While Valentine’s Day is typically a moment to celebrate love between people, it can also be a time to celebrate your relationship with a place you love. We’ve been contemplating the things that make us love Rye. Some items on this list will be familiar to you. Some might be things you have taken for granted. And some might surprise you.
But isn’t that just like love?
How do we love Rye? Let us count the ways:
1. Sports rule
You might wonder how 38 kids from the Class of 2025’s 230 graduates (that’s about 16 percent) became recruited athletes, many at Division 1 schools. According to U.S. Department of Education statistics, typically about 7 percent of high school athletes are recruited for college and only 2 percent play at Division 1 schools. Could it be that groups like Rye Youth Soccer, Rye Youth Lacrosse, Row America Rye, Rye Girls’ Softball, Rye Little League, and several area football leagues give kids a chance to play often and early? We’re still trying to figure it out.
2. We value history
History suffuses our little community. You can stop in the Square, Knapp, Bird, or Jay houses and learn about everything from the history of the Revolutionary War to the way life was once lived in Rye.
3. It’s a great place for dogs
Many people vow that in their next life they want to come back as a dog in Rye, N.Y. That’s because local canines can run free (during appointed hours in specified areas) in Rye Town Park or on Playland Beach in the off-season, have their hair done at four different grooming places, and enjoy delicious goodies at All Paws, Pet Pantry Warehouse, and Furever Love. And if they are lucky, they may have a moment of fame when featured in the Rye Paws newsletter, a gossip sheet about this town’s canine set.
4. We love the outdoors
You can hike, bird watch, learn about sea life, and see ponds, streams, wildlife, and forests in Rye. Stop by the Rye Nature Center, Edith G. Read Sanctuary, or the Marshlands Conservancy. The 147-acre Marshlands has been the subject of controversy recently as the county plans and as-yet-unnamed multimillion dollar project there.
5. The Dragon Coaster is coming back and the fireworks never ceased!
After a year on the disabled list, the 97-year-old wooden Dragon Coaster is reopening in 2026 according to Westchester County, which owns and operates the Playland amusement park. In addition to riding the renovated roller coaster, this season you’ll be able to enjoy sea breezes, many other rides, games of chance and, on every summer Friday night and on the Fourth of July, a free dazzling fireworks display.
6. Our celebrity neighbors are so nice
It’s not unusual to run into Dateline NBC’s Andrea Canning on Purchase Street. Bob and Lee Woodruff, he a former ABC news anchor and she an author and speaker, frequently contribute their talents to charitable organizations around town. Dennis Elsas, a well-known radio disc jockey, takes a break from the demands of his shows on WFUV and Sirius XM Radio by dipping in the pool of a local beach club. NBC Golf commentator Jimmy Roberts is as charming in person as he is on TV, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport was the “auctioneer” at last year’s fundraiser for the Rye Arts Center. (We also have connections with cool celebrities who have passed on like Amelia Earhart, Ogden Nash, Buster Crabbe, and Barbara Pierce Bush.)
7. Halloween window painting
Nothing says community like this tradition, which has been going on for more than 70 years. Organized by the Rye Recreation Department, the event closes downtown streets to traffic as teams of children (and their parents) show up to decorate designated windows of local businesses. The event has turned into a street fair with food and music, too! Don’t forget the Bon Ami!
8. You can see the sunrise every day — even if you sleep in
Brian Jackson’s Instagram is filled with the golds, yellows, reds, pinks, and purples that paint the horizon as the sun rises over the Long Island Sound every morning. Faced with a health challenge, Jackson began taking restorative walks in the early morning and was bowled over by the beauty that most of us miss while still tucked in our beds. He began posting his sunrise photos on Instagram every day. With nearly 1,000 followers, Jackson’s pictures have touched many, while giving Jackson, the former president of the Rye Chamber of Commerce, real purpose for his early morning strolls.
9. We have the all-time winningest football coach in New York
In his 50th season leading the Garnets, Dino Garr surpassed a state record set 25 years ago. After climbing to the top of the record books in September, Garr and his team didn’t stop there. Rye capped a 14-0 season with the school’s fifth state football championship, and the first against Class A competition. The 28-14 victory against Brighton in Syracuse was the 375th win of Garr’s illustrious career.
