About White Plains' Downtown White Plains

Things to do and see in Westchester, White Plains

It was a great day in the Hudson Valley - after all the rain we’ve had recently, it was wonderful to be outside on a warm and SUNNY day. White Plains has always been know for its shopping and more recently fine dining. High-end housing in high rise luxury buildings is also something that White Plains is famous for. But it has lagged behind in the arts. Yes, we have our own theater, the Westchester Philharmonic under the baton of Itzhak Perlman calls White Plains its “home.” But only now is White Plains getting itself on the map - so to speak - as go-to place for the arts. But on this weekend the artisans were out in force. Downtown White Plains was certainly the go-to place for the arts this weekend.

The White Plains Outdoor Arts Festival was an amazing venue for a beautiful late spring day. Any excuse to get outside was fine by me! But this was really worth an afternoon for anyone interested in amazing diversity of artisan work displayed. Truth be told I was only able to spend about an hour because Sunday is a work day for me, but I could easily have spent two to three hours had time permitted. Here are a few of the highlights:

I was really struck by a couple of booths:

The first was A J Nostalgia…by Jeff and Jill Hand, with their 3-D nostalgic lithographs a bygone era. The emphasis was New York, but there were lithographs from Boston and other parts of the country as well. I bought my father a lithograph of the Yankees for father’s day while I was there. I saw Brooklyn, Queens, Coney Island, Long beach among others. Amazing detail and very colorful. There was no email address - only a phone number which I hesitate to put on-line. The photos I got were terrible….

Then there was Robert Rodriguez Jr. with his photographs on canvas. Mostly of the Hudson Valley, these photographs portray the lush color and beauty of our region with vivid rich tones. They reminded me of the fact that New York is not all glass and steel and also of why I’m glad to be able to say “I’m from New York.” This was not one of my better pictures - so for more information here is the link to Mr. Rodriguez’s web site.

Then there was Kevin Burnett’s amazing pastels. Striking effects with vivid color. I ran into Marie - an interior desinger who was also delighted by them. I wanted to buy all the dog portraits - no surprise there - but I contained myself…For more information you can visit Mr. Burnett’s website. Kevin Burnett is local to Westchester -so he is truly one of our own.

© 2009 Ruthmarie Hicks - all rights reserved. http://thewestchesterview.com

White Plains Outdoor Arts Festival - 2009

Although I hate to admit it, I’ve become somewhat fascinated by the Ritz Carlton. I’m not generally a fan of modern architecture. My personal taste leans more to the art nouveau look of the Bar Building which stands in ornate contrast to the sleek towers. But one thing I have noticed about the two 42 story towers gracing our downtown is that they never look the same. Like a chameleon that changes its coloring to blend into its surroundings, the mirrored façade of the Ritz is constantly changing to reflect the “mood” of the sky at any given moment – changing constantly as the day progresses from dawn to dusk. You can look at it a thousand times and it will always appear different. The façade changes with the time of year, the time of day, the cloud cover, the humidity etc.

Today I saw the towers on bright day with fairly substantial cloud cover. It was like the towers blended into the sky. They were almost like a ghostly illusion jutting into the clouds.

The Ritz Carlton also reflects the surrounding buildings. Here the Ritz reflects Trump Tower, part of City Center and 1 City Place.

Recently, I have been taking more general photos of the White Plains downtown area. I'm often surprised at the clash of architectural styles. I guess part of my surprise is the way in which the clashing styles actually work together. When you see an Art Nouveau building standing directly next to mirrored glass and steel, the effect can be jarring. Here on some shots of the “old” and “new” that I had previously discarded. They are all within about a block to block and a half between each other...

PHOTOS:

1. The Ritz Carlton with Trump Tower and One City Place being reflected - sits next to the Barr Building.

2. Grace Church of downtown White Plains sits beside one of the Ritz Carlton tower - lending a very stark contrast of size and style.

