Wappingers Falls

Wappingers is a town in Dutchess County NY. Wappingers is bordered by the Town of Fishkill, Town of Hopewell Junction, and the Town of Poughkeepsie. The Village of Wappingers Falls is inside Wappingers. Wappingers has a population of about 33,523 people. Wappingers hjas many stores and restaurants. In close proximity to the City of Poughkeepsie. New Hamburg train station is in Wappingers. It is about a 90 minute ride to NYC. One of the biggest problems in the Town of Wappingers is there are very, very few sidewalks and crosswalks with crossing signals. Wappingers is a safe town. Wappingers is about 10-15 minutes from the Poughkeepsie Galleria. In the future, I could parts of Wappingers becoming like White Plains. Overall, Wappingers is a great town to live in!

Wappinger Falls is a village in the Town of Wappinger but also partially in Poughkeepsie. Confusing? Don't worry, you're not alone. The good news is that I have not had too much difficulty appreciating the things that Wappinger Falls has to offer despite not understanding the exact property lines defining the different sections.

The history of the area is traceable to 1524 when exploring Europeans first encountered the Native American tribes settled on either side of the river that will later become known as the Hudson. These agricultural people, the Wappingers, had settled on either side of the river. Around the early parts of the 17th century the Dutch started settling in the area. In the August of 1683, Gulian Verplanck and Francis Rombout purchase 85,000 acres of land from the Wappinger Indians paying around $1250. The area saw much development and change. It was in 1871 that the Village of Wappinger Falls was officially incorporated. Some of the flavor of this interesting past is preserved in the Wappingers Falls Historic District where you can see architectural styles from centuries past.

For all the drama of this history, the real appeal for many of the people who make Wappingers Falls their home is the convenience of proximity to shopping and dining! Wappingers Falls offers a wide range of options in terms of small and big stores and there are a slew of restaurants. There is diversity in the fare as I know that there is even an Indian grocery store in the area. Add to this the fact that Poughkeepsie and Fishkill are neighboring communities and it is easy to see that this is the heart of Dutchess County in terms of access to goods and services. Wappingers Falls also offers affordability and good schools thus fulfilling the trifecta of most home-owners' wish lists.

The excellent news is that all this is set in the center of some of the most beautiful landscape you'll ever see. Short drives will take you to hike and bike trails and river views. Is it any wonder that Wappingers Falls continues to grow at a dramatic rate as there is a steady influx of people moving into the area? The challenge now is to keep the area from developing into a congested community; for it to retain its charm and convenience but while planning for continued growth.

The village of Wappingers Falls is tucked into a one-square mile space just south of the bustling town of Poughkeepsie. The village, part of the larger town of Wappinger, has a population of 5,500. The name of the town and village comes from the Wappinger Indians, a confederacy of Native Americans who resided in the area.

Wappingers Falls appreciates its long, storied history. In 1984 its historic district, which includes several buildings representing a variety of 19th century styles, was honored by its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. The village’s Grinnell Library, chartered in 1888, is the 6th oldest in the state. It was founded in 1867 by Irving Grinnell, a wealthy New York City resident who retired young and relocated to Wappingers Falls.

With 12,500 students, the Wappingers Central School District is the 8th largest in New York State. The district’s geographic area covers 120 square miles and includes parts of neighboring towns. There are ten elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools and an alternative high school. The State Education Department recently listed Wappingers as a district in need of improvement based on its results on state English Language Arts exams. Passing rates varied by grade, but fell between 54% and 68%. Exams are administered to students in grades 3 through 8.

The village has excellent recreation offerings, which include a free youth art program for eight to seventeen year olds and a low-cost camp program for five through twelve year olds. The county oversees Bowdoin Park, which occupies 301 acres along the Hudson River. A chapel and lodge can be rented for parties and weddings. Playing fields, picnic pavilions and hiking trails round out the park’s amenities.

Route 9, also known as Albany Post Road, cuts through the village. There are numerous fast-food establishments and chain stores along this road, which also passes through Fishkill and Poughkeepsie. Residents likely find that most of their shopping needs can easily be met along Route 9.

