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Former Congressman Eliot Engel, who represented southern Westchester and the north Bronx for 32 years, died April 10, 2026, at age 79 from Parkinson's disease. We skip the obituary and ask the harder question: what kind of politics did his long tenure represent, and what has replaced it since he lost the 2020 primary to Jamaal Bowman?

In six years, southern Westchester went from 32 years of stable establishment representation, to a progressive insurgent (Bowman, 2020), back to a completely different kind of establishment figure in George Latimer (2024). The district is still, arguably, figuring out what it wants to be. Engel was also the last of a cohort of long-tenure suburban Democrats, and that model of service may not be coming back.

We also cover the May 6 State of the County address, the ongoing Con Edison rate fight, and the Green Ossining Earth Day Festival this Saturday.

**0:00** Cold open
**0:20** Engel's career and the 2020 primary
**2:30** The three-phase reshaping of NY-16
**5:00** What kind of politics replaces a 32-year incumbent
**6:30** Quick hits: State of the County, Con Ed, Earth Day Festival
**8:00** Close + YouTube CTA

**Sources:** ABC7 New York; CBS New York; NY1; Westchester County Executive's office statement

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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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Your Con Edison bill is going up about $5.32 a month. Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins and the Board of Legislators just filed a joint brief with the New York Public Service Commission opposing the increases. Jenkins is also demanding in-person PSC hearings in Westchester after initial hearings were held online.

We walk through the numbers. The approved increase: approximately 2.8% electric and 2.0% gas annually through 2028. The original Con Edison ask: 11.4% electric and 13.3% gas — reduced roughly 87% via settlement. We also cover the political framing: Jenkins is using the Con Ed case to set up his State of the County address on May 6 and the broader Westchester affordability narrative.

Plus quick hits on the Pleasantville $17.5M school bond vote (May 19), Westchester Medical Center's $25M "Possible Starts Here" capital campaign, and Café Nelo's Bronxville opening.

**0:00** Cold open
**0:20** The Con Ed rate case and what it costs you
**2:30** The political framing and the State of the County setup
**5:00** Why this is about affordability, not just utilities
**6:30** Quick hits: Pleasantville, WMC, Café Nelo
**8:00** Close + newsletter CTA

**Sources:** Westchester County Executive — utility cost action press release; The City NYC — Con Ed rate case coverage; Daily Voice — Jenkins-Mayer utility coverage

Subscribe to the newsletter at iliveheremedia.com for the daily Westchester Brief.

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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.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
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New York State Police confirm 28 trespassing arrests in 30 days at the former IBM campus in Somers, Westchester County. The most recent arrest involved a loaded 9mm pistol and a class C felony weapons charge. The driver: viral urbex (urban exploration) videos on TikTok and YouTube.

We go beyond the arrest blotter. The IBM Somers campus has been largely vacant for more than a decade after IBM consolidated operations. A prior redevelopment attempt did not complete. The property has become a Hudson Valley flagship for urbex social media content, and the enforcement response is struggling to keep up. The bigger question is what Somers, and Westchester more broadly, plans to do with these post-corporate ghost campuses.

We also cover the Westchester Magazine Builders Awards (Anthony Morando of Cuddy & Feder named 2026 Emerging Leader Honoree), the Barnes & Noble closure at the White Plains City Center, and White Plains Hospital's 2026 Castle Connolly Top Hospital recognition.

**0:00** Cold open
**0:20** 28 arrests in 30 days at IBM Somers
**2:30** Why urbex turned a ghost campus into a destination
**5:00** Post-corporate real estate and the broader pattern
**6:30** Quick hits: Builders Awards, Barnes & Noble, White Plains Hospital
**8:00** Close + YouTube CTA

**Sources:** New York State Police press release; News 12 Westchester — IBM Somers coverage; Mid Hudson News — fire reclassification

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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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Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
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4
Barnes & Noble at the White Plains City Center closes today after 20 years as a downtown anchor tenant. The closure itself is one story. What is moving in behind it is a bigger one — and it is happening across Westchester.

