I Live Here Westchester NY

Send us Fan MailNew York's 2028 budget pressure is about to become Westchester County's problem. This episode breaks down how federal changes to Medicaid recertification and SNAP cost-sharing land directly on the Westchester County Department of Social Services, and why the county has almost no room left to absorb it after this year's budget already cut more than 100 positions and raised property taxes.In This Episode(0:00) Cold open — the governor's race behind the budget crunch(0:20) Deep dive — Medicaid, SNAP, and the cost shift to Westchester County(4:00) What else is happening — Con Edison's new multi-year rate hike(4:40) CloseSources:NY State of Politics — 2026 gubernatorial race coverageSpectrum News — Hochul vs. Blakeman polling and budget contextYonkers Times — Con Edison rate case coverageSubscribe to the newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com for stories like this first.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailThe Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate steady for a fourth straight meeting in June — but Westchester County home costs didn't hold still at all. This week, The Friday Intel runs the actual math: a 30-year mortgage rate that just hit 6.55%, the highest in nearly a year, layered on top of a Westchester median home price that crossed $999,000, up 16.2% year over year. We calculate exactly what that combination costs a buyer on a real loan, and why "the Fed held" is not the same thing as "your housing costs held."In This Episode:0:00 — Cold Open0:30 — Intro and Context1:30 — The Data: the rate, the median price, and the sales slowdown3:30 — The Surprise: why a Fed hold isn't a pause button on your costs5:00 — What This Means For You6:00 — CloseSources: U.S. News (national mortgage rate data), Federal Reserve FOMC statement, Houlihan Lawrence Q2 2026 market report via Westfair Communications.Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWestchester County's Good Neighbor Policy promises residents 60 days and a public meeting before the county acts on land it owns nearby. County Executive Ken Jenkins renewed the policy this month, framing it as transparency. We asked the county for a record of whether it's ever actually changed a decision — and we're telling you what we know, and don't know yet.In This Episode:(0:00) The Good Neighbor Policy, explained(2:45) What we asked the county, and what we don't know yet(5:00) What's Happening: a 32-organization healthcare coalition launches in PurchaseSources: Westchester County government; ILH records request (pending).Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share the show with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailNew Rochelle's downtown transit center rebuild has been widely mis-reported at $125 million — that figure actually belongs to a separate Yonkers-area project. The real cost is $100 million. We correct the record and walk through what the rebuild means for Metro-North commuters, inside the MTA's $7.7 billion five-year Hudson Line investment.In This Episode:(0:00) The $100 million vs. $125 million mix-up(2:30) What the rebuild means for New Rochelle commuters(4:15) What's Happening: heat and wildfire-smoke advisories continueSources: Railway Track and Structures; City of New Rochelle; MTA capital plan documents.Subscribe to the newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com for stories like this first.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan Mail.Westchester County home prices keep climbing even as the number of actual sales falls. Lindsay Crotty Walsh returns to break down why homes in the one to two million dollar range are going nearly 10 percent over asking, why closings are still down year over year, and what that means if you are trying to buy in Rye, Scarsdale, Larchmont, Harrison, or Mamaroneck right now.In This Episode (0:00) Is Westchester's market still "transformative" a year later (1:44) What selling 5 to 10 percent over asking means for how buyers need to show up (3:25) Why transactions are falling while dollar volume rises (4:34) The Southern Westchester Corridor mismatch between what buyers want and what's on the market (11:54) Westchester's property tax burden and the true cost of ownership beyond the sticker price (18:37) Is there still a realistic path into Westchester for buyers in their 30s (20:03) How Westchester rental and condo value compares to New York City right now (22:40) What rates stuck in the mid-six percent range mean for the market heading into 2027 (24:21) Lindsay's top pick for Westchester's next up and coming townSubscribe to the newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com for more on the market shaping where you live.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWestchester Medical Center Health Network folded eight hospitals under one license this month, held by the Westchester County Health Care Corporation — the same public benefit corporation behind Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. We break down what the consolidation actually changes, and the governance question nobody's asked yet about a Westchester-chartered corporation now licensing hospitals in four other counties.In This Episode:(0:00) WMCHealth's eight-hospital licensing consolidation(3:15) The governance question and the national consolidation pattern(4:45) What's Happening: a 30-year Larchmont bagel shop closesSources: Beckers Hospital Review; WMCHealth press releases.Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share the show with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWestchester County's median single-family home price hit $999,000 in Q2 2026, up 16.2% year over year, while sales fell roughly 7.8%. The Board of Legislators' Affordability and Economic Development Task Force held its first meeting this month, and the county launched HomeSeeker, a new centralized portal for affordable-housing listings. We break down whether this is a policy response or a process — and what's still missing.In This Episode:(0:00) The county's affordability task force vs. a $999,000 median home(3:30) HomeSeeker and the county's new downsizing push(4:45) What's Happening: Wayfair's first New York store lands in YonkersSources: Houlihan Lawrence Q2 2026 report via Westfair Communications; Westchester County Board of Legislators.Subscribe to the newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com for stories like this first.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailStarting September 1, 2026, New York is extending its 75% wholesale tobacco tax to nicotine pouches like Zyn for the first time, and Westchester County retailers have just 21 days after an August 31 inventory count to pay tax on everything already on their shelves. This week, The Friday Intel breaks down what the tax actually costs at the register, which of Westchester's 933 registered tobacco retailers are affected, how New York's rate compares across the Connecticut and New Jersey borders, and the one detail almost every headline is getting wrong about whether this law touches vapes at all.In This Episode:0:00 — Cold Open0:30 — Intro and Context1:30 — The Data3:45 — The Surprise5:30 — What This Means For You6:30 — CloseSources: NYS Department of Taxation and Finance (tax.ny.gov); Tobacco Reporter; Vaping360; NYS Department of Health Open Data.Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailAlbany's state budget could keep a billion dollars that has traditionally flowed back to New York counties through a Medicaid pass-through arrangement, money Westchester's own budget was never built to lose. This episode breaks down Governor Kathy Hochul's proposal, Albany County's unanimous proclamation against it, and what it means for a Westchester budget that already closed a $197,700,000 gap this year through 8% department cuts and roughly 180 eliminated positions.In This Episode:(0:00) Albany's proposed Medicaid pass-through cut and what a $1,000,000,000 statewide hit could mean for Westchester(3:30) What's Happening: County Executive Ken Jenkins signs a new apprenticeship law for big county construction contractsSources:Albany County, NY, County News release, July 2026Westchester County Government, 2026 budget signing releaseNYS Focus, "No Solution to Health Coverage Cliff in Delayed State Budget," May 28, 2026If this episode helped you understand your county a little better this week, leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts, or share it with a neighbor who lives here too.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWestchester County says it's spent nearly $500,000,000 on affordable housing since 2019. We dig into the county's own numbers behind that figure: the Housing Implementation Fund, the New Homes Land Acquisition Program, and the 3,383 affordable homes those programs have produced. Plus, a new $25,000,000 fund with a hard August 21 application deadline, and the accountability question the county still hasn't answered.In This Episode:(0:00) The county's $500M affordable housing investment, explained(0:45) The 3,383-unit scorecard since 2019, and where the money came from(1:45) Housing Flex Fund II and the August 21 deadline(2:30) HomeSeeker, the county's new centralized housing portal(3:00) What's still missing: no municipality-by-municipality breakdown(3:30) What's Happening: county ties construction contracts over $250,000 to apprenticeship programsSources:Westchester County - New Multifamily Affordable Housing Construction Program - homes.westchestercountyny.govWestchester County - Housing Flex Fund II program page - homes.westchestercountyny.govWestchester County - HomeSeeker portal - homeseeker.westchestergov.comSubscribe to the newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com. It's the fastest way to get stories like this one before they air.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWestchester County just broke ground on its first Complete Streets construction project, and it happened in Mount Kisco, not the county's biggest cities. Jim breaks down the $2.7 million sidewalk and safety award, the $15 million countywide program behind it, and what it means for the eleven other Westchester municipalities still waiting on their own projects.In This Episode:(0:00) Intro: the county's $15 million sidewalk fix breaks ground(0:45) Mount Kisco's $2.7 million Complete Streets award and Phase 3B(2:00) What the countywide Complete Streets program actually funds(3:00) Why Mount Kisco got there first, and what it means for Yonkers, White Plains, Peekskill, and Dobbs Ferry(4:15) SUNY Purchase's Neuberger Museum opens a Holt Broadside exhibition for America's 250th(5:15) Sign-offSource:Westchester County Government, "Westchester County's Complete Streets Program Advances with First Construction Award in Mount Kisco," westchestercountyny.gov, July 8, 2026If you found this episode useful, leave The Westchester Brief a review on Apple Podcasts, or share it with a neighbor who lives on a street without a finished sidewalk.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailA Con Edison power cut during a July heat wave knocked the Yonkers Joint Wastewater Treatment Facility offline, sending partially treated sewage into the Hudson River and triggering a multi-municipality health advisory across Westchester County. From Yonkers to Briarcliff Manor, residents were told to stay out of the water for the better part of a week.In This Episode:(0:00) Con Edison's load-shedding decision and the Yonkers plant failure(0:35) The Hudson River health advisory and which towns it covered(1:20) The $185,000,000 already budgeted to upgrade this exact plant(2:15) What's Happening: Westchester's new apprenticeship law for county contractorsSources:Westchester County Government — "Westchester County Advises Against Recreational Use of the Hudson River Following Yonkers Wastewater System Failure"Mid Hudson News — "Ban on Hudson River swimming remains in effect"CBS New York — "Massive raw sewage discharge into Hudson River prompts health advisory in NYC and Westchester County"Subscribe to the newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com for this story and everything we're tracking across Westchester County this week.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailThe country keeps saying the office is dead — but Westchester County just posted its strongest leasing quarter in years. Office leasing jumped 30.1% year over year in Q1 2026, hitting roughly 450,000 square feet, about 14% above the 10-year first-quarter average, according to Newmark. This week on The Friday Intel, we go deeper on the counter-narrative — and the surprise buried inside it. The surge wasn't new companies moving in. It was companies already here, in Tarrytown and White Plains, renewing and staying put. That's retention dressed as growth, and it's a more honest read than the headline. We break down what the numbers actually say and what it means for your commute, your downtown, and the local economy.In This Episode:0:00 — Cold Open: the office isn't dead here0:30 — Intro and Context1:30 — The Data: 450,000 sq ft, +30.1%, Class A rents at $30.813:30 — The Surprise: it's renewals, not new tenants5:00 — What This Means for You6:00 — CloseSources: Newmark, "Newmark Reports a Surge in Leasing Velocity Across Westchester County" and Westchester County Office Market Report Q1 2026; Colliers Westchester County Office Market Report Q1 2026 (cross-check).Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailThe 2% property-tax cap is the most misunderstood rule in Westchester County, the highest-taxed county in America. It limits how much a town or school district can raise in total, not what any single homeowner pays. This episode explains the reassessment trap: how, in towns that have gone 10 to 20-plus years without a revaluation, individual assessments can jump 50% to 100% in a single "capped" year, and what to do before your notice arrives.In This Episode:(0:00) The promise every homeowner has heard, and why it's wrong(0:40) What the 2% cap actually caps: the levy, not your bill(1:45) The reassessment trap and the reval "time bomb" in long-un-revalued towns(3:15) What to do: know your town's last reval, check comparables, grieve, and the STAR credit-only change(4:30) Quick hit: Pleasantville Music Festival returns Saturday, July 11Sources:AppealDesk, "New York Property Tax Increases 2026: 2% Cap, STAR & More"NY State Department of Taxation and Finance, STAR and assessment resourcesEnjoying the Brief? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share the show with a neighbor who owns a home.