WESTCHESTER

White Plains Neighborhood Guide

Westchester’s county seat is White Plains, a simultaneously tranquil and cosmopolitan suburb with a storied history, thriving cultural scene, and bucolic atmosphere. With vast parks at its northern and southern tips and smaller gardens and playgrounds sprinkled throughout the neighborhood, White Plains has no shortage of outdoor recreation opportunities. For residents in the mood for shopping, fine dining, or a casual slice of pizza or cup of coffee, Mamaroneck Avenue is the neighborhood’s central stretch of restaurants, cafes, and shops.

With midtown Manhattan, only a half-hour train ride away, the commute from White Plains to New York City offices clocks in at shorter than commutes from parts of Brooklyn and Queens. When wandering White Plains’ verdant residential streets or walkable downtown, you wouldn’t guess you were less than thirty miles from Manhattan’s bustling core. The White Plains neighborhood combines suburban spaciousness and greenery with a small-town feel, a cosmopolitan business district, and easy access to everything New York City has to offer.

White Plains Real Estate Stats

An Abbreviated History of White Plains

Before the 17th century, White Plains was inhabited by the Wecquaesgeek people and was called Quarropas. The first European traders to arrive in the area gave it the moniker ‘White Plains’ as a reference to the white balsam trees that covered the land. Near the turn of the century, a group of Puritans from Connecticut purchased acres of the area from the Wecquaesgeek people and began a settlement. By the middle of the century, White Plains was a populous town and deemed the seat of colonial government for all of Westchester. Just ahead of the Revolutionary War, the courthouse received a copy of the Declaration of Independence, which county delegates approved, leading to the independence of the Westchester colony and the creation of New York as an independent state. White Plains was the site of an important Revolutionary War Battle, as well as one of the headquarters for Washington’s Army.

In the modern era, White Plains became a destination shopping district for New York City residents. The city’s most illustrious department stores and luxury brands set up sprawling flagships in the populous suburb, as part of the first wave of the post-World War I suburban building boom. As parkways and expressways were constructed in the following decades, construction quickened, and by the 1960s White Plains was home to a Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and over 1,000 smaller stores, as well as many office buildings, including the tallest building between New York and Albany. Today, White Plains is one of Westchester’s busiest suburbs, with both quiet residential streets and a mini-metropolis downtown. Its combination of historical sites, shopping, nature, and dining delights residents. 

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What to expect

White Plains Landmarks and Cultural Institutions

A NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR

White Plains’ southern edge is bounded by this 700-acre park, which in the colonial era was a forest known as Saxon Woods. Its name came from a man named William Saxton, who ran a local sawmill, but local dialect altered the name to Saxon. Today, the park offers a cornucopia of outdoor activities. An 18-hole golf course, Westchester’s biggest outdoor swimming pool, playgrounds, hiking trails, and cross-country ski trails make up only a sampling of the recreation available at Saxon Woods Park. 

The house at 7 Cromwell Place in White Plains was once the home and studio for the prolific and multi-disciplinary artist Percy Grainger. The house itself is architecturally magnificent and was constructed in 1893 in the Foursquare wood and shingle style. Grainger lived and worked there for forty years, composing piano concertos, practicing his music, brainstorming his avant-garde performance pieces, and working on his innovative music machines. Visitors to the house can see it as it was decorated when Grainger lived there, with his own artist’s instruments and household items. 

The Battle of White Plains Park is located atop a hill, one of the highest points in White Plains, where a pivotal Revolutionary War battle took place. It has an overlook offering striking views of the city. In addition to historical plaques scattered throughout the park explaining its significance to the Revolutionary War, there is also a playground, two seating areas, an overlook, and game tables. 

The White Plains Performing Arts Center is Westchester’s destination for live theater outside New York City. Putting on both self-produced professional shows and hosting traveling productions from theater companies, dance companies, comics, and orchestras, the WPPC’s performances encompass the artistic spectrum. They also have a robust education department, which is the only educational theater program in Westchester and offers classes to aspiring theater performers between the ages of 10 and 25. 

This 18th-century farmhouse served as George Washington’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War Battle of White Plains. Today, the house is a museum, dedicated to exhibiting both Washington’s time in the home and the house’s prior existence as the home of colonial farmers, demonstrating what daily life was like in that era. 

Founded in 1854, this cemetery holds the graves of many of White Plains’ most significant residents, and its bucolic park-like ambiance fosters a sense of tranquility. The cemetery has long been non-denominational, and open to people of all stripes. There is also a former church built in 1797 on the property, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Westchester County Center has been one of Westchester’s favorite event venues since its inception in 1924. Designed by renowned architects Walker & Gillette in a classic Art Deco style, the building’s exterior is stunning, while its interior holds a vast stadium. World-famous performers like Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, James Brown, and the Harlem Globetrotters have held their Westchester shows at the center. 

Mamaroneck Avenue is White Plains’ walkable downtown heart. The avenue is lined with local boutiques, luxury stores, cozy cafes, and restaurants serving a wide range of cuisines. From family-owned trattorias to retro-style diners and sleek sushi counters, alongside bookstores, high-end clothing stores, and approachable shops, Mamaroneck Avenue promises something for everyone. 

This striking, castle-like fortress was built in 1910 as a National Guard armory. Designed by James Ware, it stands on the land where White Plains’ first courthouse once stood. The courthouse steps, and the plaza of today’s armory building, is the site where the Declaration of Independence was first read aloud to a group of citizens of the new United States, on July 11, 1776. The building is a National Register of Historic Places landmark. 

This park and recreational center surround the Kensico Dam, an over 300-foot high and almost 2,000-foot long dam that forms the Kensico reservoir. The connected park has walking and skating trails, a picnicking area, and an outdoor performance space. The park is also home to the county’s September 11th memorial.

All Notable New Yorker photos courtesy of Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons. Photo of Mark Zuckerberg by Anthony Quintano; Photo of Chris Watson by Bramilan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Photo of Chris Murphy by United States Senate; Photo of Nancy Kissinger by David Shankbon; Photo of Joseph Campbell by Joan Halifax; Photo of Art Monk by Lance Cheung; Photo of Jesse McCartney by Shankbone; Photo of Joseph Polchinski by Lumideck