East Fishkill

East Fishkill was officially created in 1849, when it split off from the town of Fishkill. Once rural, the now-bustling town has a population of 29,000. Its 53 square miles are located in the southeastern part of Dutchess County. It shares a border with Putnam County. The Taconic Parkway and Interstate 84 make the town easily accessible by car, though there is no direct commuter train service.

The town’s recreation department oversees programs and parks, which include a main facility, East Fishkill Recreation Park, with a roller rink and skateboard park. Red Wing Park has a beach. Adults have the option of joining men’s or women’s softball. There is also a roller hockey team, as well as other sports for adults and kids. During the summer, concerts are held on Friday evenings in the two parks.

The library is an important part of the community, and is visited over 200,000 times a year. First opened in 1938, today the library has over 70,000 books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, and other materials. The library is also part of the Mid-Hudson Library System, which gives patrons access to materials from other libraries in the system. The town’s historical society organizes the annual Strawberry Festival, as well as a lecture series and holiday programs. It also runs educational programs for children.

East Fishskill is served by four school districts. Most of the students attend school in Wappingers district. With an enrollment of 12,000 students, it’s one of the largest districts in New York State. The district also draws from surrounding towns, covering nearly the entire southwestern corner of the county. In 2011-2012, the district was newly identified by the state as being in need of improvement in the areas of elementary, middle school and secondary English Language Arts. The large Arlington School District, with 10,100 students, also takes from multiple towns, including East Fishkill. Ninety percent of Arlington’s graduates go on to college, with the remaining students entering the military or the workforce. Students in the eastern part of East Fishkill attend schools in the Pawling district, which enrolls 1,400 students. Overall performance on state exams is above the state median, and each year the district has increased the number of students earning Regents diplomas. Though located in Putnam County, some of East Fiskill’s students attend school in Carmel, which is also regarded for its strong student performance.

At this writing, the median price is down slightly, to $380,000. There are homes available at every price point, with the most expensive priced well above a million, to small, single family homes and condominiums.

East Fishkill is a fun, exciting place for people who love living in suburban areas with a little country mixed in. When I visit East Fishkill, I make sure to stop by Red Wing Beach Park which is the main spot in East Fishkill for nature lovers and those into playing all different kinds of sports, everything from volleyball to badminton. You can swim in the park’s gorgeous lake and then shower off in the bathhouse which conveniently also has restrooms. Those who like to fish will feel right at home here spending the day with a line and pale, taking a rowboat out on the water. Families will love to picnic here rain or shine, as there’s plenty of pinic tables all over the place and a pavilion in case the weather turns bad.

After a day at the park, you might want to stay in the immediate area and take a walk on the Dutchess County Rail Trail for some more exercise out in the sun. People also ride their bikes and go roller-blading on this concrete-paved path that was once the county’s train tracks. For those who want some more die-hard hiking, there’s also the Appalachian Trail which runs through town. This famous trail is marked and travels between Maine in Northeastern New England, all the way down to Southern Georgia. Shelters dot the trail in case you decide to hike farther than usual, so make sure you’ve packed well, and bring a map of the trail and all the shelter locations with you.

People who live in East Fishkill are not without places to shop within the town’s vicinity. For all your grocery needs visit the neighborhood A&P. For those on a spiritual journey, visit Wren’s Grove Metaphysical Store, where you can buy incense and Tarot cards to raise your consciousness, determine your destiny, and fulfill all your spiritual needs.

There’s plenty of great restaurants in East Fishkill, most of them in the popular hamlets of Hopewell Junction or Stormville. After visiting one of the oldest Flea Markets in NY state, go to Stormville’s Foutuna Brick Oven Pizzeria for great Italian food that the whole family will enjoy. Gardeners, visit East Fishkill Garden Supply to make your property the best in town. If you’re in Hopewell Junction, I highly recommend the Blue Fountain Restaurant, yet another Italian restaurant which is a favorite among the locals. Hopewell Junction also has Danny O’s which is a pub that offers karaoke and trivia nights, and they’re open late, making this a great spot for some night life on Saturdays and Sundays. There’s also your typical American favorites, Subway, KFC and, of course, Dunkin’ Donuts.

Kids who live in East Fishkill have their choice of four different school systems: Arlingotn, Carmel, Pawling and, of course, Wappingers School District (which I’ve found is one of the best schools in Dutchess County as well as NY). There’s many hamlets and communities in East Fishkill, but Hopewell Junction and Stormville have the most out of all of them. Visitors, don’t be too confused by the fact that East Fishkill, the town has a hamlet called “East Fishkill”; every area is different and you’ll figure it out soon enough.

