Business

The acclaimed HBO series “Six Feet Under” provided viewers with a portal into the inner workings of an otherwise seldom discussed business---operating a funeral home. What was unique about the program? It wasn’t a corporate owned business but rather family operated, an approach shared by many of the funeral homes in the surrounding river towns.  more »

“May the best of last year be the worst of this year” is a familiar toast at New Year’s Eve, and so far, so good as merchants and realtors in the Rivertowns are approaching 2012 with cautious optimism.

Problems with consumer confidence, a shaky economy and job market and the European debt crisis – factors that contributed to holding back the real estate market – have been mitigated. They’ve not completely disappeared, however, and while there might be more of the same, the outlook is slightly more positive.  more »

Mary K. St. Mark knows first-hand the services and assistance offered by The Institutes of Applied Human Dynamics (IAHD), which was founded 55 years ago and has been in Tarrytown since 1987.

Her son, Michael, was born with mental retardation and mild autism. St. Mark discovered IAHD when Michael was seven years old. He’s now 51 and still benefitting from the programs run by the non-profit organization.

“Once I came to IAHD his behavior has changed tremendously. He used to have a lot of temper tantrums,” explained St. Mark, who is president of the Board of Directors of IAHD. “My desire is to give everyone else the opportunities Michael has had for 40 plus years.”  more »

Dr. Mac, which opened its doors on Irvington’s Main Street this past August, is Westchester’s only independent Authorized Apple Reseller & Service Provider with a store. Dr. Mac carries most Apple products and accessories for purchase at the same price you would pay at an Apple store, but with the luxury of personalized attention and priority service along with the convenience of shopping at and supporting a local business.  more »

With a deadline for college applications of January 15 looming over high school seniors’ heads, it is definitely crunch time. But, help is on the way for students struggling to write yet another college essay, thanks to Sleepy Hollow Manor resident, Naomi Vladeck and her Essay Coaching Winter Clinic.

Two-hour sessions will be held every Saturday in December at The Watercooler in Tarrytown, and students who bring a friend will be charged only half price.  more »

As a youngster growing up in the Irvington/Tarrytown area, Chuk Hognell envisioned spending his life drawing comic books.
After reality set in, the former Irvington High School student got a job painting cars but quickly tired of inhaling fumes, so he turned to tattoos.
“I have been an artist my entire life,” said Hognell, who has been working as a tattoo artist for 11 years at The Iron Butterfly in Mahopac.  more »

Fostering a strong sense of volunteerism in communities has become John Higgins’ over-riding mission with the creation of his local business, Thank You For Caring (TYFC). He established the program in May 2011, the express purpose of which is to support and thank volunteers who work for small charities and non-profits that often do not have the capacity for fund-raising or the ability to fully thank their volunteers for their energy and time commitment. His brainchild is simple: offer a discount card to volunteers as a way for these non-profits to honor volunteers and give them a way to connect to donor businesses.  more »

Parents often marvel at how quickly babies outgrow their clothes, much-needed baby equipment and toys, but Baby Chic, Tarrytown’s newest consignment boutique, offers them the opportunity to take advantage of this often dizzying and potentially expensive state of affairs. Shop owners, Tony Hernandez and Stephanie Laib, have reconfigured the ground floor of a charming Victorian home on South Broadway to accommodate their shop bursting with clothes for newborns to size seven. And, the price is right. Strollers line the porch, books fill the children’s reading room, and nursery accessories are conveniently located throughout the store so that customers can easily accommodate their strollers as they spend time shopping for their children’s’ needs.  more »

According to Merriam-Webster, the word “tattoo” entered the English vernacular in 1777 with the meaning: inked images in skin. However, a likely derivation of the word precedes that date. From the records of the 1769 expedition of Captain James Cook, famed British Naval explorer to the South Pacific, is the Tahitian word “tatau” which means “to mark.”  more »

Tarrytown and Irvington are fast becoming “yoga central” along the Hudson River, where yoga studios are flourishing – offering a vast array of classes for everyone - from kids to seniors. And, fortunately, four studios in our region provide this new old world way to get exercise, meditate, promote self-healing, gain core strength, and achieve personal centeredness in a variety of practices.  more »

An artistic practice that has existed for hundreds, if not thousands, of years appears to be ready for formal acceptance in Tarrytown. The Board of Trustees supports an amendment to the Village Code that prescribes rules for the establishment of tattoo parlors. The existing code prohibits tattoo parlors in the village.