We dig into the retail shift reshaping the county: MINISO's 4,000 square foot debut at Cross County Center in Yonkers, Bobo's Cafe expanding to Tarrytown and Yorktown Heights, nest & nook's caregiver coworking launch in Thornwood, and Rhoslyn Florist opening in New Rochelle's Stella building. Cross County is now positioning around "fun, family, fitness, food, and fashion." It is a different retail thesis than a national bookstore at a downtown mall.

We also cover what else is moving this week: the Pleasantville $17.5M school bond and field lights vote coming May 19, Westchester Medical Center's $25M "Possible Starts Here" capital campaign, and Lyndhurst's Flower House & Market opening.

**0:00** Cold open
**0:20** Barnes & Noble closes after 20 years
**2:30** What is replacing legacy retail in Westchester
**5:00** The second-order question — public space and third places
**6:30** Quick hits: Pleasantville bond, WMC campaign, Flower House
**8:00** Close + newsletter CTA

**Sources:** Westfair Online — Barnes & Noble White Plains closure; Westchester Magazine — Business Openings & Closings 2026; News 12 Westchester coverage

Subscribe to the newsletter at iliveheremedia.com for the daily Westchester Brief.

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.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
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Every Westchester County resident subsidizes Metro-North Railroad approximately $1,100 per year — whether they ride it or not. This week on The Friday Intel, we pull apart the real economics of the commuter railroad: a $1.52 billion operating budget, a 37% farebox recovery rate, and a $1.1 billion annual subsidy gap that lands on Westchester taxpayers through sales taxes, state aid, and federal grants. Plus: the $1.1 billion Croton-Harmon Yard rebuild and what it means that every single Metro-North boarding from Westchester carries a $25 public subsidy on top of the ticket price.

In This Episode:
(0:00) Cold Open
(0:30) Intro and Context
(1:30) The Data — Operating costs, farebox revenue, and Westchester's ridership share
(4:00) The Surprise — $1.1 billion and 22 years to rebuild one maintenance yard
(5:30) What This Means for You — Commuters, non-riders, and property owners
(6:30) Close

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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.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
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The Park Avenue Viaduct replacement Phase 1 reaches substantial completion this month—a major milestone in the $1.7 billion Grand Central Artery project. What it means: reduced commute disruptions and a real capital push for Metro-North infrastructure across Westchester, the Hudson Valley, and Connecticut.

We dive into the viaduct itself, then zoom out to the bigger picture: $800 million for Hudson Line flood resilience, 4 new Bronx stations coming by 2030, and what these investments signal about the region's future.

We also cover quick hits: Neiman Marcus at The Westchester stays open, the county's $605M capital budget, and the SALT cap reversion risk in 2030.

**0:00** Cold open
**0:15** Park Avenue Viaduct and Grand Central Artery
**2:45** Why infrastructure matters now
**5:30** Hudson Line flood resilience and Penn Station Access
**7:15** Quick hits across Westchester
**9:00** Close + YouTube CTA

**Sources:** Governor Hochul Park Avenue Viaduct Milestone; Metro-North Capital Investment Benefits; New York State Senate Pete Harckham Announces Benefits

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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.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
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Westchester home sales dropped 16% in Q1 2026, but prices climbed 11% to a $1.3 million average. What does this market contradiction mean for families trying to buy here?

00:00 – Cold open
00:40 – Single-family market squeeze and affordability cliff
03:30 – Condo and co-op data: mixed signals
05:15 – Municipal revenue impact and demographic shifts
06:30 – What's happening across Westchester
08:45 – Close

This week: District Galleria's June 30 deadline, Con Ed rate hikes, new employment credit history ban, and Pleasantville's school bond fight.

