Anjanette

Poughkeepsie is a both a town and a city and although it is practically impossible to talk about one without mentioning the offerings of the other, they do have their own individual governments.

The 31.2 square mile town lays claim to Vassar College, Marist College and Dutchess Community College and therefore has an abundance of educational and cultural opportunities and entertainment experiences. Vassar College alone has both the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center which houses and displays over 15,000 impressive works of art as well as the incomparable Powerhouse Theater which is a partnership between the college and New York City’s renowned New York Stage and Film. The theatre presents top-notch plays and musicals, many of which feature major Broadway and motion picture stars.

The town of Poughkeepsie has a pretty well-developed parks and rec program with two solid day camps that offer arts and crafts, performing arts, games, sports and nature activities. There is little league, youth baseball and a soccer club. They hold tennis lessons in Red Oak Mills Park, swimming lessons for kids and adults at the popular, public Spratt Park Pool and ladies recreational softball played on the American Legion Field. There are often special events held at the pretty 160-acre Peach Lake Park such as apple pressing and bird-watching walks along its four miles of trails. In all actuality, an impressive total of twenty-two plus parks abound in the town of Poughkeepsie so there is a little patch of recreational green for everyone! And then of course the city of Poughkeepsie has the absolutely glorious wonder, Walkway Over the Hudson State Park which is an old, unused bridge that was cleverly turned into a lovely pedestrian park with bike paths and stunning views of the river. And there are plenty of more parks in Poughkeepsie proper to go around.

The town also proudly offers a senior citizen emergency watch program.

Historical Locust Grove is a town of P’keepsie claim to fame. It is a glorious 200 acre estate overlooking the Hudson River which includes the former Italianate villa home of famed artist Samuel Morse, winding carriage roads and stunning grounds. Visitors can tour the home and museum pavilion and just saunter around the beauteous gardens where they often hold special events. There is also a very cool education program for kids which offers classes such as Telegraphy, Machines and Levers.

There is enough shopping all over Poughkeepsie that you don’t have to leave the area if you don’t want to. The Poughkeepsie Galleria alone has hundreds of shops, varied eateries and the Regal Galleria Mall Stadium 6. There is also the Dutchess Center and Poughkeepsie Plaza and tons of other stores well peppering the whole of Poughkeepsie.

There are just oodles of great restaurants, eateries and cafes and such all over greater Poughkeepsie so it is easy to fulfill a food craving. Speaking of, Crave Restaurant and Lounge with its CIA alumni chefs has a sophisticated New York atmosphere and exquisite food made with the freshest of regional and seasonal ingredients. The Beech Tree Grill is an American bistro often well attended by Vassar students. The Artist’s Palate is a gorgeously decorated and more upscale bistro & bar that has fabulous food in addition to rotating art exhibitions, The Bull and Buddha Restaurant is an interesting Asian fusion destination that houses a two-ton hand-carved Buddha along with its great sushi. Alex’s Restaurant is a cozy downtown breakfast favorite. The Karma Lounge makes some really tasty tapas and creative cocktails concoctions. Café Bocca is a trendy, gourmet café that also has live local music, rotating art exhibits and poetry events, Mole Mole with its highly touted Enchiladas Con Mole, the Dubliner Irish Pub with its juicy burgers and finger-licking fish n’ chips and Babycakes Bakery and Café, with its distressed wooden tables, casual atmosphere and lovingly handmade goods. And there are plenty more including diners and chain favorites.

The Mid-Hudson Civic Center is the big area event venue and is comprised of Mair Hall & McCann Ice Arena. They have large-scale special events, concerts and performances such as the WWE Smackdown tour, Celtic Thunder, GLEE on Ice, the Hudson Valley Reptile Expo, competitive figure skating, ice hockey and public skating sessions. There is also the fantastic Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, the Cunneen Hackett Art Center, Mill Street Loft, yet more parks and another public pool, a good library system and an array of great bars, pubs, dance clubs and live music venues.

Saint Francis Hospital is located in the town so you have medical coverage readily available for peace of mind.

The actual city of Poughkeepsie also has a reliable bus system as well as a Metro North and Amtrak station. Commute time to Grand Central Station in Manhattan is anywhere between one hour and thirty-eight minutes and one hour and forty-five minutes.

Town of Poughkeepsie students appear to be divided among several different school districts depending on where they live, but all of them seem to be relatively decent.

The median income is about $55,327.

The population is approximately 42,777.

Red Oaks Mill is a 3.6 square mile part suburban hamlet in the parent town of Poughkeepsie (and partly in the town of La Grange) in Dutchess County, NY. It has attractive mid sized homes and a decent commercial district around the often busy intersection of Spackenkill Road, New Hackensack Road and Vassar Road.

There are some good eats in the immediate area including Hobnobbin Pub (which is both a bar and restaurant) with its beloved burgers and wings, pool table and down to earth atmosphere, Good Fellas Pizzas which is one of the better pizza places around, Chen’s Peking Restaurant and good ol’ Subway. If you venture a little further, the food possibilities are downright endless. The city of Poughkeepsie has a wealth of great eateries ranging from authentic Irish pub grub to trendy Manhattan’esque restaurants to charming bistros, cafes and bakeries. If you are a foodie, you will not be easily bored.

As far as retail shopping in the immediate area of Red Oaks Mill, there is a Rite Aid in the Red Oaks Mill Shopping Center.

Poughkeepsie Plaza is about 2.9 miles west and has Marshall’s, Modell Sporting Goods, Jo Ann Fabrics, Famous Footwear, Just a Buck, Sew n’ Vac, Blockbuster Video, Marshall’s, the UPS Store, Marino’s Barber Shop, County Optical, Card Smart, Weight Watchers, Dragon’s Den, instyle Salon, Nail Pro, Toys R Us, The Pastry Garden, Orient Buffet, Safari Restaurant and Wendy’s and more. The very popular Poughkeepsie Galleria is 3.3 miles away and has hundreds of big name retail and specialty stores, a food court, Ruby Tuesday’s, the Melting Pot and a multiplex theater.

In order to fulfill your grocery shopping wants and needs, you will find Welcome Oriental Grocery, a Stewart’s Shop and Military Prestige Market. The closest major supermarkets would be Stop & Shop (2.9 miles away) and Price Chopper (3 miles away).

Red Oaks Mill is home to Macghee Park. But the town of Poughkeepsie as a whole has twenty-two total parks to meet your outdoor needs, with even more in the actual city. The town of Poughkeepsie actually has a very nice Parks & Rec program with two quality day camps that offer arts and crafts, performing arts, games, sports and nature activities. The town has a good little league as well as youth baseball and a soccer club. They hold tennis lessons in Red Oak Mills Park, swimming lessons for kids and adults at the popular, public Spratt Park Pool and ladies recreational softball is played on the American Legion Field. There are often special events held at the pretty 160-acre Peach Lake Park And then, of course, in the city of Poughkeepsie you will surely love the Walkway Over the Hudson State Park, an old, abandoned bridge that was oh so cleverly turned into a pedestrian park replete with bike paths and picture-worthy views of the majestic Hudson River and surrounds.

Red Oaks Mill is relatively safe and the crime rate is pretty low.

The median household income is about $77, 533.

The population is approximately 3, 613.

Fairview is a fairly attractive mostly suburban 3.5 square mile hamlet in the town of Poughkeepsie, NY.

Although you have an absolute bonanza of amazing eateries all over Poughkeepsie and none are really very far to reach, I will try to highlight some of the ones that are closest to the Fairview hamlet itself. In a two mile range you have Cosimo Trattoria, a popular Marist college student hang-out with some pretty decent specialty pizza pies, The Palace Diner with great breakfasts and desserts, El Ameer Mediterranean & Middle Eastern Restaurant with pretty good falafel, The Artists Palate, a trendy little gem with out of this world lobster mac n cheese, the amazing Crave Restaurant & Lounge with CIA graduates at the helm of the kitchen, Mole Mole with its raved about enchiladas con mole, Alloy’s Italian Restaurant with its authentic Italian fare, Dough Boy’s Pizza, Pleasant Ridge Pizza, Yeung Ho II Chinese Restaurant (with take-out and delivery), Applebees, Starbucks and quite a few more.

And don’t forget you are only a hop and a skip (1.9 miles) from the internationally acclaimed Culinary Institute of American in nearby Hyde Park. The institute has five award-winning student-run restaurants on campus that are open to the public and to reservations. These include St. Andrew's Café, Ristorante Caterina de' Medici, the Escoffier Restaurant, American Bounty Restaurant and the Apple Pie Bakery Café.

