Just up the Hudson River from New York City, Westchester County is as cultured and sophisticated or as completely rural as you want it to be. Bordered on the west by the Hudson River and a string of historic river towns, and to the east by rolling hills, farms and woodlands, Westchester is home to legends and history, culture and world-class entertainment.

Only a short trip away from the busy streets of New York City, Westchester provides a diverse offering of destinations. Whether it's strolling a working 18th-century farm, taking in music at an outdoor festival, or exploring the banks of the Hudson River, Westchester offers a complete and convenient getaway destination.

The county itself is a living history museum, and nowhere is New York State's rich history and extravagant past more evident than in the historic river towns. Farms and estates date back to the mid-17th Century, when European colonists first settled in the area. Westchester was one of the wealthiest counties in the nation before the Revolutionary War, as it is today.

The Industrial Revolution led to an explosion in Westchester's population leading up to the two World Wars. As New York City grew in size, more and more families looked northward as an alternative. In response, Westchester formulated a plan to create a paradise in which to escape the city's confines. Golf courses and forested recreation areas were planned along the new parkways and railroads that provided unfettered access to the county's delights. As a result, Westchester has endless opportunities to escape the urban jungle—as we hope the following will make clear!