Issue 01: We Made You a Magazine

Hey, Westchester! Thanks for opening this email and not auto-deleting it–we promise it’ll be worth it. We’re AJ and Cristiana, but chances are, you already knew that. In case you’re new here, AJ is a Yonkers native, musician, and the braintrust behind the 914Collective. What started out as a fun hobby has burst into a recognizable brand across the county. Cristiana is an award-winning journalist and former Senior Editor at Westchester Magazine (including being the Editor-in-Chief over at 914INC.) and spent years as the go-to for all things food, travel, and culture in the 914 and beyond. We are so excited to be bringing you a publication that you can see your questions, wants, and interests reflected in.

When we first began talking about Not Upstate, we kept coming back to one simple idea: Westchester deserves a publication that celebrates the people, places, and experiences that make this community feel like home. One that highlights both the beloved institutions and newcomers. One that truly feels like the diverse tapestry that is Westchester. And most importantly, one that can be useful to the people who read it.

This magazine was built with curiosity at its core. The more we grow, explore, and deep dive, you'll find conversations with the people shaping our communities, stories behind local landmarks, new restaurants to try, events to add to your calendar, and the kinds of discoveries that remind us there's always something new to find, even in places we think we know by heart.

Whether you've lived here your entire life or just arrived, we hope this bi-weekly ‘zine inspires you to slow down, wander a little farther, support a local business, revisit a historic landmark, or simply appreciate the community around you.

This first issue is only the beginning. We can't wait to continue sharing the stories that connect us, surprise us, and celebrate everything that makes the 914 unlike anywhere else.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. Whatever it is, we believe these are the stories worth telling.

See you around Westchester.

AJ & Cristiana
Editors, Not Upstate: A 914 Collective Magazine

7 Summers: A Morgan Wallen Tribute
Kensico Dam Plaza, Valhalla
A free Morgan Wallen tribute on the lawn as part of the Robison Summer Concert Series. Music from 7 to 9pm, with free admission and free parking.

Night of Nicks: Fleetwood Mac + Stevie Nicks Tribute
Yonkers Brewing Company, Yonkers
A full night of Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks on Main Street. Music at 7pm.

Low Cut Connie: Solo Piano Performance
ArtsWestchester, White Plains
An intimate performance from acclaimed rocker Adam Weiner.

"Gardens of the Gilded Age" Book Talk & Tour
Lyndhurst Mansion, Tarrytown
Explore the estate's landscape history followed by an Ecotones concert.

History Tour: Beyond the Walled Garden
Untermyer Gardens, Yonkers
Learn about the estate's remarkable architecture, gardens and history.

Country Line Dancing with Adam Cherko
The Green at Cross County Center, Yonkers
Free line dancing on The Green with Westchester's own Adam Cherko, "The Cowboy that Closes." Beginner instruction from 6 to 7pm, advanced from 7 to 8pm. All skill levels welcome, so bring your boots.

Collective Soul
The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester
The 90s rock radio hitmakers play Port Chester, with Reach NYC opening. Music starts at 7pm.

Westchester Soccer Club vs. Spokane Velocity FC
The Stadium at Memorial Field, Mount Vernon
Come cheer on Westchester's only professional sports team as they take on cross-country rivals and make a push for the playoffs. Gates open at 5:30PM for a 7PM kickoff. Get there early for some pre-match festivities and good vibes.

THE FEATURE

For generations of New Yorkers, Playland isn't just an amusement park. It's where first roller coaster rides turned into lifelong traditions, where grandparents point out the same carousel horses they rode as children, and where Friday night fireworks still light up the Long Island Sound nearly a century after the park first opened.

This year, visitors may notice fresh paint, restored buildings, and a renewed sense of energy. But beneath those updates lies a much bigger story—one about preserving one of America's most significant amusement parks while ensuring it continues to delight future generations.

"It's supposed to be a magical place," says Peter Tartaglia, former Acting Commissioner of Westchester County Department of Parks and Recreation. "You come to Playland to forget your day."

When Playland opened in 1928, it was the first completely planned amusement park in the United States—a revolutionary concept at a time when parks like Coney Island had evolved organically from clusters of independent attractions. Instead, Playland was intentionally designed around a central mall that guided visitors from the fountain at one end to the iconic Music Tower at the other, creating a carefully choreographed experience complete with live music, elegant colonnades, gardens, restaurants, and attractions.

