Rye

Upscale shore-front living just a stone’s throw from Manhattan.

 

Boating 14 miles of coastline, the coveted Rye is an almost too-good-to-be-true option for commuters. It has the delightful quaintness of a village, but the wealth and conveniences of a city.

Rye just might have the richest history of any Westchester County town. The city, perched right on the coast of the Long Island Sound and named by a group of English settlers in 1660, started as a secluded farming community, then became a center for oystering and grist mills, and—after the railroad came through in the 19th century—evolved into a picturesque resort town. Today Rye still attracts in-the-know New York City residents for summer day trips, but it’s also home to a decent number of daily commuters.

 

 

Rye can be divided into three main neighborhoods: Greenhaven, City Center, and Milton. Quiet Greenhaven holds large, posh homes edging a channel by the same name and the Marshlands Conservancy. The bustling City Center contains some of Rye’s most historic residences as well as most of its shops and restaurants. And nautical Milton boasts stretches of white sand beaches, eye-popping estates, and the prestigious American Yacht Club.

 

 

The welcoming community is incredibly close-knit. Every day, the kids walk with their friends to school (there are no busses). And neighbors work together to conserve the area’s natural wonders and green spaces and provide plenty of recreational opportunities for residents.

 

 

Even adults will fall for Rye Playland, a classic amusement park—complete with a wooden roller coaster, cotton candy, and a boardwalk—that first opened in 1928. Rye is also home to the Westchester Children’s Museum plus a nature center, wildlife sanctuary, and 62-acre park with a duck pond and swimming beach.

 

 

Patient buyers will eventually see the home of their dreams hit the market: whether it’s an English-style cottage with a view of the sound, a Tudor on impeccably landscaped grounds, a classic colonial surrounded by trees, or a two-bedroom Cape Cod on a low-maintenance 1/10-acre lot.

 

Where else can you find designer boutiques, farm-fresh food, relaxing beaches, picturesque residential streets, and best-in-class schools just a 40-minute train ride from Grand Central?