One more week, and lots of new readers, welcome! Have you bumped into Jon Hamm in Rye? Happy belated Father's Day, and let's get into it. A 118-year-old corner building on Greenwich Avenue may be heading for demolition. July 4th is ten days away, with Port Chester pulling out Grucci fireworks and a Red Bull skydive team, Greenwich lighting up two parks at once, and Rye doing it on the water. Don't miss the EXTRA item at the bottom, it's certainly worth a read, but no surprise for Sound Shore residents.

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For the third year running, Jon Hamm and the crew of Apple TV+'s "Your Friends & Neighbors" are filming in downtown Rye. Production on Season 3 was spotted on Purchase Street this week, a block that has quietly become one of the most recognizable stretches of TV real estate in Westchester.

The show, which stars Hamm as a hedge fund manager who turns to burglary after losing his job, is set in the fictional suburb of Westmont, a thinly veiled stand-in for Westchester.

Local businesses have been finding themselves on screen since Season 1. Aurora, Ruby's Oyster Bar & Bistro, Sunshine Coffee Roasters, June & Ho, and Water Moon have all made appearances. Locals have made a sport of spotting their neighbors' favorite spots in the background.

At the corner of Greenwich Avenue and West Putnam, there is a Tudor Revival building that has anchored the block since 1894. A pre-application has been submitted to the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission to faithfully reconstruct 2 Greenwich Avenue, along with two adjacent buildings at 10 Greenwich Avenue and 10–12 West Putnam Avenue, consolidating the parcels into a new mixed-use building with 14 apartments and ground-floor retail.

The 1894 structure is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a contributing building to the Greenwich Avenue Historic District. The applicant's argument is practical: 130 years of renovations and alterations have left the underlying structure beyond reliable rehabilitation. The proposal is to rebuild it from the ground up in the spirit of its Tudor Revival character, replicating the gabled form, brick-and-half-timber expression, and corner massing.

The commission must first determine use compatibility at the pre-application stage. Formal hearings have not yet been scheduled. Approval would require a variance, since the proposed four occupied floors plus rooftop exceed the CGBR zone's three-story limit. Worth watching closely.

Live music and food trucks start at 6:00pm. The Red Bull Skydive Team performs at 8:30pm. Fireworks by Grucci launch at 9:00pm. On July 4th, Ryan Stadium at Port Chester High School hosts what may be the most elaborate July 4th celebration in recent memory for this corner of Westchester, co-sponsored by the Village of Port Chester, the Village of Rye Brook, and the Town of Rye in honor of America's 250th birthday.

Grucci, the Bellport, NY family that has been firing professional fireworks since 1850 and holds the title of America's first family of fireworks, is handling the show. Entry is free.

The Greenwich Parks and Recreation Foundation has launched a public fundraising campaign called "Light Up Greenwich" with a goal of raising $25,000 to elevate this year's Fourth of July fireworks shows at Binney Park and Greenwich Point in honor of America's 250th anniversary. This year, the town is running two simultaneous displays — a first for many longtime residents.

Both shows are set for the evening of Thursday, July 2, beginning at dusk, with a rain date of Saturday, July 11. Greenwich Point is a natural venue for a waterfront show. Binney Park brings the celebration inland for residents who can't get to the water. Donations to Light Up Greenwich are being collected through the Foundation, and the campaign has built real momentum heading into the final week.

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Harrison Central School District closes for summer on Friday, June 26, ending a year that included four students at the International GENIUS Olympiad in Rochester and National Scholastic Silver Medal winners from Harrison High School. GENIUS Olympiad results are expected at harrisoncsd.org before the close of the year.

Playland's beach, pool, and full concession lineup move to daily summer hours starting this Friday, June 26, open through Labor Day. No gate admission. Ride wristbands: $27 adults, $20 kids for Kiddyland (resident pricing). The Dragon Coaster is running. The 98th season is fully underway.

Experience the Sound returns to Greenwich Point Park (Tod's Point) this Thursday, June 26, from 1pm to 4pm. The free annual coastal celebration features hands-on exhibits, an oyster boat, kayak and paddleboard demos, and complimentary raw oysters and clams while supplies last. No tickets. Kids love it.

The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester has a strong summer run lined up: Rumours ATL (Fleetwood Mac tribute) on July 3, Jack White on July 19, The Head and the Heart on July 25, and Snarky Puppy with John Medeski on July 30. Tickets at thecapitoltheatre.com.