Currently, the median home price in the village is $225,000. Housing possibilities vary widely, and buyers with a wide range of budgets will find that Wappingers Falls has a great deal of potential.

Wappinger is a town in Dutchess County comprised of the hamlets of Chelsea and Myers Corner and the village of Wappinger Falls. It is an area with great community spirit and neighborliness.

Restaurants in Wappinger include the colorful and sophisticated Double O Grill, the charming Locanda with its tasty Italian cuisine, Greenbaum & Gilhooley’s with its fresh Cape Cod seafood, the beloved family-favorite, Franks Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria, with its authentic southern Italian cuisine, Gino’s Restaurant, the family-friendly (replete with kids’ menu) and festive Margaritas Mexican Restaurant and the tried and true Outback Steakhouse. Bad Ass Coffee is another great little local joint with a terrific atmosphere and some delish java.

Shopping in Wappinger is fairly decent and includes BJ’s Wholesale, Big Lots, The Home Depot, Babies “R” Us, Dollar General, Goodwill, Sleepy’s, Foot Locker, AC Moore, What’s New Again Consignment Boutique, Bikeway (a sporting goods store), Wheet and Heel Bicycle Shop, Fashion Exchange (a thrift shop), Just for Kids, Alto Music (for instrument rentals), Rosemary Flower Shop, Jewelry Annex and Jaymark Jewelers. For more extensive options, you will surely find what you need at the South Hills Mall or Kmart in nearby Poughkeepsie which is only 2.5 miles away.

For grocery shopping wants and needs, there is a Hannaford Supermarket, a Stop and Shop, Meadowbrook Farm Market, Saraswati Grocery, some convenience stores and Los Hornitos Bakery.

Country Players is a performing arts group that was voted “Best Community Theatre in the Hudson Valley.” They put on popular shows like City of Angels, Aida, Forever Plaid and Full Monty. Ticket prices are only twenty dollars which is a steal for such quality local entertainment.

The town of Wappinger holds a festive Community Day at Schlathaus Park in June featuring various fun activities, fireworks, craft and food vendors and a parade. That park is also site to a Halloween Parade, a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, The Playground End of Summer Picnic, a summer concert series and a memorial race.

As you can see, Wappinger has a well developed parks and rec department. There are quite a few other decent parks in the area including the 38 acre Reese Park, Veteran’s Memorial Park with ball fields, a basketball court and playing fields as well as Mesier Park, Little Falls Park, Castle Point and Rockingham. There is also beauteous Wappinger Lake where people often go fishing. There is a nice gymnastics program, a summer day camp, a summer tennis program, a summer fishing program and a summer basketball program.

For more entertainment options and such, Poughkeepsie is only twenty minutes away and has plenty to do and see and then some. There is also a Metro North Train Station tin Poughkeepsie which would bring you into NYC for a fun day outing or weekend get-away in around one hour and forty minutes

Students are a part of Wappingers Central School District which is pretty good.

The median household income is roughly $58,079.

Wappingers has a total population of about 27,048.

I'm a pretty big fan of Wappinger for a number of reasons. There's a lot to do, good schools, some decent outdoor opportunities and a wonderful feel of a town on the brink of a huge growth explosion. All of this adds up to a fantastic place to live, though I feel some who come to Wappingers or Dutchess County for the quiet life might not love it.

I first mentioned there's a lot to do in Wappinger. That is very true. Maybe not for every little hamlet, as I've found Chelsea and Myers Corner to be a bit too quiet for my tastes, but Wappinger Falls more than makes up for this. I wrote a review of Wappinger Falls too, and I want to reiterate that Palace Dumpling is really outstanding and you can get a phenomenal cup of coffee at Bad A$$ Coffee. But there's a lot more than that. There are a couple great Italian restaurants in the area like Aroma Osteria and Stefano's, and you can get a good drink at Kitty Mcguire's or have a laugh at the Bananas Comedy Club. I get so used to looking at towns in Dutchess County that are so quiet that Wappinger can feel like a haven for fun!

There are a fair number of educational opportunities in Wappinger as well, which I think is great, as I'm a young guy who recently got married and I'm thinking I'll have kids in the next couple years. Fishkill Plains is supposed to be good, and St. Mary's School, which is connected with St. Mary's Church in Wappinger Falls is likewise said to be above average. I've only looked into this a bit, but it certainly seems like you could do a lot worse for finding a place to raise a family.

