Celebrating Gay Life, on Film

The 6th annual "Out at the Movies" festival at Jacob Burns showcases 14 movies that explore the gay, lesbian, bi, and transgender experience. The series includes documentaries such as Outrage and Before Stonewall which explore the history and politics of gay life in America. Less serious films include Antarctica, a look at the gay experience in Tel Aviv, and Were the World Mine (right), the tale of a teenager who uses a love potion to make his entire town take a walk on the homosexual side. The series starts tomorrow with an opening reception and a showing of Outrage, as well as a live interview with Kirby Dick, the film's director. Through June 3. Jacob Burns Film Center

A Charming Foreclosure

The New York Times had a series of articles this weekend about the growing number of foreclosures in the region. Westchester evidently has fewer foreclosures than the rest of the tri-state area—and, compared to most of the area, northern Westchester has hardly been touched by this epidemic. But there are definitely foreclosures around. One of the nicest is this lovely 1850 colonial in Somers. The 3 bedroom house is pretty small at 1,200 square feet, but it is fully-loaded with classic charm and appears to be in good shape. The taxes are $7,797, and the asking price has been reduced from $285,700. The home is located on a relatively mellow stretch of Route 202 also called Mill Street (a complication that evidently makes Google unable to correctly map it). Not bad at all for the money. $257,000
Triton REO Management, Live Search Map

Walking Along the Waterfront

The latest section of the Westchester RiverWalk was officially opened last week. The additional half-mile of walkway runs through the northern section of Croton Landing Park and boasts amazing vistas, lots of grass for lounging and playing on, and a very interesting bridge over wetlands. The RiverWalk will eventually stretch 51.5-miles and hug the river from Yonkers to Peekskill. So far, slightly more than 31 miles have been completed. Added to the existing three miles in Croton, running from Senasqua Park down to Croton Point Park, this is the longest continuous stretch of walkway, according to the New York Times. Check out the Times and Journal News for more details and photographs.
Image: The New York Times

Weekend Picks

What to do this weekend in northern Westchester:

Birding Cole Kettle Come see the pewee, flycatchers, warblers, and others on this approximately 3 mile hike. Saturday, 8:00 am. Westmoreland Sanctuary

Shoot Shot Bring a camera and hike along with photographer Rob Dublin as he captures the uniqueness of Croton Point's natural and historic wonders. Saturday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Croton Point Park Nature Center

The Queen and her Court The spring buildup of the hive signals the time to start beekeeping duties. Join the beekeeper as he reveals the fascinating inner social life of the bee hive. Saturday, 1:00 pm. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

Trail Work and Hiking Day Join the farm staff to hike our 3.5 miles of beautiful woodland trails, and help maintain the trails as you go. Saturday, 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Hilltop Hanover Farm

Live Jazz Performers Neil Alexander & Nail create a blend of red hot jazz and burning funk grooves. Saturday, 8:00 pm. The Bean Runner Café

Westchester Symphonic Winds One of Westchester's secret gems, the ensemble Westchester Symphonic Winds performs works by Gould, Gillingham, Brahms, and Gade. Saturday, 8:00 pm. Tarrytown Music Hall

Shad Fest Enjoy Riverlovers' 19th annual salute to the tasty fish, with live music, educational booths, children's activities, and shad samplings at Croton Point Park. Sunday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Shad Fest 2009

Colors, Colors Everywhere Kids can use bold inks, lines, and gestures to create one-of-a-kind prints that are full of energy and fun. Sunday, 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Neuberger Museum of Art

Garden Work Assist the master gardener with preparing the soil and planting the seeds in the herb garden. Sunday, 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Muscoot Farm

Pinkster Enjoy this African-American celebration of spring (above), held in the Hudson Valley as early as the 17th century. Festivities include drumming and dance, African folktales, demonstrations of traditional African instruments, and great food. Sunday, 12:00 to 6:00 pm. Phillipsburg Manor

Seeding the Soil Dirty hands, happy hearts. Come and help cultivate biodiversity at Teatown by planting the children’s garden with a variety of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Sunday, 10:00 to 11:30 am. Teatown Lake Reservation

Portfolio Day Artists are invited to bring their portfolios for one on one constructive critiques with leading gallerists and collectors. Sunday, 12:00 to 5:00 pm. Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art

Choral Concert The Choral Arts Society of Westchester and the historic West Village Chorale perform Carl Orff's “Carmina Burana” and Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms.” Held at the Sleepy Hollow High School, 210 North Broadway. Sunday, 4:00. Choral Concert