3. The fountains of City Center surround Trump Tower and One City Place and The Lofts Complex.

4. Almost directly across from the City Center/Trump complex sits White Plains City Hall which in turn is sandwiched between One North Brodaway(a modern retail and office complex) the Ritz Carlton and Grace Church.

Why do I have this slab of granite featured in my blog? It’s just a slab of granite…..Why all the fuss…?

It’s a loooooong story. But I’ll give you the short version.

As you can see, the slab of granite has “The Ritz Carlton” engraved on it – and as such, the slab is there because Mr. Cappelli (who built the Ritz Carlton) wants it there. In fact he put it there. But you can also see that said granite is located on a road median. Therein lies the problem. It is located on the median of a PUBLIC road.

This piece of granite has been the center of a controversy that has turned local public meetings at City Hall into City Brawl. The mayor wants to be able to sell the traffic island to Cappelli and indemnify the city against any liability the granite imposes. The council are concerned that this sets a precedent which is not good.

Not only did Cappelli refuse to take down the sign, he threatened to film any crew from the city that attempted to remove the sign and show the film to developers as a warning not to submit any building proposals in White Plains. Later he went to Westchester Supreme Court to prevent the city for removing the slab.

Comical as this may seem, there is a precedent to be concerned with. Once one business is allowed to put signage (without prior permission) into road medians – how many more would follow. Looking at the long highway median along Mamaroneck Ave.– it is quite possible that it would literally be overwhelmed by business signage. I’m sure the White Plains Beautification Foundation would be thrilled that all their hard work on the 2.5 mile stretch on the Mamaroneck Ave. and Bloomingdale Rd. highway medians could easily be littered with signage from local business who would probably develop a “me too” mentality.

Meanwhile, with all this time and energy being spent on the famous “sign” – there has been NO FURTHER PROGRESS for the affordable housing that Mr. Cappelli promised to build. Mr. Cappelli appears to have a very a misplaced sense of priorities. Way too much time expense and resources have been spent over a this slab of granite. The agreement was that the affordable housing was to be built BEFORE either tower opened. The city council graciously allowed the first tower to open, but given their stand on the granite slab, they are probably in no mood to let the second tower open until the affordable housing is complete. I will say again what I said before: Mr. Cappelli, quit your whining about signs, and all the other insults you feel the city council and the people of White Plains have heaped upon you, and BUILD THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING!!! The clock is ticking on the second tower of the Ritz Carlton. It is supposed to open in August. Tick-tock, tick-tock.

How would this Look if it was littered with signs????

For Manhattanites, Westchester has always seemed to be some sort of backwater destination. But with prices in NYC soaring to crazy heights, many city dwellers are taking a second and third look at White Plains, NY - and with good reason. Downtown White Plains is booming where high-end shopping and entertainment are the order of the day. Many diehard New Yorkers are discovering that White Plains has almost as much to offer as Manhattan at a much better price point. With Manhattan only a 33 minute train trip, White Plains allows the most ardent New Yorker to feel at home while being just a short train ride away from Midtown Manhattan.

To that end, one of Manhattan’s most distinctive dining attractions, Via Quadronno, has opened its doors in White Plains at the corner of Renaissance Square and Main Street – next door to two 42 story towers that are the Ritz Carlton. The location in the famous Art Nouveau Barr Building provides an interesting background standing next to the mirrored glass and sleek steel of the Ritz Carlton. That mix of old and new is very typical of the "new" White Plains.

The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. The fare is distinctly Italian and includes their famous panini sandwiches, espresso, a wide variety of coffee drinks and ice creams. Via Quadronno adds White Plains, NY to its very select group of markets that includes the upper east side of Manhattan, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Miami.

The restaurant is open from 8 AM on weekdays with the kitchen closing at 10:30 PM. On the weekends, the hours are 9 AM to 11:30 PM. Indoor dining seats 80 while the outdoor dining area pictured below seats 60 additional patrons during the warmer weather. Reservations can be made on-line at www.opentable.com.