For those of you who are like me and want to have some fun in the sun, Wappinger has plenty of outdoor activities you can enjoy, from hiking in Reese Park to playing a ball game at Castle Point Park. I wouldn't say Wappinger is a place I would go out of my way to visit for outdoor fun, but if you live here you won't have to travel far and wide to find a good place to enjoy nature.

Finally, I mentioned Wappinger feeling like it's a town on the verge. Because of increased traffic on Route 9 the town is growing pretty steadily, and more and more businesses are showing up, which in turn brings in more people and so on. I could definitely see the population continuing to go up for the next several years, which is both good and bad. If you're looking for a real quiet existence you may want to look elsewhere, but you'll have a lot of awesome opportunities in Wappinger that you will miss out on in other areas as well. Pick your poison. I'd rather have a bit more fun!

The Town of Wappinger sits just below Poughkeepsie and is one of the more populated towns in Dutchess County. Being in Dutchess's southwestern quadrant, the population has seen a bit of a boom over the years.

One way you'll know this is true is because of the traffic. Simply put, there is just a lot more of it than there used to be, and at peak weekday hours or on weekends, the main roads through Wappinger are full of cars. Much of this congestion will be found on Route 9, either coming down from Poughkeepsie or up from Fishkill (and Interstate 84).

The good news is that there is also public transportation. The Dutchess County Loop Bus system is very active through Wappinger, and the Metro North's Hudson Line train down to New York City is close-by in New Hamburg. A car is still what you'll primarily need to get around, though. Finding residents who commute to the New York City area is not uncommon, and with regards to those residents, more than a few live in nice homes but I'd describe it more as an average income area overall.

Another piece of good news is that there are things to do here and places to shop. Wappinger is not at all far from the malls and major retailers in Poughkeepsie, while having some big-ticket stores of its own (such as BJ's Wholesale Club on Route 9). There are several supermarkets here as well, including Hannaford and the new Adams superstore further down on Route 9 heading towards Fishkill. Further, you'll find MANY restaurants in town, particularly in and around Wappingers Falls, including major chains like Outback and Perkins but also some great local establishments such as Double O Grill and a Chinese & Japanese restaurant called Jade Palace, amongst others. Finally, there are a few bars in town for adults to enjoy a night out, if they choose to spend it that way. There's even a place called Fun Central for the kids to play mini golf, hit the arcade or go on bumper boats. And if one would rather work out, there's a tremendous Planet Fitness right near Home Depot.

Medical care is not far away, but most of the action is again near Wappingers Falls. There are clinics, dentists and doctor's offices here, but the big area hospitals are to the north in Poughkeepsie. Driving up Route 9, they'll take a little bit of time to reach, but it's not an outrageously long drive.

There are a number of schools in the town, and they are not necessarily all aggregated in Wappingers Falls -- Ketcham High School, Wappinger Junior High, Van Wyck Junior High, and so forth. The only issue with them that I know to be true is that in some, overcrowding has been an issue. The Wappingers Central School District is big and growing, and as such, the schools are getting packed.

Not all of Wappinger is built-up and congested, however. Yes, there are other areas of town (in Myers Corner along Route 376, for example) that have shops, stores, and restaurants, but there are plenty of trees and some nice open lands. Over towards Chelsea and Hughsonville, other than Route 9D coming through, there's some level of quiet and the picturesque Hudson River is nearby. Most of the activity, however, is right near Wappingers Falls.

Wappinger is a fine town with which I rarely have a problem. If you took away the increasing traffic, this would be a really convenient place to live with a lot of things to do, and no matter where in Wappinger you live, you're not terribly far from even more things to do. Everything you need to get by is here, but if you're looking for a truly quiet lifestyle, you might not like it as much.

Myers Corner is a residential hamlet located within the Town of Wappinger with a population of about 7,000 people. It's heavily defined by the feeling of suburbia, with its makeup consisting solely of homes, a handful of schools and a small ballpark. Myers Corners Road and County Road 94 split it into four quadrants, each offering up an opportunity to escape to a more commercial/business-oriented sector like the Route 9 corridor to the west and Dutchess County Airport to the north.

