The Best Fun & Leisure Spots in Westchester in 2017

 

Photo by Stefan Radtke

Nightlife Scene

Little Drunken Chef
36 Main St, Mount Kisco; 914.242.8800

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If your idea of a fun night out involves pounding beats from the DJ cage, potent cocktails with funky names (Slumdog Billionaire, Climate Change), Indian-Asian-Spanish fusion tapas, shooting oysters, and a raucous, multigenerational dance party, then this north-of-I-287 restaurant, open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturdays, is your scene.

 

Neighborhood Bar

The Barley House
655 Commerce St, Thornwood; 914.495.3333

If Mount Pleasant isn’t your neighborhood, you’ll wish it were after sampling The Barley House’s gastropub fare (standards like hot wings mingle happily with on-trend options like poké bowls), craft beer (30 hard-to-find varieties on tap), and a welcoming, unpretentious vibe. Live music and special events like beer-pairing dinners amp up the fun.

 

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Beer Fest

Harbor Island International Beer Festival
Harbor Island Park, Mamaroneck

It makes sense that the county’s best beer store would also throw its best beer festival. Half Time’s Jason Daniels works his industry connections to pull together this annual showcase of local and international breweries, which brings new releases and rare brews, plus an array of food trucks for those beer-induced munchies.

 

Annual Winter Outing

Westchester Winter Wonderland 
Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla

This seasonal wonderland — 2017 marks its fourth year — keeps on getting better. In an enchanted setting featuring a Rockefeller Center-sized outdoor skating rink, outdoor light show, artisan craft fair, heated entertainment tent, a host of food trucks, and more, it’s become a favored, schlep-free tradition for in-the-know local families.

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Excuse to Play With Puppies

Puppy-Socialization Program at Guiding Eyes for the Blind
611 Granite Springs Rd, Yorktown Heights; 800.942.0149

Before puppies can become guide dogs, they have to spend time brushing up on their social skills. Volunteers in Guiding Eyes’ home-socialization program bring pairs of adorable puppies into their homes for three to five days, to reinforce training and acclimate to new environments. (Volunteers receive training and all supplies for the puppy’s stay.) The hardest part: giving the puppies back.

 

Party Tents

Party Line Rentals
21 Vreeland Ave, Elmsford; 914.592.1200

Planning an outdoor celebration but worried that bad weather will bring your party down? Party Line Rentals offers a vast selection of more than 300 tent configurations so that you can party in stress-free style. Tent enhancements and party packages are also available.

 

On-Time limo Service

Armonk Limousine
200 Business Park Dr, Ste 108, Armonk; 914.273.4466

Whether it’s a stretch limo, luxury sedan, van or even SUV, this 23-year-old company will get you there like a rock star, with all the amenities and right on time. Offering highly trained chauffeurs, as friendly as they are skilled, Armonk Limousine lets you just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

 

Musical Director

Stephen Ferri 
White Plains Performing Arts Center
11 City Pl, White Plains; 914.328.1600

Having already been involved in nearly 200 productions stretching from Broadway to our own humble county, Ferri, at just 26, is already a force to be reckoned with. Add to that a recent fleet of wildly popular productions at the WPPAC, including Heathers and Sister Act, and you have one true star of the stage.

 

Venue for Dance

The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College
235 Anderson Hill Rd, Purchase; 914.251.6200

While The Performing Arts Center hosts virtually every genre of music you can imagine, from classical icons to jazz legends, it is actually their rich and extensive selection of dance that really grabbed our attention. With the world-renowned Bill T. Jones/Artie Zane Dane Company and The Paul Taylor Dance Company both making recent appearances, this is the place to spy some fancy footwork.

 

Venue for Comedy

Tarrytown Music Hall
13 Main St, Tarrytown; 914.631.3390

While there may be other area comedy clubs to get laughs on the regular, when it comes to big-name comedians, it doesn’t get much better than the Tarrytown Music Hall. You name the comic, and they have probably graced the stage here, from Chris Hardwick and Lisa Lampanelli to Jackie Mason.

Good Night(s)

Turn off Netflix, book a babysitter, and head out for an evening of fun.

No-Kids Night Out

HA! Comedy Club
257 Market St, Yonkers; 914.358.9260

There’s a new kid in town when it comes to fun evenings out. Located in Yonkers’ popular shopping center Ridge Hill, HA! is the county’s only dedicated comedy club and its first new one in nearly three decades. With a constant lineup of sidesplitting area acts, expect to spend the night laughing.

