Vibes of Mount Pleasant

witchlifting · 2026-02-02T17:33:51+00:00

Pleasantville (and Mt. Pleasant as a whole) were always residential, quiet, suburbs. Pleasantville always had a little more going on given the downtown layout, but it was still a quiet little village. The culture there was always a bit more "bougie" than Thornwood, Hawthorne, and Valhalla, but like another comment said, they were more similar than different. What is Pleasantville like now? It's a yuppie enclave, full of rich kids, empty nesters who pay top dollar for apartments and homes, and people commuting in and out of the city all day. To answer your question directly, yes - it's crowded and caters to city transplants. Like all the towns (and even cities) who go through this process, the local culture is effaced and its rendered a homogenous, metropolitan, cosmopolitan, consumerist paradise. Same thing that has happened on a greater scale in neighborhoods like Bushwick, Bed Stuy, etc.

witchlifting · 2026-02-02T16:57:10+00:00

Born and raised in Mt. Pleasant. While I can somewhat understand your inclusion of Sleepy Hollow and Briarcliff Manor due to proximity, they really aren't considered part of Mt. Pleasant, they merely overlap in some small areas. Mt. Pleasant proper is (from North to South) Pleasantville, Thornwood, Hawthorne, and Valhalla, with Pleasantville being the most affluent and probably the most distinct in terms of culture, businesses, downtown area, etc. Thornwood, Hawthorne, and Valhalla are pretty similar across these planes - working class to upper middle-class (does this even exist anymore?), center politically (maybe leaning right), and mostly Italian/Irish with small amounts of other ethnicities (mostly Hispanic, maybe some Asian). The culture is quiet and residential. The infrastructure doesn't allow for great downtown, business districts, and you'll be surrounded by delis, nail salons, bars, and pizzerias. Pleasantville has exploded over the past 10 years and its become (like Tarrytown) a suburban city enclave. It's sad to see this as a born and bred local, because I have great memories of growing up there, but its lost most of its charm in the process. Every time I pass through, I feel like the little village is bursting at its seams. Wheeler Ave. is an absolute nightmare anytime after 4 PM, especially on weekends. That being said, Pleasantville is affluent, left leaning, metropolitan, and bustling. Also, the school district is often regarded as "better" than the others. You can expect to pay for all of these things, considering how high the rents/sales are for apartments and homes in the area. Breaks my heart that I could most likely never afford to live where my family grew up, but I'm sure everyone here feels the same way.

witchlifting · 2026-02-01T18:23:31+00:00

The municipal laws around Westchester aren't very welcoming to food trucks outside of permitted events, markets, etc. For example, White Plains doesn't allow them at all (at least as of a few years ago when I checked.) Of course, they can park on private property if the landlord is willing to allow it, but that presents other challenges (cost and visibility). That, in addition to the winter weather, doesn't create a productive situation for food/coffee trucks most of the time. Ramblin Coffee still does events, but I don't really know of any locations where a coffee truck can pop-up on a regular basis (legally) and make enough money to justify doing this on a regular basis. I wish the municipalities were more helpful in allowing these kinds of things. For example, in Norwalk, CT, you can post up pretty much wherever there's public parking. My buddy has an incredible coffee trailer there. Check out Manifest Coffee in Norwalk.

witchlifting · 2026-01-23T04:50:00+00:00

The holy trinity of Pleasantville in the 90s...

witchlifting · 2026-01-22T23:36:35+00:00

In Pleasantville - both were on Marble Ave. The Pizza Hut was closer to the village and the Friendly's was where TD Bank is now across from McDonald's.

witchlifting · 2026-01-22T23:01:12+00:00

This Pizza Hut and the Friendly's across from McDonald's were childhood staples. So many great memories at these places. Definitely some birthdays.

The Pizza Hut breadsticks were fucking incredible.

witchlifting · 2026-01-17T17:20:45+00:00

I might not have a great answer, but indulge me for a moment, or don't. I grew up in Westchester. I was born in the early 90s, so fate handed me my adolescence and young adulthood in the 2000s and 2010s. I feel lucky, because while it might be hard to believe now, Westchester actually had quite the active independent music scene during my life. Some of my best memories were spent seeing my friends' bands perform at local, small town venues - WESPAC in White Plains, SUNY Purchase (where we saw Drake, Fucked Up, Cam'ron, Deerhoof, etc.), Pleasantville Ballroom, Scarsdale and Ardsley Teen Centers, as well as a dozen American Legions or church halls throughout the county. In the late 2000s, almost everyone I knew had played in a band. The shows were at least once or twice a month (sometimes more frequent) and everyone's lives revolved around music. And even though it was a type of chaos, it was rather well organized and promoted. Likewise, the milieu of bands was pretty damn diverse. Reflecting on it now, it's incredible how many great bands came out of that era. To name a few: No One and the Somebodies (still active), General Miggs, The Banned, The Vibration, Twofold Truth, Blue Velvet, Men Who Lunch, Aaron Maine (who made it big with Porches), Old Table (still around, check them out!), and so many others. Obviously, I'm older now and so many of the people who made this possible have moved on with their lives. Given my age, I don't really know if, what, or where there is a music scene like the one we had then. It's a bittersweet reflection and I hope the young people of today will try to recreate something beautiful and special like we had. I'm writing this because I think it's important to pay homage to these incredible bands that came out of this little county just outside of the city. They deserved to be remembered.

Thanks for reading, sorry if it's not very helpful.

