Compared to Sleepy Hollow or Hastings-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry seems something of an under-the-radar river town. Taking its name from a boat-for-hire service in the area that provided Jeremiah Dobbs, a 19th century fisherman, his supplemental income, this vibrant village is more than just the hometown of Mark Zuckerberg.
Even before the arrival of the Hudson River Railroad by the mid-19th century, the area had already managed to draw influential inhabitants. It played a strategic role in Revolutionary War skirmishes for the very reasons that today make its real estate desirable: unparalleled views across the Hudson River and New Jersey Palisades, along with a close proximity to New York City. Philip Livingston, of the Livingston Family, constructed a mansion in the village from a 1698 farmhouse, where in 1781 General George Washington is said to have laid out the Yorktown campaign, leading his troops on their first steps towards victory down today's Ashford Avenue.
Two centuries later, Dobbs Ferry continues to champion relevance. In 2014, it became the first community in New York State to become a Climate Smart Community at the highest level awarded by the program. The village has become a destination for local foodies, drawn by a string serious, down-to-earth eateries like The Cookery—consistently regarded as one of Westchester's best restaurants. Hudson Social, a lively gastropub in the historic New York Central Railroad station house, can on any given night draw a mix of families, singles and professionals for music, haute comfort food and a good time. From formal waterfront dining at Half Moon to smoothies and protein bowls at Mix on Main, there's an option for just about everybody.
120 Sherman is a quintessential example of Dobbs Ferry's architectural diversity.
The housing stock in Dobbs is a pleasantly eclectic suburban mix, with older Tudor and Arts & Crafts homes contrasting new construction Colonials, mid-century raised ranches and modernist architectural showpieces. The current offerings in town represent that diversity in every possible respect.