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Tarrytown NY – The “Wish Tree”

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605

 

WishTree Tarrytown NYI was in Tarrytown NY last night enjoying a late latte at Coffee Labs and wandering around enjoying one of the nicest evenings this summer has had to offer up.  Suddenly – right in front of me is this tree.  It’s an ordinary tree like all the others on Main Street.  It’s around 11 PM and I was tired.  But there was something different about the tree…It had a bunch of paper notes hung on it like ornaments on a Christmas tree.  I looked at the pieces of paper and they all had writing scribbled on them.  Each note began with “I wish.”  Then on the trunk of the tree was a little box which held the paper pieces and a pen – and on the box it said “Wish Tree.”

I looked at the notes and to my delight very few of them were trivial.  I saw nothing like “I wish I had a nicer car” or “I wish I could afford a bigger house.” Instead many of them were wishes made on behalf of others. Truth be told, we seem to have precious little of this these days.  In a world that leans more and more towards the “I’ve got mine” or “Let them eat cake” mindset – it was so refreshing to see this tree with all these wishes – many of the totally unselfish.

Truth be told, this is one of the reasons I like Tarrytown so much.  It’s vibrant – at 11 PM the streets were packed – no sleepy village feel here. They don’t roll up the streets at 6 PM. People were still dining – coming out of the Tarrytown Music Hall and walking the downtown.  But it is also a community with a heart and soul of its own.

I apologize for the quality of the photos – but I didn’t have my large camera with me – these were taking from my “older” iPhone – not the newer fancy model with better pixel density.

One of the tags on the collage below in the collage states simply “I wish all these wishes could come true!”  I do too!

 

Wish Tree Collage

 

To Search for Homes and for further information go to my website/blog with free home search at The Westchester View

I am always happy to answer your questions and you can speak to me directly on my moble phone: 914-374-5529.

© 2010 Ruthmarie G. Hicks – http://thewestchesterview.com. All rights reserved.

Tarrytown NY – The “Wish Tree”

Comments (43)

Karen Feltman
Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA KW Legacy Group - Cedar Rapids, IA
Relocation Specialist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

I think that this is a wonderful idea!  You are truly blessed to live in such a heartwarming area.  Thank you for sharing this with us.

Aug 16, 2010 07:04 AM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

Hi Phil - you were a barista??? Seriously??    Their coffee is amazing..but my guess is you were tending a different kind of bar...Mike and Alicia have built up a wonderful business together.

Hi Scott - I'm trying to figure out who did it - so far I haven't come up with anything.

Hi Jim - I think spreading it around is a great idea. Maybe we can start a trend around the country. It's a little piece of hope in a bad time - and that can only help not hurt....

Hi Judy - It was very refreshing.  It really gave me a lift - although the caffine in one of the best lattes served anywhere helped charge me up as well.

Hi Curt - It's making wishes come true that's the hard part.  This was more of an expression of the times.  Translating it to something that would actually help is going to be much harder.

 

 

Aug 16, 2010 08:22 AM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

Hi Margaret - I don't know - but will try to find out.  It might have been the people at the "Flying Fingers" a high-end yarn store.  The tree is really right by their door - so its just a guess based on location. When I go back - I will try and find out.

Hi Claudette - In Tarrytown - Main St. truly is the MAIN street! Not always the case in other towns and villages.   But the main thing is that it was in a central location - people were out and about enjoying it.  I was talking to someone who was looking at the wishes along with me.

Hi Jacki - When I saw it I thought a bunch of people were going to put up things like - "get my bills paid," or "I want a new car."  I was pleased to see it was far less materialistic.  Right now - working in real estate - you get to see people at their worst.  So few are trying to make it a win-win. They just want to grab all the marbles,  So my cynicism had been building up.  I'm glad I'm seeing this in a better light.

Hi Jacki - I was really happy to see something like this. We are all getting more cynical these days and its a refreshing change.

Hi Michael - I live in a neighboring small city.  But this is really wonderful to see. I do have clients in the area and have adopted it as kind of a "second home."

 

 

Aug 16, 2010 08:34 AM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

Hi Diane - Wouldn't that be a great idea????  A national "wish tree" - one in every town or city.

Hi Gordon - It can't be said for everyplace, that's for sure.

Hi Glen - What exactly is a shoe tree?  other than something you put in your shoes!  My father had those - I had never seen them before.

Hi Alan - I hope so too!

Hi Geri - I agree - this could catch on.

Aug 16, 2010 08:39 AM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

Hi Lori - It's a great town. Very centrally located. The funny thing is that it suffers from the perception that it is very far from Manhattan.  Not so. 37 minutes by express train is not the end of the world.  It's actually just 4 minutes further than White Plains - which people consider very commutable. Go figure.

