John Harrison’s purchase of 1696 brought about a sizable, irregularly shaped town explained by local lore as the amount of land he could traverse in a day on horseback before hitting watery obstacles. A refuge for serenity-seekers and Fortune 500 companies alike, the town runs heavy with center hall Colonials beneath a thicket of dense trees. One can venture downtown for a classic mozzarella-studded deli sandwich before cruising to the sculpture gardens at PepsiCo headquarters, laden with sculptures by Auguste Rodin and Henry Moore against a wild canvas of weeping willows. Nearby SUNY Purchase shares this penchant for performance, where the public can settle into the red-velveted Performing Arts Center theater for a matinee or stroll the contemporary Neuberger Museum of Art, hosting constant in-conversations with renowned artists. The Brentwood, Sunnyridge, and Sterling Ridge neighborhoods each have their vibe. Manhattan is but a half hour by car or train, fading Harrison into an emerald blur in the rearview.