I Live Here Westchester NY
“I Live Here” is a hyperlocal podcast that explores the stories, people, and events shaping life in Westchester, NY. Each episode dives into what’s happening across our towns and neighborhoods—highlighting small businesses, community voices, local culture, and can’t-miss happenings. Whether you’ve lived here forever or just moved in, this podcast keeps you connected to the place you call home.
The Friday Intel | 10.23.26: $10 Million to $6,225
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In the 17th Congressional District, both major candidates have taken in about $10 million in total receipts this cycle, while some Westchester state candidates have reported about $6,000 in contributions. In the 40th State Senate District, public matching funds are about 46% of one candidate's money and 24% of the other's, by our math. Federal figures run through Sept. 30; state figures cover reports filed through Oct. 2 and are unofficial. Candidates' own committees only. The county legislature is not on this year's ballot.
In This Episode:
0:00 Cold Open
0:25 Intro...
The Westchester Brief | 10.22.26: Reconnect Expands to Degree Holders
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New York has announced that SUNY Reconnect, its free community college program for adults, will open to people who already have a college degree, starting with the spring 2027 semester. We explain what the state says, what Westchester Community College in Valhalla has and has not published, and what to ask before you plan around it.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:20) Deep Dive: SUNY Reconnect expands to adults with a degree
(3:00) What's Happening in Westchester: Stormwater Advisory Board meets today
(3:25) Close<...
The Westchester Brief | 10.21.26: Bridgewater Waits on Second Approval
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A 208-apartment building in Yonkers has city approval, but its developer says construction cannot start until a second building is approved. We walk through the Bridgewater project's second building, the financing condition the developer described to the Yonkers Planning Board, and what the reporting does not say.
Bridgewater South would add 177 apartments, with 18 priced as affordable according to the developer. The company is due back before the Planning Board in November. Also: dates for the Board of Legislators' public input sessions on the county's 2027 budgets.
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Elections Simplified: Shu Yang on Who Is on Your Ballot
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Early voting in Westchester County opens October 24. Shu Yang of Elections Simplified says his own ballot ran seven pages of names he mostly did not recognize, which is why he and a small team built a voter guide that lists candidates' track records. Jim asks how it works, where AI fits, and what it can and cannot tell a voter.
In This Episode
(0:00) Why Jim invited Shu on
(1:09) The ballot problem behind the site
(3:41) A team with very different politics
(7:09) Why most races a...
The Westchester Brief | 10.20.26: Social Security Raise Adds $15.5M
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The Social Security Administration announced a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, and we calculate it adds about $15.5 million a month in benefits across Westchester County. We walk through the county's 184,955 beneficiaries, what the Medicare Part B premium could take out of the raise, and why the official 2027 premium is still to come.
The Social Security Administration says the average retired worker's monthly benefit rises by about $75. The Medicare trustees project a Part B premium of $209.50, up $6.60. Whether property tax or utility bills change your net depends on whether you own...
The Westchester Brief | 10.19.26: $435.7M Capital Budget Proposed
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Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins proposed a $435.7 million capital budget for 2027, with $75 million for housing and $5 million for flood mitigation. We walk through where the money goes, how the proposal compares with last October's, and what the Board of Legislators does next before the end-of-December deadline.
The capital budget covers borrowing for physical projects, separate from the operating budget due in early November. Public input sessions are planned for November, and Budget and Appropriations Chair Tyrae Woodson-Samuels says his committee will go project by project.
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The Friday Intel | 10.16.26: One in Ten, or All of Them
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The share of apartments set aside as affordable varies from one recent Westchester project to the next. In four recent mixed projects in Yonkers, North White Plains and Port Chester, about 1 in 10 apartments is set aside as affordable, 180 of 1,709 by our math (one of the four is a proposed tower). Three other projects are billed as affordable housing throughout. The surprise: for three of the four 10% projects, the income level that decides who qualifies isn't in the announcements. We also give the county's 2026 income limits at 60% and 80% of area median income.
