Hiking and hamlets in mountainous Philipstown
Within the Hudson Valley, Philipstown, 58 miles from New York City, is known for its recreation and hamlets. “You have a sense of living in the country with proximity to the city and other great places,” says Steven Gray, a real estate agent with Compass Greater NY, LLC. Gray has worked in the industry for five years. The area has a rolling, mountainous terrain with swaths of preserved land and hiking trails. Diana Polack, a Realtor with Compass Greater NY, LLC who has over 35 years of experience and lives in the Hudson Valley, says most people know the area for the hamlets of Cold Spring and Garrison. Cold Spring has a Main Street with shopping and dining, and Garrison is mainly residential and surrounded by nature. “The downtown district of Cold Spring is very much city living, there’s a little bit of everything,” says Gray.
Lots of trails to explore
Polack says the area offers world-class trails. “People come from all over to hike there,” she says. Hudson Highlands State Park has over 70 miles of trails, including a 5-mile section of the Appalachian Trail. Outside Cold Spring is the Constitution Marsh and Audubon Center and Sanctuary, a fish and bird habitat that offers educational programs and public trails. Castle Rock Park includes the Glenclyffe Trailhead and Sugarloaf Hill, where visitors may catch a glimpse of the 1881 castle built by railroad executive William H. Osborn.
Homes range from condos to estates with river views
Most homes are spaced far apart among the rolling greenery of Philipstown or clustered together in hamlets. Multifamily, single-family, condos and townhouses are available in the Colonial Revival, split-level and farmhouse styles. Most townhouses and condos are along U.S. Route 9 and in the hamlet of Cold Spring. They range from $370,000 to $745,000. Single-family and multifamily homes range from $325,000 to $975,000. Larger estate homes in Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival and custom styles range from $1 million to $3.5 million.
“There are also vacation homes or second homes and some estate-level properties along the Hudson River. Some of the finest properties in Garrison may have Hudson River views.” Most houses here use septic tanks and well water. While the Hudson River may flood during inclement weather, Polack says it's not likely to flood residential areas.
Thriving arts scene in Philipstown
“If you're outdoorsy, it's an endless opportunity for nature lovers,” says Gray. “And it also has a robust arts community.” The Boscobel House and Gardens combine art and nature on the grounds of a rebuilt 1800s Neoclassical manor. The inside of the house offers a collection of Federal-style art and furniture. Outside, garden tours, festivals and concerts keep visitors busy. Also on the site, the Cold Spring Farmers’ Market sells fresh produce every Saturday. In Garrison, the Art Center offers workshops, exhibits and events all year, including a craft show each October. The Depot Theater hosts plays, drag shows, musicals, concerts and other live entertainment from local directors and performers. From June to September, the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival performs in an open-air tent at The Garrison, a hotel and venue.
Top marks for schools in the Philipstown area
The Haldane Central School District, which gets an A from Niche, serves the northern half of Philipstown, and the Garrison Union Free School District, which also receives an A-minus, partially serves the southern half. Children may attend Haldane Elementary, which gets an A-minus and Haldane Middle, which gets an A. The Garrison Union Free School District has just one facility, the Garrison School, which teaches prekindergarten through eighth grade and gets an A-minus. Haldane High gets an A and is listed as the best public high school in Putnam County. Those in Garrison may attend Haldane High or two other public schools: Putnam Valley High, which gets an A-minus, and James I. O’Neill High, which gets an A.
Shopping and dining in Cold Spring and Garrison
Angelina’s Pizza & Brew is a popular Italian restaurant on Main Street in Cold Spring. Foodtown is nearby for groceries. For more upscale dining, The Bird & Bottle Inn in Garrison serves modern Southern dishes and craft cocktails for brunch and dinner. “If someone needs something special, they’ll head to Woodbury Common,” says Polack. Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, 19 miles from Philipstown, is an open-air mall with restaurants and popular retailers like Gucci, Adidas and Aeropostale.
The Hudson line leads to New York City
The Palisades Interstate Parkway leads to New York City, 58 miles south of Philipstown. The area has three train stations on the Hudson line: Cold Spring, Garrison and Manitou. All arrive in Grand Central Terminal in just over an hour.
The Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall and the NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital are both 13 miles away. The New York Stewart International Airport is 20 miles north. Houses of worship such as Cold Spring United Methodist Church, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in-the-Highlands and Our Lady of Loretto Church are in Cold Springs.
Written By
Isabella Pontecorvo