Nearly every original structure was designed in the sleek Art Deco style that symbolized modernity in the Roaring Twenties. Today, those same buildings have become historic treasures, earning Playland designation as a National Historic Landmark—an honor shared by only one other amusement park in the country, according to Tartaglia.

Preserving a nearly century-old amusement park isn't as simple as replacing weathered wood or applying a fresh coat of paint. Every restoration begins with research.

Before work begins, designers submit plans to New York's Office of Historic Preservation for approval. Teams study original photographs, analyze decades-old paint samples, and examine construction materials used in the 1920s to ensure every renovation remains faithful to the park's original appearance.

Even seemingly simple projects become specialized endeavors.

The Dragon Coaster requires lumber that can't be purchased at a standard hardware store. Structural beams must be milled from knot-free timber produced by only a handful of suppliers nationwide, while the track itself requires a different type of wood altogether. Replacement parts for vintage rides often don't exist anymore, forcing engineers to fabricate custom components from scratch.

"It's really about sourcing the right professionals," Tartaglia says.

That painstaking process has stretched across several years.

The county has invested heavily in rebuilding infrastructure both above and below ground, restoring the historic carousel and Derby Racer buildings, renovating the iconic colonnades, modernizing food stands and game buildings, and completely transforming the pool complex. Since Westchester County resumed operating the park in 2025, crews have also devoted significant attention to bringing aging rides back to peak condition.

The park has become part of countless family traditions across Westchester, New York City, Connecticut, and beyond. Parents return with children who eventually return with children of their own.

"I have those memories myself with my family," Tartaglia says, recalling watching his own children experience the park while he worked there. "It's generational."

That sense of continuity extends beyond the rides themselves.

The smell of cotton candy. The music drifting across the midway. Fireworks reflecting off Long Island Sound every Friday night during the summer. Even the restored copper domes that will slowly weather into their familiar green patina over time are reminders that Playland has never been about any single attraction.

"It's an experience," Tartaglia says.

The restoration is far from finished.

Plans continue for additional attractions, improvements to Kiddieland, more live entertainment, and the restoration of the historic Ice Casino building. Scorpios, a “pirate ship style” thrill ride, is about to welcome its first riders. When asked what has been most rewarding about the restoration effort, Tartaglia doesn't mention new attractions or construction milestones.

Instead, he talks about a feeling.

"Bringing back the beauty of what Playland must have felt like when you walked through it in 1928."

Walk beneath the restored colonnades today, with music echoing through the park and the Dragon Coaster rattling overhead, and it's easy to understand exactly what he means.

There are few dishes as soul soothing as a perfectly made soup dumpling. Delicate enough to hold steaming broth inside a paper-thin wrapper yet sturdy enough to survive the journey from bamboo steamer to chopsticks, they're equal parts comfort food and culinary craftsmanship.

Now, White Plains has a new destination for them.

Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings, the Michelin-recommended restaurant that first earned a devoted following in Flushing, Queens, has officially opened its first Westchester County location at 27 Mamaroneck Avenue, bringing its celebrated Shanghainese cuisine to downtown White Plains.

Founded in 2006, Nan Xiang quickly became synonymous with expertly crafted xiao long bao—Shanghai-style soup dumplings filled with rich broth and savory meat. Guests can choose from the restaurant's signature pork soup dumplings or branch out into specialties featuring crab, black truffle, scallops, chicken, and shrimp. One of the restaurant's offerings, the colorful lucky six soup dumplings, allows diners to sample six different fillings in one order—a playful introduction for first-time visitors.

But limiting a meal to dumplings would mean missing much of what has made Nan Xiang so popular. The expansive menu also features handmade noodles, scallion pancakes, wontons, fried rice, stir-fries, Chinese pastries, and desserts ranging from ube red bean bao to black sesame custard dumplings.

Downtown has steadily evolved into one of Westchester's culinary hubs, welcoming an increasingly diverse mix of independent restaurants and nationally recognized concepts. Nan Xiang joins that growing collection, offering residents and visitors a dining experience that no longer requires a lengthy trip into Queens or Manhattan.

Send them Not Upstate. Get three friends to sign up and we'll put two tickets to a Yonkers Brewing show in your name, your pick of the night.

See you in two weeks.

AJ & Cristiana
Not Upstate: A 914 Collective Magazine