Cover Stories

What Home Feels Like: Pride & Fatherhood in Pleasantville

April 29, 2026 by Illeana Baquero

Ben Gelinas (right) with sons, Roane and Reid, and husband Clayton McPhail
PHOTO BY CAROLYN SIMPSON

On a sunny afternoon last June, as rainbow flags swayed in the lawn outside Emanuel Lutheran Church, Ben Gelinas was no longer worried about logistics, turnout, or whether everything had gone according to plan. He was watching his sons.

Just hours earlier, Gelinas had been hard at work setting up for Pleasantville Pride’s inaugural celebration alongside an army of ecstatic committee members and volunteers, including Vice President Carol Creighton, Secretary Sandi Whynott, Communications Courtney Davis Walker, Mary Breen, Chris Mueller, Ali Leisawitz, Amanda Morante Wolin, Pastor Kevin O’Hara, and Gelinas’s family. His husband, Clay, along with his parents and aunt, helped hang posters, collect raffle donations from local businesses, and watch their two sons–support which Gelinas said was essential in bringing the event to life. “It was not just an immediate family event, but an extended family event,” Gelinas explained. “For the boys to have their great aunt and grandparents there was also really special.”

But as the organizing team put the finishing touches on their setup–which included food trucks, a DJ, kids craft stations, a bounce house, and much more–nothing could have prepared them for what the day would bring. As the celebrations began, families poured in. Then more. And more.

“Leading up to the event, whether it was a sponsor or a food truck, they’d say ‘how many people are you expecting to show up?’ And we would be like, ‘I don’t know, 200 maybe? We have no idea,’ and we were blown away,” Gelinas said. “There were over 1,000 attendees the day of the event.”

For Gelinas’s sons, Roane, 10, and Reid, 7, the moment was particularly impactful: a sea of neighbors, friends, and strangers showed up to share in the joy and support families like theirs.
“It made them feel like our family belonged here as well, and that our family wasn’t just accepted, but we were celebrated,” he shared.

Eleven years ago, Gelinas and his husband Clayton McPhail decided to leave New York City and find a new place closer to Ben’s family to raise their children. After touring multiple towns in Westchester, they found Pleasantville and knew it was the place they’d call home. “Every time we visited Pleasantville, it was so warm and welcoming and down to earth. That’s really what sold us on it, just every time we came, I was like, ‘this feels right,’” he explained.

Shortly after moving in, Gelinas recalls his neighbors stopping by to introduce themselves and welcome the couple to the area, a seemingly simple gesture which demonstrated the heart of the community.

They enrolled their sons in nursery school at Emanuel Lutheran Church, where they met Pastor O’Hara. This budded into a close friendship, and together they attended a Pride event hosted by a local DEI group. However, the group disbanded shortly after, leaving Pleasantville without a Pride event in 2024. Pastor O’Hara then decided to pitch an idea to Gelinas to start something new.

“Ben is just a resource of imagination, creativity, drive. I’ve learned that he’s also incredibly gifted in leadership and bringing what was originally just a small idea into a much larger one,” Pastor O’Hara said.

Gelinas jumped on the opportunity and began pulling together a team to organize the event. Despite planning to host the celebration for Pride Month in June, their first team meeting wasn’t until March, putting them on a tight schedule to coordinate sponsors, activities, and logistics.

At first, they worried that the community wouldn’t be able to support the event on such short notice, but as they began their outreach, everything fell into place. “Every time that we expected a no, there was always a yes,” said Pastor O’Hara.

In the end, they had sponsorships from dozens of local businesses, 13 raffle donations, and the support of the mayor, multiple local religious institutions, and all three PTAs and principals who shared the event in their newsletters. “When we started it, we weren’t sure how it would be received, or what kind of feedback we’d get, but it was clear that there was a real desire to host something like this in town, and that it was the right place for it,” Gelinas explained. “It definitely was a team effort,” he continued. “Everybody put a lot of thought and effort into creating a special, safe, inclusive, welcoming event.”

Davis Walker, who leads communications efforts for the event, expressed a similar feeling of pride in the team and the community that supported it. “This is a community that truly cares for one another and goes out of its way to make people feel safe, included, and valued. The support for Pleasantville Pride has been incredible, and we can’t wait to see what this year brings,” she said.

She added that Pleasantville residents consistently show up for their neighbors, from seniors helping young parents with childcare to neighbors shoveling and running errands for those who are snowed in. “I really admire the way people show up for each other,” Davis Walker said. “To me, Pleasantville Pride stands for inclusivity and the belief that each and every person in our village belongs here.”

