NOTES FROM THE TASTING ROOM, VOL. 47 JANUARY 28, 2013
The Feiner Things In Life
For Paul Feiner, longtime town supervisor of Greenburgh, home of Captain Lawrence, it is hardly beer-drinking weather. Paul prefers a beer in the heat of summer, preferably after a long bike ride or run.“On a hot day, there’s nothing like a good beer to quench your thirst,” he says.Instead, it’s 20 degrees out. But when Captain Lawrence produces a beer called the Pride of Elmsford (the village of Elmsford is part of the town of Greenburgh), Paul is happy to come by the tasting room and give the hearty ale a taste.The Pride of Elmsford is an American pale ale brewed with English yeast and five malts, and dry hopped with U.S. hops. If you missed it, the Greenburgh Daily Voice gave the brew some love.Paul does as well.“Very good,” he says with a satisfied smile.Paul, the supervisor since 1991, has a special guest in tow: his 91 year old father Phil, who has volunteered at town hall for the past 20 years, keeping an eye on town finances. Phil clearly has a nose for numbers, inquiring about Captain Lawrence’s yearly barrel output, and the alcohol level on the various brews. All pack more punch than what Phil used to quaff in the Air Force. “They gave us 3.2% beer,” he says while sipping the Captain’s Kolsch (ABV 5.5%, if u’re scoring at home). “You had to have a lot of them to get happy.”
Paul admits he’s not a beer connoisseur; he’s perfectly fine with a Bud or Coors. But he credits beer with helping get his blood pumping again after running the New York Marathon six years ago (“I couldn’t feel my feet,” he says), and he’s positively pumped to have a world-class craft brewer in Elmsford after spending its first six years in Pleasantville. “In a year, Captain Lawrence has definitely become the most popular business in town,” says Paul. “It’s definitely put Greenburgh on the map.”Paul will be back at the brewery February 14. Every month, the Westchester Municipal Officials Association, a collection of town supervisors, mayors and councilmen, gets together, and Greenburgh hosts the February wingding—at Captain Lawrence, naturally. “It will probably be the most successful Municipal Officials Association dinner we’ve had,” says Paul.When he’s not running the largest town in Westchester, home to over 88,000, Paul unwinds by running or cycling around the county. He mentions a Special Olympics bike ride he took with John and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. years ago, from Westchester to Vermont. He’s cycled from here to Washington several times as well. “I may be the slowest cyclist, but I always finish,” he says.Paul continues to lure new businesses to Greenburgh. He says he can go the extra mile for them by talking them up on his WVOX/1460 AM radio show (he’s also the rare town supervisor with a blog, at pfeiner.blogspot.com), and offering a degree of service other town chiefs may not match. Recently, he sent Captain Lawrence Brewing owner Scott Vaccaro a Wall Street Journal article about a bicycle built for 16, called the PedalPub, that he thought might be a great marketing opportunity, cruising down the Bronx River Parkway on Bicycle Sundays, adorned in CL logos.“If a business has a problem, they can reach out to me and I’ll call back in a few hours,” he says. “We want the town to be partners and help them be successful.”
Captain Lawrence’s arrival, Paul adds, has sparked interest from other businesses. “Any time a company like Captain Lawrence comes to town, it creates positive momentum,” he says. “It makes it easier to attract other businesses.”
Paul laments that budget cuts have made Westchester “less fun.” But with an ice rink, golf driving range, mini-golf, the Sportime USA amusement center and various kiddie gyms all a 9-iron from the brewery, Elmsford has emerged as Westchester’s playground. Paul, who’s currently pushing for a new sports complex on Dobbs Ferry Road, credits Captain Lawrence for adding a little zip to the region.
“A place like Captain Lawrence is a little different,” Supervisor Feiner says. “It makes the county a more fun place to be located in.”
The Westchester hamlet of Hartsdale borders the affluent village of Scarsdale
as well as the more-bustling city of White Plains—and offers its residents some
of the best features of both.