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The Westchester Brief | 10.15.26: Election Deadlines, Oct. 24
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Voter registration, mail and online ballot applications, and the start of early voting all land on Saturday, October 24 in Westchester County. We walk through the deadlines before the November 3 general election, the 25 early voting sites and their hours, how mail ballots are counted as on time, and the one site that changed this year.
A change of address must be received by October 19. Registration applications must be received by October 24. Mail and online ballot applications must be received by October 24, or by November 2 if you apply in person. A mailed ballot...
The Westchester Brief | 10.14.26: $1.2M Median, 7.4% Mortgage Rate
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Houlihan Lawrence puts the third quarter median single-family price in Westchester County at $1.2 million, up 10.1% from a year ago, while the average 30 year mortgage rate is above 7%. We walk through the sales numbers, the Federal Reserve's September increase, and what the rate gap alone adds to the monthly payment on a $960,000 loan, the size of a loan on a median price home with 20% down.
The report, as covered by Westfair Communications on October 7, counts 1,562 single-family sales, down 2.2%. Condominium sales rose 4.3% and co-op sales fell 3.7%. The Federal Reserve raised its target rate...
I Live Here Westchester | Joe Cinquemani on Taxes, Indian Point, and the NY-16 Race
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Joseph Cinquemani is the Republican nominee for Congress in New York's 16th District, which covers southern Westchester and part of the Bronx. The New Rochelle attorney talks about why he is challenging Rep. George Latimer, his 10% across-the-board federal spending cut, a plan to end tax withholding for workers earning under $40,000, and his case for recommissioning Indian Point as a small modular reactor hub. He also describes his federal suit against the City of Mount Vernon over a town hall and answers questions on data centers and AI.
In This Episode:
0:21...
The Westchester Brief | 10.13.26: Playland Up 36%, Cost Unreported
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Playland's 2026 attendance is up about 36%, according to the Rye Record, but the published numbers do not say what the season cost Westchester County. We look at the attendance, wristband and revenue figures, a correction to a number we aired in June, and what County Executive Ken Jenkins says is next for the Dragon Coaster after the September 19 electrical fire.
The Rye Record reports about 320,000 visitors so far this year, against 235,210 a year earlier, and 171,677 ride wristbands sold, up from 93,415. It also reports park admissions revenue of $3.49 million, up from $1.31 million. The...
The Westchester Brief | 10.12.26: Measles Order and ZIP Data
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New York has declared a measles emergency, and the governor's order does not name Westchester County. But the state publishes MMR vaccination rates for children by Westchester ZIP code, and they run from 71.7% to 91.7%. We look at what Executive Order 65 does, what the ZIP data does and does not measure, and what we could not find.
Executive Order 65, signed October 5, lets pharmacists vaccinate children 2 and older and lets paramedics, advanced emergency medical service providers and midwives give the vaccine under conditions set by the state. It runs through November 4. The state's...
The Friday Intel | 10.09.26: Two Districts, Two Money Pictures
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Westchester County is split between two congressional districts, and the reported campaign money in them is far apart. Federal filings through June 30 show Rep. Mike Lawler (R, 17th District) with $8.17 million in total receipts (about $3 million of it transferred from affiliated committees), Democratic challenger Cait Conley with $4.32 million, and Rep. George Latimer (D, 16th District) with about $514,000. The surprise: through June 30, the congressman for Yonkers, New Rochelle and White Plains had $100,662 in the bank and had spent more than he raised.
In This Episode:
0:00...
The Westchester Brief | 10.08.26: MTA Estimates $1B Tariff Cost
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The MTA says federal tariffs will add about $1 billion to the trains and buses it plans to buy, and some MTA vehicles are assembled in Yonkers. We look at what the estimate covers, what the MTA has not said about Metro-North's share for Westchester County riders, and the exemption Governor Kathy Hochul has asked Washington for. Westfair reports the $1 billion equals what the MTA plans to spend to replace almost all of the older Metro-North rail cars, though the MTA calls it an estimate, not a final bill.