The area is very safe, so it’s a great place for families to raise their kids. Some areas (such as Hillside Lake, for example) are more residential and quieter, but you’re never too far away from more suburban towns or cities like Wappingers Falls and Poughkeepsie. Nearest airport is Dutchess County Airport in Wappinger (home to popular Wappinger Falls and arcade restaurant/mini golf course, Fun Central, located along busy Rt. 9). There’s lots of major roads in the area like the Taconic Parkway and the NY State Thruway, as well as Rt. 376 and I84. Nearby areas like Poughkeepsie have valuable facilities like the world-renowned St. Francis Hospital and the Amtrack train station. East Fishkill has a population of 29,000 and growing. The median cost for a home is $355,000, and surrounding areas are loaded with historic locations and fun things to do, like the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie to the Roosevelt Mansion in Hyde Park. Don’t forget Bannerman Castle, a 1900 Scottish castle replica in Fishkill, NY. Wappinger Falls also offers the area’s major water parks like Splash Down and Roseland. Spend one day at any of these places and I bet that you won’t want to leave!

If you’re worried that East Fishkill was once the site of a mass trout slaughter, you can rest easy. Original Dutch settlers liked to sprinkle native words into their place names, and the Dutch word for “creek” is “kill.”

Located just north of Philipstown as you cross the Dutchess County border, East Fishkill Is a fairly large town of about 29,000 people, parent town to Hopewell Junction, Stormville, Hillside Lake, as well as many smaller hamlets. There is a cross-section of housing here, with beautiful older houses, newer modern ones, small established developments, condos, apartments, and, unfortunately, quite a few former fields now covered with slapped-up identical McMansions. Building waxes and wanes here according to the fortunes of IBM, the largest employer, and the zoning codes are not nearly as ferocious as some of the more genteel Putnam and Westchester County towns.

Children go to either Arlington, Carmel, Pawling, or Wappingers Central School Districts. The schools are good, though a bit crowded, and East Fishkill’s active recreation department provides quite a few diversions for kids (as well as their parents). There are many sports teams from which to choose, including roller hockey, golf and tennis, and volleyball, as well as the more traditional baseball, softball, football, lacrosse, and soccer, and many parks in which to play them. There is a very busy Garden Club, with Arbor Day a major event, and year-round beautification projects always in progress.

There is enough shopping to keep residents happy, at least for the regular amenities; for larger stores and more diversity, you must travel north to Wappingers and Poughkeepsie (although animal lovers should note that there is a very good Blue Seal on Route 52 in Fishkill.)

South of here gyms are hard to come by, but East Fishkill has a large All-Sport, with indoor and outdoor pools, fitness classes, machines, yoga, massage and physical therapy, parties/events, and lots of activities for kids.

You can get into an argument over whether Duchess Stadium is located in East Fishkill or Wappingers (it’s really in Wappingers) but suffice to say it’s on Route 9D, and is the home to the Hudson Valley Renegades. This minor league baseball team is an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, and is a major source of entertainment for locals. There is always between-inning entertainment and lots of enthusiasm.

History buffs should visit the Brinkerhoff-Pudney-Palin House, now home of the East Fishkill Historical Society. This beautifully restored house, part of it with a gambrel roof, makes it one of only two houses remaining in East Fishkill that exhibit the building style popular between 1750 and 1800.

And finally, Fishkill Farms is a wonderful place to visit. It’s an apple orchard and fruit/vegetable farm where you can pick your own fruit and pumpkins, and they don’t use pesticides or fertilizers. You can buy all kinds of produce, as well as organically raised chicken and lamb. Farms like these are dying out (replaced by huge agribusinesses which drown everything they produce in chemicals) so not only is it a nice place to spend the afternoon, it’s a great place to support.

East Fishkill is a 57.3 square mile town in Dutchess County comprised of the better known hamlets of Hopewell Junction, Stormville and Hillside Lake, amongst quite a few others. The area has mid to large scale homes and developments as well as some apartments and condos. Although it is a fairly large town with a fairly sizable population of around 29,000, it does retain a small town feel and a great deal of community spirit.