Federal, not too Reserved

For a grand Bedford Hills estate, this 1890 house looks quite calm and welcoming. The 5,400 square foot, 6 bedroom house features a number of gracious and spacious rooms, each with lovely original details. The family room, with it's large skylight and wall of French doors, is quite appealing. The house is set on 8.6 acres with some gorgeous plantings and a pool. However, the two circular drives—one on either side of the house—strikes me as a very strange way to use the land. Located just east of Route 117, the house is close to Bedford Hills village and train. For what it is, the tax bill of $48,330 is hefty but not that surprising. And the asking price seems remarkably reasonable. $2,975,000
Ginnel Real Estate, Google Map, Live Search Map

"Light Breezes, Peaceful Places"

"Light Breezes, Peaceful Places" is a solo exhibit of new watercolors and ink paintings by artist Yoshiko Nakanishi, including "Winter Landscape" and "Summer Forest" (above). Through May 31. Flat Iron Gallery

Updated Farmhouse

Built in 1920, this Yorktown Heights farmhouse has plenty of country charm and all of the modern conveniences. The 3,200 square foot, 3 bedroom house boasts loads of French doors and lovely pine flooring. The 3.34 acre property features a lovely pool and gardens, plus a separate cottage. On the con side, some parts of the house look too updated for my taste (such as the master suite and the kitchen), and the house is pretty close to the Taconic Parkway. But there is loads to like here. At $21,056, the annual taxes seem relatively standard for the size of the house and property—as does the asking price. Agree? $879,000
Houlihan Lawrence, Google Map, Live Search Map

Ink and Brush and Beyond

One of the museums in our area that is not part of the new Fairfield/Westchester Museum Alliance (see below) is the Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden in North Salem. A review in this Sunday's New York Times reminds us that, with it's lovely gardens and blooming cherry blossoms, the museum "is one of Westchester’s top seasonal art pleasures." The article reviews the two current exhibits at the museum. “Brush With Nature” consists of 70 works by 23 artists using the traditional art form of ink and brush painting, and includes "Hands On" and "Quieting" by Mary Padilla (above). The other exhibit is of works by Sayoko Harada, an artist living in Gifu, Japan. Both exhibits run through June 19. Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden
Images: The New York Times

Local Museums Join Forces

The six largest museums in Westchester and Fairfield recently announced that they are forming the Fairfield/Westchester Museum Alliance. As of May 1, members of any of the museums have free admission and a 10% store discount to all six institutions. Non-members can get a same-day free pass to all six museums when they pay admission for one. The participating museums are: the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum (above, top) in Ridgefield; the Bruce Museum in Greenwich; the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers; the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art in Peekskill; the Katonah Museum of Art (above, bottom) in Katonah; and the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase.

Weekend Picks

What to do this weekend in northern Westchester:

Spring Bird Walk Join a naturalist to look for the birds and search for signs of spring. Saturday 7:00 to 9:00 am. Muscoot Farm

Old Croton Aqueduct Tour Learn the history of the Old Croton Aqueduct and see the inside of the tunnel. Saturday, 9:30 am. Ossining Community Center

Bird Banding Demonstration Learn about migration, nesting behavior, and the importance of bird banding for wildlife conservation. Saturday, 10:00 am. Westmoreland Sanctuary

Wolves for Kids Get a great introduction to wolves and learn about the fairy tales and misconceptions surrounding them. Saturday, 10:00 am. Wolf Conservation Center

Mothers & Others Tea Musicale Share a recital in the Music Room with Jennifer Zetlan singing a repertoire of lovely songs for mother, followed by a special tea. Saturday, 1:00 pm. Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts

Sea Glass Exploration Learn how sea glass forms by observing various pieces through a microscope. Then make and take home a sea glass pendant. Saturday, 1:00 pm. Croton Point Park Nature Center

Pond Study: Turtle Trap Monitoring Look for tadpoles, sunfish, and dragon fly larvae in the pond. Then watch the naturalist venture out to the turtle traps to see what we got. Saturday, 2:00 pm. Westmoreland Sanctuary

Meet the Authors In conjunction with the Hudson Valley Writers' Center, local authors and illustrators will be on hand to read and discuss their recent work. Saturday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Warner Library

Alan Bates Trio Celebrate spring with the sounds of the vibraphone, drums, and bass. Saturday, 3:00 pm. Ossining Public Library

Nature Friendly Plant Sale Get your habitat-friendly wildflowers, unique annuals and perennials, deer resistant flowering shrubs, vegetables, herbs, and other native plants. Saturday, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Teatown Lake Reservation

