A brief bout of flu has kept me from blogging.  But a few days ago I mentioned how stormy the weather has been.  Well sometimes stormy skies can have an eerie beauty about them.  So when I saw this kind of surreal light over a cloudy sky along the Tarrytown lakes – I stopped my car and took a couple of photos.  Here is one of them.  You really see the clouds almost rolling in and the sun TRYING to peak through. © 2011 – Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com – All rights reserved. Fotos on the fly – Stormy weather in Tarrytown NY 10/04/2011

Ok – I like taking photos – I admit it…Any excuse to photograph towns and villages in the area will do. One of the most picturesque towns in Westchester is Tarrytown NY.  Many people fall in love with this town because of its central location and unique character.   With respect to location, it doesn’t get any better than this!  Located right on the Hudson River, an amazing sunset is served up every single night!   Futher, Tarrytown is an express stop along the Hudson Line.  Just 35 minute to Grand Central Station and you are in midtown Manhattan.   With I-287, I-87 and the Tappan Zee Bridge – Tarrytown is situated  for easy access to areas like White Plains and New Jersey making a commute either east or west and across the Hudson very easy to deal with.  North to south there is the Saw... 09/25/2011

Although I often talk about merchants in Westchester NY, I don’t often discuss specific products found in these stores. But being a dog owner with two Siberian Huskies and a Siberain/Cattle Dog mix, I am in a good position to be judging the quality of dog beds.  So I can say with total confidence that I found the best dog bed EVER at Bark & Meow in Tarrytown NY.   For much of my adult life,  I have been seeking the perfect dog bed that doesn’t get frayed, torn, chewed or otherwise destroyed within the first three months of use.  Maybe its because my dogs are particularly ingenious – but they seem to have learned how to find and exploit any weakness in the dog beds that I have fed given them in the past.  Though it is true that active dogs are tough on their beds, my guys quite literally... 09/20/2011

I was at a concert in Tarrytown, New York Saturday night(Guns of Hammer performing Led Zeppelin) and I thought   I’d take some pictures of Main Street. Now we’ve lived in Westchester for 15 years and I have been to this theater numerous times but never took pic’s! We ate at the Tarry Tavern, went to the concert, and had a drink at the local casual bar called SetBack Inn (Main Street Sweets ice cream was closed).   After coming home and looking at the pictures, I  realized that this is like many of the small towns we’ve visited and took pictures over the last 23 years, and it was right in my backyard! Over the next few weeks I'll be taking pictures of the towns and villages that comprise lower Westchester County, NY. The "river towns" all have a similar feeling to Tarrytown, with views o... 09/20/2011

  Print This! Screen printing, embroidery and promotional gifts in Tarrytown NY 10591 Donna LoPinto is the proud owner of Print This! in Tarrytown NY.  She is such a fun, smart and creative business owner - someone who is great to have on your team.  And, this is why she is so good...she works as a partner with her clients to figure out the best item for them and their budget. She offers: - In house production of screen printing and embroidery - All types of promotional items - customized with your logo, phone #, etc.   Promotional products will:   • Drive traffic to your tradeshow booth    • Improve response rates on direct mail campaigns   • Increase referrals   • Improve return business    • Improve employee morale  Donna has helped us on a number of occasions.  She designed our mugs... 09/18/2011

One of our key strategies for the past 2 years has been to improve repeat and referral business.  There are many tactics that we are employing to achieve that end (including good customer service, good workmanship, small thank you gifts, etc). But, one of the more creative and unique ways we've found to stay top of mind..later...is to send our customers a card at their one year anniversary.  The card says, "Happy Birthday to your floors."  It's a nice way to stay in touch with our customers - one year later - and it's unexpected and cute/funny, so it seems to grab people's attention.  The card thanks them for their business and has our contact info, but it is a soft sell, so there is no "please call us when you are ready for your next project" or "please refer us to your friends"  Howev... 09/17/2011

