Special offer

I Love Where I Live - The Village of Mount Kisco NY

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams NY Realty * Licensed Associate Broker

I love where I live - the village of Mount Kisco NY.  

Especially at this time of year, when the anticipation of surrounding hills covered with masses of autumnal colors brings back memories of not-so-long ago.  

I think of when we first moved here, over 12 years ago.  That first year was exciting & fun, even with the stress of leaving everything we knew behind.  I was ecstatic that we'd moved as our quality of life improved tremendously, but we missed our friends and our old neighborhood in Park Slope where we'd spent the last 13 years.  

A year later, in mid-summer, we moved into what is now our home - a townhouse located on the northern end of town (which is not too far from much as our village is only 3.1 square miles.)  I spent the rest of the summer unpacking, exploring our new home town and driving down-county 30 miles to hang out with my sister and her kids.  We hardly knew anyone in our new town.  

That September, our son started kindergarten.  I walked him down to the bus stop, watch him get on the bus to start his educational adventure and I went home to "unpack."  I opened a box of photo albums and spent the rest of the morning at the kitchen table crying.   

The next morning, we took our walk down the hill to the bus stop and (my now friend) "B" said hello and asked me how I was doing.  To this day, I will never forget the feeling of warmth that I felt towards her.  She introduced me to the rest of the moms and, once my son came home excitedly talking about his new friends, I felt at peace, convinced we were where we needed to be.  (As an aside - I helped "B" and her family find a new home a few miles north and still remember the day they moved - I went to check on them and the second we saw each other we immediately started to cry and her husband just rolled his eyes.  I still miss her - although we do still see each other, it is not the same as living in the same community.)  

Considered to be the commercial hub of Northern Westchester, the "busyness" of Mount Kisco is quickly forgotten the second you cross the border into any of our neighboring towns.  One of my favorite things to do was drive my son to school (West Patent Elementary School, which is in the town of Bedford) - even driving over a couple of dirt roads - marveling at beauty of lush trees and bushes turning bright with fall colors.  We would pass cows and horses on the way, then turn into the campus of our elementary school - which is all on one level with floor to ceiling windows everywhere you turned.  I still see my son's primary school teachers on occasion in town and I think warmly of them all at this time of year.  They helped to make my child's life wonderful & fun & (dare I say?) exciting.   

I still don't like the feeling of mud under my feet (after all, I am a city girl born and raised) but there is plenty of hard ground beneath my feet and I am (still) convinced I am in heaven.  

Copyright(c) 2008 by Sandra Fenton, All Rights Reserved *I Love Where I Live - the Village of Mount Kisco NY*

Posted by
Contact Sandy Fenton for a no-obligation consultation to assess your real estate selling or purchasing needs.

Visit my website at: www.SandyFenton.com

Email: Sandy@SandyFenton.com

Call: 914-672-9429

 NYS Licensed Real Estate Associate Broker

ABR ~ Accredited Buyer's Representative

GRI ~ Graduate Realtor's Institute

CDPE ~ Certified Distressed Property Expert

 

Disclaimer:The information provided herein is supplied by several sources and is subject to change without notice. My Blog does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on my Blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author. My Blog does not express the views of Keller Williams Realty, Inc or those of the operating principal broker.

 

Copyright © 2012 By Sandy Fenton, All Rights Reserved.**

Comments (13)

Amy Bender Webb
Nest Realty Group - Charlottesville, VA
Your Charlottesville Agent

Ahh....if you love Mount Kisco now, you should have seen it before it was "discovered"...

I moved to Mount Kisco at the tender age of 5 (in 1969) and left in 1995 at age 31.  We lived first on Westway and then up Captain Merrits Hill - on Washburn Road. I went to Mt. Kisco Elementary and Fox Lane, spent summers at Leonard Park pool and winters skating on the pond; as kids we hiked up on the hill overlooking Kisco Avenue and loved sledding down the Swiss Home lawn; as teens we rode or walked downtown to "hang out", to buy silver earrings at Limited Unlimited, have a slice of pizza at "Eddie's" ( later Eduardos ) or an ice cream at The Goody Shop!  Mom and Dad were heavily involved in the PTO and the Village: my father was at one time Village Attorney and later Judge....Billy was cutting my hair back in the late 1970's ( and I know he is still there because I passed through Mt. Kisco just two months ago for the first time in a decade ) .....My brother is up in Maine now and my folks live near me (and we all love Virginia) but Mt. Kisco was a great place to grow up. Thanks for taking me back!

Sep 19, 2008 11:00 AM
Sandy Fenton
Keller Williams NY Realty * Licensed Associate Broker - Mount Kisco, NY
ABR, ASP, CDPE, GRI -Westchester NY - Condos to Luxury Homes

Amy -  how exciting to hear from you!  LOL

We used to come up to visit friends when they moved up here in the mid-eighties (and I think there was only one traffic light!)  Mt. Kisco has changed so much even in the last 12 years that I am amazed.  When we moved here the parking meters took only nickles and dimes. 

I love (love!) Captain Merrits Hill - when we moved here, we rented a 1300 sq ft, 3 BR/2 Ba apartment in a two family house on Mountain Ave.  It felt like a mansion to us, coming from a 1 BR coop in Brooklyn!  LOL  It had a fabulous deck with views of the town. 

My son is a junior at Fox Lane now - just recently expanded and renovated, it looks awesome!!!  What a great school!  He also "hangs out" in town - we love that it is pretty much the only "walking" town in northern Westchester, when you think about it.  Actually, now that's he's driving, he and his friends don't do all that much hanging out in town these days.

Mount Kisco is still a great place to grow up and for parents to raise children in.  Did you hear that it was voted the best Westchester "family town" in "In-Town" magazine (2007)?  I will write a post on that soon.