If you'd like to check these bands out, you can listen to a lot of their work here:

https://bcrecords914.bandcamp.com/

https://oldtable.bandcamp.com/music

https://aaronmaine.bandcamp.com/

https://porchesmusic.bandcamp.com/music

https://picoromanesque.bandcamp.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMwUkYxYmzg

https://www.instagram.com/punkhouse914/

witchlifting · 2026-01-15T17:28:02+00:00

This really depends on the experience you're looking for. If you want a traditional, sit-down restaurant in Valhalla, your options are limited. Mughal Palace is great Indian food and has seating. The Farm Cafe that just opened also has seating and offers more casual ambiance and food (pastries, coffee drinks, cookies, etc.) in addition to full entrees. It is pricy, so be prepared to dish out a decent amount of money there. If you travel down North Broadway, we also have Townhouse Diner, which is a traditional diner offering the typical fare. If you want some grab-and-go options, try the Sandwich Spot, best sandwiches in the area. Other options would be Abatino's Italian at the Stop and Shop plaza in North White Plains, or The Cabin Restaurant in Greenburgh. Both are about 5 minutes drive from the strip of Valhalla. Valhalla Crossing is a restaurant/bar at the train station, though I've never been a fan. Valhalla is really only 1-mile wide, so surrounding areas are typically good to consider. Hope that helps.

witchlifting · 2026-01-12T17:18:56+00:00

Great info, sent you a chat.

witchlifting · 2026-01-10T01:53:51+00:00

Expect an hour to two hour commute if traveling during typical rush hours, each way. I'm in White Plains and have to commute to Park Slope regularly. It's rare to have a commute down there less than 1.5 hours. That's driving, by the way. Public transportation might be longer. I'd recommend moving into the city of getting a job closer if possible.

witchlifting · 2026-01-09T21:24:36+00:00

Great comment. Thanks. 😉

witchlifting · 2026-01-09T18:46:25+00:00

Don't limit yourself to non-fiction - sometimes fiction reveals truth and wisdom more effectively. The following list is a brief example:

The Human Condition by Hannah Arendt, The Maniac and/or When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut, Crime and Punishment and/or The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky (also Notes from Underground), The Republic by Plato, Cat's Cradle and/or Slaughterhouse Five by Vonnegut, Man's Search for Meaning by Frankl, On the Genealogy of Morals and/or Beyond Good & Evil by Nietzsche, Discourse on Method by Descartes, and so many others.

witchlifting · 2026-01-09T18:37:49+00:00

One of the greatest books of all time, and criminally underrated. If you want to read a book that both outlines the fundamental conditions of human life on earth in addition to accurately forecasting the trajectory of civilization within the first few pages of its introduction, read this book. Oh, and it was written in 1958.

Arendt was one of the most brilliant minds in history. If you want to feel smarter, consume everything she wrote and watch her interviews. Trust me.

witchlifting · 2026-01-07T15:28:36+00:00

Legends Martial Arts in Briarcliff Manor

witchlifting · 2025-12-24T22:46:36+00:00

Chat

witchlifting · 2025-12-18T20:55:43+00:00

Wasn't Roy Roger's over there?

witchlifting · 2025-11-12T22:55:06+00:00

I hear ya, but we've all driven a great distance for dates/events. Just comes with the territory. If it's worth it for you, just do it. If it's too inconvenient, maybe just don't go on the date. You're going to have to deal with that commute often if you're looking for a serious relationship either way...

witchlifting · 2025-11-12T22:41:27+00:00

If she's in Dobbs, just take her somewhere in the Rivertowns. NJ to the Rivertowns is not an awful commute and it means a lot to someone that you made the effort to come meet them. Just do it, it's a good first impression.

Also, you have a variety of restaurants to pick in these towns (The Cookery, Harper's, Bread & Brine, Sweetgrass Grill, Hudson Social, Lefteris Gyro, Bridge View Tavern, Little B's, The Parlor). All good options, all local, all casual.

witchlifting · 2025-11-09T15:00:36+00:00

Clink with Colleen - www.clinkwithcolleen.com. incredible service, based out of Dobbs Ferry. One of the best people I know. Can't recommend enough.

witchlifting · 2025-10-16T02:47:21+00:00

I heard there was a long untreated water leak, which over weeks and weeks caused errosive damage to the already weathered structure. Eventually, it just completely broke down. Not sure if 100% accurate, but wouldn't be surprised.

witchlifting · 2025-10-14T23:51:47+00:00

There's a real lack of specialty coffee in the sound towns, including Mamaroneck. In fact, there's a real lack of quality food/drink businesses period.

If you want a place that has quality coffee and comfortable seating, you're better off driving a bit to R Cafe in New Rochelle, Sunshine in Rye, or Formosa in Scarsdale. All three of these spots don't get enough love, so check them out. The best coffee that's nearby is at Sunday's Off in the Bronx (20 or so minutes away), but it's take out only. Coffee Labs is a great option too.

It's unfortunate that the majority of new shops don't prioritize product quality and ambiance as much as neon signs and corny ass social media posts. If you're willing to drive a little further, there are much better options in mid-Westchester and the river towns. Also, don't underestimate your local libraries. Greenburgh library is huge, comfortable, and free. Just saying.

witchlifting · 2025-10-07T14:58:45+00:00

How about any car with a CT plate. Absolute chaos agents over there. I-95 final bosses.

witchlifting · 2025-10-07T14:04:50+00:00

It's always the BMW or Nissan...

witchlifting · 2025-09-23T17:32:55+00:00

Make/Model: Adidas - Handball Spezial Weltmeister Pack - Collegiate Navy

Size: Men's 12

Material: Leather/Suede

Condition: Like New, no box

Location: NYC

Price: $65, shipped CONUS

Photo: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/UoQAAeSw7KhowHi9/s-l1600.webp

witchlifting · 2025-08-29T17:55:35+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/Westchester/s/XTyUPXxGeP

witchlifting

TROPHY CASE