Shrub Oak

Shrub Oak is an unincorporated hamlet in Yorktown. About 2,000 people reside in the 1.6 square mile area, which is bordered to the east by the Taconic Parkway. Originally a summer community, the construction of the highway in the 1960s resulted in additional housing for year-round living. Route 6 cuts across the northern part of Shrub Oak, and Phoenix House, a residential treatment facility for treating adolescents with substance abuse problems, occupies 150 acres in the southern half of the hamlet.

The Lakeland Central School District, which has a student population of 6,400, educates Shrub Oak’s school-age population. There are five elementary schools, one middle school and two high schools. Lakeland High School and the district’s offices are located in Shrub Oak. The district has a full-day kindergarten and participates in the universal pre-K program, which allows children who live in the district to attend preschool free of charge. Students in the district perform well on state assessments.

With the exception of the Gambrell Country Village, which features several eateries, there is little shopping in Shrub Oak. However, the hamlet is ideally located for easy travel to two of upper Westchester’s main shopping destinations. Jefferson Valley Mall, located in the neighboring hamlet of the same name, is anchored by Sears and Macy’s, and has 90 other stores and a movie theater. To the west, the Cortlandt Town Center, anchored by Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Home Depot and Waldbaums, has a 12 screen multiplex cinema, restaurants and 40 other stores.

Shrub Oak Memorial Park is the largest of the hamlet’s parks. Yorktown has a recreation department with extensive offerings and several parks, which are open to residents of Shrub Oak. The John C. Hart Memorial Library serves the hamlet and has programs for adults, teens and kids.

Homebuyers will find inventory to suit many budgets. In addition, Trump Park, a luxury adult condominium community, opened recently with 141 units and many amenities.

Shrub Oak is a one and a half square mile hamlet located within the Town of Yorktown, and is home to under 2,000 people. It is quiet and charming, with its own little shopping center and some nice small restaurants. Here you can feel the best of small-town atmosphere, yet quickly find amenities in nearby Yorktown, Mohegan Lake, or Jefferson Valley.

The lovely and ambitious John C. Hart Memorial Library serves all of Yorktown, and provides a constant supply of programs for kids, teens, and adults.

A terrific place to visit is the 90-acre Shrub Oak Memorial Park, which has a hockey rink, a baseball field, a basketball court and three tennis courts. It’s also home to the $5.3 million Brian J. Slavin Aquatic Facility, which has a regulation pool, a diving pool, a baby pool, and a pool with slides and sprinklers. Two other parks, Ivy Knolls Park and Blackberry Woods, offer walking and nature trails, as well as additional tennis courts. Golfers should head over to the county-owned Mohansic golf course.

Lakeland High School (part of the well-regarded Lakeland School District) is in Shrub Oak, and comic book fans will be glad to know that one of its graduates was Herb Trimpe, who, as a high school junior, created the school’s mascot, The Hornet – then went on to design the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Wolverine, and other characters. Novelist T. Coraghessan Boyle grew up in nearby Peekskill, and taught here in the early 1970’s.

Phoenix House, an adolescent drug and substance abuse facility, is on 150 acres in Shrub Oak. Besides counseling, teens attend an accredited high school or a vocational training program. Windwood Oaks, an independent living facility for the elderly, is located here as well.

Hikers will be delighted by the trails and views of Turkey Mountain, Teatown Lake Reservation and Kitchawan Preserve. Shrub Oak is an affordable Westchester community for those who want to raise a family in an outdoorsy yet suburban setting.

Shrub Oak is a hamlet within the town of Yorktown. It is definitely more affordable than many of its Westchester County counterparts and one can still find a nice home (there are no apartment buildings here) for a more reasonable price tag. There is a tight-knit sense of community here and the hamlet still retains a semblance of old-fashioned ways and values.

The small Shrub Oak Shopping Center has an A & P supermarket, the post office and two banks. There is also a liquor store in town. However, most folks head on over to the abundance of stores in Mohegan Lake or to the nearby Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown Heights, which has a Macy's and a Sears as well as a good hundred other typical mall finds and specialty stores.

The Paradise Bake Shop is a beloved local stop and they make some of the best Italian Pastries, cookies and Italian Ices around. There is also Francesca's Pizza and Pasta, Bangkok Spice Thai, China Star II, Bob's Bar B Q, Pizza Pizzazz, Buoni Amici Pizza and Pasta, Shrub Oak Deli, Campagna Pizza which some argue has the best Italian food in the area as well a Abbott's Frozen Custard.

Two parks in the hamlet, Ivy Knolls Park and Blackberry Woods, have walking and nature trails and tennis courts. There is a community pool for residents as well as the lush Mohensic golf course. There is also the Shrub Oak Athletic Club which is a terrrific all-volunteer run organization dedicated to keeping youngsters active and its programs include baseball, basketball, soccer,lacrosse and even cheerleading, to name some.