I'm so sorry I wasn't posting on AR a few months back, I would have met you for coffee - that would have been so cool.  Thanks for posting and for your comments.

Sep 19, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous
Anonymous

You'r e welocme Sandy!   

Enjoy active rain...it can be fun.  there is a lot to gain from reading the blogs -  you have to just ignore the people who are only here for the "google juice" - they add a lot of inane content.  

Give my regards to Westchester..!!

( and thanks for commenting back on my blog too )

Amy

Sep 19, 2008 11:13 PM
#3
Not Here
Active Rain Please Delete this account. Thank you - Kalamazoo, MI

Sandy, sounds like a wonderful town and a beatiful time of year. Nice post and thanks for sharing your pride of your home town.

Sep 20, 2008 12:06 AM
Sandy Fenton
Keller Williams NY Realty * Licensed Associate Broker - Mount Kisco, NY
ABR, ASP, CDPE, GRI -Westchester NY - Condos to Luxury Homes

Hazelhoff - Thanks so much for reading and commenting.  Have a great Fall!

Sep 21, 2008 04:06 AM
Sherry Peckhoon Sim
Sims & Company - Cayucos, CA
Broker/Owner, Covering the Beautiful Central Coast

Hi Sandy, I don't know where Mount Kisco is. Based on what you described, it sounds like a very nice and safe place.  I was a city girl too.  I love my small town of Cayucos with 3,000 people. I sure like the rustle of the fall leaves, and the sounds of mooing, so you must live in a beautiful place.

Sep 28, 2008 06:36 PM
Cherimie Crane
Cherimie Crane & Associates - Beaufort, SC

Hi Sandy- Isn't it wonderful to truly love where you live. I think that is something that is easily picked up by our clients. Great post, thanks for sharing.

Sep 28, 2008 11:01 PM
Sandy Fenton
Keller Williams NY Realty * Licensed Associate Broker - Mount Kisco, NY
ABR, ASP, CDPE, GRI -Westchester NY - Condos to Luxury Homes

Sherry - there is only one Mt Kisco in all of the US!  We are located about 1 hour north of NYC's midtown, so it is considered to be a suburb.  But - it is far enough north that my Mom thinks she's in the "country" when she visits.  LOL  Considered the northern commercial hub in my Westchester county, we have about 10,000 residents - but that population goes up to about 20,000 during the week, when people are in town on business.  It is a thriving little village.

I'm not sure how I would feel living in the "real" country - I think I'd go stir-crazy.  LOL

The leaves are starting to turn now - looking forward to this fall's show.  :-)

Thanks for commenting!

Sep 29, 2008 02:37 AM
Sandy Fenton
Keller Williams NY Realty * Licensed Associate Broker - Mount Kisco, NY
ABR, ASP, CDPE, GRI -Westchester NY - Condos to Luxury Homes

Cherimie - Yes, I am very grateful to be where we are.  A dozen years later, I'm still marveling.  LOL

Thanks for stopping by to say hi.  Looks like where you live is absolutely beautiful! 

Sep 29, 2008 02:42 AM
Jennifer Fivelsdal
JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY
Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

Sandy - Mount Kisco was a great choice and just the right distance from the city so you can enjoy both worlds.

Apr 23, 2009 04:18 PM
Sandy Fenton
Keller Williams NY Realty * Licensed Associate Broker - Mount Kisco, NY
ABR, ASP, CDPE, GRI -Westchester NY - Condos to Luxury Homes

Jennifer, you are so right!  It is so cool to have urban, suburban and "ruralish" so close at hand.  LOL

Thanks for stopping by.

Apr 24, 2009 06:51 AM
Anonymous
Susan Hoffman Green

Amy,you just took me very far back.I was born in Mount Kisco in 1960 at the old part of Northern Westchester Hospital.My grandparents Jack and Mary Restieri lived on Sutton Row by the railroad tracks(Bazar Mall now)then on Barker Street.My brother Steven and i grew up skating and swimming and playing at Leonard park,do you remember Tony the pony by the playground and sprinkler area?I have a picture of me petting him at age 4...the Goody Shop was the best place to eat.I remember "Dick" behind the counter,and Muriel the waitress...Western sandwiches,a Cherry Fizz,Coffee Soap Suds and the yummy Bow Tie pastries for dessert..yum i can taste it all even now.My mom Frances "Bunny" Restieri used to play the Juke Box and kick her heels up when she was a teenager,so the Goody Shop has been there many many years.I would send all that Sushi back for just one more meal and smile it brought for so many years for us.We probably skated and swam together,who knows?Mount Kisco was a charming and quaint town,i remember every road,stone wall,even the cracks in the sidewalks.Last time there in 1999,yes,a lot has been added and new,but the past wonders are still there.Thank you for taking me back down memory lane,i love Mt.Kisco,always will...                  Susan Rose Hoffman Green

Jan 27, 2011 01:38 AM
#12
Sandy Fenton
Keller Williams NY Realty * Licensed Associate Broker - Mount Kisco, NY
ABR, ASP, CDPE, GRI -Westchester NY - Condos to Luxury Homes

Susan - thanks so much for sharing your memories.  I hope my son will remember his childhood here with at least as much fondness as you do!

The Bazaar Mall is long gone.  In it's place is a Target and a Super A&P.  They occupy the old footprint of the mall.  In the northernmost part of the parking lot (where they used to have the carnival every year) they built another building that houses Mt Kisco Wines & Spirits, Cappy's Travel, the camera place and a couple of other stores.  There is also an Applebees on the corner of 117 and Preston.  It actually looks very pretty.  The buildings are constructed of red brick and are aesthetically pleasing.  :-) 

Thanks again for stopping by.

Jan 27, 2011 07:53 AM