Shopping in the immediate area includes a Staples in Fairview itself and a few other stores within a two mile range including Home Depot, Rite Aid, and a Family Dollar Store. The Dutchess Center, Poughkeepsie Plaza and the ever-popular Poughkeepsie Galleria are 2.4 miles, 4 miles and 7 miles away, respectively. The Poughkeepsie Galleria has hundreds of retail stores, a bunch of good eateries and a movieplex.

The closest major supermarket is Super Stop & Shop about 2.3 miles from Fairview. In closer range, however, you will find some mini-marts.

Marist College is less than a mile away and boasts an attractive 150-acre campus overlooking the Hudson River and academic programs highly touted by the Princeton Review, Barron’s and U.S. New & World Report. They have a gorgeous riverfront park, a very high-tech library, an art gallery and some great plays and musicals produced by the theatre department. Dutchess Community College is in Fairview and also has a pretty campus and offers 60+ rock solid programs should you want to pursue an associates degree at a far more reasonable cost.

The town of Poughkeepsie has a solid parks and rec program with two day camps that offer arts and crafts, performing arts, games, sports and nature activities. There is little league, youth baseball and a soccer club. Tennis lessons are given in Red Oak Mills Park. Swimming lessons for kids and adults are conducted at the Spratt Park Pool. Ladies recreational softball is played on the American Legion Field. There are special events held at the picturesque 160-acre Peach Lake Park like apple pressing and bird-watching walks along its four miles of pretty trails. There are actually a whopping total of twenty-two plus parks in the town of Poughkeepsie!

And of course, the city of Poughkeepsie is absolutely brimming with exciting educational, culinary and entertainment possibilities including but certainly not limited to the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, the Mid-Hudson Civic Center comprised of Mair Hall and McCann Ice Arena, an astounding collection of varied artworks at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at the world renowned Vassar College, the Barrett Art Center, the Cunneen Hackett Art Center, Mill Street Loft, yet more parks and another public pool, a good library system and a wealth of cool bars, authentic pubs and lively dance clubs and music venues.

And then in the city of Poughkeepsie, there is the not to be missed Walkway Over the Hudson State Park which is an old, unused bridge brilliantly turned into a pedestrian park with bike paths and glorious views of the Hudson river.

St. Francis Hospital is only a half mile from Fairview and is considered a very fine regional hospital.

The median household income is $45,676.

The population of Fairview is approximately 5,515.

Garrison is a lovely historical hamlet of parent town of Philipstown, NY with winding residential streets, attractive homes, proximity to the majestic Hudson River with breathtaking views of West Point and surrounds, some truly fine arts and culture and great golf clubs with sublime restaurants within. Garrison is filled with quiet charm and has less traffic than highly visited Cold Spring yet it is still close enough to all of the areas riches.

Garrison has a few high falutin restaurants including The Bird & Bottle Inn and Chalet on the Hudson, Bill Brown’s Restaurant, Valley Restaurant and The Tavern as well as the more casual and sporty The Stadium and the always popular Papa Johns for a quick pizza fix. In the charming neighboring hamlet of Cold Spring there are also some fabulous finds including Cold Spring Depot, Plumbush Inn & Restaurant, Riverview Restaurant, Silver Spoon Restaurant & Bar, Whistling Whillie’s American Grill, Angelina’s Restaurant & Pizza, Cold Spring Pizza, Brasserie Le Bouchon, Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill, East Side Kitchen, Foundry Café, Hudson House Inn, Main Course, Main Moon and Nick and Angie’s.

Garrison has a couple of antique stores, but the real shopping lies in the historic Main Street district of Cold Spring. It has a lovely little downtown section with a healthy dash of interesting boutiques, shops and services including The Beeswax Shop, Back in Ireland, The Country Touch, The Garden Studio, Romeo and Juliet, Silver Lady, Stationery Objects, Touch of Nostalgia, Shug, Momminia, Merritt Bookstore Volume II, Outdoor Sports, St. Claire Boutique and Knittingsmith. For more large scale retail shopping, the closest mall of some worth would be the Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown Heights, about 8.1 miles away. There is also a Walmart in Mohegan Lake about 6.5 miles away.

As far as food shopping goes, Garrison has Appalachian Market and Maple Lawn Farm Market. There is a Food Town in Cold Spring as well as Philiptown Farm Market, Pete’s Hometown Grocery, D P Mart and Maison Glass Delicacies. The closest large scale supermarket is Stop & Shop in Peekskill, about 6.7 miles south of Garrison.

The Garrison Art Center at Garrison Landing is a wonderful art center that holds rotating exhibitions of paintings, prints, photography, and ceramic sculpture and holds courses for adults and children including fiddle classes, classical drawing, painting on silk, bookbinding, pottery on the wheel, basic etching and Ukrainian egg decorating to name only a drop in the bucket. They have a special program for teens as well as a summer arts program for kids in K-8. The Russell Wright Design Center in Garrison is where Wright’s beloved retirement home Manitoga (a national historic landmark) is located. Folks can tour the house and grounds.

The Philipstown Depot Theatre located at Garrison Landing is a local performing arts center and resource which hosts plays, festivals, films and has classes for children and adults.

Boscobel Restoration is a prime example of Federal Domestic architecture. It is a stunning country home with equally stunning grounds and they host a wealth of special events on those grounds including the one of a kind Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival which is a stellar theatre experience with the Hudson River setting quite a glorious backdrop. They also hold the Taste of Boscobel, Yoga with a View on summer Monday’s, an annual Snapping Turtle Walk, the Great American Concert & Picnic, an upcoming presentation on historic cocktails aka “How to Get Tipsy in the 1800’s.”

The Desmond Fish Library has story hours, arts and craft sessions, homework help and free computer help.

Parent town of Philipstown has quite a well-developed parks and recreation program which offers a ton of activities and resources for kids, adults and seniors alike. Some examples of their offerings include an indoor tot park, Little Sluggers, Junior Nature Explorers, t-ball, Fairytale Theatre, Beading Bonanaza, Nature Scouts, Junior Fire Academy, different day camps, Foot in Mouth Players for teens, a Youth Employment service for teens, teen travel camps, floral design and ballet classes for adults, family bingo and pasta nights, classes in cooking and clayworks, mah jongg open play for seniors, a senior spring lunch, senior bus trips as well as dog obedience classes.

Clarence Fahnestock State Park is a resplendent 14, 086-acre park that boasts a beautiful beach, picnic areas, wonderful hiking trails, a pretty campground, boating, hunting, fishing and birding. Hudson Highlands State Park is a primarily undeveloped and lovely 6,000 acre preserve with a famous trail called Breakneck Ridge. This ridge was even featured in Newsweek as being one of the top ten day hikes in America. The park in general has picture perfect views of West Point and the Hudson River.

There is also Constitution Marsh Audobon Center and Wildlife Sanctuary which has lovely hiking trails and is a great place for birding. There is an Education Center there with a 500 gallon aquarium.

The Garrison Yacht Club right on the waterfront is splendid. The Hudson Highlands Country Club houses the exceptional Tavern restaurant with its locally sourced fresh ingredients. There is a sparkling pool as well as tennis and golf. The Garrison Golf and Country Club is yet another remarkable area institution with its stunning 300 acres with jaw-dropping 360 degree views of the Hudson River and mountains. The Garrison is home to two high end restaurants, one being the critically acclaimed Valley restaurant, a wonderful bar, a working farm, a four-room Inn and a lovely 18-hole golf course.

Hudson Valley Outfitters is located in Cold Spring and it is a premiere local resource to rent canoes or kayaks or plan guided tours for your Hudson River excursion.

The hamlet has its own Metro North train station located right next to the Art Center on Garrison Landing and commute time to NYC is is an hour and sixteen minutes on a through train and anywhere from an hour and thirty-six to an hour and forty-one minutes when requiring a transfer at the Croton Harmon station.

Garrison students are a part of the Garrison Union Free School District which is very good.

Garrison is pretty safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

The median household income is roughly $71,895.

The population of greater Philipstown is approximately 9,422.

Crown Heights is a predominantly residential 2.7 square mile hamlet of the greater town of Poughkeepsie, NY.

Crown Heights proper doesn’t really have much going on other than its well kept medium income homes, but it is very close to Route 9 (S. Road) where there are a number of fairly good restaurants. Some of the standouts within a mile to two mile radius are the Bonefish Grill, Crew, Giacomo Pizza Express with its delicious margherita pizza, Café Pazzo with its authentic Italian fare, Spice Aroma Restaurant with its fresh and delicious Indian cuisine, IHOP, Subway, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Red Robins with its outstanding burgers, Robbies North Star Deli, Bonsai Japanese, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks. You venture a little further than two miles and you will find a plethora of additional eateries throughout Poughkeepsie.

Shopping in the immediate area consists of the ever-popular Poughkeepsie Galleria which has hundreds of small and large scale retail stores as well as quite a few restaurants and a good movie theater.

