Endless Opportunities at Westchester’s Ridge Hill Shopping Mall?

Yonkers is the new home to a stunning outdoor shopping center that looks more like a gated community than a place for consumers to indulge. Ridge Hill, located down the road from Stew Leonard’s, Home Depot, and Costco, is designed to provide shoppers with a feeling as though they’ve escaped their every-day-lives to enter an oasis of endless opportunities. But, did they succeed

While I can’t guarantee you endless opportunities, I can tell you that this place does not feel like it’s anywhere near home. With elegant fountains, a charming village green, and a plethora of outdoor seating, Ridge Hill will make you feel as though you have reached a destination. As you enter the complex, you are met with a lavish apartment building that looks like it belongs in the residential part of Battery Park. Furthermore, when you pull up to Market Street, you find yourself wondering if you’ve found the newest town in Westchester.

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“I feel like I’m on a movie set,” says Armonk resident, Saul Kurtz. “Every structure in the complex looks state of the art, yet this place has the charm of a small town.”

Although many storefronts still appear empty, an impressive variety of big name suppliers have already opened shop. Guys can find all the sports gear they need at Dick’s Sporting Goods, while women can find a home at prestige beauty retailer, Sephora. Anyone can find his or her cozy winter gear at places like L.L. Bean or R.E.I., and there’s always time for a quick stop at Whole Foods on the way out.

Don’t feel like cooking tonight? Not a problem. With American favorites like The Cheesecake Factory and Yard House, an upscale meal is just around the corner. If you’re staying for a meal, why not make it a date. A fully operational Cinema De Lux is open for business, and ready to entertain a shopper at the end of a long day.

“We didn’t even know the theater was here,” says local shopper and moviegoer, Andy Joseph. “My wife dragged me to the mall to pick up sweaters, and it turned into a romantic day.”

You might think the mall looks impressive now, but a promising variety of stores are set to open within the next year. Powerhouse clothing retailers like Gap, H&M, and Old Navy, as well as fashion stores like Desigual, Orvis, and Republic of Couture, are all scheduled to be open before the start of the New Year. Furthermore, culinary paradise, Sur Le Table, fashion accessories boutique, Charming Charlie, and the sensationally soothing smells of Yankee Candle are also scheduled to open prior to December 31st.

Not too bad, right? Next year, we will see a plethora of restaurants moving in like: Barbes, Brio Tuscan Grille, Elevation Burger, Havana Central, and Texas de Brazil. Lastly, in March of next year, fashion super store, Lord and Taylor, will be hoisting an impressive 80,000 square foot store to complete shopping mall with a bang.

Driving around the complex was a pleasure and walking around felt like bliss. Aside from the nuisance of the drive to an isolated part of Yonkers and the three dollars I had to fork over for parking, I could not be happier with my shopping experience. Thus, if it’s “endless opportunities” that you seek, this is probably not your place; but, if it’s a short getaway that fulfills all of your suburban needs, Westchester’s Ridge Hill is the place for you.

Author Michael Kanner is a graduate of Union College with a background in English and a passion for the written word. He worked at Scarsdale Golf Club as a tennis pro before offering his services to a private clientele, and he loves hearing constructive criticism from anyone willing to speak their mind. Michael can be contacted at Michael.Kanner4@gmail.com