Night Out With the Girls

Boro6 Wine Bar
549 Warburton Ave, Hastings-on-Hudson; 914.231.9200

Men can keep their sports bars and Buffalo wings. For a night out with the girls, we prefer the stylish, convivial atmosphere; uncomplicated salads and sandwiches; rich cheeses; and extensive by-the-glass wine list (everything from mineral-rich whites to crisp rosés to robust reds) at the newly opened Boro6 Wine Bar.

Dance Night Out

Josie’s International School of Dance 
42 Memorial Plz, Lower Level B, Pleasantville; 914.332.8670

Find the cure for a boring night out and learn one of the many forms of dance taught at Josie’s International School of Dance. Children and adults can learn belly dance, salsa, Argentine tango, and flamenco on nights and weekends, with private lessons for those who’d like to learn at their own pace.

Artsy Night Out

Clay Art Center 
40 Beech St, Port Chester; 914.937.2041

Each Friday night, the Clay Art Center offers a one-time class for adults, cleverly titled Cladies’ Night. Held in an actual artists’ studio and not limited to women only, this class is geared toward having fun and getting messy with your friends or date.

Bookworm Night Out

Barnes & Noble*
680 Post Rd, Scarsdale; 914.472.0689

The new B&N concept store (one of only four in the US) in  the Vernon Hills Shopping Center is a bibliophile’s dream. In addition to endless shelves of books, the megastore includes a full-service restaurant and bar (20 wine options and 6 beers on tap), plus an outdoor patio, complete with a firepit. Bookworms and foodies may never leave.

Readers’ Picks 2017

Fun & Leisure

Art Gallery

Canfin Gallery
39 Main St, Tarrytown
914.332.4554

 

Bartender

Kevin Moriarty at Brodie’s Pub
3262 E Main St, Mohegan Lake
914.528.1614

 

Cigar Shop

The Cigar Republic
133 E Main St, Elmsford
914.592.1580

 

Event Space

Club Infinity
404 Irvington St, Pleasantville
914.214.4800

 

Girls’ Night Out

Vintage 1891 Kitchen
2098 Boston Post Rd, Larchmont
914.834.9463

 

Happy Hour

The Tapp  
17 N Broadway, Tarrytown
914.703.6022

 

Historic Site

Kykuit
381 N Broadway, Sleepy Hollow
914.366.6900

 

Hotel*

Crowne Plaza
66 Hale Ave, White Plains
914.682.0050

 

Hotel Bar*

Mix Cocktail Bar and Kitchen (Crowne Plaza)
66 Hale Ave, White Plains
914.682.0050

 

Irish Pub

Rory Dolan’s Restaurant and Bar
890 McLean Ave, Yonkers
914.776.2946

 

Karaoke

12 Grapes Restaurant
12 N Division St, Peekskill
914.737.6624

 

Library

Ossining Public Library
53 Croton Ave, Ossining
914.941.2416

 

Local Parade

Halloween Parade
Tarrytown
914.631.8347

 

Local Theatre Group

Yorktown Stage Musical Theatre
1974 Commerce St #8, Yorktown Heights
914.962.0606

 

Movie House

Jacob Burns Film Center
364 Manville Rd, Pleasantville
914.773.7663

 

Music Venue

The Capitol Theatre
149 Westchester Ave, Port Chester
914.937.4126

Photo by Ken Gabrielsen

New Bar (Opened 2016 or Later)

Boro6 Wine Bar 
549 Warburton Ave, Hastings-on-Hudson
914.231.9200

 

Nonprofit Event

Gullotta House Turkey for Thanksgiving
72 N State Rd #175, Briarcliff Manor
914.525.0744

 

Place for a Date Night

The Hudson Room
23 S Division St, Peekskill
914.788.3663

 

Public Park

Scenic Hudson Park at Peekskill Landing
117 North Water St, Peekskill
914.734.7275

 

Riding Stable

Twin Lakes Farm
960 California Rd, Eastchester
914.961.2192

 

Social Scene (30 and Younger)

Fortina
136 S Ridge St, Rye Brook
914.937.0900

 

Social Scene (30-Plus)

The Hudson Room
23 S Division St, Peekskill
914.788.3663

 

Sports Bar

Rudy’s Food Sports and Entertainment
156 S Central Ave, Hartsdale
914.358.9051

* For this category, voting for chain businesses was allowed.

 

 

 

 

 

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