"It has an ideal location," says broker Marilyn Krizansky of Houlihan Lawrence, who lives in Hartsdale. "You don't have the taxes of Scarsdale, but you have the advantages of being close to a metropolitan area of White Plains, for shopping and restaurants…and it has a residential feeling just like Scarsdale."
The hamlet, part of the town of Greenburgh, has a quaint and pedestrian-friendly downtown along East Hartsdale Avenue, with larger stores along Central Avenue. About 20 miles from Manhattan and with a Metro-North commute to Grand Central Terminal in as little as 32 minutes, Hartsdale is convenient for those working in New York City as well as in White Plains.
The area has a population of around 5,300, according to the 2010 Census, and consists of several distinct neighborhoods, including Poets' Corner, with streets named for poets; College Corners, where the streets are named for colleges; and Manor Woods, which is a short walk to downtown.
In addition to its single-family homes, Hartsdale offers a relatively large selection of condominium and cooperative apartments, many of them within walking distance of the train. Apartment prices range from around $65,000 for a studio to more than $400,000 for large, well-appointed units, brokers say. Single-family houses generally start in the mid-$300,000s and climb to roughly $1 million.
The median listing price in Hartsdale in November was $469,000, says
Zillow.com, a 10.4% climb from November 2011. By comparison, November's median
listing price was $579,000 in White Plains, $1.498 million in Scarsdale and
$599,000 in neighboring Ardsley, Zillow says.
"If you want to pop into Scarsdale for some of the restaurants you can, and you have the same commute [as Scarsdale], but it's certainly a lot more affordable," says Sherry Wiggs, of Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty.
Hartsdale attracts young professionals, retirees and empty nesters as well as young families leaving the five boroughs to seek more space, brokers say. Its population is relatively diverse, and in recent years the hamlet has seen an influx of Asian residents, who comprised around 17% of the population in the 2010 Census.
Among Hartsdale's historic sites are the Odell House, on Ridge Road, which served as headquarters for Rochambeau, the French general who served on the American side during the Revolutionary War, and the still-operating Hartsdale Pet Cemetery and Crematory, on North Central Park Avenue, which dates back to 1896 and is believed to be the nation's first pet cemetery. The cemetery includes a War Dog Memorial honoring canines that served during World War I, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places earlier this year.
Parks: The Hart's Brook Nature Preserve and Arboretum, a 125-acre green space that was purchased jointly by the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County and New York state in 1999, includes a barn, greenhouse, pond and 2.5 miles of open walking trails. The 236-acre, county-run Ridge Road Park has walking trails, playgrounds and ball fields, and it includes the Miracle Field for children and adults with disabilities, which has a flat, cushioned surface and wheelchair-accessible dugouts.
Schools: Hartsdale is part of the Greenburgh Central School District 7, which enrolls 1,630 students and has an early-childhood program, three elementary schools, a middle and a high school.
According to state data, 87% of students in the district who entered high school in 2007 met or exceeded state standards for proficiency in English four years later, compared with 80% statewide. In math, 85% of the 2007 group met or exceeded proficiency standards in 2010-11, compared with 81% statewide, the data show.
Local private schools include the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, a conservative Jewish day school for students in kindergarten through 12th grade with its lower school in White Plains and upper school in Hartsdale; and the Maria Regina High School, a Roman Catholic school for girls.
Dining: A number of restaurants are situated downtown on East Hartsdale Avenue, several with outdoor seating. They include Harrys of Hartsdale, a bar and restaurant specializing in steaks and seafood; Vega Mexican Cuisine, a traditional Mexican restaurant; and BosphoRus, serving Turkish and Mediterranean fare. Pas-Tina's Ristorante, another Italian eatery, is on South Central Avenue.
Shopping: Small shops line East Hartsdale Avenue, with some larger stores on Central Avenue, including a Trader Joe's. A popular seasonal farmers' market is held Saturdays at the Hartsdale train station, and mall shopping is available in neighboring White Plains.
