Visit NYC, Stay in Westchester: Best of Both NY Worlds
Judy Antell
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There are a million reasons to visit New York City, from the museums, fashion, and Broadway shows to the sports teams, music scene and architecture. But there is a very compelling reason to vacation here, yet stay outside the city.
The family friendly Ritz-Carlton in White Plains.
Hiking trails – and deer – at Rockefeller State Park.
This luxury hotel, a 40 minute train ride from Grand Central Terminal (a destination in its own right) has all the amenities you expect in a Ritz: fabulous rooms with Frette linens and marble baths, a top notch fitness center and a beautiful rooftop pool, a spa and great service.
It also offers valet parking and easy access to the Hudson Valley, a part of New York that isn’t to be missed. There are wineries, orchards where you can pick apples, antique shops in small towns and small town charm that is very New England.
You can have the best of many worlds, touring the city and the countryside, and laying your head in the lap of luxury. And saving money too – room prices are about a third of price than those of the Ritz-Carlton in Battery Park City (yet the rooms are bigger) and parking is less than half. Yes, you have to pay for MetroNorth tickets, but if, like many NYC tourists, you are sticking mostly to midtown attractions, you will save on subway and cab fare.
The super comfy bed a the Riz CarltonCelebrity chef Laurent Tourondel has a branch of his BLT Steak restaurant in the hotel, and at the Residences next door is Serafina White Plains, offering the same thin crust pizzas and Northern Italian cuisine as the NYC locations.
Rockefeller State Park Preserve, a state park in Sleepy Hollow is a 20 minute drive from the hotel. Tour the Georgian mansion Kykuit: The Rockefeller Estate. The magnificent mansion is filled with artwork and period furnishings. There is also an outdoor sculpture garden and a barn filled with vintage cars and antique carriages.
If your kids are too young to enjoy touring a house (and those under 3 are not permitted anyway), walk the miles of trails at the Preserve. Strollers aren’t allowed at Kykuit, but jogging strollers are perfect for navigating the wide trails. Keep an eye out for the deer that wander out of the woods and marvel that you are just a 45 minute ride from NYC.