In This Episode<...
The Westchester Brief | 10.07.26: $22M Set for Mount Vernon Armory
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The Mount Vernon Armory in Westchester County has sat condemned since 2021, and $22 million is now set to bring it back. We look at the building's history, how Westfair and News 12 describe the funding, and the questions neither report answers, including the timeline, the programs and who will run it. Westfair attributes $13 million to Governor Kathy Hochul, $6 million to Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow and $3 million in federal funding, while reports differ on how a separate $1 million fits in.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:18) Deep Dive: The Mount Vernon Armory funding<...
The Westchester Brief | 10.06.26: Storm Plan: Rye and Port Chester
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Less than two weeks after flash floods hit Rye and Port Chester, a nor'easter put Westchester County under a state of emergency. We look at what the county's draft Hazard Mitigation Plan lists for those two places, including a search of Rye's actions for Kirby Pond, and what the plan's public tracker does not say about funding. The draft is still open for comments, and the county gave no deadline.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:18) Deep Dive: The county's draft storm plan
(4:00) What's Happening in Westchester: Bee-Line student...
The Westchester Brief | 10.05.26: Indian Point Restart: What It Takes
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At the first televised 17th District debate, Rep. Mike Lawler said he wants to reopen Indian Point to bring down electric costs. We lay out what a restart would take, from federal approval and sign-off by Buchanan, Cortlandt, Westchester County, the state and the Hendrick Hudson school district, to a rebuild the Energy Secretary put at a little over $10 billion. We also check a tariff claim from Democratic challenger Cait Conley and look at the county's new property tax relief for veterans and surviving spouses.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open<...
The Friday Intel | 10.02.26: NYC vs. New Haven, by the Pizza Numbers
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Connecticut calls New Haven the Pizza Capital of the United States. New York has the reputation. For National Pizza Month, The Friday Intel looks at what the data actually says, and why Westchester County sits right in the middle of the fight. The surprise: the New York area's pizzeria density sits right at the national average.
In This Episode:
0:00 Cold Open
0:20 Intro and Context
1:05 The Data
3:40 The Surprise
4:40 What This Means for You
5:25 Close
...
The Westchester Brief | 10.01.26: Westchester's $2.53B Visitor Economy
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Visitor spending in Westchester County reached $2.53 billion in 2025, growing faster than New York State as a whole. Separately, the county says film and TV production had $1.85 billion in economic impact. We look at what those numbers mean for local taxes and businesses, and the caveats behind them.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:20) Deep Dive: Westchester's visitor and film economy
(4:15) What's Happening in Westchester: Thompson's Cider Mill's 50th season
(4:40) Close
Sources:
Westfair Communications, visitor spending...
I Live Here Westchester | Rep. Mike Lawler on SALT, Data Centers, and Working Across the Aisle
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Congressman Mike Lawler represents New York's 17th District, which covers Rockland and Putnam, northern Westchester, and part of Dutchess, in one of the most closely watched House races in the country. Lawler talks about raising two young daughters in a targeted race, the 2008 Ponzi scheme that cost his parents nearly everything, and why his best friend in Congress is a Democrat. He also takes questions on the SALT deduction and its 2030 expiration, congestion pricing, data centers in Rockland, and his call to reopen Indian Point.
In This Episode:
0:08 Family, Pearl R...
The Westchester Brief | 09.30.26: Westchester's Draft Flood and Storm Plan
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Westchester County's draft Hazard Mitigation Plan is open for public comment. Its tracker lists 1,075 actions, 757 aimed at flooding, with 610 in progress and 4 marked complete. We look at what the plan does, the flood-insurance losses behind it, including $116 million in claims from Ida, and how to weigh in.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:20) Deep Dive: Westchester County's draft Hazard Mitigation Plan
(4:05) What's Happening in Westchester: Yonkers Housing Authority's homeownership lots
(4:30) Close
Sources:<...