Hi Kristen - What  a great idea.

Hi Ken - Crime is not a big issue in most of these towns.  But some of them roll up the street at 6 PM - even on the weekend.  Tarrytown is active no matter what day - and it stays active in the evening.

Hi Sharon - I think it really is really great thing.

It was great to read the wishes.

Aug 16, 2010 08:51 AM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

Hi Karen,

It's a great part of Westchester - just for the river views alone - not to mention the feeling of community which is so obviously present.

Aug 16, 2010 08:53 AM
Vince McEveety
Gilleran Griffin Realty - Sherman Oaks, CA

if i mail you some paper with a note will you nail it or tape it or tie it to that tree?

i want some of its' magic

Aug 16, 2010 10:05 AM
Vickie Nagy
Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate - Palm Springs, CA
Vickie Jean the Palm Springs Condo Queen

This is a very cool concept. Thanks for sharing news about "The Wish Tree". There should be more of them!

Aug 16, 2010 10:42 AM
Louis Snitkin
Halstead Property - Manhattan, NY
"Results That Will Move You"
It's always good to hear that there are people who think about someone other than themselves. Maybe you should get them to start one in Downtown White Plains.
Aug 16, 2010 11:31 AM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

Hi Vince,

Just send it to my office! 

Hi Vickie -

I think its a great concept - its something we need more of.

Hi Louis, Downtown White Plains could certainly use it.  There is "Old White Plains" and then there is "New White Plains."  Right now the suburban south end is at war with the northern downtown end - mostly over money.  Because single family homes are taxed at a much higher rate - the downtown infrastructure isn't paying for itself and the south end residents are sick of footing the bill.  It makes for some serious issues.

 

Aug 16, 2010 03:31 PM
Rosalinda Morgan
Brookville, NY
"The Rose Lady"

Ruthmarie - That's a wonderful idea and very refreshing to see people not wishing material things.  Tarrytown must really be a nice community and you are very lucky to be living there.

Aug 16, 2010 03:53 PM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

Hi Rosalinda - I thought the tree was pure genius ...The community has real character.

Aug 16, 2010 04:43 PM
J. Philip Faranda
Howard Hanna Rand Realty - Yorktown Heights, NY
Associate Broker / Office Manager

I was a bartender at Harry's of Hartsdale when Mike was a sous chef there and Alicia worked at Orchard Street Oyster Bar in Eastchester. I think that's how they met. 

Aug 16, 2010 07:16 PM
Louis Snitkin
Halstead Property - Manhattan, NY
"Results That Will Move You"
Ruthmarie - I was thinking that a good spot might be in front of The Ritz, but the wishes might be "R" rated. The displeasure with the runaway property taxes are exacerbated by the fact that "The Donald" was given a 20 year tax abatement for his downtown project. As you said, the home owners are not getting the bang for their buck. However, White Plains still has one of the lowest tax rates in Westchester.
Aug 17, 2010 04:36 AM
Liz and Bill Spear
Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com - Mason, OH
Transaction Alliance Cincinnati & Dayton suburbs

Ruthmarie,

Very cool idea and neat little place.

Aug 18, 2010 12:03 PM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

Hi Phil  - that makes good sense.  I knew that Mike was a chef.  He's a great guy.

 

Hi Louis - I thought it was 10 years. I asked Tom Roach at a CNA meeting - he said he was "unaware" of abatements for Trump and the Ritz.  The sad thing was that the entire project was sold to the public on the basis that it would lower taxes.  Instead they spiralled out of control because of the infrastructure required to sustain an active (read rowdy) down town with high rise buildings tht were never there before.  R - rated - Un repeatable with one $%*! after another would be more likely.

Hi Liz and Bill - It's a great village with a life all its own.

Aug 18, 2010 08:03 PM
Anonymous
Frank Elk

Very nice story. It looks like wish trees are sprouting up everywhere:

http://www.fiverr.com/users/sloantech/gigs/tie-your-deepest-wish-to-a-live-wish-tree

I think this tradition is seen in Asia and Europe.

Aug 23, 2010 03:35 AM
#40
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

Thank you so much for the link Frank....I think we should do this in EVERY town.  Except perhaps White Plains - too much bad energy there just now!

Aug 23, 2010 03:30 PM
Judy Greenberg
Compass - Long Grove, IL
Compass- Long Grove -Buffalo Grove

What a feel good story... thanks for sharing!

Aug 24, 2010 04:44 AM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

Hi Judy, You are welcome.

Aug 24, 2010 05:34 AM