The two closest supermarkets of worth near Crown Heights are Mother Earth’s Storehouse (1.4 miles away) and Stop and Shop which is 1.8 miles away. Mother Earth’s is quite an excellent natural food store and vitamin center.

Crown Heights is a smidge over a mile from the wonderful Casperkill Golf Club and Casperkill Country Club. The golf course has a lovely creek running through it and offers excellent pricing including an annual pass option. It once received a four-star rating from Golf Digest. The country club has a pool and you can also play baseball there.

Spratt Park in nearby Spackenkill (about 2.5 miles away) has the Spratt Park Swimming Pool which is a popular public pool run by the city of Poughkeepsie.

And speaking of Poughkeepsie, never forget that although Crown Heights may be on the quiet side, you are never far removed from the absolute wealth of restaurants, art centers, museums and performing arts institutions all within very reasonable driving ranges.

Crown Heights’ students are a part of the Spackenkill School District and Spackenhill High is purportedly very good.

The median household income is about $60, 994.

The population is approximately 2, 992.

Arlington is a historical 4.9 square mile collegiate hamlet in the parent town of Poughkeepsie, NY. I say collegiate because the biggest draw here is the renowned Vassar College. The area is laden with students and has a lively feel and as you might expect, a fair share of great bars and trendy eateries.

Some notable restaurants in the immediate area (all within a mile of Arlington) are Mole Mole with its cool atmosphere and highly recommended Enchiladas Con Mole, the fabulous Dubliner Irish Pub with its outstanding burgers and fish n chips, Babycakes Bakery and Café, with its distressed wooden tables, casual atmosphere and made from scratch fare, Beech Tree Grill, a student fave of an American bistro with great micro brews, the beloved Acropolis Diner with its delicious onion rings, Marco’s Gourmet Pizzeria with excellent pies, Tokyo Express with its amazing Volcano rolls, Twisted Soul with its yummy dumplings, Noshi’s Coney Island with its superb soups and hot dogs and S G Kismat Restaurant with its fabulous masalas. And those are but a drop in the bucket of all that you can eat and drink in the area.

As far as retail shopping is concerned, once again you don’t have to go far. Within a half mile alone you will find Kmart, Sears, Big Lots, Dollar Tree, Collage Hair & Color, House of Nutrition, Jubilee Christian Book Store and Quackles. And beyond that small radius, you have oodles of great shopping all over Poughkeepsie including the popular Poughkeepsie Galleria which has myriad retail stores, restaurants and a multiplex theater.

For grocery shopping, there is a Super Stop & Shop a little over a half mile away. There is also a My Market II, Taha Halal Grocery and Casa Latina Supermarket.

Vassar College, of course, is an incredible resource in and of itself. The 36,000 square foot Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center houses an unbelievable art collection of 18,000 works from antiquity to the present day including paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, textiles, glass works and ceramics. The Powerhouse Theater is a renowned performing arts partnership between New York Stage and Film and the college which presents exceptional plays and musicals many which feature major stars as well as a top-notch apprenticeship program. And of course you have an abundance of lectures and other intellectual engagments right at your doorstep.

The Vassar Golf Course, located on campus, is a charming 9-hole golf course with a shop.

Poughkeepsie has a well-developed parks and recreation program. There is a Skate Park in Waryas Park. Spratt Park Pool is a popular summer destination for cooling off and having gun. You can buy a family pass, an adult season pass, children (under 13) season pass or daily pass. They offer swimming instruction there for kids and adults. There is also Pulaski Park Pool. There is a great little league program.

Arlington is also less than two miles from the glorious Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park.

Parents can bring their kids to the fantastic Mid Hudson Children’s Museum (2.4 miles away) which has outstanding educational resources including STARLAB Planetarium, games, arts and crafts in the Art Activity Center, hands-on exhibits, interactive story times, a rock climbing wall, the Great Bubble Machine, science demos, field trips, outreach programs, scout adventures and summer programs to name but some of its offerings

The median household income is about $43,141.

The population of Arlington is approximately 4,061. It is a little more diverse in its racial make-up, largely due to the student population.

Nelsonville is a tiny but attractive all residential hamlet in Philipstown, NY that often gets overshadowed by its very popular brother hamlet of Cold Spring, NY. It becomes sort of a quickie pass-through for the tourists who flock to the historical Cold Spring commercial district or, for that matter, to Garrison’s famous Boscobel Restoration where the yearly Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival is held.

That being said, Nelsonville is beautiful in its own right with broad winding streets and really pretty historical Victorian homes. It is also slightly cheaper to live there than in Cold Spring, yet close enough to reap Cold Spring and Garrison benefits.

There are definitely some pretty good restaurants in the area including Bird & Bottle Inn and Chalet on the Hudson in parent town of Philipstown, Bill Brown’s Restaurant and Bar located at the Garrison Golf & Country Club, The Stadium and Papa Johns in Garrison, as well, and the Cold Spring Depot, Plumbush Inn & Restaurant, Riverview Restaurant, Silver Spoon Restaurant & Bar, Whistling Whillie’s American Grill, Angelina’s Restaurant & Pizza, Cold Spring Pizza, Brasserie Le Bouchon, Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill, East Side Kitchen, Foundry Café, Hudson House Inn, Main Course, Main Moon, Nick and Angie’s in Cold Spring.

Cold Spring also has abundantly adorable shopping interesting and eclectic boutiques and shops such as The Beeswax Shop, Back in Ireland, The Country Touch, The Garden Studio, Romeo and Juliet, Silver Lady, Stationery Objects, Touch of Nostalgia, Shug, Momminia, Merritt Bookstore Volume II, Outdoor Sports, St. Claire Boutique and Knittingsmith, Indigo Chic, to name but some. It makes for a really pleasant afternoon. It’s the type of place you can walk your dog, sit on a bench with an ice cream cone, chat with familiar faces on the street. It has a very Americana friendly and wholesome feeling and vibe.

As far as local grocery shopping, Cold Spring has a Food Town, Philiptown Farm Market, Pete’s Hometown Grocery, D P Mart and Maison Glass Delicacies. Garrison is home to the Maple Lawn Farm Market.

Boscobel in Garrison is a stunning and elegant example of a neo-classical Georgian mansion. Visitors can tour the house, view the exhibitions and stroll through the lovely gardens. Events are often held there such as the incomparable Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival which is a divine theatre experience with the Hudson River as a backdrop. They also hold the Taste of Boscobel, Yoga with a View on summer Monday’s, an annual Snapping Turtle Walk, the Great American Concert & Picnic, an upcoming presentation on historic cocktails aka “How to Get Tipsy in the 1800’s.”

For an art fix, The Philipstown Depot Theatre in Garrison Landing is a terrific performing arts center which hosts plays, festivals, films and has classes for kids and adults.

Philipstown has a pretty well-developed parks and recreation program which offers a slew of quality activities and classes for little ones through seniors. Some examples of their programs, services and resources include an indoor tot park, Little Sluggers, Junior Nature Explorers, t-ball, Fairytale Theatre, Beading Bonanaza, Nature Scouts, Junior Fire Academy (running ten years strong), day camps, Foot in Mouth Players for teens, a Youth Employment service for teens, teen travel camps, floral design and ballet classes for adults, family bingo and pasta nights, classes in cooking and clayworks, mah jongg open play for seniors, a senior spring lunch, senior bus trips and several dog obedience classes for canine town residents.

Hudson Highlands State Park is right nearby and is a wonderful natural resource. It is a glorious 6,000- acre preserve that is mostly undisturbed and is home to the infamous Breakneck Ridge, a 5.5 mile hiking trail which has even been rated by Newsweek as one of the top ten day hikes in the country. The park in general has absolutely stunning views of the region, including of West Point and the Hudson River. The 14,000-acre Clarence Fahnestock State Park is also a relatively short drive away and this stunning park has a beach, hiking trails, picnic areas, a pretty campground and also allows for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter months. And of course one can just sit and reflect at the waterfront at the bottom of the Cold Spring main street.

Both Cold Spring and Garrison have a boat club. Also, the wonderful Hudson Valley Outfitters are located in Cold Spring and they can get you all set up for a canoe or kayak trip on the majestic Hudson River. Garrison is also home to the Highland Country Club which has a golf course and the terrific Tavern Restaurant. It is a popular place for weddings and parties. The Garrison is equally beautiful and has a lovely 18-hole golf course, two fine dining establishments, a four-room Inn, a yoga studio and a salon.

Nelsonville students are a part of the Haldane Central School District which is considered to be quite good.

Nelsonville is quite safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

The median household income is roughly $60,000.

The population of Nelsonville is about 565 people.

Spackenkill is a pleasant enough mostly residential hamlet of Poughkeepsie, NY. It is a safe and quiet area but in extremely close proximity to a good slice of Poughkeepsie’s many quality amenities.

