A personal injury attorney is supposed to see a city as a map of intersections. I see White Plains as something better: the county seat of Westchester, a genuine dining destination, and a downtown that’s reinvented itself into one of the most walkable in the region.

When a neighbor is hurt crossing Mamaroneck Avenue or in a parking-garage fall downtown, they’re not a case number to me. So before the legal part, here’s the White Plains I actually love.

01Getting Around

The streets that define downtown

Mamaroneck Avenue is the city’s restaurant-and-nightlife row, and Main Street, Martine Avenue, and Hamilton Avenue carry the civic core around the courthouse and county offices. North and South Broadway and Bloomingdale Road connect the shopping districts.

These same streets, with their dense traffic, packed garages, and constant pedestrian flow downtown, are where I see a lot of serious injuries. If you’ve been hurt on one of them, that’s exactly the work my firm does — more on that below.

02Where I Eat

The White Plains table

The food scene here punches well above its size — White Plains has drawn a wave of NYC-trained chefs. A stroll down Mamaroneck Avenue turns up most of my favorites: the longtime fine-dining anchor Mulino’s of Westchester, the buzzy Chazz Palminteri Italian, the Persian-Mediterranean Shiraz Kitchen, and the easygoing Brazen Fox for a patio night.

For a special night — when the occasion calls for it, Morton’s and Fogo de Chão deliver, and the patios at Lilly’s and Emma’s Ale House are perfect when the weather’s right.

03What I Do

Arts, history, and green space

The White Plains Performing Arts Center keeps a steady run of theater and music downtown, and ArtsWestchester brings rotating exhibitions to Mamaroneck Avenue. For shopping, The Westchester and the City Center anchor downtown. And don’t overlook the history — the Battle of White Plains was fought here in 1776, and Saxon Woods Park gives you trails and a pool a few minutes from the courthouse.

04Where Our Kids Grow Up

The White Plains schools

So much of what makes a place home comes down to its schools. White Plains families are served by the White Plains City School District — a diverse district anchored by White Plains High School (home of the Tigers), with Highlands and Eastview middle schools and a set of neighborhood elementaries. As a parent and a neighbor, I care a lot about the crosswalks and school zones around them staying safe.