tall when life shifts or the wind blows or a pandemic comes about. I always say, ‘Look up so you can see where you’re going.’ We might get knocked down but none of us are staying down,” adding resolutely, “Not if I have anything to do with it.”

Staying Safe While Staying Home

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Thanksgiving weekend typically signifies the kick-off to the winter travel season. This year, however, is different. In today’s age of COVID, many Americans are opting to stay home. And, while that precaution eliminates certain risks, as first responders are only too aware, others can arise. Chief Maitland of the Chappaqua Fire Department reports, “People are home more, everything within those homes is experiencing more usage and we are preparing for more calls.” Local fire departments are always poised to respond to “doomsday scenarios,” but by following simple tips, a warm home can be maintained at a safe temperature.

Home for the Holidays

Year-round fire safety is high on the community’s priority list, but holidays bring seasonal risk factors. To ensure that family celebrations go off without a hitch, Armonk Fire Department’s Chief Goulet advises, “Some of the biggest sources of danger are the most preventable. For example,” he says, “Don’t burn your food, don’t deep fry a frozen turkey and if you choose to deep fry, don’t attempt it too close to your home.”

Chief Maitland cautions that “the safest candle is the one that’s not lit.” Candles should be positioned in areas that are not in reach of pets, children or flammable items. Similarly, holiday lights require careful inspection and proper installation. Fire departments urge checking that correct fuses are being used, turning fairy lights inside and outside the home off when sleeping, ensuring that bulbs can’t come into contact with flammable materials and using power strips with built-in circuit breakers.

In the case that burnt toast does trigger a fire alarm, Chief Maitland recommends using the event as a learning opportunity. “Kids are like sponges and pick up on fire preparedness,” he says, adding, “Families often unwittingly undo the lessons children learn at school fire drills when they ignore false alarms. Once your alarm goes off, we’re coming no matter what. Use it as an opportunity to have a fire drill at home. Otherwise,” he warns, “when an alarm goes off in earnest, families may be programmed to ignore it.”

Generating Safety

As September demonstrated, storms can bring power lines down at any time of year, but winter is notorious for outages. Generators are prevalent in our communities, yet they come with their own hazards. Chief Maitland explains, “There’s a tremendous amount of human error when it comes to generators ranging from installation to improper usage.” During the past storm, Chief Goulet reports that his department responded to many carbon monoxide alarms stemming from generators and says, “Most were from actual carbon monoxide exposure. Just because a generator meets code doesn’t ensure it’s operating safely.”

Captain Santone, a 44-year veteran of the Millwood Fire Department, specifically points to portable generators, which typically come with short cords that position them less than three feet from homes. He says, “Generators really need to be far from homes, diverting exhaust fumes, which contain carbon monoxide, away from the structure. A long enough cord is essential.” Furthermore, generators that are too close to homes come with the added potential of spurring a fire in a home’s wood siding.  On the topic, Chief Maitland recommends exceeding code guidelines, saying, “I would put them so far from the house that there’s no possibility of fumes entering.”

Carbon monoxide’s reputation as the silent killer is well-earned. “This is what keeps me up at night,” Chief Maitland says, “We get approximately 75-90 calls per year resulting from carbon monoxide alarms and at least 15-20 of those would lead to deaths if we didn’t show up. I can’t stress how important it is to have carbon monoxide detectors installed on every floor of a home and, ideally, in each bedroom. If your alarm goes off, exit immediately. In my dream world, when we show up, the entire family is waiting for us a safe distance from the property.”

The Best Offense is a Good Defense

Educating the public is a top goal for each local department. The more the community understands about fire safety, the less of a drain is placed on these all-volunteer departments’ resources. Chief Maitland says, “There’s an overwhelming amount of education that comes into owning a home. We are a community resource and will even come to your home and give recommendations to create a safe environment.”

Chief Goulet concurs and notes that the Armonk Fire Department creates and distributes flyers advocating safety tips. Currently, they are promoting the “Close Before You Doze” initiative. “Today’s furniture burns faster than materials used in the past. This gives people a smaller window of time to escape in the case of a fire emergency,” he explains, saying, “It’s enlightening to learn how smoke can be minimized and how many minutes can be gained by simply closing bedroom doors at night.”

Captain Santone advocates for an annual heating system check-up. “A well-maintained heating unit is a fireman’s friend. Heating systems including fireplaces and chimneys should be regularly serviced and checked,” he says, adding, “When it comes to fireplaces, never assume that ash from a conventional chimney is cool. Embers can live for days deep within ash. Always dispose of ash in a metal container nowhere near the home.”