Gelinas further affirmed the sense of communal support for the celebration, describing “the turnout of how many people came and supported the event, I think it really was eye opening. I feel like Pleasantville has always been welcoming, and that event took it to another level.”

For Pastor O’Hara, the event’s impact extended far beyond what was happening on the grounds of the church. When he pitched the idea to church leadership to host Pleasantville Pride, he wasn’t sure if they would be willing to take on such a large event, especially one organized by an outside group. “Sometimes churches and religious institutions can get so caught up in just their Sunday or holy day operations, that they don’t realize. They don’t go out to the community and find out what is missing,” he explained.

Instead, when the church agreed to host Pleasantville Pride and partner with other organizations and religious institutions to make their voices heard, it was a “novel time” according to Pastor O’Hara. “Let’s partner. Let’s provide the grounds. Let’s provide the place where people can meet. Let’s make sure that this event is safe and promoted, and let’s do all we can, but let them have the voice,” he said of the church’s decision.

The event also united multiple religious institutions from around Westchester. The Pleasantville Presbyterian Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Pleasantville Community Synagogue, and Temple Beth El in Chappaqua came together to sponsor the celebration, allowing for broader representation and support. “I never think that we’re the right fit for everybody. I don’t believe that,” said Pastor O’Hara. “So, I wanted to make sure that people knew that there was so much more involvement and so much more community here.”

While the Pleasantville Pride celebrations went on outside of Emanuel Lutheran Church, other local institutions supported the cause in their own ways. On the same day, the Episcopal Church held a renaming service. “To know that there were 80 people in the congregation worshiping, and there were several transgender youths who got to go through that renaming experience and get to pick their own names, was empowering,” Pastor O’Hara said.

Working to help others has long been the driving force of his life, said the pastor, at times a self-described “workaholic.” But this sole focus has shifted recently, as he finds himself more preoccupied with what’s going on at home than at the church: he and his husband became new fathers this year, with two daughters, Reagan and Bridget, both under one year old. “I decided that the priority when I wasn’t in worship was going to be my kids, and that’s been a big change for me. It’s been a beautiful change,” he said,

He described the joy of seeing his daughters smile for the first time and begin to develop personalities of their own. “Those are the things I love about being a father, seeing the children already grow, have their own personalities, smile.” He proudly held up a photo of Bridget, his youngest daughter, swaddled just after she was born. “When I think about joy, I think about her in this pose,” he said.

As the craze of the previous few months settled down and the Pleasantville Pride celebrations were about to kick off, the organizing team posed for a photo beneath the rainbow balloon arch draped over the entry. The sun was beaming, excited families began pouring in, and the group was finally able to sit back and enjoy the results of their hard work.

Immediately, the impact on the community was palpable. At one table, beneath a sign that read “What Today Means to Me,” attendees were urged to pause, reflect, and write down their thoughts on slips of paper dropped into a box for organizers to read later. Messages came in from all corners of the community: from longtime residents, parents, and especially from LGBTQ youth who, for the first time, saw themselves reflected so visibly in their own hometown.

“If you’ve ever questioned whether you belong or if there’s a place in this world where you’ll be loved as you are, just look around. This is what love looks like. This is what home feels like,” wrote Jenn G. “The best part for us was during drag story time when the reader said she reminds herself sometimes that she has two moms and how lucky that makes her feel. Our son turned to find us, looked at us, and started beaming with pride. It made us so happy,” wrote another, anonymous attendee. Another wrote: “Today was so healing. What we saw today – families cheering, kids dancing, churches showing up for us, that’s the real Pleasantville.”

In recognition of its impact, Pleasantville Pride was named “Rookie Business of the Year” and will be honored at the Businessperson of the Year Awards on April 29th.

For the team behind the event, the highlights of the day were not only in watching how safe and supported their neighbors felt but also seeing the impact on their own families. Gelinas noted that while his own sons might be too young to truly understand the significance of Pleasantville Pride for their community, he hopes that the amount of heart put into planning it and the subsequent turnout speaks for itself.

“I hope that they realize what the impact of that day was, that all of their friends’ families came out and supported a Pride event, and what that means for us as a family,” he said. “I was deeply moved by the comments people made on social media, the gratitude for hosting the event and what it meant to people in the community that have lived here their whole lives,” he continued. “It brought me to tears multiple times leading up to the event, reading them, and just knowing that I had a part in that, in making somebody feel like there was a safe space for them, and that they had a space where they belonged.”

