Verplanck

Verplanck, NY is a tiny riverfront community in upper Westchester. Once known as Verplanck’s Point, it juts out into the Hudson River and is home to 1,700 residents.

The location of Verplanck made it important strategically during the Revolutionary War. The area was the southernmost launch point for American troops, allowing them to transport personnel and supplies back and forth from Stony Point. Its prominence made it a key target for the British. A great deal of fighting occurred in the area.

As one of Cortlandt’s hamlets, residents of Verplanck are entitled to take advantage of services and facilities throughout the town. The Recreation Department has many programs, including summer camp and services for seniors. The Schoolhouse Community Center, located in Verplanck, is the town’s senior citizen activity hub. Two of Cortlandt’s many parks are located in Verplanck: Old Pond Park was renovated a few years ago, and has playground facilities especially for younger children. Steamboat Riverfront Park, located on the water, has a walking trail and a pier for fishing and crabbing, with a pavilion for picnicking. The larger town also offers more shopping options than Verplanck.

Students in Verplanck attend school in the Hendrick Hudson School District, which serves 2,700 students. The students hail from Verplanck, Buchanan, Crugers, Montrose, and parts of Cortlandt Manor, Croton and Peekskill. There are three elementary schools: Furnace Woods, Buchanan- Verplanck, and Frank G. Lindsey, for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Blue Mountain Middle School, for students in sixth through eighth grades, has been recognized for excellence in education. In this year’s U.S. News and World Report’s high school rankings, Hendrick Hudson High School placed 73rd out of 1,165 schools.

Because of its geography, Verplanck is has limited development potential. There are very few houses on the market at any given time. The homes currently on the market are moderately priced, single family homes. House hunters who want to be in the Hendrick Hudson School District or in the Town of Cortlandt would be wise to look widely.

If you leave Route 9A, drive through the wooded hamlet of Buchanan, and pass the Indian Point Power Plant (now known as Entergy), the area will open up and you may feel as if you’ve stumbled upon a miniature Cape Cod. The tiny hamlet of Verplanck is less than one square mile, almost 12% of which is water, giving it the feeling of a slightly frayed little seaside community. Some residents have lived here for generations.

It’s rich in Revolutionary War history, and the replica of Henry Hudson’s ship “Half Moon” spends the winter docked at the King Marine. The owner, Randy King, allows her to stay for free, and surrounds her with water heaters to keep the Hudson River ice at bay. Visitors are invited year-round. This is just one example of the generous spirit shown in this small community, where, thanks to its size, everyone knows everyone else.

The Paradise Bar and Grill serves great Italian food, and there are several delis from which to choose. Shoppers must travel to the Cortlandt Town Center, where there are chain stores as well as a large movie theater.

Outdoor activities prevail, with strolls along the river’s edge in Verplanck, walks through the beautiful 208-acre George’s Island Park in nearby Montrose, or hikes up Mt. Spitzenberg in the Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill (which also has a rifle range.) The Hudson National Golf Club is right in Croton.

The Hendrick Hudson Free Library in Montrose is fully equipped with six computers, free Wi-Fi, a children’s and a teen’s room, a large Community Room, and a grand assortment of books and e-books.

Verplanck is in the Hendrick Hudson School District, with good schools located in nearby Buchanan, Montrose, and Cortlandt Manor.

An internet video series called “Verplanck” tells the story of a group of young Jewish people from Flatbush who decide to re-locate to the more affordable and stress-free country. Sight unseen, they choose Verplanck, only realizing when they arrive that the population is 500, not 5,000 (a slight exaggeration.) Those expecting suburbia may have the same reaction, but those looking for a very small, affordable, old-time river community should be more than satisfied.

As you can see in any map, Verplanck is the lovely peninsula part of the Town of Cortlandt. It is small with only 300 households and with water on three sides there are many places from where you get great water views. The neighborhood plays up its water connection also as the winter berth of the historic Half Moon, Henry Hudson’s ship. These days it is a travelling museum operated by a crew of volunteers.

Verplanck residents send their children to the Cortlandt schools and the public school system here has a good reputation. While they are not considered the stars of the Westchester community schools, there is much here to make students and parents proud.

There are not mean dining choices or shopping arcades in Verplanct. Paradise Restaurant and a couple of delis are great for immediate options and one can always drive to one of the neighboring communities for more variety. Cortandt Town Center and JV mall offer shopping options to Verplanck residents.
It is quiet community that is great for nature lovers; it is not for those looking for cosmopolitan excitement or a bustling night life!

Verplanck, NY is home to 1,729 people and was once known as a trading post between Dutch Settlers and the Native Americans. The Wappingers Native Americans once purchased the land for a variety of goods (among them wampum and trinkets) from Stevanaus Van Cortlandt, the first American mayor of New York City. Greens Cove, a small bay located near the famous Revolutionary War site Verplanck’s Point, was once a thriving brickyard. The area was also a major strategic area for George Washington as it borders Stony Point (Verplanck’s Point being the other major spot in the area). Hendrick Hudson, the man who “discovered” the Hudson River in the year 1609, came here in his ship “Half Moon”, and there is now an exact replica docked at Verplanck for the whole family to come aboard and enjoy. Kids will love to discover the history of the place that they live in while hanging out aboard this ancient vessel right on the glorious Hudson River.