Rye Brook summer day camp opens July 6 for kids ages 5-14, with programs running through August at village facilities. Registration and full schedule at ryebrookny.gov.

112 North Main Street has stood since 1881 — long enough to have outlasted every trend Port Chester has cycled through. For generations it housed various commercial tenants. In late 2024, it became 1881 Kitchen Table, and if you haven't been, you're missing one of the most compelling dining rooms in Westchester.

The menu is built around a wood-fired oven that commands the center of the room, and the approach is global-leaning Mediterranean: roasted portobello, a spicy mezze plate, wood-roasted fish, and creative cocktails that draw their own following. But the item that has gotten the most attention is the steak program. Don't skip the bread course.

Worth knowing
112 N Main St, Port Chester.
Tue-Thu 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 4pm-11pm, Sun 4pm-9pm.
Closed Mondays.

Experience the Sound at Greenwich Point Park
Where: Greenwich Point Park (Tod's Point), Old Greenwich, CT 06870
When: Thursday, June 26, 1:00pm–4:00pm
More info: greenwichct.gov

2026 Juneteenth Cemetery Restoration Service
Where: Rye African American Cemetery, Forest Avenue, Rye, NY 10580
When: Saturday, June 28, 10:00am
More info: ryetownny.gov

Greenwich Fourth of July Fireworks (Two Shows)
Where: Binney Park and Greenwich Point Park, Greenwich, CT 06830
When: Thursday, July 2, at dusk (Rain date: July 11)
More info: greenwichct.gov

Rumours ATL: The Fleetwood Mac Tribute
Where: The Capitol Theatre, 149 Westchester Ave, Port Chester, NY 10573
When: Friday, July 3, 8:00pm
More info: thecapitoltheatre.com

Port Chester/Rye Brook/Rye America 250 July 4th Celebration
Where: Ryan Stadium at Port Chester High School, 1 Tamarack Rd, Rye Brook, NY 10573
When: Saturday, July 4, music and food trucks from 6:00pm; Red Bull Skydive at 8:30pm; fireworks by Grucci at 9:00pm
More info: portchesterny.gov

Playland Fourth of July Fireworks
Where: Playland Park, 1 Playland Pkwy, Rye, NY 10580
When: Saturday, July 4
More info: playlandpark.org

The African American Cemetery holds the remains of residents who helped build this town when they had no guarantee of being remembered by it. Many of the headstones were toppled, weathered into illegibility, or swallowed by overgrowth. The names were disappearing.

In 2010, a group of residents, descendants, and community members formed the Friends of the Rye African-American Cemetery. They have spent the sixteen years since in a methodical effort to reverse the damage, stone by stone, record by record. In 2021, they partnered with the World Monuments Fund, the Jay Heritage Center, and the Woodlawn Conservancy to conserve more than 40 grave markers in a single restoration effort.

Every Juneteenth, the community gathers to continue the work.

This Saturday, June 28, at 10am, the 2026 Juneteenth Service project returns for another round of grave marker restoration. The Friends work alongside descendants of those buried there and the local NAACP chapter. No experience is required. The address and logistics are at ryetownny.gov.

This is one of the most meaningful volunteer opportunities in the area, and it happens once a year.

Downtown Rye almost never delivers new construction at this scale, and this colonial, completed this year, makes the case for why buyers pay a premium to avoid someone else's renovation: herringbone hardwood floors, custom molding and millwork throughout, high ceilings, and a chef's kitchen as the centerpiece of an open floor plan built for both daily use and serious entertaining. The location, steps from Purchase Street and the Metro-North platform, is one of the few in the city where you genuinely don't need a car.

View listing
$3,395,000
83 Orchard Avenue, Rye, NY 10580
5 bed / 6 bath · 5,400 sq ft · Built 2026

A new Zillow report finds a record 242 U.S. cities now have starter homes priced at $1 million or more — nearly triple the count before the pandemic. For buyers in Rye, Harrison, and Greenwich, that headline describes what was already true before 2020. The national data has simply caught up.

The New York City metro leads every market in the country, with 63 cities where entry-level homes cost seven figures. New York State now has 41 such cities, up from 12 before the pandemic. Connecticut counts four.

One piece of better news: the typical buyer now breaks even relative to renting after roughly six years, down from more than eight in late 2023.

Read the full report: Zillow Research

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