Check out the over 250 exhibitions at the renowned "Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst" being held at the landmark Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown, NY. Enjoy outdoor arts and crafts at one of the best-known, highly-attented festivals in the county. The fair continues through Sunday. For more details CLICK HERE...   09/15/2011

  It was just last week that Irene ripped through the tri-state area dumping a foot of water, strong winds and leaving flooding, downed power lines, and chaos in its wake. Although Westchester NY got off pretty easy when we consider what happened elsewhere, there were sections that were heavy hit.  In many ways I assumed that the River Towns and particularly the river front area would have been a prime target for damage.  I heard nothing on the local news about Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.   There was some discussion of downed trees, but nothing serious.  The eastern portion of the county – Mamaroneck in particular seems to have sustained a much bigger blow. Nevertheless, it was with some trepidation that I arrived on the scene – camera in hand to take some post-Irene  photos of the are... 09/04/2011

  Today I found myself on the River Walk with a friend that I hadn’t seen for a long time in Tarrytown.  Sadly, my photos on the River didn’t work out because my camera was on the wrong setting.  However, on my way home I decided to check the progress on the Tarrytown Train Station. The Train Station is just steps away from the new development  Hudson Harbor – a new luxury condo development that is selling very well.  The renovation at the train station has been part of bigger project to revive the river front.  Various development projects have been springing up along the Hudson including the River Walk which is meant to run along the Hudson River from the northern tip of Westchester County in Peekskill – all the way to the border of the Bronx in Yonkers.   You can see my photos of the... 09/01/2011

Are you looking for flooring for your Westchester home in Tarrytown NY 10591? We know there are many choices..and sometimes the process can feel overwhelming. Whether you're looking for hardwood floors, tile, carpet, laminate flooring, or if you just want to refinish your hardwood floors, Floor Coverings International can help make the process fun and simple. We are a shop at home service. Our tagline is "We bring the store your door." This is important because first, you can see the colors in your lighting and color coordinate with paint color, cabinets and furniture. Second, it allows us to provide a true estimate for you. And, third, of course it is more convenient this way. We provide guidance - Which is the best type of flooring for your environment and your budget? We'll help expl... 08/30/2011

Tarrytown Music Hall - Upcoming Shows: Steve Earle, Keb' Mo' Band, Led Zeppelin Experience, Zombies, Zebra, The Machiene, Blood Sweat & Tears, Joan Rivers, Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger of the Doors, Don McLean, Judy Collins & Arlo Gutherie, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Stephen Stills & his Band ... and others read complete schedule here... 08/30/2011

Tarrytown NY 10591 - Our serene but busy Hudson River Community located not to far from Manhattan in beautiful Westchester County NY invites you with it's many sights, stores and restaurants for a relaxing and fun filled Late Summer stroll... come up the Hudson Line for the day... and have a look for yourself... have some ice cream, enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee, sit along the Hudson Shores for dinner or visit one of the many historic sights... Tarrytown's Sights   08/20/2011

Westchester County's Hudson Valley and it's communities have so much to offer it's almost impossible to create a complete list of things that you can do and enjoy in this beautiful corner of our world. One of the really awesome sights though can be found here in Tarrytown NY on top of one of it's highest hills overlooking the majestic Hudson River. It's the "Castle On The Hudson" also known as "Axe Castle"... please have a look for yourself... and enjoy your afternoon coffe or tea... or an evening cocktail while relaxing on it's beautiful garden terrace overlooking the pool... The Castle On The Hudson   08/20/2011

  Details   Address: 54 Highland Ave Type: Residential Style: Colonial Bedrooms: 4 "Spacious Master Suite" Bathrooms: 3 "2 Full, 1 Half" Garage: Double, Attached "Connected To Lower Level" Basement: Yes, Full "Finished" Size: 2,531 sq. ft. "Spacious Layout" Lot Type: Rectangular Lot Size: 0.293acres Has Suite: Yes Year Built: 1996 "Freshly Painted" MLS®: 3117610 Available Date: 7/15/2011   Description   Completely and beautifully updated and renovated 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath Center Hall Colonial in the sought after Tarry Crest neighborhood of Tarrytown. Designer bathrooms. Hardwood floors and staircase. Fireplace. Master suite. Finished lower level with large flat screen TV. Attached two car garage. Huge laundry room with new front loader washer and dryer. Oversized deck and private yard. ... 08/16/2011

