Staying Ahead of the Trend in Westchester - My Story
Confession time: While I am a self-described “Burba-Rican” - a Puerto Rican who grew up in suburban New York - and while I do consider Westchester to be home, I am not a Westchester native.
I grew up in Upstate New York, where the winters were all snowball fights and hot chocolate and the summers were adventures in the woods and trips to the public pool. Yet, one childhood memory seems to stand out above the rest. One day we took a family trip down to the City to visit relatives. After battling car sickness for three hours, I remember sticking my head out the window and being completely awestruck by the sights.
The skyscrapers, the lights, the energy.
Millions of people all moving in a million different directions. All chasing their own dreams.
I realized then that the City was where I wanted to be.
And so that’s what I made happen. After graduating from SUNY Albany, I packed what little I had and moved into my first place in NYC. I never looked back!
In the Big Apple I did what most people do -- I struggled. But throughout the struggle, I met amazing people and experienced sights and sounds that would’ve never been available to me upstate. I was swept up in the current that runs through the city; living in the mecca for the latest trends in food, fashion, entertainment, and so much more.
My career took one exciting turn after the other. I delved into media and entertainment, becoming a television correspondent hosting a digital Latin lifestyle and entertainment show. I headlined at the Sugar Bar and shared the stage with the incomparable Valerie Simpson. Eventually, I went on to land a star role on ABC’s fantasy based reality television show, The Quest.
But the most surprising turn of events didn’t come from my dive into the entertainment industry, but rather from one of my side jobs. When you live in New York City, one job isn’t always enough, so I moonlighted as a bartender. I worked everywhere, from dive bars to Jean Georges’ Nougatine, and on one fateful night, I randomly fell in love with (and married!) one of my customers. And he just so happened to live in -- you guessed it -- Westchester County.
And so once again I packed up my things and I found myself heading back to the ‘burbs. Now, before I met my husband, I could point out Westchester on a map, but I had no real clue what life would be like living there. To be honest, I was nervous. Living in the city meant that you were right THERE, right in the heart of everything. All of the latest trends, a zillion places to go, an endless list of things to do. What was Westchester going to be like? How could it even compare?
What I found was that Westchester was the perfect intersection of my past, present, and future. I saw the expansive green parks and winding country roads of my childhood. I saw the hustle and bustle of urban life that I’d come to love. And I saw something else that was at first almost unnoticeable -- that Westchester is its own, unique place.
Whether you’re enjoying the White Plains nightlife or marveling at panoramic views from one of the many riverside parks, there’s always something new to try and exciting to do right around the corner. Restaurants, hiking trails, spas, breweries, history… Westchester truly has it all.
The one thing I felt was missing was some sort of reliable source to find the best places that Westchester has to offer. A guide where I could find the newest and the latest; a source of content that would speak to the Westchester of today, an ever-changing, youthful, and diverse scene. It simply didn’t exist.
So I created my own.
I created Ahead of the Trend with the goal of discovering, experiencing, and sharing all the best that Westchester has to offer. To reveal to you -- through articles, videos, and photos -- the countless ways to truly enjoy this amazing and unique place. Let Ahead of the Trend be your source for all things Westchester County, and follow us so that you, too, can stay ahead of the trend!
~ Leticia Reyes-James — Founder of Ahead of the Trend