Entertainment: Movies and night life can be found in White Plains.
"It has an ideal location," says broker Marilyn Krizansky of Houlihan Lawrence, who lives in Hartsdale. "You don't have the taxes of Scarsdale, but you have the advantages of being close to a metropolitan area of White Plains, for shopping and restaurants…and it has a residential feeling just like Scarsdale."
The hamlet, part of the town of Greenburgh, has a quaint and pedestrian-friendly downtown along East Hartsdale Avenue, with larger stores along Central Avenue. About 20 miles from Manhattan and with a Metro-North commute to Grand Central Terminal in as little as 32 minutes, Hartsdale is convenient for those working in New York City as well as in White Plains.
The area has a population of around 5,300, according to the 2010 Census, and consists of several distinct neighborhoods, including Poets' Corner, with streets named for poets; College Corners, where the streets are named for colleges; and Manor Woods, which is a short walk to downtown.
In addition to its single-family homes, Hartsdale offers a relatively large selection of condominium and cooperative apartments, many of them within walking distance of the train. Apartment prices range from around $65,000 for a studio to more than $400,000 for large, well-appointed units, brokers say. Single-family houses generally start in the mid-$300,000s and climb to roughly $1 million.
If You're Browing for a Home in Hartsdale
"If you want to pop into Scarsdale for some of the restaurants you can, and you have the same commute [as Scarsdale], but it's certainly a lot more affordable," says Sherry Wiggs, of Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty.
Hartsdale attracts young professionals, retirees and empty nesters as well as young families leaving the five boroughs to seek more space, brokers say. Its population is relatively diverse, and in recent years the hamlet has seen an influx of Asian residents, who comprised around 17% of the population in the 2010 Census.
Among Hartsdale's historic sites are the Odell House, on Ridge Road, which served as headquarters for Rochambeau, the French general who served on the American side during the Revolutionary War, and the still-operating Hartsdale Pet Cemetery and Crematory, on North Central Park Avenue, which dates back to 1896 and is believed to be the nation's first pet cemetery. The cemetery includes a War Dog Memorial honoring canines that served during World War I, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places earlier this year.
Parks: The Hart's Brook Nature Preserve and Arboretum, a 125-acre green space that was purchased jointly by the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County and New York state in 1999, includes a barn, greenhouse, pond and 2.5 miles of open walking trails. The 236-acre, county-run Ridge Road Park has walking trails, playgrounds and ball fields, and it includes the Miracle Field for children and adults with disabilities, which has a flat, cushioned surface and wheelchair-accessible dugouts.
Schools: Hartsdale is part of the Greenburgh Central School District 7, which enrolls 1,630 students and has an early-childhood program, three elementary schools, a middle and a high school.
According to state data, 87% of students in the district who entered high school in 2007 met or exceeded state standards for proficiency in English four years later, compared with 80% statewide. In math, 85% of the 2007 group met or exceeded proficiency standards in 2010-11, compared with 81% statewide, the data show.
Local private schools include the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, a conservative Jewish day school for students in kindergarten through 12th grade with its lower school in White Plains and upper school in Hartsdale; and the Maria Regina High School, a Roman Catholic school for girls.
Dining: A number of restaurants are situated downtown on East Hartsdale Avenue, several with outdoor seating. They include Harrys of Hartsdale, a bar and restaurant specializing in steaks and seafood; Vega Mexican Cuisine, a traditional Mexican restaurant; and BosphoRus, serving Turkish and Mediterranean fare. Pas-Tina's Ristorante, another Italian eatery, is on South Central Avenue.
Shopping: Small shops line East Hartsdale Avenue, with some larger stores on Central Avenue, including a Trader Joe's. A popular seasonal farmers' market is held Saturdays at the Hartsdale train station, and mall shopping is available in neighboring White Plains.
Entertainment: Movies and night life can be found in White Plains.
A version of this article appeared December 29, 2012, on
page A18 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline:
Hartsdale: It's Not Scarsdale, but It's Close.