“Bigger, Bolder, Brighter” for Pleasantville Pride 2026

The theme for this year’s iteration? “Bigger, bolder, brighter,” Davis Walker declared. Many crowd favorites from last year will be returning, but the organizers hope to make Pleasantville Pride 2026 filled with even more music, games, food trucks, and fun for all ages. “I think it’s going to be similar to last year’s field, but hopefully even more attendees, which I’m looking forward to,” she went on. From the church’s end, Pastor O’Hara encouraged further collaboration with other local religious institutions. He notes that the Presbyterian and Episcopal Churches recently welcomed two new pastors, both female clergy, who he looks forward to working with.

For Gelinas, his advocacy and support for local LGBTQ youth extends beyond the event itself. This year, in addition to his work to expand the Pride celebration, he will be the keynote speaker representing Pleasantville Pride at Pace University’s Lavender Graduation Ceremony, a special celebration which honors LGBTQ graduates and allies. “I felt like the event was pure joy and happiness, and it made me feel very proud that I call Pleasantville home,” he said.

Pleasantville Pride will take place on May 30th from 2-5 p.m. at the Emanuel Lutheran Church. For more information, follow @pleasantvillepride on Instagram or visit pleasantvillepride.org.

Julie Parise Millet: Hands-On Reporter at PIX11

April 29, 2026 by Abby Luby

When you see PIX11’s Julie Millet lob a tennis ball with a racket in one hand while speaking into a microphone in the other, you know she’s a high-energy, fully engaged reporter. Her animated style was on full display during coverage of the annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at the U.S. Open in Queens, which aired on PIX11 in August 2025.

For Millet, 39, becoming a morning show reporter and fill-in traffic anchor for PIX11 News in New York City is a dream come true. “It’s so special to be at PIX11, I still pinch myself sometimes,” Millet says. “It’s a station I grew up watching. My third or fourth week on the job I was reporting from the sidelines of the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and I could hardly believe it. I thought ‘Wow. I’m really doing this.’”

Julie Parise Millet grew up in Millwood and graduated from Horace Greeley High School in 2005. She recalls her childhood fondly and remains close with many of her early friends. “It was wonderful growing up in Millwood,” Millet recalls. “I’m very grateful to my parents who chose to raise me here and all the hard work they did to make that possible.”

“My friends now are the ones I met as a youngster in school or in the neighborhood,” Millet notes. “We’d play outside at the condo development with many other kids my age. Those were the days before cell phones.”

Millet with her Family PHOTO BY CAROLYN SIMPSON

Even as a youngster, Millet was an avid writer, keeping a daily journal. “I always loved writing and knew I wanted to be a writer – I just didn’t know in what form,” Millet says. “A few years ago, my parents found a couple of my old journals written when I was in elementary school. As I got older, I journaled less and less.”

Millet recalls how the teachers at her high school went out of their way for their students. When she was in the ninth grade her interest in writing sharpened when she took a literary journalism course. “I remember thinking, ‘This might be it,’” Millet notes. “I started to wonder if being a newspaper writer was the way to go, but I ended up taking a different path.”

That path took shape at Providence College in Rhode Island, where she majored in political science and minored in writing. During the summers, she interned at WCBS-TV in New York City. “I really got into the news that summer,” Millet recalls. “And after I graduated college, CBS offered me a job as digital producer and editor.” It was a job she almost turned down.

“I was thinking about just spending the summer with friends,” she says. “But one of my girlfriends told me, very directly, to take the job. I’m so glad I did–it turned into five years.” During that time, Millet also worked at 1010 WINS and WFAN, gaining experience at two of the country’s top radio stations.

To move in front of the camera, Millet knew she had to start in a smaller market. She landed a job in Augusta, Georgia, as a morning reporter and anchor at ABC affiliate WJBF-TV. “I wanted to be on TV telling stories, but in my business, you have to start out by going into a smaller market to get the experience,” Millet explains.

Her two years in Augusta proved formative. “It was a wonderful experience,” she recalls. “Augusta is a military town and for one story I remember we joined the Army at Fort Gordon for two days as boot camp participants. It was very eye opening and we got a real taste of military life – they did not go easy on us.” Her military coverage earned her an honorary commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

From 2015-2018, Millet was a reporter for CBS 58 in Milwaukee where she advanced from morning reporter to daytime lead reporter. While there, she met her husband Joseph and won a Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Award for breaking news coverage of a blimp crash at the U.S. Open in Erin, Wisconsin.

She later worked as a freelance reporter in Philadelphia for WFMZ-TV, the country’s 4th largest television market before heading to WAVY-TV in Norfolk, Virginia. At WAVY her investigative reporting on inconsistent data for missing persons cases, led to new legislation. “The numbers being reported about reuniting families weren’t accurate,” Millet explains. “We found the issues were technical errors, not intentional, but it still led to legislation that changed how cases are handled.”