Persistence in a Pandemic

Our area fire departments have continued to work tirelessly throughout the pandemic to provide First Responder fire, rescue and EMS services. To safely do so, they made slight modifications to their routines. Chief Goulet explains, “During the start of COVID, we limited the number of people in training sessions. Eating is no longer permitted in the firehouse and our members wear PPE on calls. To date, none of our members have contracted the virus, even through the local uptick, so it seems like what we are doing is working.” Similarly, the Millwood Fire Department is taking extra precautions, often conducting front porch interviews before entering a structure. Captain Santone reports that in the uncommon event the department has needed to enter a home with COVID exposure, “we ask everyone to exit the structure, which they should do regardless of COVID, and we enter with our air packs; the same PPE we would wear in the case of a fire.”

Each of the firehouses will soon launch their annual year-end fundraisers. Donations are important, but these all-volunteer organizations rely mostly on participation.

For more information on joining your local fire department, visit: armonkfd.com, chappaquafd.org, millwoodfire.org.

Fiddleheads Cooking Studio is Cultivating Culinary Curiosity One Picky Eater at a Time

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Conveniently tucked at the crossroads of Armonk, Chappaqua and Mt. Kisco is Fiddleheads Cooking Studio, a space that has been quietly converting children into Top Chef Jr. hopefuls for close to five years. Pulling off Armonk Road up the gravel path to the red barn where classes are held, one is instantly transported to a rustic, farm-to-table environment. The renovated bright kitchen within is typically laden with seasonal, fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs from the gardens, garnering excitement amongst participants to delve into the planned menu.   

Playing with Food

Fiddleheads classes are guided by owner Renana Shvil’s unique five senses philosophy that melds kitchen science and storytelling within cooking education. With a mission of “growing the next generation of food explorers,” classes are offered for children as young as 2.5 years old, extending to adulthood. As Renana says, children of all ages can be joyful participants in the kitchen. She explains, “Talking about making healthier choices should be a constant, engaging process. From getting acquainted with the bare ingredients to enjoying the finished product, each activity represents a learning opportunity. Children gain a new appreciation for food once they begin to learn about its source. This studio was conceived to offer a fun, educational place that promotes food exploration, while expanding the taste buds.”


Fiddleheads’ hands-on experiences begin with basic food education, learning more complicated methods that build confidence and independence in the kitchen as they progress. Students work together, measuring and mixing to create a dish as they learn to use kitchen tools safely. There is no down time and as dishes cook, Renana engages participants in an interactive conversation about how food grows, who grows it, and how it got to the kitchen. This is accomplished either through story time, an art project or gardening activity. The class culminates with the group sharing their meal as well as their feelings and thoughts about the final product’s flavor and texture.

A Community Affair

Building a community that finds a love of fresh, healthy foods is at the crux of Fiddleheads’ mission. That’s why the cooking studio recently partnered with Whole Foods to offer a series of free programs that inspired children to get excited about seasonal ingredients. As parents checked off items on their shopping list, Fiddleheads taught children to make pizzas using  homemade roasted tomato sauce that were further personalized with an assortment of veggies. That popular class was followed up with programming with recipes for a deconstructed apple crumble cake complemented by homemade whipped cream, a crowd-pleasing pumpkin bread and a squash and kale soup that made children forget that they “don’t like kale.” 

Beyond Whole Foods, Renana and her team can also be found hosting mini cooking sessions around town at after-school programs, birthday parties, public libraries and local farmers’ markets. Visit fiddleheadscookingstudio.com for the up-to-date calendar.

Giving Thanks

There is no greater holiday to get the entire family involved in meal preparation than Thanksgiving. With the holiday approaching, Renana is full of ideas on how everyone can contribute. She says, “Thanksgiving is the one holiday in this country that’s celebrated by people of all faiths, beliefs and backgrounds. It’s therefore so appropriate that the cooking also involves everyone. Historically, the celebration of harvest involves the entire family, who would each take an active role in the process, preserving fruits and vegetables and preparing for the winter. Along that vein, I love involving the kids as much as possible as we set the table, decorate and cook for the holiday.”

Renana’s favorite dessert to make with the kids is a galette, a rustic pie that could be either sweet or savory. Not only is this a tasty dish, but it’s simple to make and doesn’t require perfection to be beautiful.

Fiddlehead’s Sweet and Savory Galettes

  • Crust (makes enough for 2 galettes):
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • Large inch of salt
  • 16 tablespoons butter, chilled unsalted, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 3-4 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar

Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter and pulse until

mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; drizzle with vinegar and

3 tablespoons ice water. Mix with a fork, just until a shaggy dough comes together. Turn out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Divide the dough into 2 even parts, using a knife and transfer into 2 separate pieces of plastic warp. Gather the plastic wrap from the top, and pat each piece into a disk. Throughout the process try to handle the dough as little as possible. Chill at least 1 hour.

Note: You can make the dough a few days in advance and freeze until the day of use. If freezing, defrost 4 hours before use.

