<h1 style="text-align: center;">Somers, <em>New York City</em></h1>
<p>Hachaliah Bailey's purchase of "Old Bet", an African elephant he intended to use on his farm, resulted in the town of Somers, NY being known as the &ldquo;cradle of the American Circus". "Old Bet" toured the Northeast after receiving oodles of attention in her hometown of Somers. Unfortunately, she passed away in 1827 while on one of those tours. To honor &ldquo;Old Bet&rdquo;, Bailey constructed the "Elephant Hotel" and in 1927 it was bought by the town and renamed the Town House of Somers. The historic landmark currently houses a museum and town offices and is the epicenter of the alluring historic district. The elephant endures as the Somers town symbol.</p>
<p>A large area with a small population, the town of Somers is considered to be one of the county&rsquo;s more rural locations. Lakes, ponds and open farmland are visible from almost any direction in this largely residential area. In addition to bountiful farm land, the town has grown a great deal since the 1980s and 90s when IBM and PepsiCo located their campuses in Somers. The drive to Manhattan is under an hour via Route 684 or one can simply hop on the Metro-North Commuter Railroad to New York City.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Found in Somers are modern ranches as well as historic homes, and apartments and condos, including Heritage Hills, a 2,600-unit condominium complex with a significant number of retired. Property taxes are lower in Somers compared to other nearby areas. At approximately 33 square miles, Somers lies within the New York City reservoir system known as the Croton Watershed. As a result, the local landscape boasts myriad choices of outdoor activities, including: hiking; bird watching; fishing; boating; skiing; and, skating. Additional opportunities for outdoor activities can be found at nearby lakes Purdys, Shenorock, and Lincolndale, and in town at county-owned parks including: Reis; Muscoo; Koegel; Lasdon and the recently acquired Angel Fly preserve.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The world&rsquo;s first large-scale suburb, Westchester County, home of Larchmont, borders New York City and Long Island to the south, Putnam County to the north and the State of Connecticut to the east. Construction in the 1950s and 60s of several interstate highways and the Tappan Zee Bridge, encouraged major corporations to build their headquarters here. The area is now a &ldquo;sweet spot&rdquo; for commuters traveling by car or by the Metro-North Commuter Railroad. Westchester County continues to be one of New York&rsquo;s most desirable suburban communities due to it being one of the most affluent counties in the nation.</p>