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWhite Plains is rebuilding its downtown all at once. The Westchester County Industrial Development Agency moved to approve three mixed-use projects worth roughly $1.2 billion, including the $585.2 million Hamilton Green tower that replaces the White Plains Mall, and moved to grant $32.87 million in public incentives to make them happen. We walk through the projects, the 140-out-of-1,800 affordable-housing math, and what taxpayers actually get for the money.In This Episode(0:00) A mall comes down and three towers go up in downtown White Plains(0:30) Inside the $1.2 billion IDA approval: Hamilton Green, Lennar, and Waterstone(3:00) The accountability question: $32.87 million in incentives and only 140 affordable units(5:00) Quick hit: the county's new Affordability and Economic Development Task Force launches a listening tourSourcesNew York Construction Report, "Westchester County Approves $1.2 Billion Projects in White Plains"Business Council of Westchester, "Westchester IDA Moves to Give $32.87M in Incentives to Three White Plains Projects"Westchester County, IDA preliminary approval press releaseSubscribe to our free newsletter for the full story in your inbox at iliveherewestchester.com.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailGeoff Rose started his career as a strength coach at Clemson. He left convinced the problem wasn't the coaches or the methodology — it was the model. Not enough time, not enough specificity, and no framework for building structure before building load.Today Geoff runs REP Athletics in Larchmont, where he works with elite athletes and chronic pain patients using the same methodology: ELDOA, myofascial stretching, and structural patterning. The thesis is simple and it holds up — structure dictates function. Fix the structure, and both pain and performance move in the right direction.In this conversation we get into how fascia actually works and why most people have no idea how connected the body really is, why a 60-year-old with back pain and Usain Bolt were dealing with the same root problem, what REP looks for in a new client that a conventional trainer or PT would walk right past, why Westchester youth athletes are showing up with injuries that have no business appearing in a 12-year-old, and why physical therapy often fails — not because of the therapist, but because of the business model forcing them to see eight patients an hour.If you have done PT, seen doctors, and still are not right — this is the conversation to hear.Timestamps:00:00 — From Clemson to a different model 03:15 — Fascia, ELDOA, and structural patterning defined 07:02 — Why elite athletes and chronic pain patients do the same exercises 08:55 — The barefoot running trap and why big changes require small steps 10:44 — Wearables: useful tool or overthinking machine 12:17 — What REP sees in a new client that others miss 14:14 — Westchester trains hard. How do you shift that instinct 17:10 — Youth athletes in Westchester: what is going wrong 19:05 — If PT hasn't worked, what question should you be askingSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailMount Vernon closed three elementary schools to save $17 million, but the actual recurring savings landed closer to $6.8 million. In the county that pays the highest property taxes in America, the Mount Vernon City School District is in its sixth straight year of state-designated fiscal stress, and it still cannot close a roughly $5.5 million gap. We walk through the rejected budget, the June 16 revote, and the projected-versus-actual savings that families were promised.In This Episode(0:00) Mount Vernon's fiscal crisis: two budget votes, three closed schools, and a gap that will not close(5:15) Westchester becomes the first county in New York State to require visual gun-safety warningsSourcesBlackWestchester, "Mount Vernon Community Approves $275.5 Million 2026-27 School Budget In Revote"Mount Vernon City School District, 2026-27 budget revote updatesNYS Comptroller, Fiscal Stress Monitoring SystemWestchester County, "County Executive Ken Jenkins Signs Visual Gun Safety Legislation"Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share the show with a neighbor. It genuinely helps.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWestchester commuters are paying higher Metro-North fares in 2026, but the marquee benefit keeps moving. We break down Penn Station Access, the New Haven Line's one-seat ride into Penn Station that promises up to 40 minutes a day in savings, and why its timeline just slipped to 2027 at the earliest and possibly 2030 for full service. We also look at where the county is spending now, from a roughly $125 million Yonkers station upgrade to cleaner, stronger locomotives on the Hudson Line.In This Episode(0:00) The commute shake-up: what's changing on your line, and when(0:35) Penn Station Access and the one-seat ride to the West Side(1:40) Why the timeline slipped to 2027, and maybe 2030(2:25) Higher 2026 fares now, benefit later: the core tension(3:15) Yonkers, New Rochelle, and new Siemens Charger locomotives(4:30) What to watch next(4:55) What's Happening: free World Cup Final watch party at Kensico DamSourcesMTA, Penn Station Access project page (project overview and stations)NBC New York, Metro-North to Penn Station timeline reportingStreetsblog NYC, Penn Access completion delayed to 2030MTA, 2026 fare and toll increase press release (effective January 4, 2026)Governor Hochul's office / New York State United, Kensico Dam World Cup Final watch experienceSubscribe to our free newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com for the full story and everything else we're tracking across the county.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWestchester County wants to spend up to $150 million modernizing the HPN airport terminal. The Friday Intel digs into the data and finds the catch: HPN moves 2.2 million passengers through a 1995 terminal capped at 240 scheduled passengers every half hour, a 1980s limit the renovation won't touch. The county is buying comfort, not capacity.In This Episode(0:00) A $150 million fix, and the number nobody mentions(0:25) The 1995 terminal and 2.2 million passengers(1:10) The 240-per-half-hour cap and four-of-six-gates rule from the 1980s(2:15) The surprise: comfort versus capacity(3:00) What it means if you fly HPN, live nearby, or pay county taxes(3:50) CloseSourcesWestchester County and HNTB: the terminal modernization and feasibility studyAirport capacity data: HPN passenger counts and the Terminal Capacity AgreementLeave a review on Apple Podcasts, or share this episode with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailBarnes & Noble is gone from White Plains City Center and Neiman Marcus is leaving The Westchester, while Wayfair plants its first New York store in Yonkers. We map who is moving out and who is moving in across Westchester County, and explain what vacant anchors do to mall values and the local sales-tax base.In This Episode(0:00) Two stores out, a furniture warehouse in(0:20) The closings: Barnes & Noble, CH Martin, Neiman Marcus, Saks Off Fifth(1:15) The openings: Wayfair, MINISO, and the dining wave(2:15) Why a dark anchor hits shopping-center values and the tax base(3:00) The 