Tarrytown is another one of those day trips from NYC that’s so easy that it almost doesn’t feel like a “trip” at all: 15 bucks and 50 minutes on the MetroNorth from Grand Central, a three-minute walk up the hill from the train station, and you’re there.
We went yesterday because it’s one of the towns on the shortlist of Places We’re Thinking About Moving To Within The Next Year Or So (along with Irvington and some of the other neighboring towns), and also because…well, let’s be honest: it was probably the last day trip I have in me for awhile (just walking up the hill made me so tired that I could easily have fallen asleep under the table during lunch).
In a nutshell, Tarrytown is a relaxed place with a bit of a hippie vibe and lots of organic/sustainable foodie options, plus some nice antiquing and pretty historical sightseeing (like Washington Irving’s home and one of the oldest surviving theaters in Westchester County).
To-dos in Tarrytown:
Get an organic latte at Coffee Labs Roasters (decorated with piles of coffee sacks, above).
Take an antiquing break for afternoon tea ($17 for two sandwiches, a scone with heavy cream and jam, a pot of fair trade tea, and a slice of cake) at Silver Tips.
Try it at home: To make the Mediterranean sandwich (above right), mix together finely diced olives, capers, and a bit of olive oil, and spread on wheat bread with a little cream cheese.
Above, the lemon cake at Silver Tips.
Check out a show at the Tarrytown Music Hall, one of the oldest theaters in Westchester County (Madeleine Peyroux is playing there on October 1, and Stephen Stills will be in town at the end of October).
Browse through the clutter of foodie finds (exotic cheeses, weird oils, and plenty of samples courtesy of owner Hassan Jarane) at Mint Premium Foods (I could have happily camped out in here for hours).
Above right, cured cerignola olives at Mint.
Stop into Lollipop The Candy Shop for retro sweets. I think one marker of being a bit of a video game dork is when you actually get a little swell of excitement just from picking up a Super Mario candy brick.
The view looking down the hill towards the river.
For more day trips from NYC, click here.