Notable area restaurants include the Euro chic La Chambord Restaurant Inn, the rustic, Tuscan Tiramisu restaurant, pizzeria and bakery which hosts live music on Wednesday nights, the casual, family-friendly Gian Bruno’s Restaurant, the cozy Muscoot North Restaurant which has been around for a quarter of a century, The Blue Fountain which was given the honor of best Italian restaurant in the Hudson Valley by Zagat, Pizza Village, Dunkin Donuts, Monte Rosa Lodge Restaurant,

Shopping in the region includes Hank the Painter, Out of the Loop Yarn Shop, Hopewell Plaza, and Unity Plaza. In the town of Fishkill there are quite a few more options including the Hudson Valley Towne Center, Ocean State Job Lot, Talbots, a cigar lounge, a Dollar Tree and a hallmark store. For grocery shopping, you can head to Stop & Shop, A & P, Cumberland Farms, Hopewell Farms and Fishkill Farms or Stewarts in Hopewell Junction or go to the Sam’s Club, Walmart Supercenter or ShopRite in Fishkill or the BJ’s Wholesale Club in Wappingers

Every September (now in its 17th year) the town holds its festive Community Day with a parade along Route 82, live music, food vendors, community information booths and a fireworks display.

East Fishkill has a terrific community center and a very well-developed parks and recreation program. Red Wing Park is a very popular 18 acre spot with an 8 acre lake and nice beach, a bath house with restrooms and showers, a basketball court, a volleyball court, badminton, playgrounds, swimming, fishing and picnic areas and a pavilion. They offer swimming instruction there for kids and adults, lifeguard training and they also have a swim team. Limekilm Recreation Park has a fitness center, showers, restrooms, basketball courts, tennis courts, softball fields, soccer/football/frisbee all purpose field; boccie ball and horseshoe courts, a handball court and a walking trail The town also has an excellent Skate Park. There are quite a few other parks in the region including Route 52 Recreation Complex, Wiccopee Recreation Area, Leewood Road Recreation Area, Brettview Recreation Area and Emmadine Pond. There is a great new summer camp coming up called “Extreme Teens.” The town holds a ton of free outdoor summer concerts with great bands throughout the summer at various locales and they do hold an annual fireworks display.

Hudson Valley Research Park aka IBM Fishkill is also located in town.

East Fishkill students are divvied up amongst the Arlington, Carmel, Pawling and Wappingers school districts, all of which are quite good.

The median income is $78, 394.

East Fishkill is located in south central Dutchess County, obviously to the east of Fishkill, and is home to a reasonably-sized population. It is also home to a number of amenities and places for education and fun.

There are a few hamlets/centers of civilization within this town, the foremost of which is called Hopewell Junction. Hopewell is a pleasant little village with stores, quality local eateries and other assorted local businesses, parks which commonly have events scheduled, and fitness and other recreational facilities (like a rec center and golf courses). You won't find absolutely everything you need there, but there are establishments around and a number of things to do. Most of the big conveniences like malls, hospitals, and national chain restaurants can be found closer to Route 9, which isn't all that far away when you think about it.

The rest of East Fishkill is as good a place to raise a family as Hopewell Junction. For one thing, area schools are generally believed to be good, though an issue with some in this district (not necessarily those in East Fishkill) is overcrowding. Indeed, the area is growing and this town is not impervious to the trend. Still, it's a peaceful and safe area, and it's relatively quiet. Other hamlets in East Fishkill like Stormville are more quiet, but there's also less to do there and a much lower population in general.

There is big business here. Most notably, there is an IBM plant located on Route 52 as part of the "Hudson Valley Research Park," and over the years I've known adults who were employed by said institution. There is also an IBM building to the northwest in the Town of Poughkeepsie which over the years has seen its fair share of layoffs which made the local news (I can't assume this plant is necessarily the same, however). Back to the East Fishkill location, this facility does drive the economy (to some degree, at least) in this town.

Traffic is not a major issue. There is definitely some, especially if you're in Hopewell Junction waiting at one of the longer traffic lights or are traveling down one of the main roads in East Fishkill, but it tends to only appear at peak hours or on weekends. The Dutches County Loop Bus does provide some public transportation here, but for the Metro North train to New York City, you'll have to drive to the station in Beacon, which is a few towns over but isn't too far. If you're in Stormville, then you're further from all of it -- Stormville is the only part of this town which is more on the isolated side. Just about everywhere in town will you need a car to get around.

Based on past experience with East Fishkill, I know that there are some areas which are nicer-looking than others, but there is a lot of community spirit here and there are things to occupy your time. People who live here typically like and appreciate their setting.