Millet also earned an Associated Press award with a fellow reporter for their special series at WAVY-TV about the Virginia education system. “This was a five-part piece about changes in the educational system that had to do with Critical Race Theory, which had been in the news a quite bit,” Millet recalls. “We looked at what was going on, how it impacted funding for education and the teacher shortage because teachers were leaving the profession. For about a month we did in-depth research and spoke to current and previous members of the state education department. We interviewed both sides of the controversy. It was important to hear both sides.”

Despite the accolades, Millet says the most impactful stories are often the most difficult. “Covering the worst day in someone’s life–especially when it involves a child–is never easy,” she says. “Those life experiences have taught me how to connect with people in very real ways.”

Millet was six months pregnant with her son Jack and on maternity leave from WAVY-TV when she got offered a job at WPIX in New York City. “I knew I wanted to come back home,” she says. “Starting a new job as a new mom was a big transition. I didn’t know anyone at WPIX at the time–it was quite an experience.”

Millet worried she’d have to sacrifice her career if she wanted to become a mom. But her early morning schedule has her arriving at the station at 2 a.m., lets her balance career and family life.“My hours allow for the best of both worlds. I get to do a lot of work while my child is asleep and when I get home, sometimes exhausted, I do get to spend time with my son. It’s incredibly fulfilling. I have it all as a mom and a news reporter, a dream I’ve had for a long time.”

After emotionally taxing assignments, that balance matters even more. “Sometimes the stories are hard to shake,” Millet says. “But coming home and hugging my son right away makes a difference.”

Recently Millet, her husband Joseph and son Jack, 2 ½, moved into a house right down the road from where she grew up.

Whether Millet is reporting on protests, traffic, the weather, holiday preparations or medical issues, she has clearly distinguished herself as a versatile journalist dedicated to report news to the greater community. “We never do it for the awards,” Millet notes about herself and fellow reporters. “We do it to help people. That’s what I love about my job.”

Byram Hills Graduate Alison Jaye’s Broadway Journey

April 29, 2026 by Ella Ilan

On any given night on Broadway, amid the glamour and pageantry, there is a moment–quiet, fleeting–when an actor steps into a character so fully that the line between performance and person disappears. For Alison Jaye, that moment recently lived eight times a week as Joyce Maldonado in “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”, a role she played through the end of March. By the time this story reaches readers, the curtain will have already fallen on that chapter. But long before Broadway, before workshops in Los Angeles and locked-down auditions, before Netflix and standing ovations, there was Armonk.

Alison grew up in Armonk and graduated from Byram Hills High School. Her story is one of years spent learning how to move between worlds–between classrooms and curtain calls, childhood and professional responsibility, ambition and belonging.

Finding the Stage at Random Farms

Alison with her parents, Robert and Melissa

Her introduction to acting came not from a master plan, but from her parents Robert and Melissa’s instinct to give their daughter a creative outlet. Music played constantly in their home; theater was always part of the conversation. Through recommendations, her mother discovered Random Farms Kids Theatre, where Jaye was cast in her first show.

At first, she wasn’t sold. Then she landed a lead, formed close friendships, and began to look forward to afternoons spent there. The environment was different from school–new kids, new energy, new ways of expressing herself. It was there that Anya Wallach, the founder of Random Farms, recognized something essential.

“She recognized the spirit of entertainment in me. She saw me as a curious, malleable, excitable, adaptable kid,” Jaye says–someone responsive to language and story, eager to explore and learn. Anya encouraged her parents to take a meeting with a manager, a suggestion that seemed almost absurd at the time. Jaye was there for fun, not for a career.

Within weeks, everything changed.

A First Job–and a Whirlwind Beginning

Her first professional audition led directly to her first professional job: “Sunday in the Park with George” on Broadway. She was ten years old.

“I knew maybe two songs,” she recalls, laughing. Neither she nor her parents had any sense of how the industry worked. “My parents are the most celebratory, fun, supportive folks, and they just followed instructions–show up here, sing this, see what happens.” What happened was the beginning of the rest of her life.

The production, a limited-run revival at Studio 54, left an indelible mark. “The feeling and community that that environment birthed in me is the reason that I still do this today,” Jaye says. Many cast members remain in her life decades later, a testament to both the people involved and the material itself. She calls it Stephen Sondheim’s greatest work–deeply autobiographical and profoundly connective.

Growing Up While Working

Balancing professional theater with school required constant negotiation. Until her first public performance, She worked with tutors in rehearsal spaces. Once the show opened, she returned to school, splitting her days between classes and performances. Homework was done backstage; evenings ended with long drives home.