Savory Butternut Squash Filling:

  • 1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced into ¼ -inch cubes
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 5-10 cloves, garlic whole and unpeeled
  • 3-4 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large shallot or yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 1 ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 2 ½ teaspoons dried sage, divided
  • 1/2 cup fresh ricotta
  • ¼ cup creamy goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

Put diced squash in a large bowl and add the olive oil, chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon thyme. Toss to coat evenly. Spread out on one of the prepared baking sheets, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake together with the garlic cloves for 25-30 minutes. Let cool.

Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add a thin coating of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly caramelized, stirring and adjusting the heat if needed. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried sage. Continue cooking until fragrant, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Once the squash has finished roasting, allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pick the garlic cloves and place them in a separate dish, then gently toss squash with the shallot mixture. Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

When the garlic is cool enough to handle, peel and put in the reserved bowl. Mash with a fork and stir in the ricotta.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into an approximate 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Spread the garlic-cheese mixture over the top, leaving a 2-inch border.

Spread the roasted butternut squash evenly onto the dough, keeping the 2-inch border. Top evenly with goat cheese, the remaining sage and thyme.

Fold the excess dough on top of the ingredients in a circle, until you have a tightly formed tart.

Chill for 15 minutes, and bake for 45 minutes, or until the goat cheese is browning and the dough is firm. Allow to cool slightly before cutting.

Notes: Steps 1-5 can be done up to 2 days ahead.

Sweet Apple Filling:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 – 4 small apples
  • ¼ cup brown sugar or 2 tablespoons of molasses
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup heavy cream or 1 beaten egg + 1 tablespoon milk
  • 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 – 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Halve each of the apples and use a spoon or a melon baller to scoop out the cores. Using a pairing-knife, thinly slice the apples into 1/8-inch-thick slices.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into an approximate 12-inch circle, or until about 1/8-inch-thick. Arrange the apple slices in one layer over the top as desired, leaving an approximate 2-inch border. Sprinkle the apples with the brown sugar or molasses as well as the cinnamon and drizzle the brown butter over the top.

Working around the circle, carefully fold the edges of the dough over the outermost apples to create a border. Brush the exposed border of dough with the heavy cream or beaten egg with milk and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.

Bake until the apples are soft and the crust is golden, about 40 – 45 minutes. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Cook is Her Name, the FoodieBus is Her Game

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Each morning climbing aboard her Ossining school bus, Jennifer Cook was playfully greeted with the question, “Hey Cook, what’s for dinner?” Years later, she’s still riding a school bus and still being asked what’s for dinner, but now she has an answer. Cook recently launched the FoodieBus, Inc., a farm-to-table culinary mobile experience that offers private, customized meals on a school bus, affectionately known as Loretta in honor of a “wonderful” benefactor, that’s been transformed into a restaurant. The concept is as fresh and original as the fare being served.

The Magic Properties of Food

Cook’s diverse resume boasts roles as owner of Chappaqua Wellness Center, volunteer firefighter with the New Castle Fire Department and private chef on movie sets for the likes of De Niro, Pacino and Pesci. Though seemingly unrelated, these experiences were cumulatively instrumental in inspiring the FoodieBus. Cook explains, “As a chef on movie sets, I catered to a wide range of palates from my food truck. I loved it and opened a wood fired brick oven pizza truck, which I made use of as a firefighter. When the Rockaways were devastated by Hurricane Sandy, I showed up with the pizza truck. By simply serving pizza, this community got the sense that they weren’t alone. I had an epiphany that food is magical. We all must eat and it’s therefore one of the true connectors we share. I’ve always strived to help others and wanted to foster this connection in a bigger, deeper and more meaningful scale.”

A Bespoke Dining Experience

To make this concept a reality, Cook had a very specific list of criteria. “I needed a dining area that functioned as a beautiful gathering space as well as a kitchen, storage space and bathroom,” she says, elaborating, “And, I’ve always had a thing for barns and find the farm-to-table movement so special, so I incorporated those elements as well.” Ultimately, Cook checked each of those boxes by making a few modifications to Loretta, a school bus she located in Wisconsin. Not only did she gut the bus, but she painted it mint green and removed its sides and roof, atop which she built a barn structure. The result is a dining experience that is anything but status quo. As she says, “The opportunities are endless. I’ve scoured Westchester and identified a host of idyllic locations. We can offer any type of food in any setting from Mexican on a beautiful lake to vegan on Fable farm to wine and cheese at the Rose Garden at Lyndhurst to dumplings in your own backyard. We host groups of friends as well as events meant to connect people who’ve never met in addition to offering culinary classes. It’s really been very exciting.”

