Buchanan

Hudson Valley river town with affordable housing and low taxes - seems too good to be true? Yes, there is the minor detail of the Indian Point nuclear plant with the two reactors. Those who are concerned about the safety implications of the nuclear plants avoid Buchanan. Others, who do not share those concerns, enjoy the low taxes and the spectacular views that this town has to offer! How you feel about Buchanan is very closely tied to how you feel about nuclear power plants, because while the plant is a hot button topic in the county at large it is impossible to avoid the issue if someone is considering living here.

If you decide to live in Buchanan what will you find? A primarily residential suburb with a small commercial section. Most of the houses here are single family homes although there are some multi-family homes for those looking for an apartment on condo. The houses tend to be on fairly nice sized properties. Lake Meahagh and the Hudson River both offer many neighborhoods in Buchanan with water views. The shoreline of the lake is popular for biking and walking and in winter, if it freezes over, there is ice skating!

The local public school district is the highly regarded Henrick Hudson. The school has earned a reputation for academic excellence at the national level.

The Cortlandt Metro North station is close to Buchanan and is a 55 train ride from Grand Central. This does make Buchanan a viable commuter town to NYC. Buchanan is also reasonably close to Peekskill and its vibrant downtown area. While Buchanan itself does not have much by way of shopping, Cortlandt Town Center offers options for shopping and entertainment.

Buchanan is a unpretentious and welcoming community that offers a laid-back lifestyle for those who are willing to look beyond the Indian Point power plant.

Buchanan, NY, a village in the town of Cortlandt, offers an affordable option for people who want to live near the river but don’t have large budgets. It’s known primarily as the home of the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which became the subject of renewed concern after the 2011 Japanese earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Buchanan was named for the Buchanan family, who operated a tannery in the area. Many names were used and discarded until 1928, when the area was officially recognized as a village. The name Buchanan was settled upon to honor the family for their substantial contribution to the village.
The village has a small business district and a small strip mall. The Cortlandt Town Center is ten minutes away, and is the retail hub for all of Cortlandt. There are forty stores, including a Wal-Mart and one of the few Barnes and Nobles in the area. There is also a large multiplex in the shopping center.

The Hendrick Hudson school district serves the children in Buchanan. Students who live in the village attend elementary school at Buchanan-Verplanck Elementary, one of three in the district. There are 340 students in the school, which has a full-day kindergarten. Later, students move on to Blue Mountain Middle School and Hendrick Hudson High School, which have both been recognized for excellence. However, Buchanan-Verplanck has a 14% poverty rate, the highest in the district. Its scores are also significantly lower than the other two elementary schools in the district.

Though small in size, Buchanan has many recreation options. Lake Meahagh, which sits in both Buchanan and Verplanck, has a park on the Verplanck side, where fishing and ice skating are popular activities. Lents Cove Park, located on the Hudson, provided British soldiers with a safe haven during the Revolutionary War. Today, it has playing fields, a picnic area and a boat launch. The Blue Mountain Reservation, which is located in nearby Peekskill, is a county-owned 1,538 acre park with 2 mountain peaks for climbing enthusiasts.

Indian Point’s presence in the village does have an advantage. It provides 37% of Buchanan’s operating budget, which means residents pay lower taxes than residents of surrounding towns. Homes are more affordable as well. Most of the homes on the market are modest single-family homes. There are no co-ops and one small condo complex.

Buchanan, a small, middle-class-based suburban town in the village of Cortlandt, has a lot of affordable living and quality charm that most people ignore because of its close proximity to Indian Point, the nuclear power plant that’s situated there. It’s a very quiet area that’s very safe for families (if you ignore Indian Point) with regards to crime and the folks are friendly, the atmosphere inviting.

Buchanan even has a great restaurant, Taste Restaurant, which is famous for its crab cakes (“best” in the county) and fried calamri, and even a welcoming lounge to relax with friends or a romantic spot to take your loved one. Shops include Dunkin’ Donuts for great coffee and world-famous donuts, subway, and the Palace Deli and Pizza. You’re right near the Black Cow Coffee Shop in neighboring Croton, and there’s also Croton Point Park which is a great place for picnicking, biking and walking along the shores of the beautiful Hudson River.

The town is served by the nationally renowned Hendrick Hudson School District, which is famed for its award-winning arts, drama and programs (there’s even a woman’s treble chorus and a man’s capella singing group). 99% of students go on to higher education and the school district also offers 12 advanced-placement classes. As far as the quality of New York education goes, definitely a “Blue-Ribbon” school!

Spending a day in Buchanan can involve going boating at Lents Cove, seeing a show at the movie theater in nearby Cortlandt Manor’s Cortlandt Town Center, going to an art gallery in one of Peekskill’s many studios, or taking a walk in Buchanan’s own Monroe Park after grabbing pizza at Palace Deli and dessert at Baskin’ Robbins. Nearby transportation include the Croton-Harmon Train Station, which is about 40 minutes from Grand Central Station. You’re also near Rt 9 and the 129 will take you to the Taconic Parkway.

Buchanan is an incorporated village located within the town of Cortlandt. It covers almost one and a half square miles and has a quaint, old-time feel to it, yet it has a few small chain stores that bring it up to date. Taxes and housing prices are lower than the surrounding areas because the Indian Point nuclear power plant, now known as Entergy, is located here. Opinions vary about the overall safety of these plants; however, after 911 security and safety measures were increased dramatically, and most of the demands to close it has subsided, if not disappeared altogether.

