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The Rockefeller estate at Kykuit is closing indefinitely. Historic Hudson Valley says the 87-acre Pocantico Hills landmark needs millions in infrastructure repairs—and there's no timeline for reopening. It's not just a tourist attraction going dark. It's a signal about the future of Westchester's historic preservation.

IN THIS EPISODE:

(0:00) Cold Open: The hilltop estate goes quiet
(0:20) Deep Dive: Kykuit closure announced—infrastructure failures across the estate
(1:15) What's broken: roads, bridges, underground utilities, retaining walls
(2:00) The financials: Historic Hudson Valley's endowment vs. repair costs
(2:45) What this means for tourism and Pocantico Hills
(3:30) The bigger question: Who pays for Westchester's historic landmarks?
(4:15) Philipsburg Manor's uncertain status
(4:45) What Else: Cross County Shopping Center redevelopment hearing
(5:15) Westchester County Airport terminal renovation update
(5:45) New Rochelle downtown development milestones

Sources:
Lohud / Journal News: Kykuit, Rockefeller estate in Pocantico Hills, closing indefinitely
Historic Hudson Valley: Official closure announcement and FAQ
Westchester Magazine: The future of Historic Hudson Valley properties
Patch: Kykuit closure raises preservation funding questions

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DA Susan Cacace and State Police launch D.A.S.H.—the District Attorney's Safer Highways initiative—targeting the Sprain Brook Parkway and I-684. DWI arrests are up 41% since 2020. Crashes are up 10% over five years. Two senior prosecutors are now reviewing highway stops in real time for criminal escalation.

IN THIS EPISODE:

(0:00) Cold Open: Prosecutors ride along with state troopers
(0:20) Deep Dive: D.A.S.H. launches February 2 on Sprain Brook and I-684
(1:30) The numbers: 41% DWI increase, 10% crash increase, fatal incidents
(2:45) How it works: prosecutors reviewing stops for criminal charges
(3:45) The Padilla pursuit: no plates, dead-end road, rammed patrol car
(4:30) Greenburgh's push for speed cameras
(4:50) What Else: WCA workforce development summit March 19
(5:20) Iona University summer workforce program
(5:45) County EV charging infrastructure investment

Sources:
Westfair Communications: Westchester DA and State Police launch safer highways program
Yonkers Times: DA Cacace and NYSP announce new traffic safety initiative
News 12: D.A.S.H. initiative begins on I-684, Sprain Brook Parkway
Greenburgh Daily Voice: Driver rams police cruiser after parkway pursuit

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I 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.

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Westchester County activates Operation Safeguard, a dedicated security operation protecting every house of worship in Westchester and Putnam counties through Easter. Counter-Terrorism Zone 3 is coordinating increased patrols at mosques, synagogues, and churches as Ramadan, Lent, Passover, and Easter overlap in a six-week window.

IN THIS EPISODE:

(0:00) Cold Open: Four major religious observances overlap in one window
(0:20) Deep Dive: Operation Safeguard announced February 26
(1:45) Counter-Terrorism Zone 3 and Real Time Crime Center coordination
(3:00) National context: FBI hate crime data and the threat landscape
(4:15) Commissioner Raynor's message to residents
(4:45) What Else: Ken Jenkins' 2026 capital budget highlights
(5:30) RPI partners with Westchester County
(5:50) New Rochelle Revolution exhibit at the public library

Sources:
Westchester County Gov: Increased police patrols during religious observances
Mid Hudson News: Westchester County police to ramp up security
Yonkers Times: Increased security planned across Westchester

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I 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.

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After five hundred teenagers stormed the Mall at Bay Plaza in the Bronx on Presidents' Day, social media posts named Westchester locations as the next targets. Cross County Center in Yonkers, Mount Vernon, and New Rochelle all appeared in viral posts. The county activated its Real Time Crime Intelligence Center, and police departments across the region went on high alert.

IN THIS EPISODE:

(0:00) Cold Open: Social media threats target Westchester after Bay Plaza chaos
(0:20) Deep Dive: The Bay Plaza mob, eighteen arrests, and the social media chain reaction
(2:00) Westchester's response: Real Time Crime Center, Yonkers PD, Mount Vernon warnings
(3:30) The resource allocation question: counterterrorism tools for teenage hashtags
(4:45) What Else: Westchester Economic Alliance and Blueprint '26 launch
(5:30) ArtsWestchester Arts Award Luncheon March 13
(5:50) Maple sugaring season across Westchester

Sources:
ABC7: Westchester Real Time Crime Center monitoring social media
Westchester County Gov: Official press release on monitoring
CBS New York: Bay Plaza Mall takeover coverage
The Yonkers Post: Cross County Center on alert

Subscribe to our newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com for the full story delivered weekly.

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I 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.

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Rep. Mike Lawler introduces three housing bills—including the Superfund Area Facts and Exposure Act targeting homes near contaminated sites like the Amawalk Reservoir.