10. The downtown looks like a fairyland at Christmas
Driving down Purchase Street during the holiday season feels like wandering through a winter wonderland. Thanks to the AprilMayJune team of Compass Real Estate, which has championed the project, white lights and twinkling orbs dazzle visitors, forming a halo of holiday happiness in the business district.
11. We have our own Farmer’s Market
From June to November, the parking lot between Theodore Fremd Avenue and Purchase Street hosts a farmer’s market where locals mingle and have their pick of fresh produce from largely upstate producers. You can also buy specialty foods like pasta, pickles, and pies and catch up with your neighbors as you hunt for delectable gems.
12. You’ll never go hungry here
Rye has become a dining destination with restaurants like the Rye Grill and Bar, Ruby’s Oyster Bar & Bistro, Fogama, Aurora, Watermoon, Village Social, Rafele Rye, Oko, Kelly’s Sea Level, Rye Roadhouse, Frankie and Johnnie’s, Saigon Table, The Granola Bar, Milton Point Provisions, On the Way Café, Little Thai Kitchen, The Barley Beach House, and Averna Italian Steakhouse. More recently they have been joined by newer choices like Gordito, Ora, and Antique Garage. Name a cuisine and you can find it — and eat it there or bring it home. You could eat out for four weeks straight and never go to the same Rye restaurant twice.
13. Rye Town Park is for everyone
In 1907, Rye Town voters had the foresight to designate 28.1 acres at Oakland Beach as a park. Combined with the adjacent 34.5-acre Oakland Beach, the park is a year-round oasis for people, their pets, and ducks, fish, birds, and even turtles. Drawing thousands of visitors each year, the park hosts weekly concerts in the summer, an annual Pride Celebration, and the Barley Beach House, one of the few public places in Westchester where you can eat a meal while overlooking the Long Island Sound. Last year the Friends of Rye Town Park, a nonprofit, ran a successful fundraising effort to renovate the stucco park towers, the property’s defining edifice.
14. It’s walkable
Sure, you need a car to live in Rye, but not for everything. Most people can walk to a school, a park, or a playground, and many can walk right into town.
15. You can get coffee in so many places
Count ’em: There are at least eight places to get a barista-made coffee in downtown Rye: June & Ho, La Petite Bretagne, Le Pain Quotidien, Patisserie Salzburg, Starbucks, Sunshine Roasters, The Granola Bar, Winfield Street Coffee. (Sadly The Snackery went out of business last month.) And of course, you can pick up a regular cup of Joe at Hand Rolled Bagels, Playland Market, Antonio’s, Oakland Beach Market, the Rye Country Store, Poppy’s, Bad*** Bagels, Rockridge Deli, and Jerry’s to name a few. That’s a lot of caffeine!
16. Row America Rye has turned crew into a hometown pastime
Led by Marko Seramifovski, Rye’s youth rowing program has become one of the nation’s best. The boys and girls varsity eights teams repeated as national champions in June. At the Head of the Charles Regatta in October, a competition that attracts some of the top U.S. and international programs, RowAmerica Rye outscored all other youth rowing clubs. And because RAR has even hooked adults, who rise at the crack of dawn several times a week to get out on the Sound and row like crazy.
17. The high school principal loves Insta
Andrew Hara took the reins at Rye High School just over a year ago, but he quickly posted his way into students’ hearts, largely by meeting them where they live: on social media. His active Instagram account not only communicates the good things that are happening at school, but also gives him a way to interact with students, which Hara says is one of the most important aspects of his job.
18. We love the arts
The Rye Arts Center is the hub of the arts scene in Rye, offering classes, exhibits, workshops, and performances featuring a diverse array of arts, including dance, painting, sculpture, music, and photography. The Arts Center is awaiting city approvals to add a building next door to its Milton Road home to enhance its offerings. The Greenhaven Artists, a collective of talented women from that community, are also enhancing the scene.
