Amenia

When the first settlers came to Amenia, they thought that it was very “pleasant to the eye”. Speakers of Latin, they named it “Amenia”, a derivative of the word “Amoena” which means, basically, “pleasant to the eye”.

Today Amenia is a quiet little town in Dutchess County that's still got lots of untouched country, as well as modern commodities like two different train stations. Once Beekman Park had a lake, but Hurricane Diana flooded it, and it became one of NY's designated wetlands. The park is still popular for sports and picnics, and residents can fish at the town's Wassaic Creek, for which Wassaic Park is named after.

Amenia has a few different hamlets. One of them is Wassaic, for which the creek is named after. There's not much to do is in the immediate town except for the Silo Country Club, a popular destination for the townfolk. There's also the library, which offers many programs, and the Firehouse holds socializing events for seniors, as well as taking them on trips (such as the Poconos, as they did one year).

There are a few shopping options in Amenia, but the main reason for out-of-towners to visit are the parks and the many restaurants in the immediate town. There's Four Brothers Pizzeria as well as the town's own Cascade Mountain Winery for a day of wine tasting that you won't soon forget. Out of all the restaurants however the most memorable for most is Charlotte's Restaurant, a romantic destination that has a woodburning fireplace and a great, welcoming and friendly atmosphere.

If you're passing through Dutchess, this is a great place to eat. There's not many shops except for Sears, a Dollar Store, and Food Town, but if you're looking to spend some time in Nature, Beekman Park and Wassaic Park are great places to spend a day with the family.

The median sales price for homes in Amenia is $430,000. The Webutuck School System has mixed reviews as there is an ongoing problem with bullying that never seems to get addressed, which I found a bit disappointing (there are lots of great school systems in the local areas however). There's lots of things to do in the surrounding areas, so for museums, movie night and other attractions, I would visit towns and cities like Poughkeepsie or New Paltz for some fun and exciting times.

Amenia is a hamlet in the larger town of the same name. It is tiny, with a population of less than a thousand people. Located 90 miles from New York City, it is served by the Wassaic Metro-North station, the last stop on the Harlem line.

The hamlet occupies two square miles and sits near the Connecticut border. It was founded in 1788, making it one of the first towns in Dutchess County. Known initially for its many dairy farms, the arrival of the railroad allowed dairy farmers to begin shipping their products to New York City in the mid-1800s. The area was also home to many active abolitionists after the Revolutionary War.

Children attend the Webutuck Central Schools, also known as the Northeast School District. It has three schools: Webutuck Elementary for kindergarten through third grade, Eugene Brooks Intermediate School for grades 4-8 and Webutuck Junior-Senior High School, for grades 9-12. There are slightly over 800 students in the district, with about a quarter of them living in poverty. The district’s overall performance is solid, though not outstanding, with scores on state assessments hovering around the state median.

The Cascade Mountain Winery is one of the area’s main attractions. Built in 1977, the winery is family-owned and is open for tastings and picnics. The Hudson Valley Rail Trail, a fifteen-mile stretch running through Dutchess and into Columbia County, has one of its “trailheads” in Amenia.

Amenia has a wide range of housing options, from large estates to small single-family homes. There are no condominiums or co-ops. The median price is down substantially due to the housing downturn. The wider area has become a popular choice among city dwellers who want weekend homes they can travel to via train, and appreciate the rural quiet and beauty the area has to offer.

Amenia is a charming and picturesque if not terribly quiet little hamlet within the parent town of Amenia located in Dutchess County, New York. It is an attractive area with a rolling landscape interspersed with gorgeous horse farms, charming red barns and lovely homes ranging from large scale Colonials to mid-scale modern single family dwellings.

Shopping in Amenia is slim but does includes Sears, Label Shopper, Family Dollar, Video Forum, Happy Endings Antiques, Apple Antiques Classic Modern Furniture, Drug World Pharmacy, Cascade Spirit Shoppe, Subway and Old Books N’ Such.

