Cortlandt offers urban access in the Hudson Highlands
Cortlandt is a semi-rural Hudson Valley town, about an hour train ride north of New York City. “I would say it’s the best of both worlds,” says Haakim Byrd, the leader of the Byrd Pro Sales Team. “You get the country feel of Upstate, but it’s close enough to the Westchester metropolitan area and New York City to get to both if you need it.” Nearly 43,000 people call the area home, living in communities like riverside Verplanck or in multimillion-dollar residences among the forested Hudson Highlands. Local employment centers on the Cortlandt Town Center retail hub, two hospitals and the highly rated school district. However, nearby train stations and highways provide access to opportunities beyond Cortlandt. “It’s a commuter employment area,” Byrd says. “This is a much more suburban situation.”
Mountains, lakes and a river offer outdoor adventures
The town's location in the Hudson Highlands means plenty of outdoor excursions. Blue Mountain Park preserves over 1,500 acres of mountainous woodlands for hiking, mountain biking and fishing. The Appalachian Trail runs along Cortlandt’s northern edge, crossing the Bear Mountain Bridge as it heads north along the Hudson. Croton Gorge Park embraces the dam that created the New Croton Reservoir, and its trails lead to commanding viewpoints of the forested highlands. Oscawana Park’s paths lead visitors through marshland until they reach Haverstraw Bay, the widest point of the Hudson River. The private Hudson National Golf Club, founded in 1996, offers a newly renovated 18-hole course along the river. It frequently ranks among Gold Digest’s Top 100 courses in the United States.
Housing options include suburban condos and homes in the hills
Subcommunities offer several different styles of living. Dutch Colonial and Colonial Revival homes are common in this historic town, reflecting its 17th-century Dutch and English origins. While much of Cortlandt was developed in New York’s post-1950s suburbanization, a handful of properties date to the 1920s, and 2020s builds are commonly found outside Croton-on-Hudson. “There’s definitely new stuff coming on the market,” Byrd says. “New buyers are coming into that area. It’s definitely a good time to buy in Cortlandt.” Streetscapes vary from traditional residential lanes to long, winding avenues, where houses sit behind long driveways and large front lawns. Townhouses concentrate along the community's fringes and in the pricier Cortlandt Manor section, while condos hug the border with Blauvelt. Cortlandt has a median home price of $865,000, nearly double the median of neighboring Peekskill. This town also has a CAP Index Crime Score of 2 out of 10, lower then the national average of 4.
Big-box shopping and local businesses share major roads
Major roads like Main Street and Crompond Road serve as Cortlandt’s main retail avenues. Walmart, ShopRite, The Home Depot and Stop & Shop sit along Main Street. Crompond Road is home to the Sansotta Brothers deli, an Italian sandwich shop that’s locally popular for lunch takeout. The Cortlandt Colonial Restaurant & Ballroom, established in 1978, offers a fine dining atmosphere that plays host to special events from bar mitzvahs to weddings. Table 9 combines Art Deco aesthetics with Modern American cuisine.
Cortlandt's school districts offer A-rated education
Students can attend the Hendrick Hudson Central School District or the Lakeland Central School District, both of which receive A ratings from Niche. A-rated Hendrick Hudson High School offers after-school engagement through clubs like mountain biking and Stars & Stripes Club, where students volunteer at the local VA hospital and interview veterans for the Library of Congress. Lakeland High School, also A-rated, offers extensive technical programs like robotics, app development and personal finance.
Trains and highways take commuters into New York City
Cortlandt offers several options for accessing nearby cities and jobs. “You can commute into White Plains, the Westchester metropolitan area or hop on the Metro-North into the city,” Byrd says. “Cortlandt Manor goes right into Grand Central.” The Metro-North Railroad puts commuters in the heart of Manhattan in about an hour. The Taconic State Parkway and Interstate 87 are part of the 40-mile drive with a similar commute time. Cortlandt is home to the New York Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital Center and the Montrose VA Medical Center, two of the town’s largest employers.
Written By
Jacob Adelhoch