19. Your nails will always look nice
With 10 nail salons in Rye, no one need have scraggly cuticles. For some regulars, their preferred salon is like Cheers — a place where everybody knows your name.
20. You can ice skate
Thousands of kids have learned to skate at the Art Deco Playland Ice Casino, former practice home of the New York Rangers. It has lost some of its luster since those days, which is why Westchester County has budgeted $59 million to renovate the structure over the next few years.
21. We have lovely private clubs
Many residents choose from among six private clubs for their socializing and fun: The American Yacht Club, The Apawamis Club, The Coveleigh Club, The Manursing Island Club, The Shenorock Shore Club, and The Westchester Country Club.
22. Rye Town Park is abuzz with honeybees
In the middle of Rye Town Park is a pond, and in the middle of that pond is a little island, and in the middle of that island is a collection of bee boxes, which are home to 50,000 honey bees. Those bees feast on the flowers in the park planted specially to lure them, and they return to the hive and make honey. Park Director Russ Gold and Friends of Rye Town Park Board member Chris Meier don white beekeeping outfits to tend to the pollinators and collect their honey, which is sold to raise money for the park.
23. If you are hungry, there are people who will make sure you have food
Not everyone who lives in Rye can always afford three square meals a day. The Bread of Life’s
food pantry and Rye Gives’ grocery gift card program help feed those facing food insecurity.
24. We have a municipal pool and golf course
The Rye Golf Club pool offers families a great place to cool off and meet up with friends and neighbors. And the 18-hole golf course is outstanding and a relative bargain in this area.
25. Our high school sports teams are nearly unbeatable (and in some cases are unbeaten!)
Last fall, the Garnet football and girls soccer teams both completed undefeated seasons with wins in New York’s Class A state championships. The same day the girls ended their 24-0-3 campaign with a 4-0 title-game rout of Aquinas Institute, the boys soccer team finished as state runner-up. All three of those teams won section titles, along with hockey, girls basketball, volleyball, and baseball. In addition to Rye’s seven section champions in 2025, four teams reached the section title game: boys basketball, field hockey, and boys and girls lacrosse — making Rye the undisputed class of Section 1 athletics.
26. The nonprofits in this town make such a difference
Thanks to the residents of Rye, many good causes have advocates that are looking out for everything from young children to the environment, to the hungry, to education, history, cancer care, veterans, and the arts. There are so many that do important work. Take a deep breath, here are many of them: The Rye YMCA, The Rye Arts Center, The Rye Free Reading Room, The Rye Historical Society, The Jay Heritage Center, the Edith G. Read Sanctuary and Friends of Read Sanctuary, The Marshlands Conservancy and Friends of The Marshlands Conservancy, The Rye Nature Center, the Bird Homestead, The Friends of Rye Town Park, The Rye Youth Council, The Bread of Life Pantry, Soul Ryeders, Helping Hands for the Hungry and Homeless, Five Steps to Five, The Rye Fund for Education, SPRYE, The Rotary Club, The Rye Lions Club, Rye ACT, the Rye PBA, American Legion Post 128, the Rye Sustainability Foundation, the Children’s Collective, The Little Garden Club of Rye, The Rye Foundation, Kids’ S.P.A.C.E., The Women’s Club of Rye, and the Wainwright House.
27. Even people who leave Rye still remember it fondly
Just ask comedian Nick Kroll, Spin Doctors’ frontman Chris Baron, and filmmaker Greg Berlanti.
28. Patrick can usually get it for you
He’s often referred to by his first name only. Patrick. As in “I bet Patrick can get that book for you.” Patrick Corcoran is the owner of Arcade Books, a well-stocked, welcoming, small independent book store that has, for more than 30 years, helped Rye readers get what they need while also supporting local authors.
29. Readers can get books and much more from The Rye Free Reading Room
Housed in a stately brick building overlooking the town green, The Rye Free Reading Room offers not just books, but museum passes and programming for adults and children alike. Whether it’s playing mahjong, learning to cook Touchdown Taco Bites, or learning about history, there’s something for everyone.