20,000-unit residential bet underneath it all(3:40) What else is happening: Housing Flex Fund II's August 21 deadline(4:05) CloseSourcesWestchester Magazine: business openings and closingsWestfair: Neiman Marcus and the Saks Global restructuringLeave a review on Apple Podcasts, or share this episode with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailThe Essential Plan cliff lands today. As of July 1, New York lowered the income line for its no-premium health plan, and roughly 47,000 Hudson Valley residents, many in Westchester County, lose coverage. We trace the change from a 2025 federal law to a Westchester kitchen table, and explain where the costs go next.In This Episode(0:00) A rule changes today, and 47,000 neighbors wake up uninsured(0:25) How the income line dropped from 250% to 200% of poverty(1:15) The federal law that cut $7.5 billion from a $14 billion program(2:15) Marketplace plans, premiums, and the $2.5 billion left unspent(3:00) Why uninsured residents become a hospital and county cost(3:40) What else is happening: the Katonah Museum's founding-families exhibit(4:10) CloseSourcesFiscal Policy Institute: regional impacts of the July 2026 Essential Plan cliffNY State of Health and NY Health Access: the income-eligibility changeSubscribe to the newsletter for the full story delivered to your inbox at iliveherewestchester.com.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWestchester is short roughly 21,000 homes and rental vacancy sits under two percent. The usual explanation is land, money, and demand. This week's guest, developer Nick Khamsopa, makes a different case: the real bottleneck is people, specifically the shortage of developers who can hold a municipality, a pension fund, an environmental attorney, a lender, and an architect together long enough to break ground.Nick started with a hammer, spending five years in a union carpentry apprenticeship before moving up through contracting into financing and community development. Today he runs Hudson Housing Lifestyle in Warwick, building on brownfield sites with union labor and long-term financing designed to keep working families where they already live. We get into the unglamorous, deal-by-deal work of actually assembling a project, and why that, not land, is where Westchester's housing math breaks down.In This Episode (0:00) The headline housing story, and what it misses (1:30) Why the bottleneck is developers, not land or money (4:00) From union carpenter to community developer (8:00) Brownfields, union labor, and financing that keeps families in place (15:00) What it actually takes to break groundLeave a review on Apple Podcasts, or share this episode with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailFor seven years, Westchester County homeowners could deduct only $10,000 of their state and local taxes. For 2026 that cap jumps to $40,400, a swing worth thousands of dollars a year for most households below the income phase-out. We explain how the new SALT cap works, why it expires in 2029, and how the Conley versus Lawler race in New York's 17th district will help decide its future.In This Episode(0:00) The deduction you lost in 2018, and the news most people missed(0:20) How the $10,000 cap became $40,400, and the $505,000 phase-out(1:45) What the change is worth at a Westchester kitchen table(2:45) Cait Conley, Mike Lawler, and the 2029 clock(3:30) What else is happening: the New York Blood Center's new Rye campus(4:00) CloseSourcesSmartAsset and Anchin: the 2026 SALT cap and phase-outNews 12 Westchester: the NY-17 Democratic primary resultLeave a review on Apple Podcasts, or share this episode with a neighbor who owns a home here.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailThe Hendrick Hudson school district in the Town of Cortlandt, Westchester County faces a shortfall of more than $25 million for the coming year as the last of its Indian Point nuclear-plant revenue runs out. We break down how the district got here, and why an 8% tax hike or a savings raid are the only exits left.In This Episode(0:00) The promise of closing Indian Point, and the bill that came due(0:20) How $25 million a year in plant payments fell to $3.3 million(2:00) The 8% override vote, the $6.6 million reserve draw, and 52 lost positions(3:00) Why every community with one giant taxpayer should watch this(3:45) What else is happening: the county's new Affordability and Economic Development Task Force(4:15) CloseSourcesPeekskill Herald and River Journal Online: Hendrick Hudson and the Indian Point revenue lossSpectrum Local News: the district's budget shortfallSubscribe to the newsletter for the full story delivered to your inbox at iliveherewestchester.com.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWestchester County has the highest property taxes of any county in America — a typical bill near $10,000 a year. But the government everyone blames takes the smallest slice. This week on The Friday Intel, we break your property tax bill apart: how Westchester compares to the wealthiest suburbs in the country, how wildly the bill swings from Scarsdale to the rest of the county, and the one finding that should change who you pay attention to — schools take about 63 cents of every property tax dollar, while county government takes only about 16.In This Episode:- (0:00) Cold Open — the highest tax bill in the country- (0:30) Intro and Context — decoding one lump number- (1:30) The Data — the ranking, the peer comparison, the town-by-town spread- (4:00) The Surprise — where your tax dollar actually goes- (5:15) What This Means for You — your bill, home-shopping, and the new SALT cap- (6:15) CloseSources: Tax-Rates.org (Census-based county rankings); New York State Comptroller (property tax distribution); Ownwell (Scarsdale); Wiss (2026 SALT cap).Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWhen Washington cuts food aid, the cost lands somewhere, and this month it landed in Westchester County. This episode examines two federal nutrition programs under pressure: WIC, which a House spending bill would fund $200 million below current levels while cutting its fruit-and-vegetable benefit 10%, and SNAP, whose lapsed funding hit local food providers immediately. County Executive Ken Jenkins opposed the WIC cuts and steered $50,000 to Feeding Westchester, a move that shows both the county's response and the limits of backfilling federal programs with local dollars.In This Episode:(0:00) When Washington cuts, the cost lands here(1:00) WIC: what the House bill would do(2:15) SNAP, and the county's $50,000 to Feeding Westchester(3:15) The pattern: federal pullback, county budget pressure(5:00) Quick hit: $122.5 million for 94 new Bee-Line busesSources: Westchester County ("Healthy Food is a Lifeline, Not a Luxury"); Black Westchester (county allocates $50,000 to Feeding Westchester); Food Research and Action Center (House WIC and SNAP cuts).Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share this episode with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailDan D'Amico has knocked on nearly six thousand doors in Yonkers District 16. Not with a team. Largely by himself. What he's heard is not what the county is spending money on.D'Amico is a former FDNY firefighter, a working real estate broker, and the Republican candidate challenging the incumbent for Westchester County Legislature District 16. In this conversation, he breaks down what affordability actually looks like when you're sitting across from a family trying to buy a home in Yonkers, why the county's $45 million EV charging station line item doesn't match a single conversation he's had at the doors, and what four years of inaction on Hurricane Ida flooding has cost his neighbors on Warburton Avenue.He also walks through what a county legislator can actually do — and what they can't — so you know what you're voting for when November arrives.In this episode: the broken math of homeownership in Westchester. The 18-month timeline to build a single home in New York versus six months in Florida. Why the county cut every department by 8% and raised taxes in the same budget. The fire victim in downtown Yonkers who got a housing voucher in one hour after weeks of getting nothing from his own legislator. And what D'Amico wants you thinking about when you're standing in the booth.Subscribe to The Westchester Brief at iliveherewestchester.com. New episodes Monday through Friday at 6 AM.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailPlayland, the county-owned amusement park in Rye, opened its 98th season this spring with the historic Dragon Coaster restored. But behind the nostalgia is a real governance question for Westchester County: after the private operator Standard Amusements exited its contract in January 2025, the county is running the park directly, and last season drew just over 213,000 visitors. This episode looks at how Playland ended up back in county hands, what it costs taxpayers to run an amusement park, and why this summer's attendance is the number that decides the park's future.In This Episode:(0:00) The most fun question in county government(0:45) Playland's history and the Standard Amusements breakup(2:30) A bumpy 2025: attendance and the closed Dragon Coaster(3:30) Why a public amusement park is a financial risk(5:00) Quick hit: the 2026 SALT deduction cap jumps to $40,400Sources: Westchester County Parks (Playland 2026 season); Rye Record (county takes over Playland operations; 2025 season recap).Subscribe to our newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailFor decades, thousands of Westchester County deeds have carried restrictive covenants, clauses that once barred homes from being sold to people of certain races, religions, or ethnic backgrounds. They've been unenforceable since 1948, but the language stayed in the records. This episode explains a new process, effective June 3 under New York Real Property Law Section 327-a, that lets property owners formally redact those discriminatory covenants from their recorded deeds through the Westchester County Clerk's office, how the administrative process works, and why so few residents know it exists.In This Episode:(0:00) The sentence buried in your deed(1:00) What restrictive covenants are and how they spread(2:30) The new law: Section 327-a and the Clerk's form(3:45) How the redaction process actually works(5:00) Quick hit: the county's $25 million Housing Flex Fund IISources: Westchester County Clerk (Land Records Forms, RPL Section 327-a redaction); New York Real Property Law Section 327-a.Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share this episode with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailFor seven years, Westchester County homeowners could deduct only $10,000 of their state and local taxes. For 2026 that cap jumps to $40,400, a swing worth thousands of dollars a year for most households below the income phase-out. We explain how the new SALT cap works, why it expires in 2029, and how the Conley versus Lawler race in New York's 17th district will help decide its future.In This Episode(0:00) The deduction you lost in 2018, and the news most people missed(0:20) How the $10,000 cap became $40,400, and the $505,000 phase-out(1:45) What the change is worth at a Westchester kitchen table(2:45) Cait Conley, Mike Lawler, and the 2029 clock(3:30) What else is happening: the New York Blood Center's new Rye campus(4:00) CloseSourcesSmartAsset and Anchin: the 2026 SALT cap and phase-outNews 12 Westchester: the NY-17 Democratic primary resultLeave a review on Apple Podcasts, or share this episode with a neighbor who owns a home here.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailTomorrow's Democratic primary will settle several Westchester County races outright, yet turnout will be a fraction of the electorate. This episode breaks down what's actually on the June 23 ballot, from State Comptroller and the 17th Congressional District to two County Board of Legislators seats, town supervisor races in Greenburgh and North Castle, and the Larchmont mayor, and explains why a low-turnout primary gives the voters who show up outsized power over a $2.5 billion county budget and your local tax rate.In This Episode:(0:00) Why tomorrow's primary is the real election(1:30) What's on the ballot: Comptroller, NY-17, and the local races(3:30) What these offices actually control(4:30) Turnout, your ballot, and how to check it(5:00) Quick hit: the Rent Guidelines Board's final voteSources: New York State Board of Elections (June 23, 2026 primary certification); Westchester County Board of Elections (early voting and polling locations); Black Westchester (2026 primary candidate guide).Subscribe to our newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailThe World Cup final will be played 12 miles from Westchester County — and the data says this region is less a bystander than a home team. This week on The Friday Intel, we map Westchester's actual slice of a $3.3 billion tournament: the overflow economics, the matchday-train rules that will strand anyone who waits, and the surprising demographic finding that reframes the whole thing — Port Chester is nearly 46% foreign-born, almost double the county rate, with about 90% from Latin America. When Mexico or Brazil plays at MetLife, it's a home game for entire Westchester neighborhoods.In This Episode:- Cold Open — 0:00- Intro & Context — 0:30- The Data: $3.3B, 1M+ visitors, the overflow play, the transit gauntlet — 1:30- The Surprise: the World Cup comes home — 3:30- What This Means For You — 5:00- Close — 6:00Sources: NY/NJ Host Committee & NJBIZ (economic impact); NJ Transit (matchday rail plan); U.S. Census / Statistical Atlas (Port Chester demographics); Westchester Magazine (county immigrant communities; Kanopi pop-up); Front Office Sports (hotel "rate event").Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share with a neighbor.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailOn Monday, June 22, the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board votes on how much more tens of thousands of rent-stabilized tenants pay starting October 1. The nine-member board — three tenant, three landlord, three public members, all appointed by the County Executive — is decided by its three "neutral" public seats. The hearings across Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and White Plains are done; the vote is four days out. We explain how the board works, what the landlords and tenants are arguing, and why last year's 2% and 3% outcome is the number to watch.In This Episode:(0:00) Nine people, one room, and tens of thousands of renters(0:20) The data: the board's 3-3-3 structure, the County Executive's appointments, and last year's 2%/3% vote(4:20) Quick hit: Metro-North's proposed 500-space North White Plains garage(5:00) CloseSources: Yonkers Times ("Rent Guideline Board to Hold Public Hearings and Meetings"); NYS Homes and Community Renewal (RGB hearings/livestream); Westfair / Building and Realty Institute (landlord position).Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share the show with a neighbor.Tags: Westchester County, I Live Here Westchester, local news, White Plains, rent stabilization, Rent Guidelines Board, housingSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailYonkers calls itself "Hollywood on the Hudson," but the city's new $1.64 billion budget still raised the combined property tax rate 4.75%. On May 29 the City Council unanimously adopted the largest budget in Yonkers history, trimming Mayor Mike Spano's proposed 5.25% increase but preserving all services and its workforce with help from $55 million in state aid. We explain why a development boom hasn't eased the homeowner's bill — and why the timing, days before the June 23 primary, matters.In This Episode:(0:00) "Hollywood on the Hudson," and a tax bill that went up anyway(0:25) The data: a $1.64B budget, a 4.75% rate increase, $55M in state aid, and the growth-versus-tax-base question(4:15) Quick hit: the World Cup arrives at MetLife(5:00) CloseSources: Yonkers Times ("City of Yonkers Adopts 2026-27 Budget; Tax Increase Reduced to 4.75%"); Westfair (Spano FY2026–27 executive budget); News 12 Westchester (state aid and council vote).Subscribe to our newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com.Tags: Westchester County, I Live Here Westchester, local news, Yonkers, property taxes, city budget, Mike SpanoSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailLinh Hoang is opening Dahlia's Song in Tarrytown — a flower shop, Vietnamese café, and workshop space inside a 135-year-old former bank building on North Broadway. She grows over 400 dahlia varieties herself, including breeds that exist nowhere else, and she's building something Westchester has never quite seen before.In This Episode: (0:00) How a lifelong passion for flowers turned into a business (2:30) Finding and falling in love with the historic bank building (5:25) Growing 4,000+ dahlias across 400 varieties — and breeding originals (7:30) What Vietnamese coffee culture looks like at a table in Tarrytown (9:30) Thursday workshops: florals, watercolor, community, and kids (12:00) Competing against 1-800-Flowers with freshly cut, homegrown stems (13:20) Running seven businesses as a single mom — and why she's doing it (15:50) Opening end of June — how to follow the journeyFollow Dahlia's Song on Instagram @dahliasong and visit dahliasong.com.Subscribe to The Westchester Brief at iliveherewestchester.com.1Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailThe Federal Reserve meets June 16–17, and markets put the odds of holding rates steady at roughly 99% — no cut since December. For Westchester County, where the median single-family home now runs about $940,000, that means mortgages stay near 6.5% and the "wait for a cut" strategy gets more expensive. We translate the Fed's decision into the real monthly cost of buying a home here, and explain why the oil-price spike is part of why the cut isn't coming.In This Episode:(0:00) Why a Washington rate decision lands on your Westchester mortgage(0:25) The data: a ~99% chance of a hold, 6.5% mortgages, and a $500-a-month gap on the county's median home(4:20) Quick hit: Playland opens for its 98th season(5:00) CloseSources: CME FedWatch / CBS News / NerdWallet (June 2026 Fed outlook); Freddie Mac PMMS (30-year mortgage rate); Q1 2026 Westchester residential sales data (median price).Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share the show with a neighbor.Tags: Westchester County, I Live Here Westchester, local news, mortgage rates, Federal Reserve, housing market, home buyingSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailAbout one in four Westchester County homes heats with oil — roughly 85,000 households — and this is the week they face a quiet but costly decision. Heating-oil pre-buy and cap-price contracts are sold in summer, and this year those households are pricing winter against the largest oil-supply disruption on record. We break down the numbers, why oil-heated homes get no state affordability backstop, and what to do before you lock a contract.In This Episode:(0:00) The summer oil decision facing 85,000 Westchester homes(0:20) The data: one in four homes on oil, NY heating oil at $4.10–$4.80, the Strait of Hormuz shock, and the NY HEAT delivered-fuels gap(4:30) Quick hit: early voting in the June 23 county primary begins June 13(5:10) CloseSources: U.S. Census ACS (Westchester home-heating-fuel share); Win Climate / NY Renews, "NY HEAT and Energy Affordability in Westchester" (energy burden, delivered-fuel exclusion); NYSERDA Home Heating Oil prices; Westchester County Office of Consumer Protection (local gas/oil prices).Subscribe to our newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com.Tags: Westchester County, I Live Here Westchester, local news, heating oil, energy costs, NY HEAT, Hudson ValleySupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWestchester County just crossed one million residents — the highest population ever recorded, with the largest single-year gain of any county in New York State, at a moment when 38 of the state's 62 counties are losing population. Today's Friday Intel breaks down the data underneath that milestone: where the growth is concentrated, what it is doing to housing prices, why the cities absorbing the most new residents are also the ones under the most fiscal stress, and what the population trajectory means for anyone buying, renting, or commuting in Westchester County right now.In This Episode:(0:00) Cold Open: 38 counties shrinking, Westchester growing(0:30) Intro and Context: The milestone and why the distribution matters(1:30) The Data: Where the growth is concentrated, what housing prices are doing(3:30) The Surprise: Growth is landing hardest in cities least equipped to absorb it(5:00) What This Means for You: Buyers, renters, and commuters(6:00) CloseSources: Census Bureau county-level population estimates; Westfair Communications Q1 2026 housing data; World Population Review 2026 projections.Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or share with a neighbor.Westchester County, I Live Here Westchester, Friday Intel, local news, Westchester population, housing market, New Rochelle, Yonkers, White Plains, demographic dataSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailA church carnival in Tuckahoe ended May 30 with three injured officers, a hospital transport, and police from multiple counties shutting the event down. Coverage has called it a teen takeover. Today's Westchester Brief asks the harder question: what was the event permit, what was the crowd management plan, and what institutional failure allowed a community institution to become a multi-county mobilization? This is a governance story, not a crime story — and the accountability gap in local coverage is exactly where The Westchester Brief should be.In This Episode:(0:00) What happened at the Tuckahoe festival on May 30(1:00) Why the permitting process is the story — and where the public record is(2:00) The multi-county response: what it tells you about planning assumptions(3:00) Social media and crowd amplification: the structural problem for community events in 2026(4:00) What Tuckahoe officials are now deciding — and what residents should demand(4:45) What's Happening in Westchester: Domestic Violence High Risk Team secures $1M grant for second yearSubscribe on YouTube for the video version: youtube.com/@iliveherewestchesterWestchester County, I Live Here Westchester, local news, Tuckahoe, public safety, event permitting, crowd management, community events, accountability journalismSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailA Westchester-based company just hit a $1 billion valuation in quantum computing — one of the most strategically important technology sectors in the world — and almost no one in the county has heard of it. SEEQC, Inc. manufactures superconducting quantum chips in Elmsford, expanded its facility with a $3 million Empire State Development grant, and is closing a merger with Allegro Merger Corp. today. Today's episode covers what SEEQC actually does, why quantum hardware manufacturing is different from anything else in Westchester's economy, and what the Element 46 accelerator's tech trajectory says about where the county is heading.In This Episode:(0:00) SEEQC: What it is and why it matters(1:00) Quantum hardware vs. quantum software — the manufacturing layer that can't move(2:30) Why Elmsford? The state incentive and talent corridor story(3:30) Element 46 Demo Day: Westchester on the national tech calendar(4:30) What's Happening in Westchester: New York Blood Center Enterprises campus opens in RyeSubscribe on YouTube for the video version: youtube.com/@iliveherewestchesterWestchester County, I Live Here Westchester, local news, SEEQC, quantum computing, Elmsford, tech economy, Element 46, Westchester business, Empire State DevelopmentSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailThe Westchester County Board of Legislators unanimously passed the Visual Gun Warning Law on June 2 — requiring licensed gun retailers to display graphic health warning imagery at the point of sale. Westchester is the second jurisdiction in the United States to enact this type of requirement. The vote is done. The implementation hasn't started. Today's episode covers what the law actually requires, what the county's Department of Health now has to design, what the First Amendment exposure looks like, and why a unanimous vote is only the beginning of this story.In This Episode:(0:00) What the Visual Gun Warning Law requires — and what it doesn't yet answer(1:00) The Department of Health's role: designing the imagery from scratch(2:30) What research says about graphic health warnings at point of sale(3:30) The First Amendment challenge: compelled speech and what courts have said(4:30) What's Happening in Westchester: Element 46 Demo Day, Westchester on national Tech Week calendarSubscribe on YouTube for the video version: youtube.com/@iliveherewestchesterWestchester County, I Live Here Westchester, local news, gun safety, Visual Gun Warning Law, Westchester legislation, public health, firearms, Board of LegislatorsSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailOn June 22, the Westchester County Rent Guidelines Board will vote on allowable rent increases for all rent-stabilized apartments in the county — leases running October 2026 through September 2027. Last year's approved rates were 2% for one-year leases and 3% for two-year leases. Landlords say those increases fell short of actual cost growth. Tenants say any increase is a burden in a county where workforce housing is already scarce. Today's episode breaks down how the board works, who controls it, and what is actually at stake for the tens of thousands of Westchester households in rent-stabilized units.In This Episode:(0:00) The June 22 vote and what it decides(1:00) How the Rent Guidelines Board is structured — and where the real power sits(2:30) The landlord argument: building costs outpaced last year's increases(3:30) The tenant argument: workforce housing in a county where rents already hit $3,000+(4:30) What's Happening in Westchester: Summer season opens — Playland, Wine and Food Festival, PrideSubscribe to the I Live Here Westchester newsletter for the full story delivered weekly: iliveheremedia.comWestchester County, I Live Here Westchester, local news, rent stabilization, Westchester housing, Rent Guidelines Board, tenant rights, landlord, YonkersSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailViolent crime in Westchester County fell 25% in 2025 — and that number deserves more than a headline. All seven major crime categories declined simultaneously. Overall index crime dropped 17%. And one city — Mount Vernon — reported zero shooting incidents in the first quarter of 2026, placing it among just five departments statewide to reach that mark.This week on The Friday Intel, Jim breaks down what actually drove the numbers: the Real Time Crime Intelligence Center, the multi-agency DOVE enforcement operation, and the focused deterrence model behind both. Then he asks the harder question: can it hold?In This Episode:00:00 — The number: 25%01:45 — The mechanism: Real Time Crime Center and DOVE04:10 — The breakdown: all seven categories05:30 — The standout: Mount Vernon's zero-shooting quarter08:00 — The sustainability question11:15 — CloseSources:- Westchester County State of the County Address, May 2026- Talk of the Sound / Mid Hudson News crime reporting- NYS DCJS (cross-reference pending)Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailWestchester County is on the Trump administration's Department of Justice list of sanctuary jurisdictions — but County Executive Ken Jenkins says that designation is wrong, and the distinction he's drawing has real legal and financial weight. Today's episode breaks down what Westchester's actual policy says, what the DOJ designation means under Executive Order 14287, and what the funding exposure looks like for the county. We also look at the anti-commandeering legal doctrine the county is leaning on, the airport security standoff that made the stakes concrete, and the immigrant communities in Yonkers, Port Chester, and New Rochelle at the center of it all.Timestamps:0:00 — Hook: Westchester on the DOJ list0:30 — What the county's policy actually says1:30 — The DOJ designation and Executive Order 142872:30 — Funding exposure and the airport standoff3:20 — The legal doctrine behind the county's argument4:10 — The human stakes: Westchester's immigrant communities5:00 — What Jenkins is threadingSources:- Executive Order 14287 (Federal Register)- Westchester County Executive public statements- Second Circuit case law on anti-commandeering doctrine- U.S. Census Bureau demographic data, Westchester CountySupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailIn 2011, Westchester County closed its outpatient mental health clinics. This past March, after nearly fifteen years, the county opened a new Mental Health Safety Net Clinic in White Plains. County Executive Jenkins called it a signature initiative. The honest version: it's a