The Fun and Funny Juggling Show Enjoy the juggling, sight gags, boomerangs, and sophisticated clowning of Will Shaw. Saturday, 7:30 pm. Croton Free Library

Daisy Jopling "Classical Rock violinist" Daisy Jopling (above) performs. Saturday, 8:00 pm. Bean Runner Cafe

They Might Be Giants Formed as a duo in 1982, They Might Be Giants has had a singular career and has developed a reputation as a "must see" live show. Saturday, 4:00 and 8:00 pm. Tarrytown Music Hall

Joe Lovano Saxophonist Joe Lovano leads his Grammy Award winning Nonet through a celebration of 20th century masters. Saturday, 8:00 pm. Paramount Center for the Arts

Radius: For Artists Only An Open House for local artists. Bring a small portfolio of your work to share with other guests and learn about Radius' professional development opportunities. Saturday, 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

Sheep Shearing May is sheep shearing time on the farm. Watch the sheep get their spring haircuts. Sunday, 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Muscoot Farm

Working with Artists Using Environmental Materials A presentation by leading New York gallery dealer Mary Sabbatino, of Galerie Lelong, in conjunction with the exhibition "Origins." Sunday, 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art

Mom's Cole Kettle Hike Bring mom on a long walk to Cole Kettle, one of our furthest natural wonders. This hike will take approximately 2 ½ hours. Sunday, 1:00 pm. Westmoreland Sanctuary

Country Comforts

Built in 1928, this sweet house is in the Lake Katonah community, not too far from the village. The 1,900 square foot house has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and central air. The living room boasts a vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace and the dining room has windows on three sides (I love that!). The lot is .80 of an acre and appears to have some views of the lake. Overall, it's a sweetheart of a house in a nice spot. The price was reduced from $725,000 just last week. $689,000
Ginnel Real Estate, Google Map, Live Search Map

Pop-Up Art

The Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art's 2008 Artist-in-Resident, Amsterdam based Karen Sargsyan created the site-specific sculptural installations in the exhibition "Abroad Understanding." Sunday's New York Times said that the sculptures are "intricately constructed from layers of colored paper and are remarkable for their playfulness and dynamism." Through May 24. Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art

Footloose

The Jacob Burns Film Center's annual "Dance on Camera" series celebrates movies that catch the splendor of human movement. This year's series includes Planet B-Boy, Ballerina, and Fado, a look at Portugal's signature dance. Every Little Step (right) is a documentary about auditioning for A Chorus Line (the hit musical about auditioning for a show). This Friday, the film's producer will be on hand for an interview with choreographer Peter Pucci. The series runs from May 8 through May 14. Jacob Burns Film Center

Tuscan Fantasy

I admit that if this Mediterranean confection had been built in the last 20 years I would find it appalling. However, since it was built in 1930 by industrialist William R. Timken, I find it rather enthralling. Dubbed "La Quercia," the 5,000 square foot villa has grand spaces indoors and out, and more arches than the Cloisters. The 4 bedroom house has been completely updated—sadly, the "Tuscan" kitchen does indeed cross the line for me into the appalling realm. Located on the edge of Croton, the 3.8 acre property features a large pool and lovely gardens. For what the listing offers, the taxes are surprisingly reasonable at $22,773—and the price does not seem at all crazy. $1,749,000
Sotheby's International Realty, Google Map, Live Search Map

A Guide to Good Hikes

Since moving here almost 8 years ago, I have constantly come across new hiking trails and parks in the area. So I'm not that surprised that the new guide Walkable Westchester lists 600 miles of trails in 160 parks and preserves. The authors Walt and Jane Daniels, residents of Mohegan Lake, have created the book for the New York/New Jersey Trail Conference, and all proceeds from the sale of the guide will go to the organization. According to Sunday's New York Times article, four of the authors' five favorite walks are located in the northern parts of the county: Camp Smith trail, just north of Peekskill; Lasdon Park Arboretum and Veteran's Memorial in Somers; Teatown Lake Reservation in Ossining and Yorktown; and the stretch of the North County Trailway that runs from Yorktown Heights to Milwood. Other helpful guides to local trails include the Yorktown Land Trust's Yorktown Walk Book and Walks & Rambles in Westchester and Fairfield Counties.

April Deals

In these days of down-sizing, I suppose that the increase in the number of contracts signed in April in the towns this blog covers constitutes a "spring bounce." At the least, it was a definite improvement over March. As for previously-featured Hot Properties, five contenders got lucky.

