Union Vale

Considering that I grew up in LaGrangeville, a hamlet of Union Vale in Dutchess County, NY, this town has a special place in my heart, as I was a child for many years playing here in the woods and massive yard around my childhood home. The schools were excellent as I had a several great teachers and many memorable moments of learning. Today Arlington High School of the Arlington Central School District has a 97% graduation rate! I did not graduate with that school as I went on to live in Yorktown Heights with my family in Westchester, but I still remember how wonderful Mr. Clark of 9th Grade English was, how patient and encouraging he was when I was having a difficult year.

Memories of visiting Freedom Lake flood back, of going down the slide into the water, and having picnics at birthday parties with friends. I always loved getting ice cream at the concession stand as well! When I was younger I always felt safe being in the shallow part of the lake because it was closed off with a rope, but just enough space so that I could swim easily around in and feel like I was going far (haha) but of course, when you're small, everything seems bigger!

There's also two other parks in Union Vale: Tymor Park (500 acres, as well as trails, an outdoor swimming pool, an ice rink, a senior center, sports fields, a concession stand, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, a playground for the kiddies to enjoy, a concession stand, and rights to fish, ride horses (there's an equestrian center), camp, and more!

The other park is 12 acre Frederick E. Godfrey Memorial Park and while that is smaller, it still offers a volleyball and basketball court, trails, playground, baseball/softball fields, and, of course, restrooms for “when nature calls”.

There's more than 4,546 people living in Union Vale throughout its many hamlets. To own a home here costs around $380,000; to rent goes for around $1,475 and up, depending on what kind of housing you are looking for. There's excellent shopping venues including an A&P, Dunkin' Donuts, Crystal's Closet (a designer clothes store that sells new and used clothes) , and Hannaford Supermarkets in LaGrangeville alone (there's 11 other hamlets to choose from)! LaGrangeville has The Daily Planet Diner (a fantastic, memorable place to eat out with the entire family, kids will have a blast) and The Links at Union Vale, an Irish-run golf club with an excellent food menu and plenty of greens for the golfing day of your life (they even do weddings here as well)! It's a beautiful scenic place to be and is surrounded by the natural splendor of the Hudson Valley way beyond the tailored green.

Come over to Union Vale to enjoy the quiet splendor of the Mid-Hudson Valley countryside: you won't be disappointed; it's well worth the trip!

Union Vale is located in the southern-central part of Dutchess County. It occupies almost 40 square miles, with a population of 4,877. Poughkeepsie, with is large variety of stores and restaurants, is about ten miles from the town.

Like much of the county, Union Vale is rural and fairly undeveloped. People who seek quiet surroundings a quiet place to live and don’t mind traveling several miles to purchase necessities will find the town ideal. However, the town’s countrified atmosphere doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on. Union Vale has an active recreation department which organizes sports and martial arts programs for adults and children. It also sponsors events throughout the year, including Community Day, Chili Cook-Off, and an Easter Egg Hunt.

The town’s offices are located in Tymor Park, which at 500 acres is the largest municipal park in the country. Its offerings include playing fields, a pool, a playground, a fishing pond and twelve miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The smaller Godfrey Memorial Park has 12 acres with a playground and tennis and basketball courts. Golf enthusiasts will want to take advantage of The Links at Union Vale, a semi-private 18-hole course.

Union Vale does not have its own school district but is served by three school districts: Arlington, Dover and Millbrook. Arlington is the largest district with 10,100 students, eight elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school. The most recent data available shows 90% of its graduates going on to higher education. The Dover district is smaller, with 1,600 students attending four schools. The district’s performance on state exams is adequate, with 5 to 10 percent of students failing to meet standards. Unlike Arlington, which has a half-day, Dover has a full-day kindergarten program. Millbrook, the smallest of the three districts with 1,200 students attending four schools, is also the highest-performing of the three districts serving Union Vale.

