“Ralph Lauren helped shape its Americana mystique and Martha Stewart elevated its farm culture. But celebrity barely registers here. When you see Blake Lively at the post office, people keep moving.”
Just an hour from Manhattan, Bedford is the kind of place people visit for a weekend and start scrolling real estate listings before they drive home. Made up of three hamlets—Bedford Village, Bedford Hills, and Katonah—together they create a town that boasts charm, sophistication, and the ultimate luxury: complete privacy.
Founded in 1680, Bedford Village is one of the country’s most beautiful colonial sites. In fact, rewatch Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls, and you’ll be hard-pressed to spot much difference between the town as it appears in the film’s 1940s dream sequence and how it looks today.
“Murray and Emily Fisher have been throwing salons with guests like Ansel Elgort, who sang songs he recently wrote, and James Frey, who read from his next novel.”
The Currier & Ives-esque village green is framed by the 1787 courthouse, the former Bedford Historical Society (now the chic boutique Florrie), and the white-steepled Bedford Presbyterian Church. Preservation matters here, but beneath the historic surface, Bedford is very much modern and alive. Murray and Emily Fisher have been throwing salons with guests like Ansel Elgort, who sang songs he recently wrote, and James Frey, who read from his next novel.
And oHHo is Bedford’s most unexpected—and hottest new arrival. Last year, well-connected British expats Nicola and James Stephenson transformed the long-dormant firehouse into a buzzy café, boutique, and neighborhood hangout. Pizza ovens blaze and OHHo’s THC-infused drinks fly off the shelves. Relaxed, social, and quietly cool, oHHo is perfectly in step with Bedford—current, confident, and stylish. Up the block is the cult menswear store Rivay and the Clive Davis Arts Center, a beautifully restored, state-of-the-art cinema that doubles as a cultural hub. Local Chevy Chase has hosted special Caddyshack screenings.
A few miles away, Katonah feels like a classic whistle-stop village with indie shops, cafés, galleries, a record store selling rare vinyl, and the impressive Katonah Museum of Art. Bedford Hills handles the practical side of life—train station, big-box stores, a car wash, and the popular Bedford Diner. It’s the workhorse hamlet and it does the job well.
“Actors like Matt Damon, Ryan Reynolds, Adrian Brody, designer Georgina Chapman, and a bevy of editors and musicians like Natasha Bedingfield, live quietly behind stone walls and long driveways.”
Bedford is nearly synonymous with the Bedford Post Inn—the town’s unofficial meeting spot. Part luxe inn, part café, part dinner party in disguise, Bedford Post dates to the 1700s but was dramatically restored in 2007 by Richard Gere and Carey Lowell. Under current owner Adam Landsman, the genius behind Teruko at the Chelsea Hotel and the super hip Rule of Thirds in Greenpoint, the Bedford Post has undergone another rebirth. “It’s never been better or more fun,” says Cristina Civetta, a NYC nightlife promoter and local transplant.
If country nightlife isn’t enough, pull on your wellies and embrace the mud. For hikers and horse lovers, it’s as good as it gets. More than 100 miles of riding lanes, maintained by the Bedford Riding Lanes Association, weave through meadows, woods, and private storybook estates. It’s the kind of scenery usually only glimpsed in books—and the best part is you don’t need to own a horse to use the trails. The BRLA hosts events throughout the year, keeping these historic paths open to residents of all ages, whether they arrive on two feet or four.
It’s no surprise the town has long attracted a fascinating mix. Ralph Lauren helped shape its Americana mystique and Martha Stewart elevated its farm culture. Actors like Matt Damon, Ryan Reynolds, Adrian Brody, designer Georgina Chapman, as well as a bevy of editors and musicians like Natasha Bedingfield, live quietly behind stone walls and long driveways. Celebrity barely registers here. When you see someone familiar at the post office, people keep moving. Refined and deeply private, Bedford is where life feels grounded and where many weekend visitors end up staying for good. – TED HILDNER