Her parents were instrumental in making that balance possible, handling logistics while ensuring she still felt like a kid. At Byram Hills, teachers worked with her schedule and allowed flexibility when needed, making it possible to straddle both worlds.

Two English teachers, Mr. David Hubbs and Mr. Duane Smith, stood out as particularly meaningful supports. Their classrooms, she says, felt aligned with the creative life she was living outside of school–spaces where curiosity, language, and interpretation were encouraged and expanded.

Choir was another welcome part of her education at Byram. “There’s something deeply calming about singing in unison with other people,” Jaye says. It was a safe space for new friendships across different grades. It became a rare moment of stillness amid constant motion, and one she still longs to return to.

Broadway Childhood, Broader Horizons

Throughout her early teens, Alison continued working steadily, including major roles such as Jane Banks in “Mary Poppins”. The demands were significant–long runs, physical stamina, emotional focus–but the environments were rich with mentorship and collaboration.

After graduating from Byram Hills in 2014, she headed west to study at the University of Southern California, earning her BFA in 2018. Having already worked professionally, she sometimes found herself navigating a disconnect between industry realities and academic instruction. Still, mentors like David Warshofsky and Kate Burton helped her refine her voice and trust her instincts as an artist.

Screen Work and a Personal “Superpower”

After college, she booked a role on “Shameless”, joining the cast for one season. It was one of her first major jobs post-graduation, secured during a time when auditions still happened in person. It was a time, she says, when relationships with casting directors were built face-to-face–something she still treasures.

“My superpower is reading a room energetically,” she explains. “Knowing where to find my space, how to bounce off someone else’s energy.” That ability–to connect quickly and intuitively–has remained central to her work across mediums.

In addition to television, Alison has built a substantial career in voiceover and video games, including a BAFTA-nominated performance in “Horizon Forbidden West”. Working in motion capture, she says, challenges her in a different way to successfully connect to people at home playing video games as opposed to telling a story on television.

Auditioning for Stranger Things

“Stranger Things: The First Shadow” Rehearsal
PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

The audition process for “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” unfolded under intense secrecy. Initially labeled only as an untitled Steven Daldry project, him being one of her favorite directors prior to this opportunity, the sides offered little clarity. Jaye taped an audition and assumed it went nowhere.

Months later, she was called into a closed audition–her phone taken, materials tightly controlled. Only then did it become clear she was auditioning to play a young Joyce, the character portrayed onscreen by Winona Ryder.

After a final callback in New York, Alison received the call. She was cast. During early workshops, Daldry told her, “Do you know why you got this job? You’re her soul. I want you to bring out every color of who you are.” It was a rare and defining moment–one that reshaped how she saw herself, not just as an actor, but as a person.

The project also reunited her with Jim Carnahan, the casting director who had first cast her, years earlier, in “Sunday in the Park with George”. “My entire career kind of circles back to him and coming back under his tutelage felt amazing,” she says.

Coming Home–and Looking Ahead

She moved back to New York a year ago for the Broadway run, after having lived in Los Angeles for the last eleven years. With her parents still in Armonk, the experience has felt like a homecoming. They attend performances, host castmates, and share fully in her world.

Her advice to young performers is simple but hard-earned: be yourself. She admits she sometimes felt like an oddball, but says this journey ultimately clarified that her greatest gift as a performer is not trying to adjust herself to the mold but showing up as fully and honestly herself.

As for the theater community, Jaye describes it as a “large breathing organism that has endless capacity to invite others in and celebrate each other’s differences,” she says. Broadway demands endurance, she notes: showing up every night, no matter what the day has held, for an audience that has traveled and paid to be there. “Your job is to bring magic into their lives and that, even on the hardest days, makes me take a deep breath and say ‘How lucky am I to have this job?’”

Looking ahead, she hopes to one day perform at Lincoln Center. For now, she plans to take a breath and enjoy some nature, after performing what felt like an Olympic feat on stage every night.

Armonk can take pride in that one of our very own started her extraordinary journey here. Alison has relished seeing so many of her parents’ friends come to the show. Most of all, she appreciates her parents’ support along the way, their initial leap of faith, and how they held her emotionally and physically through the hardest of times. “They are the heart of this journey and I couldn’t have asked for a better team of people to do this thing with.”

Pleasantville’s Boutique Fitness Studios are Thriving

February 26, 2026 by Abby Luby

You just got the kids dressed, fed and off to school. Now it’s ‘You Time.’

You head into one of Pleasantville’s boutique wellness studios and are greeted by familiar faces–other mothers whose morning routines mirror your own. It’s time to focus on strength and flexibility, guided by highly trained instructors dedicated to health, longevity, stress relief and holistic, restorative practices.

