Montgomery offers semi-rural quiet and highway access to New York City
Embedded within rural Orange County, the village of Montgomery offers small-town conveniences and the quiet that comes with the exurbs while still enjoying highway access to New York City. “Montgomery has a rural feel compared to the rest of our area,” says Brian Caplicki, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty Hudson Valley United who has sold several homes in Montgomery. “There are still farms around, and it’s not quite suburbia. We’re still a bedroom community, though, and lots of people move here from New York City after they have kids.” Just over 23,000 people call Montgomery home, and recently established banks, restaurants and other retail outlets join long-running farm supply companies in offering small-town employment opportunities. Further growth is also in store for this growing New York exurb. Montgomery is currently undergoing two economic development programs aimed at improving downtown's walkability, the expansion of commercial zoning and opportunities and the revamping of the local park.
Victorian homes mix with brand-new builds
Montgomery has a diverse housing stock that includes Victorian homes from the 1860s and new properties built in 2024. “The historic nature of the village is really nice; it’s got that old vibe to it,” Caplicki says. Townhouses sell for between $240,000 and $340,000, while single-story homes go for between $330,000 and $550,000 and two-story and split-level homes sell between $360,000 and $880,000. New Traditional homes built on Montgomery's outskirts from the 1990s to 2020s mostly sell for between $510,000 and $1,150,000. Montgomery’s median sale price of $512,000 is well below the averages of suburbs closer to New York like New Rochelle and Bronxville, where the median sale prices are $800,000 and $699,000, respectively. This lower-than-average cost of housing gets homebuyers a quiet suburban atmosphere, with homes along grid-patterned streets, abundant foliage, sidewalks and quick access to everyday necessities.
Montgomery has a small, but historic downtown shopping area
Despite its small size, Montgomery has a large and varied shopping scene. “It’s a historic little village with a lot of old buildings and great restaurants,” Caplicki says. “It’s not huge, but it’s cute.” At the intersection of Clinton and Union Streets, around a dozen restaurants serve dishes from around the world. Copperfields Kildare Pub offers an authentic Irish pub experience with vintage architecture, its hanging inn sign bearing County Kildare's coat of arms and a menu of Irish-American staples like fish and chips and corned beef sandwiches. Across the street, PBF Café offers a unique brunch menu including Polish and Brazilian fusion dishes. In the village’s southern outskirts, Mike’s Deli & Pizza has served bagels, sandwiches and pizza for more than 20 years. ShopRite is located just off Interstate 84, 2 miles from downtown.
Valley Central High offers diverse extracurriculars like STEM clubs
Students may start their education at Montgomery Elementary School, which receives a B rating from Niche, before attending Valley Central Middle School and Valley Central High School, which receive B-plus ratings. Valley Central High School includes global citizenship in its mission statement, and programs like the NYS Seal of Biliteracy, the Volunteer Club of Valley Central and the HOSA Future Health Professionals club give students chances to sharpen their skills.
Montgomery is surrounded by a wealth of outdoor activities
Located at the center of town, Veterans Memorial Park includes five baseball fields, pickleball and basketball courts and a small dog park with agility equipment. The Wallkill River, which runs past this park and downtown Montgomery, is often utilized for kayaking. Summertime sees the Clinton Street Bandstand in downtown Montgomery host several concerts from July to September. Montgomery is also close to the Winding Hills County Park, situated along the village’s western outskirts. This park includes hiking trails that connect campgrounds and lead to a 40-acre lake open for boating and fishing from May to October and ice fishing during the winter months. The Winding Hills Golf Club sits across the street from the park, and its 18-hole executive golf course is open to the public. Golfers also live just around the corner from Scott’s Corners Golf Course to the northeast and The Country Club at Otterkill to the southeast. South of Montgomery, the Orange County Arboretum makes 35 acres of flora available for exploration, including a remembrance walkway and garden commemorating the county’s 44 residents who lost their lives on 9/11.
Highway access to NYC
Interstate 84 runs past Montgomery and connects this village to several other major highways, including those leading to Manhattan, 75 miles to the south. Many Orange County residents commute into New York City for a handful of workdays while working from home the rest of the week. Montgomery is also 10 miles up Interstate 84 from the Garnet Health Medical Center in nearby Middletown.
Written By
Jacob Adelhoch