The hamlet may be quiet in nature, but like I said, residents do have opportunities to access amenities, shopping malls, movie theaters, and a slew of different restaurants. Route 9 has a great mix of local and commercial shopping and if you don't like the traffic, Myers Corners is a great alternative if you still want the opion of shopping at your fingertips. Would it be too quite for a college student, college graduate or young professionals? I would say so, but because of its residential atmosphere may be more suitable for younger families, especially those with children.

It's also home to a handful of schools, two of which belongs to Wappingers Central School District. Van Wyck Middle School is situated on the outskirts of Myers Corner, with Roy C. Ketcham High School located directly off of Myers Corner Road. A Dutchess Community College (DCC) satellite campus is also directly off of Myers Corner Road- DCC is one of the best community colleges in the state and the satellite office provides a great alternative to those who don't want to travel north to the main campus through all of the traffic.

Overall, Myers Corner is reflective of a sleepy suburban community built for residential homes. It's low-key atmosphere and lack of hustle and bustle makes it a perfect place for those who like to sit back and enjoy a slower tempo.

I've been through Wappinger Falls on Route 9 more than a few times, and I've always really enjoyed it. I briefly looked into living here when I was looking into various parts of Dutchess County, and I was mostly impressed by what I found here.

First, you have quite a few options as far as dining and things to do. I've had some of the best Chinese food of my life at Palace Dumpling. Based on the name alone you can probably tell they have dumplings, and they are really good. I also really like getting a cup o' joe at Bad A$$ Coffee (actual name). The coffee more or less lives up to the name, and the atmosphere is really good. You really have quite a few options, especially for a little town like Wappingers Falls.

Outside the surprisingly good dining options you also have some decent, though not outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities. Mesier Park is pretty but not really a place to run around outside. Reese Park is a better bet, especially for hiking, though I don't have as much experience with it yet. I hope to get a good trek in this summer. :)

I think Wappingers Falls is an outstanding little town, and though it can be a bit busy at times, it's so nice and provides so many options for fun that I think you could have a great time living there without really sacrificing the small town feel you get from other areas of Dutchess County. It doesn't provide the same level of peace and quiet, but I think it more than makes up for it with fun.

Wappingers Falls is a small village split in between the Town of Poughkeepsie and the Town of Wappinger, with the dividing line being the Wappinger Creek. If you're wondering why it's "Wappingers Falls," that would obviously be because of the falls located right by the Route 9D bridge. Wappingers Falls is not to be confused with the falls in Red Oaks Mill at the "Inn at the Falls;" that's a different but notable waterfall in the area.

Driving through, it's hard not to notice you're here, as the speed limit drops to 30 and there's a lot of activity on the sidewalks. The only parking in the center of the village is parallel, and spots can be hard to come by at times. If in that Route 9D central part of the village, you'll see a few bars, a Chinese restaurant which isn't bad, and a very nice Italian place called Il Continori. If heading uphill from the falls, you'll come to a quaint church and the Grinnell Library on the corner. St. Mary's Catholic Church and its good elementary school are located on the Poughkeepsie side of the falls.

Near the center of the village, opposite the library, is the very green Mesier Park. The side streets near here and some of the houses driving through Wappingers Falls appear to be a little run down in spots, but there are certainly some nicer sections of the village.

Many people also know Wappingers Falls by passing through on Route 9, the main roadway in the Poughkeepsie area. Alongside the road, there is a Home Depot, several fast food places like Wendy's, Subway, and McDonalds, a Dunkin' Donuts, a Perkins, a Big Lots, and there is a pool supply store called Namco on the higher end. Near that Namco is a bowling alley. The malls are very near Wappingers Falls, despite not being in Wappingers Falls; also close-by is a Kohl's.

The Planet Fitness off Route 9 in Wappingers Falls is a large and very popular place to work out. The downside is that it can get crowded at peak hours, but is the largest Planet Fitness in the area as far as I can tell.

Wappingers Falls does have things to do and a few places to go, and there are occasional annual activities here like parades and runs for good causes.