While there’s unfortunately no shopping center in Verplanck, you’re right near the towns of Buchanan, Montrose and Crugers, which has a lot of shopping options as well as restaurants (and lots of places to go for pizza). Visit the Cortlandt Town Shopping Center for movies, burgers, books clothes, pet food and fair deals at KMart. Go for groceries at Cole’s Market on Albany Post Road in Montrose. Verplanck itself is known for its own Paradise Bar and Grille, which offers fantastic traditional Italian dishes and a fun place to hang out at late at night.

Homes in Verplanck cost around anywhere between over $200,000 and $300,000 or higher. The prices are very affordable, especially the one-floor ranches that you’ll see throughout the town. It’s not very diverse but is rich in history, and it’s a beautiful town with lovely river views. It was also the home of Mel Gibson when he was five years old. It’s a rather quiet area with beautiful homes and a very low crime rate. Kids will attend the highly-revered Hendrick Hudson School District, known for its award-winning education and excellent test scores. Croton-on-Hudson is right nearby for commuters who can use the Croton-Harmon Train Station, which will get you to Grand Central Station in about 40 minutes, and the ride there is beautiful (you’ll see the beautiful naturally-carved Palisades and the architectural marvel, Tappan Zee Bridge). Verplanck is right near some great parks: Montrose Point State Forest and George’s County Park (not to forget Blue Mountain Reservation in nearby Peekskill as well, and Rockefeller State Park in nearby Sleepy Hollow). Come to Verplanck for a great learning experience and a walk along the Hudson River shores.

Verplanck is a tiny less than one square mile hamlet located in the town of Cortlandt, NY. It is lush and green and quiet and has beautiful water views.

Verplanck is the home to a replica of the ship the Half Moon, with which Henry Hudson explored the Hudson River. Verplanck is also known for its rich Revolutionary War history. You can visit the Stony Point Battlefield site, a National Historic landmark. Stony Point Battlefield is the location of the 1779 Battle of Stony Point held during the American Revolutionary War.

Parent town Cortlandt is home to SUNY Cortlandt with its plethora of educational and cultural possiblilites and it also has a great bowling alley, a terrific museum bearing its name, the wonderful C-Note music school and even a Performing Arts Insitute which offers rigorous training for those younguns who have a desire to parktake in theatre and dance.

Verplanck is also within reasonable driving distance of the Blue Mountain Reservation which has the 12-mile Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway for hiking and biking as well as the Sportsman Center which features a rifle range. There are also two fairly large peaks, one being Blue Mountain, for a fun and challenging hike.

As far as afternoon shopping and entertainment goes, your best bet is to head on over to Cortlandt Town Center which plays haven to such popular stores 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. Family-friendly restaurants at the center include Applebees, Panera Bread, McDonalds, Nathan’s Famous, Subway and Five Guys Burgers and Fries. There is also the small Blue Mountain Plaza shopping center in Peekskill with an A & P Supermarket, a Dollar World and a McDonalds.

In Verplanck itself, eateries include Paradise Restaurant: a popular family-run family-style Italian restaurant with tasty, authentic food and a nice atmosphere and Marcello’s pizza and deli.

Verplanck is quite safe and the crime rate is pretty low.

The Cortlandt school system is good though not exceptional.

The median income in Verplanck is approximately $91,000. The median home value is $443,688 and the median rental rate is $1,250. .

The racial makeup of the hamlet is 95.88% White

Verplanck has a population of 1,729.

Located within the town of Cortlandt in Westchester County, Verplanck is a small and lovely hamlet of less than one square mile - and that's including the water! The population of Verplanck is almost all white, but there are tiny percentage of Hispanic residents. There are very few people of other races there. The major ethnic group here is Italian; each year there an Italian Feast is held here, with live entertainment, games, and lots of incredibly good Italian food. Verplanck has an interesting history; it played a role in the Revolutionary War and has been the setting for movies and television shows. They have events known as Patriot's Weekends, when people get dressed up in colonial costumes and they have fascinating and fun events to commemorate the war. There is a lovely and huge artificial lake. Verplanck has an incredibly strong and unified community; the residents work very hard to maintain the town's beauty. Naturally, as Verplanck is such a small area, everyone here knows each other. The Verplanck Residents Association volunteers to raise funds, host community events, and otherwise improve the town. It works especially hard to maintain the waterfront, and they do an amazing job - it's incredibly clean and well maintained. Each Christmas, the association has a special celebration for the town's kids.

Verplanck is a very pretty and green hamlet. It's surrounded by water on three sides and has lots of green space. It's a part of Cortlandt which is focused on preserving the natural surroundings. It's a small but active community with less than one thousand inhabitants.

One of the best sights in Verplanck is during the winter when the Half Moon, a replica of Henry Hudson's seventeenth century ship, docks here. It's normally a big event that all the residents look forward to.

The school system is pretty solid. It's not the best in the county but it performs well and students and parents seem to love it. The community gets very involved with the school and makes it a central part of town life.

The people here are very friendly. It's the kind of place where people stop to talk with you and it's not difficult to socialize.

There aren't a whole lot of restaurants directly in Verplanck except for a few delis and a bistro but Paradise Bar and Grill is by far the best. It serves Italian fare and not only is the food phenomenal but the service is too. When the owner is here, which is pretty often, he always stops at your table and makes sure you're enjoying the food.