Union Vale’s real estate offerings vary widely, from large estates on multiple acres to smaller single-family homes. Reasonably priced vacant lots are also available.

Union Vale is a little town with few things going on outside of a couple nice parks and some absolutely beautiful homes. It seems like those who choose to live here are okay with having to drive to find a decent place to eat or get a drink. They want a quiet life, and they're getting it!

So there's little nightlife, few to almost no restaurants, and few chances for shopping. It's not looking good so far.

What Union Vale has is really nice homes. There are some stunning houses here, and while you pay for it, getting a home this big, beautiful and with enough land to feel secluded is great. I like to have entertainment options nearby, but there's nothing wrong with driving a little ways. You really feel like you can get away from it all in Union Vale. Yeah, it's a bit on the boring side sometimes, but there's a peacefulness here that's nice to check out on occasion.

I definitely like Godfrey Park, which has a nice little baseball diamond and some room to have fun. It's not the biggest or nicest park in the world, but I've always had some fun here. I also like the nearby Taconic park, which while not exactly the most beautiful place in the world, is reasonably nice and has a number of trails that are good for mountain biking. You can also let your dog off the leash here (I think, I've done it) and I always welcome a place where my dogs can run around a lot. These outdoor opportunities really take Union Vale to the next level in terms of fun.

So you get some great outdoors, great homes and a lot of seclusion. You don't get any hustle and certainly no bustle, but it's lovely otherwise.

Union Vale is a predominantly residential town in Dutchess County which doesn’t have a whole lot going for itself other than its pretty landscapes, nice nearby parks and large fancy homes. If you don’t mind the quietude and have a good car with which to drive to more happening Poughkeepsie, then you should be just fine.

There are no real restaurants that I know of in Union Vale, but you will find some decent choices in nearby towns. In Verbank, you have Verbank Delicatessen, Joey’s Pizza Café, and Perri’s Verbank Inn. In Poughquag, you have Beekman Square Diner and Pleasant Ridge Pizzeria. In Hopewell Junction you have a Dunkin Donuts. In LaGrangeville you will discover Villa Pasta and Grille with their delicious traditional Italian cuisine, The Daily Planet, a vintage diner, Sonny’s Ristorante & Pizzeria, Kelly’s Steak & Spirits, Pizza Express, Happy Wok, Brooklyn Bagels and Bakery and the ever popular and festive States Grill. And last but certainly not least, you have a wide range of dining options in the saving grace of Poughkeepsie.

Do keep in mind, however, that all the above excursions are a good twenty and thirty minutes away from Union Vale.

Shopping in Union Vale is practically non-existent as well, so again, your best bet would be to head west to Poughkeepsie and hit the Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall or the South Hills Mall which have an abundance of retail and specialty stores and a Kmart, Target and Big Lots.

Poughkeepsie has two movie theatres: the very cool Overlook Drive-in Theatre and the Silver Cinemas South Hills 8. Poughkeepsie also has an abundance of arts and culture if you desperately need a fix, including opera, museums, book stores, lectures at the colleges, theatre, you name it.

For your basic grocery store needs, there is a Stop & Shop and Cumberland Farms in Hopewell Junction and an A&P, IGA and a Hannaford Supermarket in LaGrangeville.

Union Vale is close to Tymor Park which is a fantastic local resource and actually the largest municipal park in New York State, boasting over five hundred acres! It is laden with recreational possibilities including playing fields, a pool, playground, pavilions, a concession stand, a senior center, rental halls, an equestrian center, camp sites, a fishing pond, ice rinks in the winter, tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts as well as twelve plus miles of hiking, biking and horse trails. Godfrey Memorial Park is twelve acres and has hiking trails, a playground, a basketball court, a volleyball court, a playing field and restrooms.

Union Vale is pretty safe and the crime rate is low.

Union Vale students are a part of the Arlington Central School District which is pretty good.

The median household income is about $70,500.

The population of Union Vale is approximately 4,877 and is roughly 94% White