The Westchester Brief | 09.29.26: The Sheffield's $1 Land Deal in White Plains
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Westchester County approved about $10.4 million in bonds for The Sheffield, a 154-unit affordable building next to Kittrell Park in White Plains. The county buys the land, then sells it to the developer for $1. We explain the subsidy, the $114.7 million financing stack, and the state SEQRA change that exempted the county's purchase from full environmental review.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:20) Deep Dive: The Sheffield and the county's $1 land sale
(4:20) What's Happening in Westchester: MTA's Hudson Line flood-protection design contract
(4:45) Close
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The Westchester Brief | 09.28.26: Two Governor Polls, Ten Points Apart
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Siena has Gov. Kathy Hochul up 9 points on Bruce Blakeman. Quinnipiac has her up 19. Why do two credible polls released the same week disagree? We compare their methods and look at Siena's suburban region around New York City, where the race is nearly tied.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:20) Deep Dive: Siena vs. Quinnipiac on the Hochul-Blakeman race
(4:15) What's Happening in Westchester: the county's business-owner survey
(4:40) Close
Sources:
Siena Research Institute, September 2026 poll release...
The Friday Intel | 09.25.26: The 5-Megawatt Gap in New York's Data Center Ban
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New York built two separate moratoriums to stop its most controversial data center project. This week, we explain why neither one actually covers it yet — the single regulatory number deciding which data centers the state's pause reaches, what's genuinely proposed for construction in the Hudson Valley right now, and what it means for every Westchester ratepayer even though no project this size has been proposed here.
In This Episode
0:00 — Cold Open
0:30 — Intro and Context
1:30 — The Data: Hochul's moratorium, the Orangetown project, and the Gonzalez bill
3:30 — The Surprise: the loopho...
The Westchester Brief | 09.24.26: JazzFest White Plains Turns 15
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JazzFest White Plains returns for its 15th year with 19 performances across 10 downtown venues, a three-time Grammy winner on the bill, and more than half the schedule free. We look at how a free, multi-venue jazz festival became a fixture of downtown White Plains' strategy to stay active beyond retail.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:20) Deep Dive: JazzFest White Plains' 15th anniversary
(4:00) What's Happening in Westchester: Northern Westchester Hospital's 4th Magnet designation
(4:30) Close
Sources:
- ArtsWestchester, JazzFest White Plains program
- City of White...
The Westchester Brief | 09.23.26: Pleasantville's Rezoning Fight
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Lennar wants to turn 20.5 acres of office space in Pleasantville into 102 townhouses, and the developer's own traffic study makes a surprising claim. Almost a year after the first public hearing, the Village of Pleasantville still hasn't voted — we break down the traffic dispute, the affordability numbers, and where the environmental review actually stands.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:20) Deep Dive: Pleasantville's Lennar rezoning fight
(4:15) What's Happening in Westchester: Capitol Theatre's 100th anniversary
(4:45) Close
Sources:
- Village of Pleasantville, project records and hearing minutes
...
I Live Here Westchester | Dan D'Amico on Ending Political Tribalism in District 16
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Dan D'Amico is a first-time candidate for Westchester County Legislature in District 16, running to represent Yonkers. He's knocked on more than 8,400 doors, secured both the Republican and Conservative Party lines, and built a campaign around a simple observation: most of his conversations end in full agreement on policy, right up until a voter learns which party line he's on. D'Amico talks about what running a campaign actually costs a family and a small business, why he's turned down developer and special-interest money, and how he wants to tackle homelessness and affordable housing in...