      Just 25 miles north of New York City, lies a historic medieval castle, overlooking the majestic Hudson River. The Castle on the Hudson, situated on 11 hilltop acres, was originally called Carrollcliffe and later Axe Castle. It was built in two stages between 1897 and 1910 by General Carroll, the son of a Civil War General. The grounds are enclosed by a stone wall and support a veritable arboretum of evergreens and rare varieties of trees, grasslands and flowers. The Castle has changed very little in its first century. Much of the original interior woodwork and furnishings, which were built by a team of carpenters brought from Germany, still remain intact. Designed for graceful living and entertaining, the Castle has been renovated into a luxury hotel. In 1981, the town of Tarryto... 08/15/2011

The third Friday of each month turns Tarrytown’s business district into a street festival with live music, great food, shopping, art, and presentations by community organizations. Stop by your favorite restaurant, shop, or gallery for special events and pricing. 3rd Friday is like a huge open house with shops like A Nu Toy Store offering kids activities, Hair-on-Hudson performing makeovers outdoors, antique shops and galleries open late, restaurants and food shops offering tasting menus, live music outdoors and in cafes and bars. Activities and offers vary monthly, so come back often! Join us Friday August 19th 2011 for our big screen feature, Goldfinger, on Main Street and stop by our many excellent eateries and pick up a meal to eat while you watch! 08/09/2011

Please join me in welcoming Kyle McMurry to Active Rain.  He runs a Send Out Cards business in Tarrytown NY.  For those of you not familiar with Send Out cards, it's an easy and cost effective tool to maintain contact with those that are important to you - family, friends, clients, people in your sphere of influence. Nowadays, it is so rare to get cards...we all get so much email, that we are now surprised when we get a card so they really stand out. We use Send Out Cards to stay in touch with our customers - at their one year anniversary, they get a "Happy Birthday to your Floors."  My customers realy like this and I do get calls (and repeat biz as a result as well as more referral business. Kyle is a smart and creative guy.  I recommend you subscribe to his new blog because soon he wi... 08/04/2011

All hungry from house hunting in Tarrytown? Let me point you to the best hot dogs you'll ever have! This is it! Right on Main Street... a narrow shop entrance with a sign over it proclaiming that you are entering the "lubins-n-links" hot dog haven... and a 5 table backyard oasis accessible only from the parking lot behind the shop... offering the best hot dog varieties (all beef, chicken, turkey, veggie, or tofu links) you'll ever encounter! Choose from 12 specialty toppings (select any combo) including a kickin' 15-plus ingredients chili, a spicy kraut-n-onions red sauce, house roasted cherry peppers, and a smooth cheese sauce... oven baked fries smothered with chili and cheese sauce... or try a "lubin", the seasoned, slow roasted beef that looks like pulled pork but tastes like beef s... 07/05/2011

The Dana Fuchs Band will bring her Janis Joplin like sound of rock and soul on July 7th, 2011 to the Tarrytown Music Hall honoring the memory of her brother Dan which passed away from brain cancer in May. Check the Tarrytown Music Hall & Dana Fuchs Web sites for more detailed information. Tarrytown Music Hall Dana Fuchs   07/05/2011

From now on, every Saturday from 8:30 AM through 1:00 PM you'll find the Tarrytown Farmers Market at Patriot Park open for business, rain or shine, until November 19th, 2011. There are numerous vendors offering cheese, dairy, yogurt, eggs, artisanal breads, baked goods, cookies, quiches, pies, pastry, jams, honey, herbs, vegetables, fruit, pickles, specialty foods, cut flowers, and poultry. Every Saturday from 8:30 AM through 1:00 PM at Patriot's Park on RT 9 in Tarrytown NY 10591   07/04/2011