A public hearing on the proposed code change is scheduled for Monday, August 15, at 8 p.m. before the board at the Village Hall. Tarrytown’s board, in its “Finding of Fact,” determined that the rationale for prohibiting the parlors no longer exists, and that they, “should be permitted in the Village subject to reasonable restrictions that would protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents and visitors to the village.”  more »

From a small start in Hartsdale as a freelancer, with a small room and a few PCs, to a bigger office in White Plains, and now to an additional space on White Plains Road (Route 119) in Tarrytown, one thing is obvious: MSM DesignZ web design and development firm founder Mario Mirabella wants his life and work, and that of his staff, to be enjoyable and colorful.

“We ventured out,” he said with a smile while sitting at his desk, with the New York State Thruway visible in the distance, “and found this space.”  more »

Lotus on Main Street
Opened since early March, this personal healing and wellness center at 25 Main Street in Tarrytown was the perfect answer for three friends who shared the desire to combine wellness and healing arts with jewelry.

So the trio - local jewelry designer Teddy Leveille, certified massage therapist and Reiki Master Kelly Hill, and Leveille’s daughter, Ossining High School varsity and junior sports coach Stephanie Leveille, joined forces and opened Lotus on Main Street.

Stephanie Leveille, also a special education teacher at Brookside School, runs the business with Hill, while her mother has the perfect venue for marketing new creations.  more »

Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. – What better way to celebrate more than five years in business than by moving to a larger location?

Scott Vaccaro and the Captain Lawrence Brewing Company staff will relocate to a substantially larger space at 444 Saw Mill River Road later this year.

“We’re moving to offer a more steady supply of quality beer to our customers,” Vaccaro said.

While the company is losing proximity to the train station, it’s gaining extra real estate. The 18,250- square- foot site includes a 1,500- square foot tasting room, four times larger than its current space to accommodate the retail store and offers 5,000- square feet for expansion.  more »

William Raveis Real Estate Announces Its New Affiliate, William Raveis Legends Realty Group - Chris Raveis, President of William Raveis Affiliates, recently announced the company’s new alliance with Legends Realty Group.

Before the new affiliation, Legends Realty Group was an independent company with 19 sales associates that held a lead market share in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow since its inception in 2007.

“This was in the works for about two years, and once we started talking with Raveis, the discussions went quickly,” said Marcene Hedayati, Broker/Managing Partner at Legends Realty Group.

Hedayati will remain in her position working with her four partners - Elvira Aloia, Mary Case Friedner, Phyllis Lerner and Karen Stroub.  more »

A delectable selection of hand-crafted gelati, ice creams and sorbets await customers at Lighthouse Ice Cream Kompanies (LICKS), located at Hudson Harbors, just steps away from the Tarrytown train station and Tarrytown’s new Scenic Hudson RiverWalk Park.

And, what better way to welcome summer than by sampling owner, ice cream maker, Joe Slakas’ ever-changing creative flavors?  more »

Shoppers looking for affordable accessory luxury items created by designers unique to the river towns should head straight to Shaylula, Tarrytown’s newest shop specializing in a dazzling mix of jewelry, handbags, scarves, hats, soaps, candles and picture frames. Owner Colleen Goudie has a discerning eye, having spent much of her professional life in corporate sales and marketing for luxury goods companies. So, when she says, “I try to uncover hidden gems for my customers,” she knows where to look.  more »

North American Refinery is locally owned and family operated by Cinthia and Matthew Gullotta. With family and deep roots of over 37 years in Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow and Irvington, North American Refinery prides itself on being the Hudson Valley’s #1 gold and silver party company, along with its integrity and paying top dollar to its loyal customers. North American Refinery hand tests and weighs unwanted, broken and missing pieces of gold and silver in front of customers.  more »

When sales associate Andrea Martone of Houlihan Lawrence first learned about a program called Giving House, where a portion of the commission from real estate transactions are donated to a designated charity, there was no hesitation about her desire to get involved.

