The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

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Putting Down Roots: Why Our Family Loves Living in Briarcliff Manor

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L to R: Arnold, Mike, the author, Elissa and Nathan Feist
Photo courtesy of Carine Feist

Not everyone can say that they have been part of a community for three generations.

My family has though. My parents moved to Briarcliff and raised me and my brother and sister here. My siblings and I attended Briarcliff schools all the way through Briarcliff High School. My father Carmino Ravosa was a composer and songwriter. The elementary school delighted in producing his musicals and including his songs in their holiday concerts.

One of my father’s heroes was Walter William Law, the founder of our village, and as Law said, “Only the best is good enough for Briarcliff”, which my father later put to music. That song was incorporated into the village’s 2002 centennial celebration titled Briarcliff Manor: The First 100 Years–The Centennial Variety Show. My father was the show’s musical director and composer. It was a massive collaboration of the residents and was a wonderful production. Check it out on YouTube at tiny.cc/briarcliffcentennial.

Because of my connection to the people of Briarcliff, and because I wanted my children to be close to my parents, my husband Arnold Feist and I bought a house in Briarcliff and our children, Nathan, Elissa and Michael, attended Briarcliff public schools. The schools provided an excellent education and they each attended the college of their choice.

My family has found Briarcliff to be a caring community–helping each other during difficult times and sharing many wonderful memories. In return, we have done all we can to contribute to the village and give back to the community through volunteering for the Briarcliff Manor Scarborough Historical Society, Boy Scout Troop 18 and the local Girl Scout troop.

Our involvement with the high school’s exemplary three-year science research program while our sons were in the program not only helped shape their college plans, but as a result, my career trajectory pivoted to science research.

I now work in the Medical Student Research Department at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. I am also a fundraiser and judge for the Westchester Science and Engineering Fair (WESEF). The Briarcliff High School science research program faculty helped inspire me to participate in WESEF and I find the role so rewarding.

Giving Back to the Community: A Family Affair

Our children have always felt a sense of pride in being part of the community. My father was a board member at the Briarcliff Manor Scarborough Historical Society (BMSHS). Carrying on this tradition has been a family affair–in addition to my husband and I taking leadership roles with BMSHS, our sons have been active too. During an internship, Michael wrote and published a book, titled Briarcliff Manor/Then and Now contrasting photos taken over the past century with photos taken in the present. In addition, he became a BMSHS trustee and his work on local history resulted in an award from the Westchester County Historical Society. Our son Nathan has also been an active BMSHS member including a stint as secretary of the board at monthly meetings.

Michael also wrote numerous articles, published on Wikipedia, regarding Briarcliff Manor, including the village’s history, Walter Law–the village founder, The Briarcliff Lodge, Scarborough, Beechwood Hall, Sleepy Hollow Country Club (which is actually in Briarcliff), Briarcliff Farms, the Briarcliff Fire Department, the library and the school district. (Check out the Wikipedia articles! Great reading and photography, although I may be slightly biased.)

I have magnificent memories of being a scout here myself and sharing special scouting events with our daughter Elissa. My mother, Claire, and I were both girl scout leaders. Both sons were scouts in Briarcliff Troop 18 and some of our best memories were my years as an assistant scout leader camping with the troop.

The Perks of Living Here

What I’ve shared with you so far is a slice of what our family personally has been thankful for in our village–the excellent educational system, the opportunities for our children in sports and the arts, and the many options for interesting courses available in the school district for students who want to be challenged. We are also blessed with a wonderful park/swimming pool complex, a beautiful library and community center which offers unique programs for town residents. We are especially thankful for the caring and competent police, fire, and ambulance crews who are there in a heartbeat whenever we need assistance. My family is so grateful to be living in this small, but very special village along the banks of the majestic Hudson and I feel fortunate that my parents put down roots here.

Finding Your Village

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Christine with her family

The life of a mom who stays at home with young kids can be many things–exciting and fulfilling, yes, but also, crazy, hectic, and sometimes… lonely. Without the proverbial village we all hear about, it can be hard for a mom (or dad) to find their way in a community without guidance.

When my husband and I moved to Hawthorne, our daughter was not quite two and I needed a way to get to know the community and meet other stay-at-home moms like myself. We joined a local music class and did some fun events at the library. Incidentally, if you have young kids, story time with Miss Debbie at the Mount Pleasant Library is absolutely wonderful. But then my daughter started pre-school and our son came along. After he was born, things were definitely frenzied. I felt like I was running around in circles everywhere but not really meeting people in the community.

“Having just moved to Westchester all the way from the West Coast, and having limited support nearby, I was anxious to find my village–FAST,” said Johnson.

One day as I was perusing Facebook, I came upon a post from another local mom looking to meet others with similar-aged kids. Her name was Jenifer Johnson and she had created a group called Pleasantville Play Date Meet-up and right there, a new village was born! She was, just like me and so many others, a mom who simply wanted to get herself and her kids out of the house and socialize with others.

“I’ve always been a believer that being a parent takes “a village.” Having just moved to Westchester all the way from the West Coast, and having limited support nearby, I was anxious to find my village–FAST,” said Johnson, who currently runs the Ridgefield, CT Playdate Meet-up.

“Social media is an excellent tool to bring people together and connect with those who have similar interests. In my case, I was looking for other moms like me who lived close by and had an interest in making new friends and socializing our children. I created a group with a very basic name, stock photo of a playdate and posted it on some other, larger Parent groups.”

The group took off, with members joining from all over the Mount Pleasant area. Instead of just planning meetups at a local park, parents started hosting play dates at their homes, which evolved into special events like holiday parties, craft days, and more.

And then, it went from just getting the kids together to getting the moms out too. It’s important for moms to have some quality kid-free time. So one night a group of us got together to do a craft night and “Mom’s Night Out” was born. Cookie exchanges, baby showers, mani-pedi nights and many a birthday celebration followed. And the group also holds a monthly dinner at restaurants all around town.

Jennifer Liddle, the group’s current admin says, “As the admin, it is so rewarding to brainstorm and execute events for local moms and kids to meet. I’ve made some of my closest friends through this group–friendships that transcend the initial reason why we met in the first place, our kids. Additionally, I’ve seen several other friendships blossom and it makes me so proud that I have had a part in that. I remember when I moved to the suburbs, I was worried it would be impossible to make friends. This group of ours made it possible.”

Continues Johnson, “Eventually, this tiny idea became a reality with new parents joining everyday. Play dates, mom’s night’s, BBQ’S, birthday parties–we had our village. Jennifer Liddle, who runs the group now, has taken it to over 270 members! It’s awesome!”

As an introvert, it can be hard for me to get out of my comfort zone and take a chance in meeting new people. But sometimes you just have to do it and hope for the best. As Thomas Jefferson said, “With great risk comes great reward.”

I’m so glad I did. I’ve cultivated many new friendships through the group. We all want to feel like we belong somewhere. And it’s great to know that there are others you can turn to for camaraderie and support.

I truly enjoy living in Mount Pleasant and really feel like I’ve become a part of the community-at-large. I’ve gotten to know my town and my community through local meeting places such as the library, farmers market, school events, and of course a Facebook play date group that I just happened to click on that fateful day.