The John C. Memorial Hart Library in Yorktown is a lovely 1920's era house that serves as both a library and a cultural and intellectual community center of sorts. The children's room offers over 400 programs each year, including story times, a chess club, arts and crafts workshops and even animal programs. The center for young adults has drawing and writing workshops and even SAT review sessions. Adult programs include book circles, arts and crafts nights, computer instruction and mind and body courses.

Shrub Oak is part of Lakeland Central School District which is pretty good. The median SAT score for Lakeland High School students is 1568.

Shrub Oak is pretty safe and the crime rate is pretty low.

Median income is about $80,000. Median home value is $306,000 and the median rental rate is $1,300.

The population of Shrub Oak is approximately 2,000 people and it is predominantly white at 90%. The median age is 36.

There’s something for everyone in the charming Yorktown Heights hamlet of Shrub Oak, and it’s a great place for families to settle down. Part of the general Lakeland School District, schools are excellent and housing affordable. There’s great parks and recreation and Shrub Oak is famous for its wonderful library (John C. Hart Memorial Library). You’ll find plenty of pizzarias in town, but there’s also a Bangok Spice Thai, Bob’s BBQ , JV Hot Bagles and Curry Kia. There’s your typical stores like A & P, Sears, Men’s Wearhouse and BJ’s. You won’t want to miss the Paradise Bake Shop for a neat dessert treat, or go hiking at local parks Ivy Knolls and Blackberry Woods. Both parks offer nature trails for hiking, and there’s even tennis courts for public use. You can swim at the town pool, or enjoy a day at the green at the prestigious Mohansic Golf Course. Houses are beautiful, and some are very old but well-kept. You’ll also have easy access to major roads such as the Taconic Parkway and Rt. 6. Average income is $80,108; income for families is generally $87,226. It’s a bit higher than the average income for all of New York, but it’s worth the extra mile, because you’re getting what you pay for: a quiet, peaceful town with beautiful natural countryside.

Shrub Oak is actually a neighborhood in the larger Town of Yorktown. But unlike some other hamlets, Shrub Oak is not lost in the big picture – the Lakeland High School, Seton Hall and the Shrub Oak swimming pool are among the facilities located here that are the center of the life of many families.
Probably the most important local facility housed in Shrub Oak is the John C. Hart library which serves all of Yorktown. It is housed in a charming old house with a wrap-around porch giving one the feeling of visiting old friends!
Shrub Oak is a family friendly neighborhood that embraces that identity. Residents here will have to take their cars out for grocery shopping or other needs, but the streets are all set for low traffic speeds to make them safe for children.
There are many shopping and dining options within short driving distance and Shrub Oak is right off of Taconic making it easy to reach neighboring cities also. Bangkok Spice and Campagna are worth mentioning are good restaurants located right in Shrub Oak. Abbot’s Frozen Custard, right across from the library, can be a great summer treat for young and old alike!
The United Methodist Church in Shrub Oak is housed in a beautiful stone building and adds character to this neighborhood. There are a small number of apartments for those looking for an alternative to single family homes.
Shrub Oak is the kind of neighborhood that people can take pride in as it is open and welcoming.

Shrub Oak is a quaint village in Westchester. It boasts a unique vibe that makes you think of the small towns of the olden days. There are very cute country stores and restaurants that have been around for as long as you can remember. All of the neighbors know each other and everything you need is within an easy walking distance. Kids play in the streets and in the little parks. Housing here is affordable, but is mostly limited to private homes and complexes of bungalows and town houses. There are rental properties, but they are all located in private homes. In other words, if you’re looking for an apartment in a building with an elevator, this isn’t the place for you. Shrub Oak is served by the Lakeland Central School District, and its schools are very highly regarded. There are many diverse programs that address the needs of different types of students. One of the best things about Shrub Oak is its diverse array of recreational activities. There are lots of parks here. My favorite is Shrub Oak Memorial Park; it’s huge and has facilities for almost every sport imaginable. It has hockey rinks, basketball courts, a baseball field, tennis courts, and several different swimming pools.

Yorktown's community library is located here and Shrub Oak is part of the largest suburban school district in Westchester County with over six thousand students. The high school is conveniently located in town and ranks well among others in the county. The current principal is known to be strict but it's mostly students who say that. There are also two childcare options in town for younger children.

The cost of living here is high by national standards but that's to be expected anywhere in the Westchester County area. The good news is the resale value is above the national average and you're likely to make a profit on your investment.

There are several parks the largest of which is Shrub Oak Memorial Park. It's 90 acres with a pool, hockey rink, baseball field, basketball court, and three tennis courts. Two other parks in the hamlet have walking and nature trails in addition to a county owned golf course.

The best part about Shrub Oaks is the strong sense of community. Most things are within walking distance and everyone is very friendly. Newcomers should have no trouble fitting in.

On a negative note, the Taconic Parkway and its exit can be noisy but it's concentrated to one area of the hamlet.