Only twenty miles from the city of White Plains, Buchanan retains its feeling of a country community with its boat ramp, picturesque gazebo, a ball field and an active Recreation Department. It has its own summer day camp, offers a part-time summer job list to locals, and hosts an array of village-sponsored activities, including a Halloween parade, a Community Day, and a 5K race.

Both Metro-North and Amtrak stop at the Croton-Harmon train station, with Manhattan about an hour away. The train station is large, and there isn’t the scramble for parking spaces that occurs in some of the smaller local towns to the north.

As with the surrounding villages and hamlets, there are many beautiful local parks with hiking trails and access to the river, such as Lents Cove Park, Tropiano Trail, and Monroe Park. Once you’ve tried the peaks of the Blue Mountain Reservation, you can go north to Breakneck Ridge in Cold Spring if you’re ready for a challenging climb to another spectacular view.

Buchanan is also near Croton Point Park, the site of all kinds of recreational areas and home to some of the best festivals in the Hudson Valley.

Those undeterred by Entergy and looking for a safe, affordable Hudson Valley village with beautiful river views would do well to consider Buchanan.

Buchanan is a small village situated within the greater town of Cortlandt, NY. It is a quiet, humble and rustic area and would be more popular if it weren’t for the fact that the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant is located there. Most people tend to get squeamish about moving there as a result, but those that do have found themselves fortunate to enjoy cheaper real estate and lower taxes as a result of its active existence. Buchanan is mostly residential with winding suburban streets, pretty mid-size homes and a few choices of apartments and condos.

Buchanan does have a small commercial district which looks like it may have years upon years ago which gives it a quaint charm. There is the Palace Deli & Pizza, Bark Ave Pet Boutique, a post office and a cute gazebo at Village Hall.

As far as restaurants are concerned, the village does have a Subway and a Baskin Robbins as well as Taste Restaurant and Lounge, an unexpected little gem with locally sourced and delicious American fare with global twists and turns. It is a comforting space where you can hear yourself think, and talk, and the proprietors are lovely people.

For more extensive shopping and entertainment, it is a mere hop and a skip to Cortlandt Town Center which has an abundance of big name stores such as Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Barnes and Noble, Pet Smart, Marshalls, Modells and Game Stop. The center also contains a 12-screen movie theatre and family-friendly eaters like Applebees, Panera Bread, McDonalds, Nathan’s Famous, Subway and Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

Buchanan itself has Monroe Park, Tropiano Trail and Lents Cove Park by the water, a boat ramp, and F. Webster Pierce ball field. It is also a short drive to the amazing Blue Mountain Reservation Park with its 1,538 scenic acres including many elaborate trailways for walking and mountain biking and more rigorous hiking opportunities on its two peaks. The park also contains a bath house, a trail lodge and the Sportsman’s Center which has a rifle target range. Buchanan is also relatively close to Georges Island County Park.

Buchanan is quite safe and the crime rate is very low.

Buchanan is part of the Hendrick Hudson School District which is very good. The median SAT score of its high school students is 1608.

The median income for a household is about $91,000. The median rental rate for a one bedroom apartment is $1,250 and the median home value is $443,688.

The greater town of Cortlandt is approximately 76% White, 13% Hispanics 5.5% Black and 3.5% Asian.

The population of Buchanan is approximately 2,230 with the median age being 39.

Located in northwestern Westchester, Buchanan is a small and quiet village of about1.5 square miles. As a previous reviewer described, the main issue that prospective residents face is the fact that there is an active nuclear plant located in the town. While most residents admit to having concerns about the possible dangers, they are also happy to enjoy the low taxes and housing prices that result from living next to the nuclear reactors. Aside from this concern, Buchanan is a really nice small town. The housing is pretty much limited to single-family private homes and some apartments and condos. Most of the homes here are very old and overlook the river. A lot of homeowners have either rebuilt or renovated their homes during the past decade, right up until the recession. There is a super small downtown area with some stores and restaurants, but there isn’t anything spectacular that tourists would travel here for. If you’re looking for big-box stores, there is a mall that’s a fifteen minute drive from here. For recreation, there are some parks and a lot of activities that are based on the lake. Residents also like to visit Bear Mountain, as it is pretty close by.

Buchanan has a great upstate New York feel; it's a small village that seems to be frozen in time. There isn't the same hustle and bustle as some of the southern towns in Westchester County and the people are pretty laid back. If your looking for some peace and quiet among unpretentious people you've found it here.

The biggest drawback is that the Indian Point Energy Center is located in Buchanan. Basically, there's a nuclear power plant in your backyard. Many of the residents work at Indian Point and it's often a source of debate. Some people have no problem with its presence but many prospective buyers have concerns about safety. The crime rate, on the other hand, is practically nonexistent.

The positive side of having the power plant in the village is that its owner pays a large portion of the town's operating budget which keeps taxes low. The real estate prices are extremely affordable for Westchester County, also likely due to the power plant.

There's a small business district and a strip mall with the essentials: Dunkin' Donuts and chinese food. If you want more adventurous cuisine or extensive shopping you'll have to drive out of town. There's not much entertainment here either but the closest movie theater is only 10 minutes away.