Stormville

Another small wooded hamlet of East Fishkill, Stormville is about as low-key as you can get. It is hilly and wooded, and residents cherish their seclusion. Stormville itself has two pizza parlors, Collins Ale House, and that’s about it. Nearby Hopewell Junction has a small shopping center and several very nice restaurants, though, so it’s not like you’re completely stranded, and if you need a healthier dose of civilization, you can go to Wappingers or Poughkeepsie.

This is not a New York City commuter town, unless you’re into long commutes. The nearest train station is a Metro North in Beacon, about 20 minutes away, and Beacon to Grand Central takes about an hour and 20 minutes.

There are 3 very nice B and B’s in Hopewell, with Le Chambord at the top of the list, followed by Bykenhulle House and the Inn at Arbor Ridge. Le Chambord has an excellent restaurant, there is also fine dining at Tiramisu, Muscoot North, and the Blue Fountain.

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.

The East Fishkill Community Library is an active gathering spot featuring weekly activities, such as local author and artist speakers. It has outdoor seating, meeting rooms, and available computers and Internet service.

There is an All-Sport gym in East Fishkill, with indoor and outdoor pools, fitness classes, machines, yoga, massage and physical therapy, parties/events, and lots of activities for kids. Those who live in Stormville, however, probably prefer the woods to a gym.

Stormville is a hamlet in East Fishkill, NY. It doesn’t have a whole lot going on so your best bet is to head to the more dynamic sister hamlet of Hopewell Junction our out of Town to Fishkill proper or Poughkeepsie.

Stormville has three eateries to speak of, Stormville Pizza and More, Danny’s Pizzeria and Collins Ale House.

There are some additional decent restaurants in sister hamlet Hopewell Junction including the elegant La Chambord Restaurant Inn, the casual and cozy Tuscan-infused Tiramisu restaurant, pizzeria and bakery which hosts live music on Wednesday nights, the family-friendly Gian Bruno’s Restaurant, the warm Muscoot North Restaurant which has been around for a quarter of a century, The Blue Fountain which was awarded best Italian restaurant in the Hudson Valley by Zagat as well as Goodfellas Inn, Empire Wok, Peza Modern Bistro, Pizza Village, Dunkin Donuts, Monte Rosa Lodge Restaurant, Nick’s Brick Oven Pizza and KFC and Subway.

Shopping that does exist is mostly in sister hamlet Hopewell Junction and includes CVS, 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.

The very popular South Hills Mall with over 250 stores in Poughkeepsie is only 9.7 miles away.

To fulfill your grocery shopping needs, you can head to Stop & Shop, A & P, Cumberland Farms, Hopewell Farms and Fishkill Farms or Stewarts in sister hamlet Hopewell Junction, go to the Sam’s Club, Walmart Supercenter or ShopRite in Fishkill or go to the BJ’s Wholesale Club in Wappingers.

Stormville does have one cool locale going for itself: The Stormville Airport Antique Show & Flea Market which holds half a dozen family-friendly and festive shows each year that are extremely well-attended. In fact, people come from miles upon miles away to treasure-hunt and HGTV even recently filmed there. They have great bargains, great food and various cool events.

Parent town of East Fishkill has a well-developed parks and recreation program. Red Wing Park is a very popular 18 acre spot with an eight acre lake and beach, a bathhouse, a basketball court, a volleyball court, badminton, playgrounds, swimming, fishing, picnic areas and a pavilion. Swimming instruction is provided 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 awesome Skate Park. There are quite a few other parks in the area 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 also hosts lovely and free outdoor summer concerts and an annual fireworks display.

In September, the town of East Fishkill holds its annual Community Day with a parade along Route 82, live music, food vendors, community information booths and fireworks.

Stormville is pretty safe and the crime rate is relatively low.

Stormville students are a part of are divided amongst the Arlington, Carmel, Pawling and Wappingers school districts.

The median household income is about $78, 394.

The population of greater East Fishkill is approximately 29, 029.

Over the years, I've known people who live(d) in Stormville and I have passed through relatively regularly. It's the sort of locale where you drive from one end to the other and don't even realize it. It's very green and rural in this area of Dutchess County, and even though the Taconic State Parkway and Interstate 84 come through here, it's still quite isolated.

Despite the divided highways and relatively important state roads cutting through or near Stormville, expect to see many hills and country back-roads, a stark contrast to what you'd find in the Poughkeepsie area just 10-15 miles away. Some of it is mountainous and some is not, but all of it is sparsely populated. I have also seen some of the local roads not in the best shape. Therefore, as one may expect, there's not much to experience in terms of modern conveniences.

There are no stores, notable restaurants, or even clusters of civilization such as strip malls and gas stations that you might find in a place like Dover Plains or Wingdale, both of which are further east in the more rural part of Dutchess County. Despite this characterization, it's not exactly the middle of nowhere, either: people obviously have cars, internet, and cable while a handful of the homes are rather nice, though some have been in better shape.

Still, you're pretty much out on your own here, with one saving grace being close proximity to major highways in this area of the state. Medical facilities and schools are also not quite close to you here, and to find a gym, you may have to drive further than you're willing to drive (I knew a guy from out here who had to go to Wappingers Falls to be able to work out and it took him over 20-25 minutes to get there).

The scenery is very nice though and it's definitely a quiet, secluded place to raise a family without having to be right next to the growing Poughkeepsie area. There are parks and lakes to see nearby, which is great for those who appreciate being outdoors. If, however, you're looking for a trendy area with lots of young people and/or plenty of amenities, you better open a shop or bar yourself because you won't find them here otherwise.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Stormville. I've only been through the area a few times, and that's because there is so little to do. I'm pretty sure most of the people who live in Stormville commute away for work, and while there are places close by to visit, within the hamlet itself there's very little to do or enjoy.

The good things are the low cost of living and the extensive access to nature. If you like hiking, camping and hunting, Stormville might be the place for you. It's pretty safe as well, but the population is shrinking because of a lack of opportunities, so there aren't enough people for a lot of crime.

If you're young and want a fun lifestyle with lots to do and see, you will want to look elsewhere. If you're retired and just want a really quiet life then you might find Stormville wonderfully relaxing. I don't enjoy it much myself, but perhaps a different mentality will get more from this hamlet.

Stormville is a hamlet located in East Fishkill in the southeast corner of Dutchess County. Although it's located in Dutchess, most residents choose to send their children to Carmel Central School District due to its close proximity; however, some do use the Wappingers Central School District, as well. It's mostly a mix of residential neighborhoods and roads of individual houses atop Stormville Mountain, which is covered with rocky terrain and heavily wooded areas. Stormville is the true breaking point between suburban life and country living, and if you appreciate a quieter lifestyle this is an ideal place for you. It also becomes a popular place for hunters with an abundant deer population and small brooks and streams for fishing.

While there isn't much to do in Stormville besides working with what nature has to offer, it's location gives residents easy access to more signs of life. With Route 52 bisecting the middle of it, Stormville serves as a passageway in between Kent in Putnam County and greater Dutchess County. One can easily access Westchester County and New York City via the Taconic State Parkway, or to Connecticut and Brewster via Interstate 84. Since there's no commercial or corporate business in Stormville, most residents commute into Dutchess or Westchester for work.

This sleepy hamlet enjoys the quieter things in life: the beautiful outdoors and the faint buzz of cars from a distant highway.