The closest restaurants to Spackenkill are technically in the greater parent town of Poughkeepsie, but they are but a short one mile to a mile and a half up and down and around the Route 9 thoroughfare. These eateries include the excellent Giacomos with its terrific pizza and calamari, Red Lobster, Umberto’s of Mamma Mia’s with its Italian fare and banjo band on Monday nights, the Bonefish Grill with its tasty seafood offerings and self-proclaimed “big city bar,” Red Robin, famous for its delicious burgers, the modern and energetic Crew Restaurant & Bar, which offers up eclectic European fare and has received good ratings from Zagat, Caffe Pazzo with its always good old school classic Italian eats, Coyote Grill which is a 1950’s roadhouse’esque joint known for its global menu and martini lounge, the Table Talk Diner, Pizza Hut, Five Guys, TGI Fridays, Subway, IHOP and Starbucks and more. Not to mention all the other endless restaurants in greater Poughkeepsie.

Poughkeepsie Plaza is about 1.1 miles up the road from Spackenkill and is an easy convenient shopping center that houses a Modell’s Sporting Goods, Joann Fabrics, Blockbuster Video, Famous Footwear, Sew n’ Vac, County Optical, County Dental, Marshalls, Nail Pro, Weight Watchers, Harmon Beauty Discount, the Parent Teacher Store, Just a Buck, Dragon’s Den, Hudson River Yoga, Art Craft, Chase Bank, Craftsmen by Design, Rainbow, T & J’s Tailoring, in style Salon, Women’s Work, Jumpin Jakes Discovery, and more, as well as a handful of restaurants, cafes and caterers. For even more retail shopping options, you needn’t go far. The popular Poughkeepsie Galleria with its hundreds of retail stores and plethora of food choices is only about two miles from Spackenkill. It also has a good movie theatre.

Food shopping can be accomplished at the Stop & Shop or the Price Chopper, about one mile away.

Spratt Park is Spackenkill’s very own local park and has a popular swimming pool. You can buy different daily or season passes.

The Casperkill Golf Club and Country Club is right nearby (less than a mile away) and has a beautifully kept golf course, driving range, baseball field and pool. McCann Golf Course is a smidge over a mile away and has a good 18-hole golf course and a pro shop.

Spackenkill is quite safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

Spackenkill students are a part of the Spackenkill School District and Spackenhill High is apparently pretty darn good.

The median household income is about $77,689.

The population is approximately 4,123.

Red Hook is an utterly charming village within the parent town of the same name.

Red Hook does have some terrific eateries including Mercato Osteria and Enoteca is an absolutely adorable café, pasta shop and wine bar run by a Butoni brand family member, Max’s Memphis BBQ which produces excellent smoked meats, the sophisticated Flatiron Restaurant with its quirky burgers (one is actually made of duck) and sumptuous steaks, the Historic Village Diner, a nostalgic pre-fabricated dining car made in the 1920’s, An Apple a Day Diner, Red Hook Curry House, Salvatore’s Original Pizza, Hana Sushi, Dunkin Donuts and Subway. Taste Budd’s Chocolate and Coffee Café serves alternative foods, dazzling pastries and sweets and has rotating art exhibitions and live music.

There isn’t a ton of shopping here, but you will find the amazing Me Oh My Pie Shop and Café, Red Hook Drugstore, Annex Antiques Center, Cider Mill Antiques, East Market Street Antiques, Tiki Boutique, Wiltsie Bridge Country Store, Chocolate Factory, Sipperley’s Grog Shop, Kids Shop, The Awards Shop, and CVS.

Also, just a few miles away in gorgeous Rhinebeck, NY you have a fun slew of cool boutiques, shops and outlets like Rhinebeck Antiques Fair, Asher House Antiques, Warren Kitchen & Cutlery, Hudson Valley Blooms, Northern Dutchess Pharmacy, Cabin Fever Outfitters, Hummingbird Jewelers, Montgomery Row, SugarPlum Boutique, Workers and Dreamers, Winter Sun and Summer Moon, Darryl’s, EB’s Hudson Valley Finds, Pet Country, Haldora, Floral Fantasies by Sara, Paper Trail, Rhinebeck Artist’s Shop, Chamonix Bride, Wing and Clover, Country Comfort Furniture, Hammertown, Wonderland Florist, Hudson Valley Footwear, Verizon Wireless, A.L. Stickle Variety Store, Oblong Books and Music, Merriweather’s, Madison’s Avenue and The Pottery Shack. You can easily make a fun afternoon of it.

There is a local Hannaford supermarket and Red Hook Natural Foods for grocery shopping. If you want to pick your own raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, apples and pumpkins, just head on over to the lovely Greigs Farm which also houses an indoor farmer’s market and a café.

For local entertainment, there is the Lyceum Six Cinemas and Ro-Rin Lanes which is a bowling alley with a miniature golf course on the premises, as well. The Old Rhinebeck Aerodome in is a fun family-friendly outing, for sure. It is, essentially, a museum with an amazing collection of early airplanes, motorcycles, cars, engines and other assorted memorabilia from 1900 to 1935. They offer biplane rides and hold air shows on the weekends from mid June to mid October.

The Richard B. Fischer Center for Performing Arts at the exceptional Bard College has two great theatres and dance studios. It produces outstanding plays, shows fine films, holds a summer music festival and often brings in big name acts like Buckwheat Zydeco.

Red Hook has a pretty good parks and recreation program as well as some quality senior resident activities. Red Hook Recreation Park is a popular area park and has a very popular Olympic sized pool and playground, handball courts, basketball courts, baseball and soccer fields, an outside running track and an inside fitness center with cardio and weight lifting equipment and classes. Poets Walk Park is an idyllic place to hike with amazing views of the Hudson River, the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge and the Catskill Mountains. Some say this is where Rudyard Kipling dreamed up his famous Rip Van Winkle story!

Red Hook village students are a part of Red Hook Central Schools which are considered high quality and have an excellent sports program to boot.

The village is pretty safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

The median household income of the town of Red Hook is roughly 46,701.

The population of the greater town of Red Hook is approximately 11, 319.

There are several Clintons in New York (four, in fact if you want to include the “neighborhood in NYC) so be careful not to confuse them. The one I speak or write of here today is the 38.8 square mile town of Clinton in Dutchess County, NY, near Rhinebeck and Hyde Park. Clinton Corners is a charming hamlet in the southeast corner of the town and the most well known.

There is only one restaurant in Clinton and that is Wild Hive Farm, Store and Café in Clinton Corners. In nearby Salt Point, which is about five and a half miles away, there is Fireside BBQ & Grill, Happy Days Café, La Puerta Azul and Copperfields. At various locales in Rhinebeck, ranging from five and a half to seven and a half miles away, you have the beloved local Terrapin Restaurant (with bar), Cinnamon Indian Cusine, Beekman Tavern, Gigi Trattoria, Osaka Japanese, the wonderful Aroi Thai, the fantastic Calico Restaurant, Foster’s Coach House and the famous Eveready Diner. In Staatsburg, about 5.7 miles away, you have the highly regarded Italian favorite, Portofino Ristorante

And finally, in Hyde Park, which is about 8.9 miles away, you have the world renowned Culinary Institute of America with its epic restaurants run by students and open to the public.

As far as retail shopping goes, your best bet would be to head west to Rhinebeck or south to Poughkeepsie. Rhinebeck has a slew of interesting and eclectic boutiques and shops such as Rhinebeck Antiques Fair, Asher House Antiques, Warren Kitchen & Cutlery, Hudson Valley Blooms, Northern Dutchess Pharmacy, Cabin Fever Outfitters, Hummingbird Jewelers, Montgomery Row, SugarPlum Boutique, Workers and Dreamers, Winter Sun and Summer Moon, Darryl’s, EB’s Hudson Valley Finds, Pet Country, Haldora, Floral Fantasies by Sara, Paper Trail, Rhinebeck Artist’s Shop, Chamonix Bride, Wing and Clover, Country Comfort Furniture, Hammertown, Wonderland Florist, Hudson Valley Footwear, Verizon Wireless, A.L. Stickle Variety Store, Oblong Books and Music, Merriweather’s, Madison’s Avenue and The Pottery Shack.

Poughkeepsie is home to the Poughkeepsie Galleria which is a major shopping destination with hundreds of popular retail stores and quite a few restaurants. There are also an abundance of other choices in Poughkeepsie proper.

The closest supermarket that has even a decent supply of everyday fare would be Ianucci’s Stagecoach Market in nearby Millbrook, NY which is 5.8 miles away. As far as the big bad boy supermarkets go, there is an A&P Food Store in Pleasant Valley which is about 6.7 miles away, a Hannaford in Schodack Landing which is about 8.9 miles away and a Super Stop & Shop in Hyde Park which is about 9.9 miles away.

