Rural living near Washingtonville’s amenities
An hour outside of New York City, the town of Blooming Grove offers 35 square miles of scenic pastures, well-known restaurants and popular attractions. This community speaks to a variety of lifestyles, from the downtown atmosphere in Washingtonville to the rural village of Marycrest. “If you’re looking for an all-around family-friendly place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, it’s Blooming Grove,” says Jose Santos, broker/owner of K Fortuna Lighthouse Realty. “You can get the liveliness in Washingtonville and then drive right out to the country.” The 2-lane Route 94 is the main artery through town, connecting residents to more major highways or to the winding backroads that lead them home. The north side features the oldest operating winery in the country, while the south side neighbors a Yiddish-speaking Hasidic community.
From quaint cottages in the woods to custom colonials on acres
With the diverse lifestyles that Blooming Grove offers, the housing options are also varied. In the Mountain Lodge Park area, quaint cottages as small as 500 square feet and larger ranch homes tucked away in the woods on about an acre can be found from $80,000 to $400,000. In the Rolling Hills community, 1-bedroom and 1-bathroom condo units sell for $200,000 to $250,000. In the more rural areas, home styles include Split levels, Tudor Revivals, rambling ranch houses and newly-built Colonial Revivals with contemporary influence. These single-family dwellings typically sit on 1 to 6 acres of land and might cost between $425,000 for a home with 1,500 square footage to upwards of $900,000 for a property with 3,500 square feet of space. On the south side in the Marycrest area, custom-built colonial homes that are more than 4,000 square feet, many offering in-ground pools in the backyard, sell from $1 million to about $1.4 million.
Tastings and tours at Brotherhood Winery
Whether it be a weekend date night or a quick grocery haul, residents head into the commercial area of Washingtonville. “Main Street has a city vibe to it,” Santos says. “There are great restaurants and shops.” One of the more popular spots is Brotherhood Winery, which has been operating since 1839. Visitors can tour the underground cellars, taste an eclectic variety of wine and eat at the attached 1839 Restaurant and Bar. For authentic Mexican cuisine, there’s La Villa, and F & J Pizza serves what locals consider the best pizza in the state. Conveniently nearby is Stop & Shop grocery. Further down Main Street, Clarke’s Cafe & Ice Cream is a diner that also offers shakes and ice cream cakes. Away from the retail and deeper into the rural fields, Blooming Hill Farm – often closed for weddings – has a brunch and dinner menu.
Beaverdam Lake days and hikes on Long Path
For outdoor recreation, Firefighters Memorial Park has a playground and open green space, and Lasser Park is where the town’s youth football and cheerleading organization plays. Just across Station Road from the park is Beaverdam Lake, where there are more play areas and a small sandy beach on the water. Adding to the family-friendly atmosphere, branching off of Station Road is Sesame Street.“The street sign even has Big Bird on it,” Santos says. In South Blooming Grove, Gonzaga Park offers steep slopes and rock formations for climbing and valley views. There are also abandoned historic buildings that parkgoers can explore. This park connects to the Long Path, a hiking trail that extends more than 350 miles from New York City to Albany.
Diverse education through public schools and yeshivas
Students can begin at Taft Elementary School before advancing to Washingtonville Middle School, both of which receive a B grade from Niche. Washingtonville High School, graded an A-minus, offers future-focused clubs like E-Sports. They also have an impressive athletics department; the girls' tennis team won the Section IX Championship this past year. With a large Hasidic population, there are several private yeshivas in the South Blooming Grove area, including Viznitz Blooming Grove and Bais Rochel School. The neighboring community, Kiryas Joel, is a town of mostly Yiddish-speaking Hasidic Jewish residents who are members of the Satmar sect of Hasidism. “There is a big Hasidic footprint in Blooming Grove,” Santos says. “There are all types of people in the area, which makes it beautiful.”
Scenic NY Route 94 leads to Interstate 87
The mostly 2-lane highway New York Route 94 weaves through Blooming Grove, and it connects to Interstate 87 and U.S. Route 6. “Route 94 is a very scenic ride,” Santos says. “You pass lakes and pastures from Vails Gate all the way to Allentown.” Once on the interstate, New York City is about 65 miles away. Residents will require a vehicle to get around, as no public bus system services the area. For air travel, the small New York Stewart International Airport is only 10 miles north, offering four domestic and four international airlines.
History and haunts in South Blooming Grove
In the southern tip of Blooming Grove, Museum Village takes visitors back in time to the 19th century. This replica village of what life was like back then offers tours and reenactments from summer through fall. During the spooky season, the Pure Terror Scream Park next door scares visitors as the Guinness World Record-holding longest walk-through horror attraction since 2015.
Photography Contributed By
Jerome Strauss