Contracts signed on single-family homes:
March: 47
April: 64

Hot Properties that went to contract:

Location: Croton
Featured: March 5, 2009
Asking Price When Featured: $459,000
Final Asking Price: $459,000


Location: Mt. Kisco
Featured: January 29, 2009
Asking Price When Featured: $965,000
Final Asking Price: $899,000


Location: Ossining
Featured: January 13, 2009
Asking Price When Featured: $650,000
Final Asking Price: $600,000


Location: Ossining
Featured: December 30,2008
Asking Price When Featured: $359,999
Final Asking Price: $299,999


Location: Croton
Featured: September 25, 2008
Asking Price When Featured: $790,000
Final Asking Price: $725,000

Weekend Picks

The best activities and things to do this weekend in northern Westchester:

Warblers, Vireos, and Orioles, Oh My! The park naturalist leads a bird hike in search of spring migrants. Saturday, 9:00 am. Croton Point Park Nature Center

Keeping Backyard Chickens 101 A Cornell Cooperative Extension livestock educator teaches everything you need to know about keeping chickens at home. Saturday, 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Hanover Hilltop Farm

Blacksmith Workshop The farm's blacksmith demonstrates the technique of blacksmithing. Saturday, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Muscoot Farm

Live Birds of Prey Falconer James Eyring returns with his fast feathered friends for a falconing demonstration. Saturday 1:00 pm. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

Food for Thought Artist Dave Channon presents his paintings and then gives a walking tour of his whimsical welded steel sculptures, made from recycled farm tools, installed throughout the property. Saturday, 1:00 to 4:30 pm. Stone Barns Center For Food and Agriculture

Taste of Our Towns Food Festival The annual benefit for a number of local charities features fare from a dozen local restaurants, including Bollywood Bistro of Pleasantville, Flying Pig of Mount Kisco, L’Anjou of Bedford Hills, and Tenga Asian Bistro of Katonah. Saturday, 12:00 to 2:30 pm. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

Adding Natives to Your Landscape Learn about the shrubs, trees and wildflowers that are native to the area and how to incorporate them into your own backyard. Saturday, 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Teatown Lake Reservation

Karen Akers In her new show, "Simple Styne," Karen Akers puts her own take on the catalog of the composer Jule Styne. Saturday, 8:30 pm. Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts

Sounds of Shakespeare A performance of music inspired by “Hamlet” at the Presbyterian Church of Mt. Kisco. Saturday, 8:00 pm. Westchester Oratorio Society

Marc Cohn Grammy Award-winning songwriter Marc Cohn sings songs from his newest release Join the Parade. Saturday, 8:00 pm. Paramount Center for the Arts

Muscoot Farmers Market The first of the season, with fresh produce, meats, cheese, soaps, candles, honey, maple syrup, flowers, fish, and delicious baked goods. Sunday, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Muscoot Farm

Spring Migrants Come see who has flown into Teatown on the spring breezes. Sunday, 8:00 am. Teatown Lake Reservation

Red Peralta Enjoy the sounds of singer/songwriter Red Peralta (above). Sunday, 1:00 pm. Peekskill Coffee House

Family Day with Jules Feiffer Pulitzer-winning cartoonist Jules Feiffer and his daughter and co-author, Kate Feiffer, present their new collaboration, Which Puppy? Sunday 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Katonah Museum of Art

Bluebird Monitoring Join us as we check the nesting boxes for new nests and eggs. Sunday, 1:00 pm. Westmoreland Sanctuary

Frog Frolics Kids can learn about frogs and what gets them hopping. Sunday, 11:00 to 12:00 pm. Teatown Lake Reservation

Baroque Music The Rebel Ensemble for Baroque Music presents a program entitled “Town and Country: A Musical Springtime.” Sunday, 4:00 pm. Bedford Presbyterian Church

True Usonian

This gem is one of the original Usonian Homes in Frank Lloyd Wright's famed community in Pleasantville. Designed in 1951 by one of Wright's students, David Henken, the 1,500 square foot, 3 bedroom house has lovely woodwork, lots of built-ins, and walls of glass to connect it to the wooded setting. It even has one of my favorite architectural elements—a butterfly roof! And note the row of skylights in the kitchen. Very cool. The house is nicely nestled into it's 1.25 acre property. I hope someone who really appreciates it gets this one. (Search for the listing by MLS #2907836.) $699,000
Prudential Holmes and Kennedy, Google Map, Live Search Map