Rich history, ample housing, excellent shopping, numerous corporate headquarters, and an easy commute make White Plains a perennially desirable area for professionals and families alike. It takes its name from the white balsam groves and the white mists which would settle over the area in colonial times. It was here on the steps of the courthouse in 1776 that the Declaration of Independence was read, making White Plains the birthplace of New York State. Today, the area is known for a robust number of large corporations who call it home, providing a steady economic base for the area. Grand old neighborhoods and elegant new high rises offer a variety of living styles for approximately 55,000 residents. Rich in revolutionary war history, rolling green acres, and corporate headquarters for companies like MasterCard, Pepsico and Morgan Stanley, Harrison and nearby Purchase are classic Westchester suburbs. Measuring only 17.4 square miles in size, much of Harrison retains a private, somewhat isolated feeling with minimal points of entry by road; especially so in Purchase.  While Harrision has four elementary schools, one Middle School and one High School, the area is home to ample higher education with SUNY Purchase, Manhattanville College and Fordham University's Westchester campus all calling it home. Connected easily to the city by the MetroNorth, White Plains and Harrison offer a rare combination of suburban living, green spaces and the presence of leading global businesses, without any "industrial" imprint on the landscape.