“As soon as I heard about it I said that’s perfect. Yes, I will do it,” said Martone, who has specialized in selling homes in Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow, Irvington, Briarcliff Manor and Scarborough for the last seven years. “It makes a lot of sense. There’s no downside. It’s a win-win for everyone.”  more »

Gathering around the watercooler to chat, and exchange stories during work breaks has long been a ritual in American offices. Now an innovative business preparing to open in Tarrytown has taken W@tercooler for its name and is offering what it describes as a “co-working habitat.”  more »

Red Barn Bakery is now open full-time for business, and what a treat it is to sample owner/baker Randell Dodge’s scrumptious assortment of savory tarts, pies, cakes, galettes and cookies. Dodge is not only a baker extraordinaire but designed her newly refurbished industrial space (the former Irvington site of Mel’s Auto Body), with adaptive re-use in the forefront of her vision.  more »

No one expects it, but accidents happen and tragedy strikes. It could be a blown rotator cuff, a broken ankle or, worse, a stroke. The rehabilitation process is critical and requires a multi-tiered therapeutic approach expertly administered at Phelps Memorial Hospital Center’s Physical and Occupational Therapy Center.

“We moved to this location three or four years ago,” said Physical Therapist Supervisor Puja Agarwal. “We handle both inpatient and outpatient therapy.”  more »

The junction of Eastern and Western therapeutic treatments has a new local address in Tarrytown: Ren Shen Healing, at 42 North Broadway. There, lifelong resident Sean Chillemi, 27, has created a center for massage, herbal and holistic health that offers highly individualized therapies for the best restorative results. Ren Shen Healing provides a respite from the often stressful and fast-paced world we live in.  more »

Westchester County can now boast it is home to a Hot Yoga studio with the opening of Riverstone Yoga in Tarrytown.

“Hot yoga is done in a heated room,” explained Patricia Fischer, who will run the studio with her silent partner and husband Kevin Fischer. “It’s healing, creates balance in the body, promotes sweat, de-stresses, it releases toxins, and promotes blood flow.”

Previously employed as an attorney in New York, Patricia Fischer has a Juris Doctor degree with an environmental law certificate from Pace University. With the stress from law, she said, came a decision to take Bikram.  more »

Businesses seeking to purchase computer software are often forced to utilize internet search engines, but Tarrytown resident, Ben Roberts, has helped create a website that connects businesses with software providers more easily.

On December 1, Roberts and his friend since high school, Alex Veach, did a “soft launch” of Terran Exchange. Their website is now “90 percent functional,” Roberts said recently. “Our core product for the website is there.”  more »

The owners of a popular Tarrytown coffee house are preparing to put pressure on the commissioner of the Westchester County Health Department to make a decision on allowing live animals in food service businesses.

It has been one year since Coffee Labs Roasters on Main Street was told to stop allowing dogs inside, which it had been doing illegally since it opened in 2003 but was popular with many customers. No complaints were lodged against Coffee Labs. The Health Department just became aware of the practice after a prospective business owner contacted them about opening a similar eatery elsewhere.  more »

Tarrytown resident Bill Phelps has had a knack for creating new concepts and gadgets since he was in elementary school, so it was only natural when he grew up he would become a product designer.

Little did he know, though, that doodling on napkins in coffee shops seven years ago would one day lead to the invention of a board game that would lie on toy and book store shelves alongside such favorite table pleasers as Monopoly and Scrabble.  more »

Most everyone likes a good bargain when they see one. That is the concept on which a young Tarrytown entrepreneur has built a promising business on the Internet. Drawing expertise from his background in marketing and advertising, Sandro Ore is determined to offer consumers great deals every day on a variety of products and services through Knowtoriousdeals.com.

You won’t find “Knowtorious” in the dictionary, but you will find it easily on the web and you can receive daily emails from it about an assortment of limited time, local bargains, ranging from 50% or more discounts at restaurants, to half-off the tickets to entertainment venues, or even your dry cleaning, as well as lower rates at spas and salons..  more »

There are nail salons, and there are nail salons, but Tarrytown’s newest, Golden Nail & Spa, offers customers a panoply of treatments that combine manicures with massages. Owner, Xu Yang opened his shop in late summer with his mother, Liying Shang, and, together with seasoned manicurists and spa professionals, they are providing a soothing service to customers. Having moved to the United States from Northern China five years ago, Xu and his mother worked until they got the confidence to start their own business and then searched for the right community to do so. “I like the town (Tarrytown); it is perfect with everything around here. The

merchants were very helpful and our neighbors on Broadway have been terrific,  more »

Irvington resident Jill Selby is passionate about making the earth safe, educating people and going “green” – and is doing all three!

Last April, Selby launched EVENTually Green, an eco-responsible event and party planning business that has taken root quickly with friends and clients.

“I decided to take a larger part in greening the planet and use my experience to create environmentally-responsible events and parties,” said Selby, whose background includes marketing and promotions.

EVENTually Green will plan an entire event or individual aspects - invitations, party favors, music, or decorations.

Eco-music?  more »