Susan Miele

Latest posts by Susan

The All-New Jay Ghoul's House of Curiosities is Whodunit Halloween Fun

Submitted by Susan Miele on Thu, 10/12/2017 - 10:00am

Combining Halloween with a game of Clue, this year’s entirely new edition of Jay Ghoul’s House of Curiosities at Lyndhurst Castle (named for the original occupant, Jay Gould) features a walk-through murder mystery with character encounters throughout the Gothic mansion.

We recently attended a preview and have the skinny on what to expect. Read on for the low-down!

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Indoor Play Space for Big & Little Westchester Kids: LIFE, The Place to Be

Submitted by Susan Miele on Tue, 09/19/2017 - 12:58pm

Looking for a place to burn off energy (and maybe some calories)? Our profile of indoor play spaces in Westchester continues with a recent visit to LIFE, The Place to Be in Ardsley.

Perfect for those bad-weather days and indoor fun, the assorted activities at the 29,000-square-foot facility will keep kids occupied for a couple hours, with something for every taste. The only dilemma my kids faced was which one to do first!

Read on for our first-hand review of why this is indeed the place to be. To find more indoor fun, check out our Event Calendar and sign up for our newsletters.

Fly Back in Time at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

Submitted by Susan Miele on Tue, 08/29/2017 - 10:00am

No trip to the Rhinebeck area is complete without a visit to the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, a museum and performance arena celebrating aviation from a century ago. My family has been three times and will surely go again. The static exhibits, period enhancements and airborne theatrics offer an entertaining experience and provide amusement suitable for all ages.

Read on for a first-hand review, and be sure to consult our guides to nearby Hyde Park and Poughkeepsie to round out a great family visit to Dutchess County!

CORNucopia at Philipsburg Manor: A-Maize-ing Family Fun

Submitted by Susan Miele on Mon, 08/21/2017 - 11:21am

Labor Day weekend ushers in the return of one of our favorite fall festivals, CORNucopia. The annual festival at Philipsburg Manor in the picturesque Sleepy Hollow is filled with all manner of old-fashioned fun set in the 18th century. Not sure about the fun factor at an event devoted to corn? You’ll be a-maize-d!

This year's festival will be held Saturday, September 2, through Monday, September 4, 2017. My family and I attended last year and can't wait to return. Expect corny—and quality—fun, from music to corn-shucking contests.

Read on to learn from my family's visit and the inside scoop! Be sure to check our our Event Calendar for more ideas, and follow us on Facebook.

Best Places for Frozen Yogurt with Kids in Lower Westchester

Submitted by Susan Miele on Thu, 07/27/2017 - 10:00am

Summer is here, as is the burning desire to cool down with an ice-cold frozen treat. We previously rounded up some of our favorite ice cream parlors in Westchester, and now we're turning to frozen yogurt. But what adults crave in a frozen-yogurt shop isn’t necessarily what kids want (gummy worms on top of cabernet-pomegranate twist?).

Choosing where to go for fro-yo is fraught with numerous options—partly because there are often new shops opening and others closing (Eastchester lost Nuts About Yogurt, while Pure Bliss recently closed in Pelham and Larchmont). Sure, there are many national chains to choose from, but our interest lies more in the local operations. To help guide our readers, my family made the ultimate sacrifice in visiting a bunch of fro-yo shops in Lower Westchester—strictly for our readers’ benefit, of course. A few calories later, we’ve whittled these down to a choice few and have offered the inside scoop.

Read on for the skinny on fro-yo! Be sure to sign up for our newsletters and follow us on Facebook to stay in the know about all things kid-related in Westchester.

Dutchess Destination: 20 Things to Do with Kids in Hyde Park

Submitted by Susan Miele on Tue, 07/18/2017 - 4:00pm

Hyde Park in Dutchess County—not to be confused with New Hyde Park on Long Island—may be best known as the former home of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but it boasts many other attractions that make it a fun family day-trip spot.

In addition to FDR, the Vanderbilts also planted roots and left behind a magnificent estate for public viewing. The Culinary Institute of America has a campus in Hyde Park, offering not only instruction but several student-run restaurants. And with its proximity to the Hudson River and other neighboring towns like Rhinebeck and Poughkeepsie, there’s a ton to do.

Read on for our top picks and cost-saving tips for visiting Hyde Park with families, based on first-hand experience! Looking for more family fun? Consult our Event Calendar and follow us on Facebook.

Why the Caramoor Jazz Festival has a Leg Up on Lincoln Center

Submitted by Susan Miele on Tue, 07/11/2017 - 4:00pm

One of the best reasons to live in Westchester is the close proximity to Manhattan, with an abundance of high culture just a short car or train ride away. What if some of that culture were to relocate to Westchester? The Caramoor Jazz Festival brings high-caliber music right to our backyard in Katonah.

Though Caramoor is no slouch in the world of fine music, its alliance with Jazz at Lincoln Center lends extra clout. Now an annual event—this year's festival takes place on Saturday, July 15, 2017—it remains under the artistic direction of Wynton Marsalis and features some 20 performances on multiple “stages.” Some of these are just a shady spot under a tree, inches from the audience and lending an intimacy not enjoyed in a large concert hall.

Read on for our first-hand experience in attending this event with kids. Looking for more things to do with kids? Check out our Event Calendar and follow us on Facebook.

Kykuit: Touring the Rockefellers' Westchester Estate with Kids

Submitted by Susan Miele on Mon, 07/03/2017 - 10:00am

Though castles and palaces are typically found abroad, Westchester and the Hudson Valley boast their fair share of grand estates that are open to the public and worth touring. Not coincidentally, many of these are peppered along the Hudson River, affording the original homeowners glorious views, river access and, eventually, nearby train transportation to Manhattan. It’s no wonder that tours of the homes of America’s aristocracy made Mommy Poppins’ list of 100 things to do in New York with kids.

Previously, we gave you a broad overview of a half-dozen of these stately local mansions, all but one of which I've brought my kids to without hesitation. The one I had shied away from was Kykuit, former home of the Rockefeller family, owing to the comparatively pricey admission and longer tour duration. I recently took my tweens, however, and I’m pleased to encourage other families to plan a visit. Though our particular tour guide unfortunately made no effort to tailor his narrative to the younger set, my kids happily gawked at the grandeur they wished was theirs.

Looking for more day-trip inspiration? Consult our Event Calendar and follow us on Facebook.