The Westchester Brief | 09.22.26: NY's First Housing Fund Deal
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An $18 million state loan just helped close a $178 million apartment building across from the North White Plains Metro-North station — the first project in New York State to use the brand-new Housing Acceleration Fund. We break down the financing, the affordability math, and what the county should push for next.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:20) Deep Dive: North White Plains Workforce Transit Hub and the Housing Acceleration Fund
(4:15) What's Happening in Westchester: Hudson River Museum's new exhibitions
(4:45) Close
Sources:
- NY Homes and Community Renewal, Ho...
The Westchester Brief | 09.21.26: Con Edison's New Rate Deal
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Con Edison asked New York regulators for an 18.9% jump on Westchester delivery bills — and got 5% instead. We break down exactly what that means in real dollars for electric and gas customers across Westchester County through 2028, and what Con Edison says the money is actually for.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:20) Deep Dive: Con Edison's three-year rate case, by the numbers
(4:30) What's Happening in Westchester: White Plains Hospital's 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award
(5:00) Close
Sources:
- New York Department of Public Service, Con Edison rate case or...
The Friday Intel | 09.18.26: Rates Hit a 14-Month High, Bids Worsened
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Mortgage rates in Westchester County just climbed to a 14-month high — and buyers responded by competing harder, not backing off. This week's Friday Intel digs into new Freddie Mac and Redfin data showing 67.5% of Westchester homes sold above asking price over the last three months, part of a three-year climb that's now topping 72% in some school districts. The textbook says higher rates should shrink competition. In Westchester right now, they haven't, and this episode breaks down why scarcity is doing more work than the interest rate.
In This Episode
0:00 — Cold Open...
The Westchester Brief | 09.17.26: The Vape Disguised as a Highlighter
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Westchester County just banned the sale of vaping devices built to look like highlighters, USB drives, phone cases, and drink containers. This episode covers County Executive Ken Jenkins' new law, the $300 to $2,500 penalties retailers now face, and the open question of whether anyone has actually been cited since it took effect in July.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold open
(0:20) Deep dive: the new ban on disguised vapes, the penalties, the retail industry's pushback, and how this differs from New York State's nicotine pouch tax
(4:15) What's happening in Westchester: the...
The Westchester Brief | 09.16.26: Rye Was #3. Now It's #1. Here's the Real Math
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A national research firm just ranked Rye the safest city in New York, unseating Bedford for the top spot. Two years ago, using the exact same FBI-data methodology, that same firm ranked Rye third. This episode explains what SafeWise's ranking actually measures, what changed, and why a safest-city claim without a publish date attached isn't information.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold open
(0:20) Deep dive: how SafeWise builds its ranking, what changed for Rye between 2025 and 2026, and why methodology matters more than the headline
(4:45) What's happening in Westchester: ArtsWestchester opens...
The Westchester Brief | 09.15.26: Mount Vernon's $158M Workforce Housing Bet
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Two towers just topped off in Mount Vernon, and every one of the 228 apartments inside is reserved for households earning 40 to 80 percent of area median income. This episode covers QWest Towers' financing, timeline, and why it's aimed at teachers, nurses, and municipal workers instead of the luxury market dominating headlines elsewhere in Westchester County.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold open
(0:20) Deep dive: QWest Towers' cost, unit mix, financing, and what the income bands mean for Mount Vernon
(4:15) What's happening in Westchester: China White expands to Scarsdale and Westport, Connecticut<...
The Westchester Brief | 09.14.26: The $500 Mortgage Number the Fed Can't Ignore
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Freddie Mac's mortgage rate survey just hit a 14-month high, and Westchester County is feeling it more than most. This episode breaks down what three straight weeks of rising rates mean for a buyer at the county's $999,000 median home price, and why this week's Federal Reserve meeting matters more than usual.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold open
(0:20) Deep dive: the mortgage math behind this week's Freddie Mac reading, and what the Fed's Tuesday-Wednesday meeting could mean for it
(4:30) What's happening in Westchester: Five Iron Golf opens in Port Chester...