These popular, welcoming studios reflect a growing shift away from big-box health clubs with cavernous gyms and sprawling exercise circuits. Instead, Pleasantville’s boutique fitness scene emphasizes personalization, community and intentional movement.

Located in the heart of Pleasantville are Sweat New York, The Fit Co, The Pilates Solution and Sonny’s Pilates–boutique studios offering a wide range of classes, from Pilates and hot Pilates to HIIT (high-intensity interval training), strength training and recovery-focused workouts.

What continues to draw a growing and loyal clientele is the highly personalized approach to fitness–something that resonates deeply in Pleasantville, a small village known for its strong sense of community.

The Fit Co

“There is a lot said about community and wanting a good workout,” said Fit Co owner Laura Kovall. “People come together, have fun, and want to be working out with people they know. We have mothers of elementary school–aged children, empty nesters and those working and managing aging parents. Over the years, everyone has put themselves last. Now they want to take care of themselves with a healthy routine that focuses on longevity, balance and strong bones.”

Among the offerings is Fit Co’s “No Sweat” class, a total-body workout that uses everyday functional movements and equipment such as TRX, BOSU balls, barbells and boxes. HIIT classes and Fit Co’s signature strength workouts round out a schedule designed to meet clients wherever they are in their fitness journey.

Kovall officially opened her Wheeler Avenue studio in March 2025 with two yoga instructors. Today, Fit Co has grown to a team of ten instructors offering a range of classes. Kovall’s bright, airy second-floor studio overlooks Wheeler Avenue and easily accommodates circuit-style classes for HIIT or Fit Co’s signature strength workouts. Small inspirational signs– “Believe in Yourself,” “Keep Smiling,” and “The Body Achieves What the Mind Believes”–dot the space. A video screen in the corner allows for livestreamed classes, while a smaller room is dedicated to recovery, featuring tools such as compression boots designed to support lymphatic drainage after workouts.

Sweat New York

For Sweat New York owners Merrill Hollander and her husband, Jonathan Harris, community is central to their fitness philosophy.

“At Sweat, community means something real,” Hollander says. “For us, it means inclusive, safe, warm–or really hot–kind, forgiving, and always welcoming. It’s the feeling you get the moment you walk in the door, and the reason so many clients have become true friends.”

Sweat New York has two Pleasantville locations–one on Wheeler Avenue and the other on Jackson Street. The Jackson Street studio, which opened in August 2023, offers hot yoga, Cardio sKulpt, hot barre and hot mat Pilates in a delicately lit space with controlled humidity and temperatures ranging from 95 to 110 degrees. Classes run throughout the day with 15-minute breaks in between.

The Wheeler Avenue location, which opened in May 2025, features hot reformer Pilates. Infrared heating panels span the ceiling above a sleek row of versatile reformers. Fifteen instructors, who Hollander says “are the superstars of our studios” teach across both Sweat locations, drawing clients from Chappaqua, Briarcliff, Bedford, and Bronxville, in addition to Pleasantville residents.

Pilates Solution

Pilates Solution, located on Broadway, opened three years ago after Jennifer Lancaster assumed ownership of the former Better Day Pilates, which had operated until just after the COVID pandemic.

“I renamed and rebranded it,” Lancaster explains. “Word of mouth helped tremendously, which is so important in the boutique fitness world. Friends telling friends and coming together for classes grew the community until the number of clients tripled.”

Four full-time instructors, along with several substitutes, lead classes in the warm and welcoming space. The space features four reformers and additional tower mats equipped with springs, bars and handles for resistance training. Classes typically include up to eight participants, and a full-length mirror runs along the opposite wall.

“Pilates is a mind-body way of working out,” Lancaster says. “The mirrors help clients see posture and alignment with breath coordination. In our classes, everyone is supportive–everyone has their own process.”

Lancaster, who earned her Pilates Mat Certification in 2015 and previously ran a major teacher training program in New York City, plans to launch a Pilates certification program in Pleasantville.
“I’d love to open the studio for training future instructors,” she says. “Mentoring and teaching is something I truly love.”

Sonny’s Pilates

Rounding out the boutique offerings in town is the newly opened Sonny’s Pilates on Manville Avenue.

What Workout is Better for You?

Wellness boutiques now offer a wide range of workouts tailored to different ages, goals and abilities. Busy professionals and full-time parents often gravitate toward high-impact options such as HIIT, express yoga and hot yoga, while older adults tend to focus on strength, balance and flexibility.

“A growing number of boutiques are leaning into strength training and functional movement,” Hollander says. “Sculpt will still have its moment–high-intensity, low-impact, rhythm-driven training that delivers the burn clients love. For 2026, it isn’t about choosing one lane. It’s about staying curious, staying challenged and staying committed.”

