Hyde Park Township is a historic area with a shifting landscape
History and beauty are around almost every corner in Hyde Park Township, often playing off each other. Ordered gardens sprawl around historic mansions with impressive architecture and views of the Hudson River. There’s a Vanderbilt Mansion here, and Franklin Roosevelt was born and lived in the township. His house, now on the National Register of Historic Places, still stands in Hyde Park. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum is also in the town. These historic sites draw tourists and provide a beautiful backdrop for those who call Hyde Park home. The township isn’t just a testament to history, though — it’s a living, breathing town, with changes on the way. “Hyde Park has been bubbling under for a long time, and there are a lot of things that are coming to the area that are changing that,” says Susan Spivak, a Realtor at Houlihan Lawrence who has lived and sold homes here for 20 years. Hyde Park maintains its peaceful atmosphere, but Spivak adds that new additions like One&Only, a luxury riverfront community, and the upscale resort Bellefield are changing the town’s complexion.
Boating on the Hudson, Hackett Hill Park’s pool and historic sites
Riverfront Park has picnic spots overlooking the Hudson River. People enjoy boating, kayaking and fishing on the river, and avid boaters often join the Rogers Point Boating Association. Hackett Hill Park is Hyde Park’s main green space, offering a playground, disc golf course and an outdoor pool on hot summer days. Easy, wooded hiking trails like the Roosevelt Farm Lane Trail or the trails that thread through the Winnakee Nature Preserve are also popular.
Although Hyde Park’s historic sites are major facets of the town, people interested in touring them must buy tickets. Residents certainly do that occasionally, but the sites are mostly the realm of tourists. But the grounds of Val-Kill, a lesser-known cottage where Eleanor Roosevelt lived after her husband’s death, are free to explore. “I think some people just go sometimes just to walk around the grounds,” says Joyce Stanton, a real estate broker at Century 21 Hudson Valley Realty who has been selling homes here for 25 years. Tours of the cottage are also offered for a fee.
Single-family homes and condominiums in a quiet setting
Hyde Park’s residential streets show no sign of the growth going on in the township. They’re quiet and lined with New Traditionals, hi-ranches, Cape Cods and colonials. Small fixer-uppers that need extensive work occasionally drop to $160,000, but most houses start closer to $250,000 and max out at about $670,000. Large, updated houses with acreage can inch or blow past that upper range, though, selling for up to $2.7 million. Townhomes are also common in Hyde Park and typically cost between $310,000 and $670,000. Spivak says home prices are climbing, which she expects to continue as the town grows.
Popular restaurants along Route 9, shopping hubs a few miles away
U.S. Route 9 is dotted with shops and restaurants. Eveready Diner, which has a retro vibe, is a staple here. It’s gotten mentions from Food Network, The New York Times and more. “The food is delicious,” Stanton says. “That diner stays full — that’s how good the food is.” Friends meet at Darby O’Gill’s for drinks in a relaxed pub atmosphere, head to La Catrina Mexican Restaurant for margaritas that Spivak says are gigantic or catch a movie at Roosevelt Theatre. There’s a Stop & Shop for groceries. For more shopping, residents often drive 6 miles to Poughkeepsie or 11 miles to Rhinebeck. “You can buy your home in Hyde Park and have nice quiet living, but when you want to do something — when you want to go sightseeing or window-shopping — you can do that,” Stanton says, adding that Rhinebeck can get so busy in the summer that all the pedestrians make it look like New York City. “It gives it a nice aura.”
Traveling north and south along Route 9, nearby hospitals
Route 9 travels the length of Hyde Park, connecting this car-dependent town to communities like Poughkeepsie and Rhinebeck. MidHudson Regional Hospital is located in Poughkeepsie, while Northern Dutchess Hospital is in nearby Rhinebeck. Stewart International Airport is about 40 miles away.
Recent renovations for Hyde Park schools, world-famous culinary school
The Hyde Park Central School District earns a B from Niche. Children can start out at North Park Elementary School, which also has a B. They then attend Haviland Middle School, which has a B-minus, and Franklin D. Roosevelt High School, which has a B. In 2022, the district allotted money to each of its schools for renovations. Roosevelt High got the lion’s share, receiving money to build a new turf field and track, replace seating in its auditorium and install a new roof.
The Culinary Institute of America, which is among the best culinary schools in the world, is in Hyde Park. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in culinary arts.
Some roads occasionally flood with heavy rains
Nor’easters and other severe storms can cause creeks in Hyde Park to overflow, but most flooding is limited to roads.
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Written By
Christina Norwood
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Photography Contributed By
Chris Mantz
