Everything is different outside of Manhattan. But you know that. I wanted to go to Harrison, Rye, Hartsdale White Plains and other towns along the way to check out possibilities, sort of a quest to find the right place. I took the New Haven Line at Grand Central. A friend of a friend met me at the Harrison train station. We drove around Harrison and Rye and had lunch at her lovely home in White Plains. Over Jarlsberg and smoked mozzarella, turkey, tuna, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and a good cup of coffee, we discussed the possibilities of the walking towns. After lunch we took off and drove up and down streets, to the downtown areas, checking out the feel of these places, always slipping easily into the next town. The towns were charming, clean, but I didn’t see any fruit and vegetable markets with all the produce hanging onto the sidewalks. Every town had lots and lots of restaurants. Where are the wonderful markets I’ve become so used to? I asked myself
We went to White Plains www.whiteplainsny.com . I’d never been there. Nice place with a very alive feeling. Lots of development going on. It’s a good size city and offers Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and many other fine shops. There’s a residential building by Trump and many rentals and co-op buildings all within walking distance of the train station. And, of course, there are lots and lots of restaurants. We drove through rather quickly since time was limited; I’ll return to walk in the near future since White Plains is definitely a walking city. The towns, they were clean and had all the right things for good living. It’s the feel of a place; the connection, that I’m looking for, and that’s different for everyone. So, when someone asks, “Well, how was it?” it’s difficult to say because when you’ve found it, you know, it’s that simple and cannot be explained so easily.