Sweat’s hot classes attract a wide variety of clients. “Hot yoga is for the adrenaline junkies,” Hollander notes. “But all of our classes skew toward a fitter clientele. We welcome everyone, but we know it’s not for everybody.”

At Fit Co, clients range in age from teenagers to those in their 80s and 90s. Strength and weight-bearing exercises anchor Kovall’s most popular class, No Sweat.

“That’s where you move quickly–yes, you will sweat–and you’re done in 40 minutes,” Kovall says. “I want these classes to fit into people’s lives. We train the body holistically–not just strength and cardio, but Pilates and recovery as well.”

Sonny’s Pilates offers 50-minute and 30-minute signature Pilates flow classes, along with a complimentary 25-minute introductory session. The longer class focuses on full-body strength and flexibility, while the shorter sessions target either upper body (arms and abs) or lower body (glutes and abs).

Age-Related Fitness Needs

Age is often a determining factor in choosing the right type of movement. At Pilates Solution, clients range from age 40 and up, including two women aged 85 and 91.

“Some clients come for private sessions, others for duets,” Lancaster says. “We’re also seeing more men, which is wonderful. They often start with private sessions, usually early in the morning before work.”

Older adults often seek instruction that emphasizes balance and muscle strength for joint support.

“I have a balance class with clients in their 80s,” Kovall says. “My oldest client is close to 90, while women in their late 50s and early 60s attend regularly.”

Residents from Pleasantville’s new apartment building on Memorial Plaza, frequently attend Fit Co’s 10:30 a.m. class, which focuses on balance and strengthening muscles that support joints.

“It’s important for older people to be able to stand up easily from sitting, especially if they live alone,” Kovall explains. “My goal is to work muscles people don’t usually engage in everyday life.”

At Sonny’s Pilates, the mostly female clientele ranges from their 20s to their late 60s or 70s. There are also a few male clients who take private sessions or couples take classes together.

Post-Workout Recovery and Restoration

Whole-body wellness has long been a hallmark of boutique fitness studios, many of which emphasize restorative practices. At the end of Fit Co’s No Sweat Flex & Flow class, members cool down and stretch to restore balance and support recovery. Restorative elements are also incorporated into Vinyasa Flow Open and Fit It in Yoga classes.

Looking beyond muscles and bones, some studios are expanding into wellness therapies. Sonny’s Pilates hopes to introduce red light therapy and lymphatic drainage massage in the near future.

Ultimately, Pleasantville’s wellness boutiques share a common mission: supporting holistic health through movement and connection.

“Our contribution to the community goes far beyond classes,” Hollander says. “We’ve built a space where everyone is wanted, seen and appreciated–no ego, no exclusivity, just people showing up for themselves and for each other.”

sweatnewyork.com
thepilatessolution.com
thefitconyc.com
sonnypilates.com

The Well Center: An Integrative Approach to Health

February 26, 2026 by Ella Ilan

In the center of Armonk, a quiet integrative health practice is drawing people who are looking not only for symptom relief, but for a deeper understanding of their health and how to embark on a path to healing. The Well Center, founded by Armonk residents Deb Ross and Michele Zipper, brings together a range of practitioners and modalities under one roof, offering services that include acupuncture, functional diagnostic nutrition, massage therapy, somatic healing, and personal training.

Ross and Zipper have created a collaborative space where people could explore different approaches to care–and feel supported in figuring out where to begin.

“We can help you find your true center and your health again,” says Ross. “We live in a modern world that is in constant motion and are inundated with information and social media. People have forgotten how to be still, quiet and intuitive with themselves. This is a safe space to recharge.”

How the Well Center Came to Be

Ross and Zipper met shortly after they both moved to Armonk from New York City. It was a shared healer–someone both had worked with independently in the city–who first introduced them. The connection was immediate.

“We instantly clicked,” Zipper recalls, “and I knew this was going to be my person here.”

In 2018, during a casual conversation at a backyard party, Zipper mentioned she was thinking about opening a wellness center. Ross responded that she had just purchased the domain name The Well Center that same day. The two looked at each other and said, “Are we doing this?” and toasted to their new venture. After a year of planning and searching for the right location, the center opened in 2019, just months before the pandemic.

The two women were intentional about building a strong working relationship. Cautious, since they were also close friends, they worked with a mentor to learn how to communicate effectively and navigate differences.

“We wanted to protect the friendship,” Ross says. “So, we spent time really understanding how to work together.”