30. A group of boys started a wiffle ball league
At a time when parents gripe that they can’t get the kids off their screens, and when there are already plenty of organized activities for children, a group of middle school boys formed a wiffle ball league, attracted 30 players, spun off a refreshment concession — and kept adults totally out of it.
31. There is poetry all over town
The Rye Poetry Path has installed poetry by well-known and emerging poets alike in locations around town: Rye Town Park, The Rye Nature Center, Edith G. Read Sanctuary, and the Knapp House. As you wander, you’ll discover poems you know and poems you don’t — all designed to “spark reflection and conversation” around themes of “community, conservation, and social justice.”
32. Only Rye could get die-hard New Yorker Marc Jacobs to leave the city
In an essay in Vogue Magazine, celebrity fashion designer Jacobs describes finding his house on Manursing Island (a Frank Lloyd Wright design) and how he was pulled away from New York City by the beauty and serenity of Rye. He described “enigmatic sunrises” and “a stillness I had never experienced in my life.” IYKYK.
33. We’re in the movies (and on TV)
Watch “Big,” “Fatal Attraction,” “Sweet and Lowdown,” “Robot & Frank,” “This is Where I Leave You,” and spot the Rye landmarks like Playland, Oakland Beach, the boardwalk, Purchase Street, and the Rye Free Reading Room. Watch “Your Friends and Neighbors,” “Billions,” “The Watcher,” and “Mr. Robot,” and see more unmistakable Rye homes and locations. Mariah Carey even filmed her video for the song “Fantasy” at Rye Playland.
34. Bad Sisters
Bad Sisters is an informal group of women that dip into the frigid waters of the Long Island Sound throughout the winter. They reap the health benefits of cold water plunging and camaraderie. The group is notable for its boldness, but also for its welcoming ethos and Zen-like practice of having participants breathe deeply, join hands, and walk mindfully into the chilly waters together.
35. The GAME
The oldest football rivalry in New York belongs to Rye and Harrison and draws thousands of spectators every year. The latest meeting was the highest scoring in the nearly 100-year history of the rivalry, a 49-28 Garnet victory in October. Aside from the tightly contested action on the field and the packed
bleachers on the sidelines, one of The Game’s most unique traditions is Rye’s celebratory plunge into
Blind Brook after every win.
36. We have our own literary festival
The Watershed Literary Festival is held every two years and brings authors, writers, and speakers to mingle with readers and would-be writers in a casual and accessible setting. The founders are five local women whose vision has brought many together for the sake of writing and community.
37. We live at the beach
With miles of public and private coastline, the beach is our backyard and residents can easily access the sand.
38. Our stretch of Route 1 has no big box stores
Unlike most communities that Route 1 passes through, Rye has no major commercial businesses on the four-lane road. This is partly because of zoning, but also the presence of the Marshlands Conservancy and the Jay Heritage Center. Add to that an emphasis on retaining the city’s historical character and the foresight of city officials, who favored keeping Purchase Street as the commercial hub of the city.
39. At Thanksgiving we worship together
The Rye Interfaith Council offers a worship service each year right before Thanksgiving, allowing residents to come together at a rotating house of worship to remember that though we may be of different faiths, we are all Rye residents, grateful for many things.
40. The Parson Street Players
This group for artistically-inclined high school students allows them to learn everything from stage managing to acting to musical theater. One highlight is Senior Scenes, an opportunity for 12th graders to choose and direct fellow students in theatrical scenes. Hundreds of students are involved, especially when you count the band, orchestra, and choral groups.
41. Our homegrown musicians rock
Rye resident Gary Adamson fronts Back to the Garden, a Woodstock-era tribute band, while singer-songwriter Paul Jensen has launched a second career while bringing original music to Rye, and a band of Rye High School alumni, Summer Project, released an album last year and performed around town.
42. Halloween is taken seriously in Greenhaven
The Chester Crew puts on a Halloween show that delights the kids in the Greenhaven neighborhood. Last year the theme was “The Wizard of Oz.”
Chris Marshall and Jon Elsen contributed to this story.
