The state is heading back into the ground at a Rye Brook site that was supposed to be done with mercury for good. Also this week: Rye pays $36,000 to fix your cell signal, a Harrison mansion with two TV credits hits the market, and a genuine Italian place in Cos Cob.

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The state is heading back to 55 Hillandale Road, where an illegal mercury refinery operated for 20 years until the 1990s. New indoor air sampling found contamination still present in a nearby home's basement sump. A 45-day investigation starts this summer.

Why it matters: this site has already been "cleaned" twice, and the Village Board wants the state to be transparent.

Rye's spotty cell service is getting an official response. The City Council voted this week to hire CityScape Consultants to build the city's first wireless telecommunications infrastructure plan, pulling $36,000 from the general fund's contingency account for a first phase that maps current dead zones and assesses where new infrastructure is needed. The work is expected to take three to four months.

Why it matters: residents have complained for years about dropped calls near the water and in the hills. This is the first time the city has funded a real fix.

Construction crews broke ground this month on the last phase of the Bruce Museum's decade-long modernization: a full streetscape rebuild along Steamboat Road. The roughly two-month project widens the sidewalk from five feet to ten, replaces asphalt with concrete and granite curbing, adds four new street trees and Greenwich Avenue-style lighting, and rebuilds the museum's original stone retaining wall stone by stone. A.P. Construction, a division of the Ashforth Company, is the general contractor.

Why it matters: the goal is a real walking connection between Greenwich Avenue, downtown, and the waterfront, something the corridor has never quite had. During construction, metered parking on Steamboat Road's east side and the exterior stairway near the train bridge will be closed, with detour signage for pedestrians heading to the museum.

The Village is fourteen years into its last comprehensive plan and finally rewriting it. Since kicking off the update this spring, officials have run a community-wide vision survey, held a first Advisory Committee meeting, and hosted a public workshop in June at the Senior Community Center to gather input on zoning, neighborhoods, and quality of life for the next decade. Consultants are now folding that feedback into draft goals. Separately, the Village is searching for a new full-time Village Attorney, a position appointed by the Village Manager under a Board of Trustees contract.

Why it matters: Port Chester's density, its Metro-North corridor, and its housing pressure have all changed dramatically since the last plan was written, and this update will shape what gets built, and where, for years.

What to watch: the next public opportunity to weigh in, expected later this summer.

Forget compression cubes — the real secret to packing light is only bringing clothes you'll actually wear. That's the advice from Lydia Mansel, who writes the packing newsletter Just Packed. Her system: build a travel uniform around oversized button-downs, plain white tees, and loose linen pants that work across any itinerary.

A few other tips worth stealing: keep a running stash of hotel samples and Sephora freebies to "shop" before each trip, buy full-size sunscreen at your destination, and if you're headed to Europe, leave the athleisure home. "You'll stand out as an American tourist," Mansel says.

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A Harrison Police Department employee's felony tax case returns to court July 26. Patricia Kruse Disanto, whose husband is accused separately of stealing $200,000 from a client, faces charges of failing to file state tax returns and filing a false instrument.

Rye City Hall's summer HVAC job is pushing council meetings out of the building. With City Hall under renovation, this week's council meeting moved to the Locust Avenue Firehouse instead.

Greenwich Youth Conservation Program marked its 48th summer this week. GYCP Day brought local kids out to the Montgomery Pinetum and Greenwich Botanical Center for a day of hands-on nature programming.

Port Chester's Concerts in the Park kicked off its season July 11. The Village Recreation Department runs the free series through the summer.

A haze rolled over the Sound Shore this week, and it's not local. Smoke from more than 800 active Canadian wildfires drifted into the Northeast, prompting air quality concerns through midweek.

This one is worth crossing the line for. Il Pastaficio sits quietly in Cos Cob, the kind of place regulars would rather keep to themselves. It earns the secret. It is one of the rare spots that Italian food is actually made. No Alfredo and no vodka sauce anywhere on the menu.

The kitchen keeps the bar high, and the problem, if you can call it one, is that picking two dishes to recommend here is nearly impossible. But here we go, my suggestion is the carbonara. It is the real preparation… the pancetta, the oil… everything to perfection, leave room for dessert. The cannoli and the tiramisù both hold up.

Worth knowing: The Cos Cob room is small, so reserve ahead if possible. The Westport location runs more tables if you want a better shot at a walk-in.

Worth knowing:
213 E Putnam Ave, Mill Pond Shopping Center, Cos Cob, CT
135 Post Rd, East, Westport, CT
Open 7 Days - 11am to 8pm

LobsterFest
Where: Rye Town Park, Rye, NY 10580
When: Thursday, July 16, 6:00pm
More info: pcrbchamber.com

Harrison Town/Village Board Meeting
Where: Harrison Town Hall, 1 Heineman Place, Harrison, NY 10528
When: Thursday, July 16, 7:00pm
More info: harrison-ny.gov

Rye Brook Food Truck Festival
Where: Pine Ridge Park, 17 Mohegan Lane, Rye Brook, NY 10573
When: Saturday, July 18, 11:00am-3:00pm
More info: ryebrookny.gov

Jack White Live
Where: The Capitol Theatre, 149 Westchester Ave, Port Chester, NY 10573
When: Sunday, July 19, 8:00pm
More info: thecapitoltheatre.com

Rye Farmers Market
Where: Theodore Fremd Ave lot, behind Purchase St, Rye, NY 10580
When: Sunday, July 19, 8:30am-2:00pm
More info: downtoearthmarkets.com

Crawford Park Free Concert Series
Where: Crawford Park, 122 N Ridge St, Rye Brook, NY 10573
When: Thursday, July 23, 7:00pm
More info: ryebrookny.gov

Greenwich Farmers Market
Where: Horseneck Lot, Arch St & Horseneck Lane, Greenwich, CT 06830
When: Saturday, July 25, 9:30am-1:00pm
More info: greenwichfarmersmarketct.com

The Rye Arts Center wants to build a new facility on a plot of land donated to it on Milton Road. The catch: the donated site, at 25 Milton Road, sits in a residential zone that doesn't currently allow an arts center to operate. Fixing that means changing the city's code, a process that has now dragged on since the RAC's board first appealed to the City Council back in January.

This week, the Planning Commission reviewed additional material the RAC submitted and asked City Planner Christian Miller to draft a formal analysis of how Rye should approach the zoning change. That memo won't be ready until the commission's August 11 meeting.

The proposed building would complement the RAC's current headquarters at 51 Milton Road, giving the nonprofit room to grow its classes and performances. Neighbors on the residential street have raised concerns about scale and traffic. The RAC's supporters argue a community arts nonprofit deserves room to grow. Either way, nothing moves until at least next month.

Set on 3 manicured acres in Harrison's Sterling Ridge, this stone estate known as Four Winds has served as the filming location for two television productions.

Inside: an oak-paneled foyer with speakeasy doors, a preserved motif ceiling in the grand living room, and a chef's kitchen finished in Thassos marble.

Outside: a salt-water infinity pool, a new tennis court, and sweeping lawns built for entertaining. The lower level adds a home theater, gym, and guest suite. At $674 a square foot it's real money, but there's nothing else like it on the market in Harrison right now.

$7,495,000
bed / 8 bath · 11,118 sqft · Built 1931
383 Woodlands Rd, Harrison

View listing

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