Serevan Restaurant is a beloved local culinary treasure with a warm, rich décor and outstanding Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare. It was awarded Best Restaurant in the Hudson Valley and Best Chef in the Hudson Valley in 2008. Also in the area you will discover Santo Pizzeria & Restaurant, Four Brothers Pizza, Yi Kitchen, Happy Days Café, Xe Sogni, De La Vergne Steakhouse, Steakhouse on the Ridge, Moe and Julia’s, East Dragon, The Metro Café, Fudgy’s Ice Cream and Charlotte’s Restaurant located in a beautiful home with both outdoor and indoor hearthside dining.

Psk Supermarket and Food Town are the local places to fulfill your grocery wants and needs.

Cascade Mountain Winery & Restaurant offers wine tours and wine tastings. The Harlem Valley Rail Trail has a paved section of trailway stemming from the Wassaic Metro North Station which will in the future wind its way all the way up to Chatham. You can commune with the likes of ducks, beavers, deer and foxes on your walk. Nearby you will also find the 488 miles Wassaic State Forest and Beekman Park with three baseball and softball playing fields. Amenia is home to Silo Ridge Country Club which has a nice public golf course and driving ranges.

There is a Metro North Train Station called Ten Mile River Station in Amenia as well as one in the hamlet of Wassaic. Commute time to NYC is anywhere between two hours and ten minutes and two hours and twenty-five minutes which makes it a far less appealing choice for professionals looking to work in NYC.

Amenia is part of the Webutuck Central School District and the Dover School District which are both decent. There is also the Kildonan School, a private day and boarding school which provides marked quality of life improvements as well as an impressive education for students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

Amenia is relatively safe and the crime rate is quite low.

The median household income is around $56,216. The median home value is about $307,830.

The population of greater menia is approximately 4,436 and is predominantly White at 93%.

Amenia is a town located in the generally more unpopulated eastern half of Dutchess County, right along the Connecticut border. To the north is the Town of North East, while Dover lies to the south. None of these settlements are particularly alive with activity, and Amenia is no exception.

Given the lower population, traffic is not much of a problem here. There are some cars normally passing through on US Route 44 and New York Route 22, but tie-ups are very uncommon (and I have yet to see one in any of my experiences with Amenia). The highest probability of seeing any cars at all is in the Amenia village center, which is a charming little town with a few local businesses, restaurants, and plenty of greenery.

Speaking of greenery, Amenia definitely is not lacking. One can drive through the town and see plenty of trees and hills, and perhaps a few lakes and/or rivers. Outside of the Amenia hamlet, there is a winding part of Route 44 in coming down a hill -- if going from west to east towards the village, motorists will be treated to an expansive panoramic view. These vistas are not uncommon, as there are plenty of places to admire nature around here. Expect to see lots of vacant land and farms in Amenia.

Public transportation does almost reach here in the form of a train. Just outside the Amenia town border, the last stop on the Metro North's Harlem Line is reachable by car. Of course, a commute to New York City using it would be plenty long, but if nobody took the train from there, there wouldn't be a train station. The county buses go to Dover, not Amenia, and you will need a car to get around.

There is not much to do in Amenia. The center of the hamlet has some local businesses and a few food options (off the top of my head, Four Brothers Pizza), but not many. Nightlife doesn't really exist here in much any form. Finally, there are no places to do heavy-duty shopping or exercise in town.

Luckily, there is a hospital on the Connecticut side of the border in Sharon, which means residents won't have to drive all the way to Poughkeepsie for medical care. There are also some other medical care options in town and on the Sharon side.

Amenia is a quiet place to raise a family, and despite some level of isolation, you're not completely cut off from the rest of the world in having schools, local businesses and a hospital nearby. Some may term this area (whether rightly or wrongly) as "cow country," but it's a peaceful, safe and green town that has some nice qualities.

Amenia is a very attractive town marked by verdant rolling hills and handsome horse farms. Amenia actually means “pleasant to the eye,” and it most certainly is.

There is some shopping in Amenia which includes a Family Dollar, Video Forum, Happy Endings Antiques and several others, Classic Modern Furniture, Drug World Pharmacy, Sears, Cascade Spirit Shoppe, Subway and Old Books N’ Such.

