The village offers gorgeous views of the Hudson River from various viewpoints downtown and up in the hills, including the edge of the New Jersey Palisades. The waterfront is a wide expanse of grass, barbeque pits and a playground for relaxing and enjoying the sun. You can see the tall skyscrapers of Manhattan from the water's edge. There are lots of cute shops downtown for window shopping or actual purchasing. Walk the Croton Aqueduct trail for spying on gorgeous homes and estates of all times and architecture.

• Upstream Gallery 26 Main St, +1 914 674-8548, [10]. Westchester's oldest cooperative gallery, the gallery was started in 1991 by a group of Westchester artists who were looking for a venue to show their works outside that of commercial galleries. The gallery has two street level exhibition spaces.

By plane

• Westchester County Airport, 240 Airport Rd, White Plains, +1 914 995-4860 (airlines), [2]. The closest airport, about 30 minutes drive. Rental cars are available.
• Stewart International Airport, 1180 First St, New Windsor, +1 845 564-2100, [3]. Another alternative to the congestion of the 3 major airports, but at present offers few direct flights.
• Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey, [4], John F. Kennedy International Airport [5], and LaGuardia Airport [6]: The three major international airports in the New York City area offer service to just about anywhere. Westchester-based taxi and livery cars offer regular service to and from the three internationals from most areas of the county. New York City yellow cabs will take to you Westchester in a pinch, but the fares can be exorbitant. If staying in Westchester, ask if your hotel offers shuttle service.

By car

• From the West, Take I-87S/I-287E Across the Tappan Zee Bridge. Take Exit 9 (Tarrytown) just past the bridge, and turn left onto US-9 South. Stay on US-9 South (aka Broadway) for about 3 miles, and until Broadway jags right. Follow Broadway right, and you will have easy access to most of Dobbs Ferry just past the turn.

By train

• Metro-North Railroad - Hudson line, [7] (in green on map). Express service between Dobbs Ferry station and New York City's Grand Central Terminal is about 35 minutes. Local rail service is available between other Metro-North commuter stations. Taxis are usually available at the arrival of trains from New York City. On all Metro-North trains on-board fares are subject to a stiff surcharge, so buy your tickets at the station or at the vending machines.
• Amtrak, [8]. Long distance connections are available in New York City's Penn Station and at Metro-North's Croton-Harmon station.

By boat

By bus

• Bee Line System, [9]. Westchester County's bus service provides access to White Plains and other locations in the county. Schedules and route maps are available on-line and at the Dobbs Ferry train station.

Best to park or take the train here and walk around the waterfront and historic downtown on foot. You can also travel very quickly to or through town on Broadway, the same Broadway that goes all the way to the southern tip of Manhattan.

• Ginko and Stitch, Main St near Elm St, this is a small shop selling women's fashions.
• Earth Light Center, 12 Cedar St, +1 914 693-0120, [12]. On Cedar near Broadway in its new location. They sell healing and holistic products.
• Buy Fitness Stuff, 41 Cedar St, [13]. Between Broadway and Main, offers fitness and health products.

Budget

• Caffe Latte, Cedar St between Broadway and Main Street. Italian coffee shop, with real gelato.
• Tomatillo, 13 Cedar St near Broadway, [14]. "Mex-chester" cuisine with the usual mexican dishes like burritos, tacos, fajitas, etc but with fresh, seasonal accents. They use organic produce from nearby Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture [15] and serve delicious organic coffee from Coffee Labs in Tarrytown. Not as much spiciness as you'd find in an authentic mexican restaurant, but their fresh and healthy food is a nice twist.
• Rudy's Beau Rivage, 19 Livingston Ave, +1 914 693-3192, [16]. On Livingston between Main St and Broadway, an aging but graceful building overlooking the Hudson River and NJ Palisades, which is mainly a catering and event space but also serves brunch and dinner during select times. The cooking is homey, sometimes bland, but the right price. Word has it they are applying for permits to renovate their outdoor patio space.
• Celtic Corner, 73 Main St, +1 914 693-6566, [17]. Pub on Main St at Chestnut, the liveliest corner in town! Enjoy a pint and a game on the flatscreens, or enjoy a wrap sandwich, fish & chips or a burger. Darts available and there is usually live music on Saturdays. Sister pub to J.P. Doyle's Restaurant and Public House in Sleepy Hollow.
• Doubleday's, bar and restaurant at 83 Main St near Chestnut offers a large restaurant space and a compact and fun bar in a separate room. The usual burgers, potato skins and lively banter.
• Rich Bean Bakery & Cafe, 63 Main St near Chestnut, +1 914 479-0706. Bright and funky space to sit and enjoy the paper, gourmet coffee, chocolate, ice cream, soup and sandwiches. Do not forget the dessert! Great pies and cakes when you need something to go instead of baking yourself. A second location is in Irvington.

Mid-range

• Sushi Mike's, 146 Main St (corner of Main and Cedar), +1 914 591-0054, [18]. A very nice sushi joint, with an underwater feel. Small but attentive and charming. Voted "Best of Westchester" several times.
• Mykonos, Cedar St between Main and Broadway. Formerly the Cedar Street Grill, the restaurant offers Greek cuisine. Opened in late 2006.
• Scaramella's, 1 Southfield Ave (corner of Ashford Ave near the entrance to the Saw Mill River Parkway), +1 914 693-6024. Closer to Ardsley than to downtown Dobbs Ferry, but the Italian cuisine is worth the few extra steps.
• Niji Sushi, 73 Main St at Chestnut, +1 914 693-8838. Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner, serves until 10:30PM M-Th, 11PM F-Sa, and 10PM Su. Fresh, creative dishes and rolls. The Niji special roll is a meal in and of itself and is fun and delicious. The Nasu (roasted eggplant) appetizer is delish! Will deliver.

Splurge

• The Chart House, foot of High St, +1 914 693-4130, [19]. Located on a prime waterfront location and just steps away from the Dobbs Ferry train station. High-end chain restaurant with good food and a prime location. Enjoy patio drinks in the summertime overlooking the Hudson and Palisades. The bar area is cozy with a fireplace and chaise lounge seating as well as bar stools at the bar. The service could be more organized.

There are no places in Dobbs that are just a bar. There are several pubs where the action in this small Hudson villages gets a little livelier than average:

• JR's on Chestnut just below Main Street; as of Fall 2006, it is under renovation, presumably for another restaurant/bar.
• Celtic Corner see the description under Food
• Doubleday's see the description under Food
• Chart House has a very elegant bar and lounge area to be used for guests waiting for their reservations or for a glass of wine any time. In season, drinks are served on a deck perched above the river. Or sit by the fire inside during colder months.