The Westchester Brief | 09.10.26: County's $579.7M Capital Budget
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Westchester County's newly signed 2026 capital budget commits $579.7 million to buildings and technology, roads and bridges, water and sewer systems, and the airport, climbing toward $650 million once electric vehicle chargers and flood mitigation money are added in. It's the capital-spending companion to the operating-budget breakdown Monday's episode covered, and Westchester County has not broken this capital money down for residents in one place until now.
In This Episode
(0:00) Intro
(0:20) The $579.7 million capital budget breakdown, category by category
(2:15) EV chargers, flood mitigation, and the climb toward $650 million
(3:00) Clarifying the...
The Westchester Brief | 09.09.26: Con Edison's Rate Hike Cut to 3.5%
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Forty Westchester municipalities, organized through the Westchester Municipal Consortium, fought Con Edison's original rate request of about 19% electric and 13% gas. State regulators approved a settlement in January under case 25-E-0072, cutting that ask but still raising electric rates 3.5% in 2026, 3.2% in 2027, and 3.1% in 2028. This episode breaks down the compounding math behind those numbers.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold open: forty towns organized against Con Edison's rate hike
(0:20) The original ask, the pushback, and 20,000 public comments to state regulators
(1:15) The approved settlement: 3.5%, 3.2%, 3.1% over three years
(2:10) The compounding math on a $100...
The Westchester Brief | 09.08.26: 1,299 New Units, a 21,000-Unit Gap
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Westchester County says it needs 21,000 more housing units, but the confirmed development pipeline under construction right now covers only a fraction of that gap. Jim breaks down the math behind four projects in Port Chester, Yonkers, and Ossining, and what a tight housing supply means for rents, home prices, and property tax bills across Westchester County.
In This Episode:
(0:00) The 21,000-unit housing shortfall, and where the number comes from
(0:30) Westchester Crossing in Port Chester: 957 apartments, 105 affordable
(1:45) Yonkers' 16-story tower: 160 affordable apartments
(2:20) Ossining's Station Plaza and Crescent Manor<...
The Westchester Brief | 09.07.26: Westchester Silent on ICE Agreement
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New York banned local police from cooperating with ICE under 287(g) agreements starting August 25, 2026, but no Westchester department has said whether it ever held one. We break down the new Office of Immigrant Trust's enforcement letters and subpoenas, and why Westchester County Police, White Plains, New Rochelle, and Mamaroneck all remain unconfirmed while ICE keeps operating in the county. The state has already subpoenaed four counties elsewhere in New York for non-compliance, and fifteen county sheriffs have sued to block the law entirely.
In This Episode
(0:00) Cold open: the question...
The Friday Intel | 09.04.26: We Checked 45 Westchester School Districts. Only 3 Gave Us a Straight Answer.
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This week, every public school district in Westchester County, plus both regional BOCES, faced a brand-new deadline: publish, for the first time ever, exactly how many students were disciplined for cellphone use last year, and whether that discipline fell evenly across demographic groups. New York's bell-to-bell phone restriction became law in May 2025; September 1, 2026 was the first date districts had to show their work. No state agency compiles the results, so we checked all 45 entities ourselves. Only three -- Hastings-on-Hudson, New Rochelle, and Southern Westchester BOCES -- gave us a complete, readable report. Six...
The Westchester Brief | 09.03.26: SNAP Cut Hits Westchester
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Starting October 1, Washington's share of SNAP administrative costs drops from 50 percent to 25 percent, and New York public radio has named Westchester one of the hardest-hit counties in the state — with an estimated $4.5 million cost shift the county hasn't confirmed. This episode connects the dots to Monday's budget story and previews a bigger federal change coming in 2027.
In This Episode
(0:00) How the SNAP administrative cost shift works
(1:30) Westchester's estimated $4.5 million hit, and why it's unconfirmed
(3:00) Why the timing matters for the 2027 budget
(4:30) The bigger SNAP change coming in 2027