Subscribe to our newsletter for full analysis: **iliveherewestchester.com**

Sources: Westfair Mixed Q1 Results April 2026; Yonkers Times Real Estate Markets Demonstrate Resilience in Q1

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.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
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Westchester small business owners have a free, high-caliber coaching resource right in their backyard — and most of them don't know it exists. Jane Veron, founder of The Acceleration Project (TAP), joins the Brief to explain how her Scarsdale-based nonprofit pairs Fortune 500-trained consultants with local business owners at no cost, and why coaching matters as much as capital.

In This Episode:

(0:00) How TAP started at Jane Veron's kitchen table in 2012 and grew to 200 consultants nationwide

(3:00) Why a business loan alone can sink a company — and what coaching provides that capital cannot

(4:53) The EDGE program: a Citi Foundation-funded financial literacy program for Westchester small business owners — and why sign-up closes at the end of April

(9:08) The FinHealth Score framework: spend, save, borrow, and plan, broken into manageable steps

(10:43) TAP's verified 10-to-1 social return on investment, validated by the Bridgespan Group

(12:31) Income disparity in Westchester County and why businesses in both wealthy and low-to-moderate income zip codes need the same support

(14:50) How TAP differs from SCORE, the SBA, and Small Business Development Centers

(19:41) A New Rochelle success story: how TAP helped a nurse-turned-spa-owner weather a crisis and build a thriving business

TAP Website: https://www.theaccelerationproject.org/ EDGE Program: https://www.theaccelerationproject.org/tap-edge

Subscribe to the Westchester Brief newsletter at iliveherewestchester.com

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.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
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Federal tariffs have driven construction material costs up 8.5%–9.6% across the NYC region. The National Association of Home Builders estimates tariffs add $10,900 to the cost of each new home. For Westchester, where roughly 20,000 housing units are under development, that cost surge is creating a "feasibility gap"—projects that penciled out last year may not work financially today. Developers in White Plains and New Rochelle are already hesitating as tariff policy locks in through 2026.

In this episode, we break down the tariff math, explore why developers are pumping the brakes, and explain what it means for your rent and mortgage. We also cover quick moves: the Essential Plan coverage cliff coming July 1, SALT cap battles, and county capital budget priorities.

**Listen to the full story on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.**

Resources:
- Manhattan Chamber of Commerce Report: Tariffs and NYC Construction Costs
- NAHB: How Tariffs Impact Home Building
- Center for American Progress: 450,000 Fewer Homes
- Bisnow: Developers Hesitate in New Rochelle, White Plains

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.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
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Starting July 1st, 450,000 New Yorkers will lose free health insurance coverage through New York's Essential Plan. This includes tens of thousands of Westchester County residents—teachers' aides, home health workers, small business owners earning $32,000–$40,000 individually or $54,000–$68,000 for a family of three.

When this coverage ends, these working people will be shifted to marketplace plans with monthly premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs they can't afford. The impact on Westchester's safety net hospitals and community health centers could be severe: lost revenue, staff layoffs, and reduced access to care. State legislators have introduced bills to cover the gap, but no vote is scheduled.

**In This Episode:**
- The Essential Plan coverage cliff (0:00)
- Why 450,000 people are affected (2:15)
- Impact on Westchester's healthcare system (5:40)
- County budget crisis and other local news (8:20)

**Subscribe to the daily newsletter** at iliveherewestchester.com to stay informed about what's happening in Westchester County.

**Sources:**
- NY State Department of Health Federal Approval Update (March 23, 2026)
- Gothamist "Watch the mail" (April 2026)
- Healthbeat "What to do if you are losing coverage" (April 7, 2026)
- Fiscal Policy Institute Regional Impacts
- NY State of Politics (April 9, 2026)

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.

Have a guest suggestion or want to partner with us?
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.iliveheremedia.com
Follow us on Instagram: @iliveheremedia

Subscribe, rate, and share to support local storytelling.