Two Backgrounds, One Philosophy

Ross is a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist who has practiced traditional Chinese medicine for over twenty years. Her approach is rooted in addressing what she describes as the underlying causes of symptoms rather than focusing on isolated complaints.

Zipper, a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner, came to health and nutrition through personal experience. Originally trained as a graphic designer, she changed careers after navigating chronic and autoimmune health challenges within her family. She went on to study Health Coaching, Applied Nutrition and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, focusing in on the labs and science behind everything.

“I wanted to understand what was driving symptoms, not just how to manage them,” Zipper explains.

Though their professional paths differ, the two share a similar lens. Both describe health as an interconnected system and see diagnoses as useful descriptors–but not the end of the conversation.

“A diagnosis tells you what is happening,” Zipper says. “It doesn’t always explain why. What is the toxicity in your body? What’s in your gut? What is your endocrine system saying? We explore these things and create a recommended treatment plan.”

Pain as a Starting Point

Many people come to the Well Center seeking relief from pain, fatigue, anxiety, or other chronic concerns. According to Ross and Zipper, those symptoms are important–but they are often just the beginning. From their perspective, discomfort can have multiple contributing factors–physical, biochemical, emotional, and lifestyle-related.

“Pain is just the beginning of information,” Ross says. “It’s how the body gets your attention. Pain is often easier to focus on than feelings, but it can point to much more than what hurts.”

Clients describe this approach as attentive and individualized. Ali W., who receives acupuncture at the center, says Ross “is an outstanding practitioner who knows exactly what your body needs that day…I feel so grateful I have a center I can rely on for my mind, body and soul.”

An Integrative, Complementary Model

From the outset, Ross and Zipper were clear that the Well Center was not intended to replace conventional medical care. Instead, they describe their work as complementary.

“There’s no ego here and we know our limitations,” Zipper says. “This is not about replacing doctors.”

They regularly encourage clients to continue working with physicians and specialists and make referrals when something falls outside their scope.

Their philosophy centers on the idea of “and”–acupuncture and physical therapy, nutrition support and medication when needed, lifestyle changes alongside conventional treatment. The aim, they say, is to help people feel stronger, better supported and more informed as they navigate their care.

Rachel V., a working parent, described her experience with Zipper as thorough and collaborative. “[She] took the time to really dig in – ordering bloodwork and running key tests to get at the root cause – while also recommending a personalized mix of eastern and western practices. Her approach has been both holistic and practical!”

A Curated Team and a Guided Entry Point

The Well Center is home to a small group of practitioners, each with an established practice and a specific area of focus. Zipper and Ross emphasize that everyone who works there has been carefully vetted and is someone they have used themselves or on their family members. They have full confidence in the skill of their wellness experts, whether it’s Dr. Zev, who offers holistic chiropractic care; somatic healer Anu Abraham; massage therapist Donna Lynn; personal trainer Brett Landy; or any of their talented team members.

For new clients, the process often begins with a free 30-minute consultation, designed to help determine the most appropriate starting point.

“We don’t want people to feel overwhelmed,” Ross says. “Starting is usually the hardest part.”

They are upfront about the fact that healing is rarely linear. Lab work takes time. Progress often happens in layers. Education and personal engagement are central to the process.

“You have to participate in your own healing and do the work,” Ross explains. “We can guide you, but you’re not a bystander. You may have to change your mindset if you have normalized feeling crappy. You shouldn’t have to feel that way and you have permission to feel your best.”

Becoming a Community Resource

Since opening, the Well Center has become a familiar presence in the Armonk community. Zipper and Ross describe frequent calls and walk-ins from people seeking referrals or guidance.

“We want to be helpful,” Zipper says. “Even if that means pointing someone elsewhere.”

That trust is reflected in how clients describe the space. One such client is Brian H. who says Zipper “changed my life with her testing, counseling and dietary recommendations” and Ross “has also transformed my wellness through her incredible acupuncture treatments that are truly heaven on earth.”

Trust, along with education, excellence, and community, form the foundation of the Well Center’s guiding principles. The founders have recently expanded their educational efforts through a podcast focused on self-advocacy and helping people ask better questions about their health.

An Invitation to Listen

Zipper and Ross emphasize that openness–not certainty–is the starting point.

“There’s very little risk in exploring something like acupuncture,” Ross says.

At its core, the Well Center offers an invitation: to slow down, to pay attention, and to consider pain not as a failure, but as information. The Well Center is a place that gives its clients permission to breathe and to feel their best.

“The body already has the capacity to heal,” Ross says. “Sometimes it just needs support–and space–to do that.”

The Well Center is located at 430 Bedford Road, Suite 203 in Armonk. For more information, check out their website at www.thewellcenter.com

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