The HELP Bus True to Cook’s passion for improving lives, the FoodieBus

transforms into a nonprofit, the HELP (Healing, Educating, Liberating People) Bus through a partnership with Feeding Westchester, an organization with the mission of ending hunger in Westchester County. Recipients waiting for Feeding Westchester’s food resources can queue for up to three hours. The HELP Bus is seizing this time as an opportunity to provide education in culinary and farming skills. Explaining her nonprofit’s mission, Cook says, “We’ll bring the bus to distribution points and offer demos and suggestions. Oftentimes, families are stretching these groceries for up to two weeks and we want to help them achieve that in a healthy way. We are also teaching culinary skills that can be leveraged so that people can have a background in handling food, empowering them to get work–there’s over 500 different culinary employment opportunities out there.”
As Cook provides culinary education, she is also gaining valuable lessons. She shares, “I’ll never complain waiting on line at a grocery store again. This experience completely debunks any stereotype of who these people are. People within our own communities are struggling. As someone who’s had my own struggles, I think it’s so important to take the opportunity to change someone’s life if you can, even if it’s for just one moment.”

Paving a New Path

Whether it’s called the FoodieBus, the HELP Bus or just Loretta, Cook is paving her own path with a roadmap that’s of her own design. She says, “I love creating dishes that aren’t textbook by taking everyday ingredients and pairing them in odd, yet delicious combinations. But, the excitement for me is not just in creating a unique dish. It’s in bringing different people with different passions and lifestyles together in peace and happiness at the table over food.” As Cook goes on, peppering the dialogue with phrases like sous-vide, portobello carpaccio, lemon-infused olive oil and microgreens, it’s clear that there will be no shortage of patrons eager to take a seat at her table.

Beach Bopping Around Westchester

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As temperatures warm, a migration of sorts occurs as northeasterners are instinctively drawn to the beach after months of deprivation. The need to insert ourselves into a Slim Aarons photograph is almost palpable as throngs of us load our cars with beach supplies for day trips to the waterfront. What many Westchester residents, however, may not realize is that this need can be satisfied in mere minutes by a number of hidden gems within the county lines.

Westchester County Parks Deputy Commissioner Peter Tartaglia said, “With warmer weather here at last, we look forward to welcoming everyone back to the beaches when our pre-season begins on Memorial Day weekend. Croton Point Beach is attached to a 500-acre park with everything from a nature center to a full-service campground; Glen Island Beach offers beautiful views of Long Island Sound and of course Playland Beach is part of our iconic Playland Park amusement complex. So there is always a lot to do and see.”

Grab your beach bag, toss in your county park pass or proof of residency and get going! Be sure to go online in advance of your expedition to view specific hours and applicable fees for each location.

Croton Point Park Beach, Croton-on-Hudson

Situated on the Hudson River’s largest peninsula, this 508-acre park boasts stunning views of Haverstraw Bay as sailboats dot the water and low mountains line the horizon. Beachgoers will be thrilled to see that this location offers a wide expanse of sand suitable for spreading out a full service set-up. History buffs may be interested to learn that archeologists confirm that this land was inhabited by Native Americans as early as 7,000 years ago.

1A Croton Point Avenue Croton-on-Hudson
(914) 862-5290

Glen Island Park, New Rochelle

Among Westchester’s jewels, Glen Island was initially developed as a summer resort in the late 1800s. In the 1920s, Westchester County acquired the property and connected it to New Rochelle by a drawbridge. Today, this 130-acre property features a beautiful crescent-shaped beach with access to the Long Island Sound in addition to picnic pavilions, boat launching, pathways, a restaurant and more.

Weyman Avenue New Rochelle
(914) 813-6720 or 6721

Stephen E. Johnston Beach, Mamaroneck

Located on Harbor Island Park, known as the “jewel of Mamaroneck,” this lovely 700-foot beach flanks a wide range of amenities. There’s something for everyone including a playground, spray ground, pavilion, showers, marina, boat-launching area, docks, fishing floats, tennis club, ball fields and more!

123 Mamaroneck Avenue Mamaroneck
(914) 777-7784

Orchard Beach, Bronx

Orchard Beach, located in New York City’s largest park, Pelham Bay Park, is the Bronx’s sole public beach and can be reached by car in approximately 45 minutes. This artificial beach is 6,000 feet long and was created in the 1930s, when it was proclaimed “the Riviera of New York.” The property features a promenade, pavilion, snack bars, food and souvenir carts, two playgrounds, two picnic areas, a large parking lot, and 26 courts for basketball, volleyball, and handball. Overlooking the Long Island Sound, this beach offers calm waters and has earned it’s designation as an NYC icon.

Bruckner Blvd. & Westchester Avenue Bronx
(718) 430-1890

Playland Beach, Rye

There is no other beach in Westchester where sun soakers can alternate between dipping their toes in the water and going on the rides at Rye’s Playland amusement park. This stretch of sand offers general-public access to the Long Island Sound and convenient access to Playland’s park and pool and a range of restaurants overlooking the water. And, animal lovers can rejoice – it’s also dog friendly!

100 Playland Parkway Rye
(914) 813-7010