IN THIS EPISODE:

0:00 Cold Open: Lawler's housing agenda
0:20 H.R. 7597, 7596, 7595 explained
2:15 PFAS contamination & Granite Pointe development
4:00 Political context & June primary
4:45 Essential Plan coverage cliff (July 1)
5:15 SALT deduction cap increase to $40,400
5:45 Tariff costs vs. tax cut benefits
6:15 Closing & subscribe on YouTube

Listen daily at www.iliveheremedia.com or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. Questions? Email [email protected] or DM @iliveherewestchester on Instagram.

Support the show

I 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.

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Email: [email protected]
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Justice Linda S. Jamieson just certified a class action against Houlihan Lawrence Inc. covering roughly 10,000 dual-agency transactions from 2011 to 2018. Plaintiffs allege systematic undisclosed dual agency, bonus incentives for in-house deals, and forged disclosure forms. The firm controlled 80% of all $2M+ transactions in Bronxville. Houlihan Lawrence is owned by HomeServices of America (Berkshire Hathaway affiliate). If the class prevails, restitution could total hundreds of millions.

In This Episode:
0:45 The Houlihan Lawrence class action and what it alleges
4:15 The scale and scope of dual-agency deals
5:45 What's at stake and the insurance dispute
6:30 Mortgage rates drop to 6.01%
7:15 Pleasantville's 102-townhouse development battle
8:00 Kykuit mansion closed for all of 2026
8:45 Amawalk Reservoir PFAS contamination

Subscribe to The Westchester Brief newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

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I 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.

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Forty-three missing children and teens located in a coordinated three-day rescue operation across Westchester. Over seventy agencies, including the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service, participated in the largest child recovery effort in the county's recent history.

In This Episode:

0:20 Deep Dive: Forty-three Missing Children Located in Westchester
3:45 What's Happening: DHS Shutdown, Bee-Line OMNY, Former Congressman Ottinger
6:30 Close

Plus: Updates on the DHS partial shutdown affecting flood insurance and TSA operations, the completion of the Bee-Line Bus OMNY transition, and the passing of former Congressman Richard Ottinger.

Subscribe to The Westchester Brief on your favorite podcast platform. New episodes every weekday. Visit www.iliveheremedia.com

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I 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.

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Governor Hochul's new budget amendments deliver over $100 million in state aid to Westchester—the largest infusion in recent memory. But with the county facing a potential $700 million deficit, is this relief enough?

In This Episode:

0:00 Cold Open: The $100M question

0:45 Hochul's budget amendments break down

2:15 Why the budget gap is bigger than the aid

4:30 Quick Hits: Regeneron finalists, library cuts, county website, I-95 project

6:45 Closing remarks

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I 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.

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On February 13th, Rye police and firefighters used a drone to rescue a mute swan that had become partially frozen to a pond. Instead of risking a dangerous ground approach, responders sent up an aerial view, guided the rescue safely, and transferred the bird to Animal Nation for rehabilitation. It is a small story with a bigger point: this is what competent, resourced local government looks like in practice.

Support the show

I 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.

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One story. Three infrastructure projects. One pattern you need to understand.

The County Keeps Going Back to the Well

Westchester County is seeking additional bonding authority for three infrastructure projects this week. The projects are necessary. The costs keep rising. And the financing mechanism is debt backed by your property taxes.

The biggest number: the Pondfield Road West bridge over the Bronx River. Built in 1911, it needs a full superstructure replacement. The County is proposing to increase bond authorization by $10.72 million, bringing the total to $11.75 million. The original authorization was roughly one million. That is nearly a twelve fold increase, driven by what the County describes as increased construction costs.

Next, the Bronx River Pathway reconstruction between Kensico Dam Plaza and Green Acres Avenue. The County is adding $1.7 million in bonding, bringing the total to $11.13 million. Documents cite construction market volatility and the remote location of the site as cost drivers. Construction is estimated at 18 months after contract award.

Third, a storage and maintenance building at Kensico Dam Plaza. The County seeks an additional $2.5 million in bonds, bringing the total to $10.35 million. Documents reference dramatic cost increases over time. The project also includes adding solar panels, a positive addition that also signals scope expansion.

The pattern matters more than any single project. When the County repeatedly returns for additional bonding authority, residents should ask whether original estimates were realistic or whether there is a structural tendency to underestimate upfront so projects clear the initial approval hurdle. Construction inflation is real. But routine cost escalation across the full capital slate has cumulative fiscal consequences that show up in your tax rate.

One more thing worth tracking: debt service transparency. The Bronx River Pathway documents include an anticipated annual cost estimate for principal and interest. Residents should ask whether that visibility is consistent across all bonded projects or whether some get more scrutiny than others.

Sources

County bond act packets and project descriptions for Bronx River Pathway, Pondfield Road West bridge, and Kensico Dam Plaza storage building
Westchester County Board of Legislators February 9, 2026 meeting agenda

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I 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.

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