Clinton has a decent parks and rec program. The town’s Frances J. Mark Memorial Park, also known as “Rec Park” has a rentable pavilion perfect for larger family gatherings, playgrounds, a baseball field and a nice swimming pond. One does have to have resident sticker to swim there. There is also Friends Park which has a baseball field, tennis courts and a small pavilion. There is the Taconic Little League, The Clinton Card Club where everyone is welcome and a Senior Exercise Class.

The Clinton Community Library has various activities and events for kids, teens and adults including story hours, arts and craft sessions, adult computer classes, First Friday flicks and a book club.

Clinton students are divided up amongst the Rhinebeck, Millbrook and Pine Plains school districts depending on what area they live in.

There is Upton Lake Christian School in Clinton Corners, as well.

Clinton is pretty safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

The median household income is $66,406.

The population of Clinton is approximately 4,312.

Lake Peekskill is a completely residential lakeside hamlet within the parent town of Putnam Valley in Putnam County, NY. It is very tranquil and quite secluded and one should really desire to live a quiet, somewhat private and unhurried existence. That being said, it isn’t exactly isolated, either. You do have some amenities in Putnam Valley and plenty more to choose from in nearby Mohegan Lake, Jefferson Valley, Garrison and Cortlandt Manor.

Lake Peekskill only has one eatery to speak of, the Lakeside Market & Deli on Lake Drive which has a great view of the lake and equally great pizza. Putnam Valley has Forno III Brick Oven Pizzeria, Spruce Hill Inn, Panda Garden and Richy’s Pub Grub. For yet more dining options, you only have to go an additional two miles into Mohegan Lake where you will discover Augies Prime Cut Restaurant & Bar, Café Pizazz and Pizza Pizzaz, Hanada Hibachi, Brodie’s Pub, Piazza Roma, Baskin Robbins, Napoli’s Pizza and Restaurant, Panera Bread and Mohegan Diner.

Lake Peekskill has no stores or businesses, but you are only 3.9 miles from the popular Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown Heights which has all the favorite staples plus a huge food court. Also within reasonable respective driving distances are Walmart and The Home Depot in Mohegan Lake (about 2.2 miles away), Kohl’s and Marshalls in Cortlandt Manor (about 2.3 miles away) and a few dollar stores and a Walgreens in Peekskill (about 3 miles away).

Cortlandt Town Center Stadium 11 in Mohegan Lake (about 1.9 miles away) is the closest movie theatre.

Every September, Putnam Valley throws the festive Putnam Valley Town Day with exhibits, vendors, a concert and even a nice fireworks display.

For outdoors enthusiasts, Putnam Valley Town Park has three lighted tennis courts, several multi-purpose courts, two playgrounds, a rentable pavilion that boasts a full kitchen, two volleyball courts, several playing fields, a roller hockey rink, horseshoe pits and some nice hiking trails. Putnam Valley also has access to Clarence Fahnestock State Park which is a beautiful 14,086- acre park that has a great beach, picnic areas, hiking trails, a pretty decent campground, and allows boating, hunting, fishing and makes for some quality birding. Lake Peekskill itself has three private beaches.

Lake Peekskill is pretty safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

Lake Peekskill students are a part of the Putnam Valley Central School District which is fairly good.

The median household income is about $72,938.

The population of the greater Putnam Valley area is approximately 11,000 with the population of Lake Peekskill being considerably less.

Cold Spring is an utterly charming, eclectic and lively little scenic Hudson River village within the parent town of Philipstown in Putnam County, NY. It is filled with really nice homes of varying architecture including Victorians, Colonials, row-houses, more modern affairs and condos. There is a plethora of stuff to do, goodies to eat and history to sop up. Not to mention tons of great photographs just waiting to happen.

There are a ton of great restaurants in the village including Cold Spring Depot, Plumbush Inn & Restaurant, Riverview Restaurant, Silver Spoon Restaurant & Bar, Whistling Whillie’s American Grill, Angelina’s Restaurant & Pizza, Cold Spring Pizza, Brasserie Le Bouchon, Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill, East Side Kitchen, Foundry Café, Hudson House Inn, Main Course, Main Moon and Nick and Angie’s.

The historic Main Street district of Cold Spring is brimming with interesting and eclectic boutiques and shops and one could spend an entire delightful afternoon sauntering around and poking through The Beeswax Shop, Back in Ireland, The Country Touch, The Garden Studio, Romeo and Juliet, Silver Lady, Stationery Objects, Touch of Nostalgia, Shug, Momminia, Merritt Bookstore Volume II, Outdoor Sports, St. Claire Boutique and Knittingsmith and Indigo Chic, to name but a few.

For your grocery shopping needs and wants, Cold Spring is home to Grand Union supermarket, Food Town, Yannitelli Wines Philiptown Farm Market, Pete’s Hometown Grocery, D P Mart and Maison Glass Delicacies.

As for local arts and entertainment, you have the Philipstown Depot Theatre located in Garrison Landing which is a local performing arts center which hosts plays, festivals, films and classes for young and older alike.

Philipstown has a decent parks and recreation department with a nice array of events and programs including but not limited to a cool indoor tot park, Little Sluggers, Junior Nature Explorers, t-ball, a Fairytale Theatre, Beading Bonanaza, Nature Scouts, Junior Fire Academy, day camps, Foot in Mouth Players for teens, a Youth Employment service for teens, teen travel camps, adults-only classes like flower design and dance, family bingo and pasta nights, dog obedience instruction, classes in cooking and clayworks, mah jongg for seniors, a senior spring lunch and senior bus trips.

There are some seriously stunning parks in the region including Clarence Fahnestock State Park which boasts 14, 086 acres and harbors a beautiful beach, picnic areas, wonderful hiking trails, a nice campground, boating, hunting, fishing and birding. Hudson Highlands State Park is a fantastic mostly undeveloped (thankfully) 6,000 acre preserve with a famous trail called Breakneck Ridge, which was even featured in Newsweek. The park has absolutely breathtaking views of West Point and the Hudson River.

The Garrison Golf and Country Club is located in Garrison and boasts an 18-hole golf course on its 300 acre location. It also has a stunning inn popular with wedding parties and a salon, the yoga co-op and gym, The Terrace Restaurant and The Worlds End Bar. You can also visit the Hudson Highlands Country Club, also in Garrison which is proud of its Tavern and the Garrison Farm where organic herbs and veggies are grown.

Another Garrison area bragging right is the divine Boscobel Restoration, a magnificent example of New York Federal Domestic architecture. Visitors can tour the home and saunter the gorgeous gardens. It is also where the superb Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival is held during the summer. Exceptional acting is backdropped by the magnificent Hudson River. Boscobel also hosts a Taste of Boscobel, Yoga with a View on summer Monday’s, an annual Snapping Turtle Walk, the Great American Concert & Picnic and the upcoming tongue in cheek and throat presentation on historic cocktails also known as “How to Get Tipsy in the 1800’s.”

Also, very cool is the trolley that takes folks along a point of interest-route from Cold Spring to Garrison. There is a museum tour and a nature lover’s tour.

The popular Hudson Valley Outfitters is located in Cold Spring and it is the popular area resource to get equipment and instruction for canoeing or kayaking on the glorious Hudson River.

There is a Metro North train station in Cold Spring and commute time to NYC is anywhere between one hour and twelve minutes and one hour and twenty minutes.

Cold Spring students are a part of the Garrison Union Free School District which is very good.

Cold Spring is quite safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

The median household income is around $53,382.

The population of Cold Spring is approximately 1,983.

Hopewell Junction is an affluent and historical hamlet in the town of East Fishkill in Dutchess County, NY filled with well-manicured homes, some of which are rather grand in scope. There is definite wealth here, but in spite of that fact, the area retains a communal sense of well-being and friendliness.

There are some really nice restaurants located in Hopewell Junction including Daddy-O’s, Tokoharu with its fresh and tasty sushi, the elegant Le Chambord Inn, the rustic ItalianTiramisu, the intimate Muscoot North Restaurant, the award-winning Blue Fountain Restaurant, the kid-friendly Gian Bruno’s Restaurant, Joe’s Dairy Bar with its awesome chili fries, Monte Rosa Lodge Restaurant, Nick’s Brick Oven Pizza, Pizza Village, Hopewell Deli, Hopewell Hot Bagels, Golden Jade, Simone’s Pizza & Pasta, Dunkin Donuts, Subway and KFC.

Retail shopping in the junction consists of CVS Pharmacy, Hank the Painter, Flowers by Twilight, Star Printing USA, Williams Lumber and Clove Branch Gift Shoppe. There is a Walmart Supercenter, Ocean State Job Lot and a Sam’s Club in nearby Fishkill about six miles away, give or take. Also, a 6.4 mile drive to nearby Poughkeepsie and you arrive at the very popular South Hills Mall which has 250 retail stores, a bunch of eateries and a multiplex cinema.