The beloved Serevan Restaurant with its warm, beautifully appointed décor serves up excellent Middle Eastern and Mediterranean delights. It was voted Best Restaurant in the Hudson Valley in 2008 and the chef won that same year as well for Best Chef in the Hudson Valley. There is also Santo Pizzeria & Restaurant, Four Brothers Pizza, Yi Kitchen, Happy Days Café, Xe Sogni, De La Vergne Steakhouse, Steakhouse on the Ridge, Moe and Julia’s, East Dragon, The Metro Café, Fudgy’s Ice Cream as well as Charlotte’s Restaurant and Catering situated in a beautiful home with outdoor and hearthside dining.

Psk Supermarket and Food Town are the local places to tick off your grocery list.

Cascade Mountain Winery & Restaurant offers lovely wine tours and holds wine tastings. The Harlem Valley Rail Trail has a paved section of trail way stemming from the Wassaic Metro North Station that will one day wind its way all the way up to Chatham. You may spot ducks, beavers, deer and foxes on your route. Nearby you will also discover the 488 miles Wassaic State Forest. There is also Beekman Park with three baseball and softball playing fields.

There is a Metro North Train Station (Ten Mile River Station) in Amenia as well as one in the hamlet of Wassaic. Commute time to NYC is anywhere between two hours and ten minutes and two hours and twenty-five minutes which makes it far more difficult to work in NYC. This can be a bit of a drawback for professionals.

Amenia is part of the Webutuck Central School District and the Dover School District which are both considered good. There is also the wonderful private day and boarding school, Kildonan School, which prides itself on improving the quality of life and education for students with dyslexia and learning disabilities.

Amenia is pretty safe and the crime rate is very low.

The median household income is roughly $56,216. The median home value is about $307,830.

The population of Amenia is approximately 4,436 and is predominantly White at about 93%.

Amenia is a beautiful city that would be perfect for younger couples looking to start a family. As a young guy myself, I can say Amenia drew me in and nearly won me over when looking to move. I ultimately decided against it because of the distance from my job, but it was almost worth the commute to enjoy this quiet little corner of New York.

I guess it doesn't technically count as a corner, but Amenia is on the border with Connecticut, so it does have a connection outside of New York.

What really attracted me to Amenia, and likely what those who live here love, is the atmosphere. This is a wonderful small town. I'm from the Midwest originally and while I like the hustle and bustle of New York City, I can only take it for so long. Peace and quiet are important for me, and Amenia has that. The people are super friendly, as I walked around from shop to shop and was greeted warmly by almost everyone. I'd spent some time in NYC before visiting Amenia, and it was such a welcome change of pace. So you definitely have good people and a welcoming atmosphere.

Another big plus is the crime rate, which I understand is very low. If you're looking to start a family you don't want to hear about drugs and violence. You rarely hear anything negative about Amenia. I don't have kids yet, but I think I'd be comfortable with them walking to school once they hit a certain age. If I lived in NYC I'd probably not let them leave the house alone till 30. The comfort level in Amenia makes a huge difference in my book.

I wouldn't call Amenia a rich area, as I see it has middle class, but the homes are beautiful and old fashioned. Sure, there are some with money, and some with less, but the cost of living isn't too bad, and if you can find a job here you'll be pretty happy.

Which brings us to what I consider to be Amenia's biggest downside. Employment opportunities are rare. I work in marketing and I couldn't find a job close enough to live here. Sure, I could've commuted, but it would've been a pain. I want a short drive to work.

The other negative ties into Amenia's wonderful quiet. Yeah, I like the peaceful nature of this community, but there didn't seem to be a lot of chances for having a lot of fun. I've lived in quiet areas, and it's nice to have more than a few dining choices and places to go for drinks. My fiance and I do enjoy the occasional night out, and Amenia was a little too sleepy for us at this point. If you're single you might find Amenia too slow for a great time. Once I've had kids this might be less of an issue, but for now I need a bit more fun.

All in all I think Amenia is a phenomenal city, but that will really depend on where you're at in your life. If you have a decent job nearby and aren't looking for consistent excitement I think Amenia would be an ideal place to raise kids. If you're a few years from settling down I would recommend looking elsewhere and keeping Amenia in mind for the future.