policy reversal — and the 2011 closure was a policy choice with real consequences.Today's Brief examines what the fifteen-year gap actually cost: ER overcrowding, overburdened nonprofits, and a system that left the people with the least private-market access to care with the least county support. It also asks whether one clinic, in one location, is proportionate to the problem.In This Episode:(0:00) Cold open — the 2011 closure(0:30) What the new clinic offers and where it is(1:15) What the fifteen-year gap cost: ERs, nonprofits, families(2:30) Income stratification and mental health access in Westchester(3:15) What the county got right in 2026(4:00) Whether one clinic is enough(4:45) CloseSources: Westchester County government | County budget documents | American Hospital Association | National Alliance on Mental IllnessSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailGovernor Hochul broke ground on Westchester Crossing in Port Chester in April — 957 housing units, a hotel, retail, green space, and senior housing on the long-vacant former United Hospital campus. The state calls it transformational. Today's Brief asks the harder question.105 of those 957 units are designated affordable. That's 11%. Housing advocates typically cite 20% as the threshold where affordability shapes a development's character. Westchester needs between 44,000 and 77,000 more units by 2040. And the AMI threshold for those 105 units — the number that determines who actually qualifies — has not been made public.This episode holds both things simultaneously: the milestone is real, and the math deserves scrutiny.In This Episode:(0:00) Cold open — 105. That's the number.(0:30) What Westchester Crossing actually is(1:15) The 11% affordability ratio(2:00) The AMI question nobody is answering(3:00) Port Chester context — who this community is(3:45) The gap between the press release and the housing need(4:30) CloseSources: Governor's Office | Business Council of Westchester | HUD income limits | U.S. Census BureauSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of I Live Here Westchester, host Jim Jockle sits down with Cait Conley, a fourth-generation Hudson Valley native, Special Operations combat veteran, and candidate for Congress in New York’s 17th District — one of the most competitive races in the country.Cait shares how growing up in a blue-collar, service-oriented family shaped her values, why 9/11 led her to West Point, and what it was like to serve for 16 years on active duty, including six combat deployments and groundbreaking work in tactical Special Operations. The conversation moves from the battlefield to the Situation Room, where Cait later helped lead counterterrorism policy at the National Security Council and election security efforts at CISA.From there, the discussion turns to politics — and the hard questions. Cait lays out her views on affordability, housing, healthcare, AI, climate change as a national security threat, reproductive rights, veterans’ care, and what “political courage” actually means in Washington today. She explains why NY-17 is a true purple district, why she believes voters deserve a different kind of leadership, and what she would prioritize if elected.This is a candid, high-stakes conversation about service, accountability, and the future of a district — and a country — at a crossroads.Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailA training plane flipped over on takeoff at Westchester County Airport last month. Two people walked away with minor injuries. But that one incident follows a fatal crash in 2025 that killed six members of a family of physicians, and a federal funding standoff earlier this year that disrupted the airport's security staffing. Three incidents in twelve months. One airport. And a legitimate oversight question nobody in county government is asking publicly.Westchester County Airport runs commercial charter operations and general aviation flight training side by side — inside one of the most densely populated suburban counties in the United States. The FAA, the county's Department of Public Works and Transportation, and DHS all have overlapping roles at this facility. When something goes wrong, who is accountable for what? That answer is not as clean as it should be.This is not a story about aviation danger. It is a story about institutional accountability.**In This Episode:**0:00 — The Cessna overturn, May 18, 20261:30 — The 2025 MU-2B family crash2:45 — The DHS security standoff4:00 — The dual-use problem explained5:30 — The institutional question**Sources:**- FAA incident reports, Westchester County Airport- NTSB preliminary reporting, MU-2B crash (2025)- Westchester County Executive public statements, DHS funding disruption (2026)- Westchester County Department of Public Works and TransportationSupport the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailThe MTA has launched a $6.2 billion capital program for Metro-North — the largest in the railroad's history. Westchester County has approximately 20,000 housing units under development across Yonkers, New Rochelle, and White Plains, all concentrated around Metro-North stations and built on the assumption that the railroad is reliable and competitive with driving.Today's Friday Intel runs the data: what the capital program covers, why Westchester's entire transit-oriented development strategy depends on delivery, and three specific numbers to track over the next three years to know whether the investment actually performs.In This Episode:(0:00) Cold open(0:20) The number: $6.2 billion and the program scope(1:00) Grand Central Artery, Hudson Line, and Westchester's three corridors(1:50) The 20,000-unit development bet and the railroad variable(2:40) Ridership trends and the hybrid work complication(3:20) Three things to track through 2026-2027(4:10) CloseSources: MTA Capital Program | WCA Annual Real Estate Conference, May 2026 | Bisnow Westchester Development Report---Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.

Send us Fan MailOn June 23, Democratic primary voters in two Westchester legislative districts will choose nominees for seats that could reshape the Board of Legislators. Early voting starts June 13. Most people haven't heard of either race.Today's Brief introduces both: the 15th District, where two strong Democrats are competing to challenge the only Republican on the 17-member board, and the 17th District, where an open seat in Yonkers will be decided by primary voters.This is the accountability journalism the Brief is built for — treating legislative races as seriously as they deserve.In This Episode:(0:00) Cold open — June 23 is closer than you think(0:30) Why the Board of Legislators matters: $2.5B budget, county oversight(1:15) 15th District: Nicodemo vs. Skipper, and what's at stake(2:15) 17th District: Terrero vs. Oquendo-Thomas, open seat in Yonkers(3:15) How to vote: early voting June 13–21, primary June 23(3:45) Quick hits: Yonkers update, Eastchester clock(4:30) CloseSources: News 12 Westchester | Westchester Board of Elections | Westchester County government---Support the showI Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?Email: [email protected]: www.iliveheremedia.comFollow us on Instagram: @iliveheremediaSubscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.