For grocery shopping, Hopewell Junction does have an A & P Food store, Frankie’s Superette, Hopewell Farms, Fishkill Farms and a Stewarts shop. Nearby Wappinger Falls (about 5.1 miles away) has a Hannaford Supermarket, a Stop and Shop, Meadowbrook Farm Market, Saraswati Grocery, 7-Eleven and various other convenience stores. There is also a Shoprite in Fishkill (about 5.5 miles away).

Hopewell Junction is home to the popular Red Wing Park, an eighteen acre with an eight acre lake and nice beach, a bath house with restrooms and showers, a basketball court, a volleyball court, badminton, playgrounds, swimming, fishing, picnic areas and a pavilion. Swimming instruction is provided there for children and adults alike as well as lifeguard training. They also have a quality swim team. The amazing Sylvan Lake Beach Park is also located in the junction and yes, has a glistening lake and a nice beach and is a wonderful outing for the whole family on a sunny summer afternoon.

Parent town of East Fishkill has a well developed parks and rec program (as indicated by the swimming instruction mentioned above) in addition to a great new summer camp coming up this year called “Extreme Teens.” East Fishkill is also home to some other great parks such as Limekilm Recreation Park which has a fitness center, showers, restrooms, basketball courts, tennis courts, softball fields, soccer/football/frisbee all purpose field; boccie ball and horseshoe courts, a handball court and a walking trail. The town of East Fishkill also has a cool skate park.

East Fishkill holds a series of lovely free outdoor concerts featuring some great bands throughout the summer at various locations. Every September, for the past seventeen years, the town holds its Community Day with a nice parade along Route 82, live music, food vendors, community information booths and even a fireworks display.

Hopewell Junction students are a part of the Wappingers Central School District which is fairly good.

The closest Metro North train station is in Poughkeepsie which is about eleven miles away.

Hopewell Junction is very safe and the crime rate is practically non-existent.

The mean household income is around $102,421.

The population of Hopewell Junction is small at approximately 376.

Milan is a 36 square mile town in Dutchess County, NY comprised of sprawling farmland, red barns and mid to large scale old and newer homesteads many of which have ample parcels of land. It is almost painfully quiet here with no real local businesses to speak of and the closest Metro North train station to Manhattan is in Poughkeepsie which is nineteen miles away. This is a place for those who truly want to live a peaceful and rural life.

Milan has one restaurant within Jenny’s Country Manor Lodge. It is aptly named Jenny’s BBQ and it has received some rave reviews for its outstanding cornbread, hush puppies, jalapeno poppers, pork spare ribs, pulled pork, smoked Italian sausage and BBQ chicken.

The other closest restaurants of note and worth are in nearby Rhinebeck and Red Hook, NY, both of which are anywhere between 2.5 and 7 miles away. In Rhinebeck you will find Foster’s Coach House Tavern, Modern Taco, Wild Hive Farm Café & Bakery, Momiji Sushi Steakhouse & Bar, China Rose, Fransesca’s Restaurant & Pizzeria, Pete’s Famous Restaurant, Calico Restaurant & Patisserie, Gigi Trattoria, Arielle, Gaby’s Café, Terrapin Restaurant, Bistro & Bar, Tavola Rustica, Oliver Kita Chocolates, Bread Alone, Tavern at the Beekman Arms, Grand Cru Cheese and Beer Market, C.J.’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria and Osaka Japanese Restaurant.

In Red Hook, you will discover Mercato Osteria and Enoteca which is an adorable café, pasta shop and wine bar with a Butoni brand family member running the joint, Max’s Memphis BBQ which serves scintillating hickory-smoked meats, the casual but sophisticated Flatiron Restaurant with its luscious oysters, interesting burger choices (one is made of duck) and five varied steak selections, the Historic Village Diner which is actually a dining car made in the 1920’s, An Apple a Day Diner, Red Hook Curry House, Salvatore’s Original Pizza, Hana Sushi, a Dunkin Donuts and a Subway. Another great Red Hook hang out is Taste Budd’s Chocolate and Coffee Café with its alternative foods, delectable baked goods, superior confections as well as rotating art exhibitions and live music.

If you want to shop and you want your drive to count, I suggest heading over to Rhinebeck which has Antiques Fair, Asher House Antiques, Warren Kitchen & Cutlery, Hudson Valley Blooms, Northern Dutchess Pharmacy, Cabin Fever Outfitters, Hummingbird Jewelers, Montgomery Row, SugarPlum Boutique, Workers and Dreamers, Winter Sun and Summer Moon, Darryl’s, EB’s Hudson Valley Finds, Pet Country, Haldora, Floral Fantasies by Sara, Paper Trail, Rhinebeck Artist’s Shop, Chamonix Bride, Wing and Clover, Country Comfort Furniture, Hammertown, Wonderland Florist, Hudson Valley Footwear, Verizon Wireless, A.L. Stickle Variety Store, Oblong Books and Music, Merriweather’s, Madison’s Avenue and The Pottery Shack.

For more practical every day shopping, the closest outlet would be the Hudson Valley Mall in Kingston, NY which is 10 miles away. They have all the major retail stores as well as a multiplex cinema.

For your grocery shopping needs, you can hit up the Hannaford Supermarket & Pharmacy in Red Hook (4.9 miles away) or the Super Stop and Shop in Rhinebeck which is 5.6 miles away. There are also a number of liquor stores in Rhinebeck and Red Hook.

Milan does have a Memorial Day Parade at Wilcox Town Hall. They occasionally hold a rescue squad pancake breakfast. They also have a senior social club which meets on the first Tuesday of each month.

Milan Rec Park has a softball field, a children’s play area and a trailway. Also in the area are Wilcox Memorial Park, Roeliff Jansen Kill Multiple Use Area and the Lafayetteville Multiple Use Area.

Milan students are divided up, depending on where in Milan they live, into the Red Hook School District, the Pine Plains School District and the Rhinebeck School District.

Milan is quite safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

The median household income is around $54, 491

Milan is pretty sparsely populated at about 2,453.

Patterson is a 32.9 square mile town in Putnam County, NY. It has pretty landscapes and lovely homes and is rich in history, particularly Native American history.

One of the biggest attractions in Patterson is the Thunder Ridge Ski Area which offers great skiing on thirty trails, snowboarding, high quality instruction, comfortable lodging (with great “ski and stay” packages) and a ski shop. During the off-season, they have a haunted house, haunted hayrides, pumpkin picking, scenic chairlift rides, paintball and catered events.

Patterson has a few decent eating establishments including Magnolia’s Café which is a cute and cozy fave for breakfast and lunch, Mama Pizza which is supposed to be very traditional, other local fave the Carriage House Restaurant and Tavern which has “upscale” tavern food, Abruzzi Trattoria which is casual and has solid Italian fare, Rocco’s which is supposed to have excellent pizza and Thai Elephant II which is said to have really good and authentic Thai food.

As far as retail shopping, there is Patterson Commons with Dollar Tree, a Verizon store, a nail and hair salon, a Dunkin Donuts and an A & P Food Store. The nearby town of Pawling (only about 1.8 miles away) has quite a few options including CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General, a Radio Shack, Good Tidings Gift Shop, Stage Door Furniture, Synchronicity, The Bead Vault, Greer Gallery, Red Barn Gifts & Antiques, Hobnail Antiques, Simply Unique, The Yarn & Craft Box, Made with Love, Earth Lore, Magnolias, Bailey’s TV & Appliances, the very cool The Book Cove, a couple of redbox locations, Tonis Hair & Nail Design, Family Quick Stop, Pawling Beer & Soda and Pawling Hannaford Supermarket & Pharmacy.

The Patterson Town Hall has a small museum that exhibits Native American pottery and is open for viewing Monday through Friday from 9-5 PM.

The newly constructed Patterson Library has a decent collection as well as a terrific kids’ summer program, cooking demonstrations, online access to a job resource center, homework help, story times, battle of the books, parents’ nights out, pottery talks, children’s health screenings, yoga for kids, computer classes and other various activities.

Haviland Hollow Farm is a swanky polo and equestrian center located in Patterson.

Patterson does have a decent parks and rec department with many varying activities and programs including a brand new upcoming Lego Camp, kindergarten pizza nights, soccer camps, multi-sports camps, lacrosse camp, theatre summer camp, a varsity high school basketball league, a pre-K summer camp, a multi-activity summer camp, a flag football summer camp, a basketball summer camp, a cheerleading summer camp as well as dog obedience classes, pre-school karate classes, a Pokemon club and more.

