Yonkers Esplanade and Saw Mill River Daylighting

I recently traveled over the Tappan Zee Bridge to visit Westchester County upon the invitation of the Westchester County Tourism and Film Board. We explored some fabulous food and dining experiences, and I learned a bit of Westchester history too. I had a terrific time and am excited to plan some family-friendly visits this fall to explore more of Westchester County.

One of the great things about getting away for dinner, the day or the weekend in Westchester County is that it took about 35 minutes to get to Rye from our home in Bergen County. In less than an hour, we were whisked away into a new state of mind.

For our night out at Xaviers X20 on the Hudson, we learned about the Saw Mill River daylighting initiative, where the city of Yonkers worked to uncover and bring to light the Saw Mill River after decades of it being covered by concrete in the heart of the downtown area near the Hudson. They've created a beautiful open waterfall and park area right off of the Yonkers train station and Metro North line, just a hop and skip away from the riverwalk restaurants and esplanade.

We visited the newly renovated Yonkers esplanade and were treated to free Friday jazz on the river right near Xaviers X20 restaurant on the pier. Here's a peek:

Here's me, at sunset along the Hudson River in Yonkers . . . just think, in a few short weeks those lush green trees across the river in New Jersey will be red, orange and yellow:

Restaurants along the river in Yonkers:

A view of the George Washington Bridge and NYC from the Yonkers esplanade . . .

We were treated to a fabulous dinner at Xaviers X20 Restaurant located on a pier on the Hudson River, with terrific views of the George Washington Bridge and the twinkly lights of NYC, and the Tappan Zee Bridge upriver.

This may give you an idea of the romantic setting at Xaviers X20, looking south along the esplanade toward the GW Bridge and NYC. I've been playing with some settings on my cameras and was standing in a stairwell inside the restaurant, so you can see a picture on the wall behind me and the staircase I'm standing on, and the lights spanning the GW Bridge twinkling in the center of the photo:

Here's a romanticized look at the restaurants along the river, looking down from the bar at Xavier's X20:

We had a great night out in Yonkers, and I can't wait to share it with c2cDad the next time we're looking for a wonderful night out. Chef Peter Kelly welcomed us to Xavier's X20, and presented us with such delectable dishes that I've already identified it as the next place we'll dine with another couple from the other side of Westchester County. :-)