For adults and seniors, they offer dog obedience classes, an adult summer basketball league, mat Pilates, Zumba, senior citizen luncheons, senior fitness sessions and a senior drop-off program.

Parks in the area include Patterson Veteran Memorial Park, the Great Swamp, Wonder Lake, the Cranberry Mountain Multiple Use Area and the Michael Ciaiola Conservation Area.

Patterson does have a Metro North train station but the commute time is a little long at an hour and forty-three minutes and it does require a transfer at the Southeast station. But it is still doable, especially if you plan to make it an all day affair or a weekend visit.

Patterson is quite safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

The median household income is about $66,250.

Patterson students appear to be a part of the Carmel Central School District which is excellent. The high school reports a 94% graduation rate.

The population of Patterson is approximately 12,023.

Poughkeepsie is a bustling, dynamic Hudson River city brimming with great restaurants, great shopping, exceptional educational institutions, oodles of history, tons of entertainment and lots of arts and culture to go around.

Hudson River Housing is an organization that provides affordable, quality housing in the area to individuals, families and seniors.

There are far too many interesting, exotic, humble, mom and pop, indie and exciting restaurants, bakeries and eateries to mention in one review, but I will do my best to provide a nice handful or two of the very best out there. Crave Restaurant and Lounge with its CIA alumni chefs has a sophisticated New York ambiance and excellent fare made with the freshest regional and seasonal ingredients. The Beech Tree Grill is an American bistro often well attended by Vassar students. The Artist’s Palate is a beautifully appointed and sophisticated bistro & bar that has exquisite food and rotating art exhibitions, The Bull and Buddha Restaurant is a very cool Asian fusion joint that boasts an enormous (two-ton) hand-carved Buddha and some great sushi. Alex’s Restaurant is a cozy downtown breakfast favorite which also makes some great shakes. The Karma Lounge puts together some really tasty tapas and some interesting signature cocktails. Café Bocca is a trendy, gourmet café that also has live local music, rotating art exhibits and poetry events. And there are many, many, many more.

Shopping is a-plenty in the area and you will find everything your little heart could desire. The Poughkeepsie Galleria has 250 shops and varied eateries. It is home to Regal Galleria Mall Stadium 6 as well as a wealth of other indie stores.

The Mid-Hudson Civic Center is comprised of Mair Hall & McCann Ice Arena. They have large-scale events, concerts and performances such as the WWE Smackdown tour, Celtic Thunder, GLEE on Ice, the Hudson Valley Reptile Expo, competitive figure skating, ice hockey and public skating sessions.

Main Mall Row is a great example of Renaissance Revival architecture and is on the National Historic Registry of protected places. The main street district in Poughkeepsie is a source of local pride and has been steadfastly revitalized throughout the years.

The Chance Theatre is “The Hudson Valley’s Premiere Live Music Venue” and hosts an outstanding roster of up and coming talents. Bardavon Opera House has been in operation since 1869 and has a stellar calendar of world-class performers and productions including the likes of Michael McDonald, Laurie Berkner, exceptional operas, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, a wonderful children’s series,

Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at the world renowned Vassar College has over 15,000 impressive works. The Cunneen Hackett Arts Center has rotating gallery exhibits, educational programs and tours of local Victorian historical houses. The Mill Street Loft offers year round art classes and the award-winning Dutchess Arts Camp. The Barrett Art Center, which is located in the historic home of Thomas W. Barrett (a former famous local artist), has incredible rotating exhibitions, varied art classes, lectures and demonstrations. Twice a year they hold an impressive shows juried by the curators of some of the most famous museums around including The Whitney Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim Museum, the International Center of Photography and the DIA Art Foundation in NYC. They hold a wonderful annual High School Show. They also have a fantastic Barrett ClayWorks program

Mid Hudson Children’s Museum has wonderful educational resources for children including STARLAB Planetarium, games, arts and crafts in the Art Activity Center, hands-on exhibits, interactive story times, a rock climbing wall, the Great Bubble Machine, science demos, field trips, outreach programs, scout adventures and summer programs to name but some of its offerings.

Empire Cruise Lines, which operates on the mighty Hudson, has just launched a new dinner, sightseeing and tour boat called M/V Mystere. They offer wonderful cruises including a High Tea Cruise, Theatre Cruise, Sunset Cruises, Theme Party Cruises, and Farm Fresh Tour amongst quite a few others.

Poughkeepsie has a well-developed parks and recreation program. There is a Skate Park in Waryas Park. Spratt Park Pool is a popular summer destination for cooling off and having fun. You can buy a family pass, an adult season pass, children (under 13) season pass or daily pass. They offer swimming instruction there for kids and adults. There is also Pulaski Park Pool. There is a great little league program with its own website.

The Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park is a wonderful local resource. An old, unused bridge was turned into a lovely pedestrian park replete with bike paths.

The Main Street Farmer’s Market is a terrific weekly event held every Friday from 2 to 6 from June through October. It features fantastic local producers.

The city of Poughkeepsie also has a very good and mostly reliable bus system and a Metro North and Amtrak station. Commute time to NYC is between one hour and thirty-eight and one hour and forty-five minutes.

Poughkeepsie has a very good city library system with a nice collection and a series of solid events and programs.

City of Poughkeepsie students are a part of the Poughkeepsie City School District.

The median household income is about $28,389

The population of Poughkeepsie is approximately 32, 736.

Wappingers Falls is a cheerful and bustling village that half-straddles the town of Wappinger and half-straddles the town of Poughkeepsie.

Wappinger Falls has a fair share of good eateries including the colorful and eclectic Double O Grill, Longobardi’s Restaurant with its purportedly great pizza, the adorable Locanda with its scrumptious Italian cuisine, Greenbaum & Gilhooley’s with its very fresh seafood, family-friendly favorite, Franks Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria, with its authentic southern Italian cuisine, Gino’s Restaurant, the family-friendly and vibrant Margaritas Mexican Restaurant, Perkins with its outstanding chicken pot pies, the steadfast Outback Steakhouse, Tony’s Gyro and Grill, Chen Young Restaurant, Planet Wings, Wappingers Buffet, McDonalds, Subway, Wendy’s, Sonic Drive-In, Los Hornitos Bakery and the very chill Bad Ass Coffee.

Retail shopping in Wappinger Falls includes BJ’s Wholesale, Big Lots, The Home Depot, Babies “R” Us, Dollar General, Sleepy’s, Alto Music, Mavis Discount Tire, Rosemary Flower Shop, Westside Plaza, Lumber Liquidators, AC Moore, Leslie’s Swimming Pool Supplies Goodwill,

For more extensive options, drive over to the ever-popular South Hills Mall in nearby Poughkeepsie which is only 2.5 miles away. It has 250 retail stores and many restaurants. There is also a Walmart Supercenter and a Sam’s Club in nearby Fishkill which is about 4.6 miles away.

For grocery shoppers, Wappinger Falls has a Hannaford Supermarket, a Stop and Shop, Meadowbrook Farm Market, Saraswati Grocery, 7-Eleven and various other convenience stores.

The town of Wappinger hosts an annual Community Day at Schlathaus Park in June featuring various kid-friendly activities, fireworks, craft and food vendors and a parade. That park is also site to a Halloween Parade, a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, The Playground End of Summer Picnic, a summer concert series and a memorial race.

Wappingers Falls is home to the Grinnell Library, a lovely library that has the historical significance of being the sixth oldest in the state! Another wonderful local resource is the Country Players, a performing arts group that was voted the “Best Community Theatre in the Hudson Valley.” They put on popular shows like City of Angels, Aida, Forever Plaid and Full Monty. Ticket prices are only a mere twenty dollars.

There are quite a few additional parks of note in the area including the 38 acre Reese Park, Veteran’s Memorial Park with ball fields, a basketball court and playing fields as well as Mesier Park, Little Falls Park, Castle Point and Rockingham. There is also beautiful Wappinger Lake where people often go fishing. The parks and recreation department also offers a terrific Youth Arts Program, a good gymnastics program, a summer day camp, a summer tennis program, a summer fishing program and a summer basketball program.

Wappingers Falls is quite safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

Wappingers Falls students are a part of the Wappingers Central School District which is considered to be pretty good.

The median household income is roughly $58,079.

The population of Wappinger is approximately 5,552.

Stormville is a hamlet in East Fishkill, NY. It doesn’t have a whole lot going on so your best bet is to head to the more dynamic sister hamlet of Hopewell Junction our out of Town to Fishkill proper or Poughkeepsie.

Stormville has three eateries to speak of, Stormville Pizza and More, Danny’s Pizzeria and Collins Ale House.

There are some additional decent restaurants in sister hamlet Hopewell Junction including the elegant La Chambord Restaurant Inn, the casual and cozy Tuscan-infused Tiramisu restaurant, pizzeria and bakery which hosts live music on Wednesday nights, the family-friendly Gian Bruno’s Restaurant, the warm Muscoot North Restaurant which has been around for a quarter of a century, The Blue Fountain which was awarded best Italian restaurant in the Hudson Valley by Zagat as well as Goodfellas Inn, Empire Wok, Peza Modern Bistro, Pizza Village, Dunkin Donuts, Monte Rosa Lodge Restaurant, Nick’s Brick Oven Pizza and KFC and Subway.

Shopping that does exist is mostly in sister hamlet Hopewell Junction and includes CVS, Hank the Painter, Out of the Loop Yarn Shop, Hopewell Plaza, and Unity Plaza. In the town of Fishkill there are quite a few more options including the Hudson Valley Towne Center, Ocean State Job Lot, Talbots, a cigar lounge, a Dollar Tree and a hallmark store.

The very popular South Hills Mall with over 250 stores in Poughkeepsie is only 9.7 miles away.

To fulfill your grocery shopping needs, you can head to Stop & Shop, A & P, Cumberland Farms, Hopewell Farms and Fishkill Farms or Stewarts in sister hamlet Hopewell Junction, go to the Sam’s Club, Walmart Supercenter or ShopRite in Fishkill or go to the BJ’s Wholesale Club in Wappingers.

Stormville does have one cool locale going for itself: The Stormville Airport Antique Show & Flea Market which holds half a dozen family-friendly and festive shows each year that are extremely well-attended. In fact, people come from miles upon miles away to treasure-hunt and HGTV even recently filmed there. They have great bargains, great food and various cool events.

Parent town of East Fishkill has a well-developed parks and recreation program. Red Wing Park is a very popular 18 acre spot with an eight acre lake and beach, a bathhouse, a basketball court, a volleyball court, badminton, playgrounds, swimming, fishing, picnic areas and a pavilion. Swimming instruction is provided there for kids and adults, lifeguard training and they also have a swim team. Limekilm Recreation Park has a fitness center, showers, restrooms, basketball courts, tennis courts, softball fields, soccer/football/frisbee all purpose field; boccie ball and horseshoe courts, a handball court and a walking trail. The town also has an awesome Skate Park. There are quite a few other parks in the area including Route 52 Recreation Complex, Wiccopee Recreation Area, Leewood Road Recreation Area, Brettview Recreation Area and Emmadine Pond. There is a great new summer camp coming up called “Extreme Teens.” The town also hosts lovely and free outdoor summer concerts and an annual fireworks display.

In September, the town of East Fishkill holds its annual Community Day with a parade along Route 82, live music, food vendors, community information booths and fireworks.

Stormville is pretty safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

Stormville students are a part of are divided amongst the Arlington, Carmel, Pawling and Wappingers school districts.

The median household income is about $78, 394.

The population of greater East Fishkill is approximately 29, 029.

Brewster is a lovely well-populated and popular village in the heart of the town of Southeast, NY that does have its own government, court system and train station independent of its parent town. Brewster is sometimes used synonymously with Southeast, however. This may be due to its good reputation and the abundance of offerings in the village itself.

Brewster has some pretty good eating establishments including Rraci Restaurant, which has received praise from the NY Times for its excellent Italian cuisine, Southeast Grille House, a more casual fine dining affair, Arch Restaurant which is a warm, gracious and beautifully decorated country home known for its out of this world soufflés, Aversano’s with its New York style lounge décor and delicious Italian fare, Jaipore Royal Indian Cusine has exceptional Indian cuisine and is located in a Brewster mansion, Fiesta Mexicana with its delicious and authentic Mexican cuisine, family-friendly Kelly’s Corner, the famed Eveready Diner which was featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins & Dives, the Red Rooster Drive-in with its excellent cheeseburgers and onion rings, Filia’s and Sciortinio’s Restaurant.

Brewster has Kohl’s, Marshall’s, Animal Kingdom USA, Home Depot, Design Ease and Michaels. The Lakeview Shopping Center in Brewster has a Value Village which is a huge combination of drugstore, discount store and variety store extraordinaire. Right behind that Value Village is Empire Cinemas. Also located in the shopping center is McDonald's, a car wash, a pizzeria, a dry cleaners, a hair salon, Beneficial Financial, Laundry, H&R Block, a bagel place, a video store, a Chinese restaurant, a sushi restaurant, a dentist, Brewster Athletic Club, some medical offices, R & D Flooring, Cingular Wireless and Putnam Federal Credit Union.

For groceries, Brewster has an A& P, DeCicco Food Market, Kobacker’s IGA, Brewster Superette, Latinos Unidos Deli and the Brewster Community Food Pantry. There is also a Hannaford Supermarket and a Shoprite in nearby Carmel.

The Brewster Library has a great collection and has many terrific programs and events including but not limited to DIY projects, a visiting therapy dog, chess classes, homework help, book discussion groups, author visits, tech classes and much more. The Southeast Museum is a great local resource where one can learn all about its namesake and the history of the region.

The village of Brewster holds a Veterans Day Parade, a Memorial Day Parade, a Good Friday Parade and celebrates Founders Day. Brewster also has a lovely farmer’s market every Wednesday and Saturday from June through November.

Parent town of Southeast has a well developed parks and recreation program with many terrific activities for young’uns, teens, adults and seniors. The area has many great parks, as well. Henry Wells Park is the site of a terrific summer day camp. It also has a spray park, picnic tables, playing fields and restrooms. Markel Memorial Park has a community pool, playing fields, a basketball court, several playgrounds, benches and restrooms. Southeast Town Park at pretty Tonetta Lake has a beach. Douglas J. Scolpino Park has a picnic area, a playground and ball fields. There is also Blackberry Hill Park District.

Carmel Bowl is three miles away in nearby Carmel, NY.

Brewster has its own train station and commute time to NYC is about one hour and twenty-two minutes making it a feasible option for working professionals and weekend visitors.

Brewster is pretty safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

Brewster students are a part of the Brewster Central School District which is excellent. There are also two private schools in the area: The Melrose School and Longview School.

The median household income is around $42,750.

The population of Brewster is approximately 2,162.

Holmes is pretty much an all residential hamlet within the parent town of Pawling, NY in Dutchess County. The area, in general, is quite tranquil and undisturbed and filled with mid to large scale colonials, Victorians and more modern single family homesteads. Holmes is a place to come home to and just enjoy your abode and/or loved ones. But if you want to get out for a nosh or have some fun there isn't much of anything in the immediate vicinity so it is best to head into Pawling.

There are some decent restaurants in Pawling proper including McGrath’s Tavern, the highly lauded McKinney and Doyle Fine Food Café and Corner Bakery with its tremendous ambience, exquisite food, outstanding desserts and kids menu, Dante’s Trattoria, Hacienda Los Tres Potrillos, Pawling Tavern, Dunkin Donuts, a KFC, a Great Wall II Chinese and Hong Kong Chinese Kitchen.

Shopping options are predominantly in Pawling and include CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General, Radio Shack, Good Tidings Gift Shop, Stage Door Furniture, Synchronicity, The Bead Vault, Greer Gallery, Red Barn Gifts & Antiques, Hobnail Antiques, Simply Unique, The Yarn & Craft Box, Made with Love, Earth Lore, Magnolias, Bailey’s TV & Appliances, The Book Cove, a couple of Redboxes, Tonis Hair & Nail Design.

For your grocery shopping needs you can hit up the Family Quick Stop, Pawling Beer & Soda and Pawling Hannaford Supermarket & Pharmacy.

A gem of a Pawling institution is the beloved Town Crier Café which proudly presents exceptional live music and has been doing so since 1972. In fact, people from other towns and states flock here to hear everything from folk to jazz to blues to rock to Celtic music, Cajun music, Zydeco, roots and world. Pete Seeger, Roseanne Cash, Suzanne Vega, Sawn Colvin, Arlo Guthrie, Lucinda Williams are but a few of the amazing talents to have performed there.

The town of Pawling has a very well developed parks and recreation program. They hold a wonderful annual Fireman’s Parade and Carnival. They have terrific programs for toddlers, pre-adolescents, teens, adults and seniors. They have great summer day camps. There are quite a few decent parks, as well. Edward R. Murrow Memorial Park has a playground, swimming, a picnic area, camping as well as lovely hiking and horse trails. The town’s “Music by the Lake” summer series is held in Lakeside Park which has tennis courts, a lake and a beach where you can boat and swim as well as bbq grills and picnic tables. Pawling is also home to The Dutcher Golf Course which is the oldest public golf course in the nation. And last but not least, there is the very cool Appalachian Trail for eager hikers.

Holmes is pretty safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

Holmes’ students are a part of the Pawling Central School District which is very good,

The median household income is about $61,380.

The population of greater Pawling is approximately 8,463.