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Poughkeepsie, NY


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Poughkeepsie, New York

Introduction to Poughkeepsie, New York

The county seat of Dutchess County, New York, is the Hudson River Valley city of Poughkeepsie. The city is nestled halfway between New York City (to the south) and Albany (to the north), roughly 82 miles from each. Major highways serving Poughkeepsie are U.S. Route 9, U.S. Route 44, and N.Y. State Highway 55.

Settled in the late 1600s by the Dutch, Poughkeepsie was first organized as a town in 1788. It was in this year that the U.S. Constitution was ratified there by the state of New York, as Poughkeepsie was serving at that time as the temporary state capital. In 1799, the city of Poughkeepsie was taken off the town of the same name and organized separately as a village, later to become incorporated (in 1854) as a city. The city's name is derived from the phonetic translation of an Algonquian Indian term variously interpreted as meaning "waterfall", "pleasant harbor", or "campsite by small water". The Town of Poughkeepsie is home to several colleges, including Vassar College, Marist College, and Dutchess Community College.

Arts and Culture in the Poughkeepsie Area

In the early to mid-20th century, famous families such as the Astors, Rogers, and Vanderbilts built seasonal retreats in the Poughkeepsie area, many of which today are open to the public as historic sites. Located in Poughkeepsie itself are the Locust Grove (former home of inventor Samuel F. B. Morse) and Clinton House (named for George Clinton, New York’s first governor). Nearby Hyde Park is home to the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site, and the Vanderbilt Mansion.

Other cultural sites located in Poughkeepsie include the following:

  • Bardavon Opera House: Home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic
  • Glebe House: A 1767 house restored to represent a late 18th-century home
  • Maple Grove: Built in 1850 by banker Charles Al Macy
  • Poughkeepsie Post Office: A National Historic Landmark
  • Frances Lehman Loeb Art Museum: Located at Vassar College
  • Springside National Historic Site
  • Mill Street Loft
  • Barrett Art Center

Nearby cultural sites include:

  • Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum (Hyde Park)
  • Bannerman Castle (Fishkill): A Scottish-style castle on the Hudson River features a two-hour cruise around Bannerman Island.
  • Clermont State Historic Site
  • Hyde Park Railroad Station
  • Mount Gulian Historic Site (Beacon)
  • Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum
  • Sports Museum of Dutchess County (Wappingers Falls)
  • The Howland Cultural Center (Beacon)

Sports are abundant in the greater metropolitan New York City area, which can be reached in about 90 minutes by car. Some of the Major League New York area sports teams include: Major League Baseball's Mets (Queens) and Yankees (Bronx), the National Football League's Giants and Jets (both play at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, East Rutherford, New Jersey), the National Basketball Association's N.Y. Knicks (Manhattan) and New Jersey Nets (Meadowlands Sports Complex), the National Hockey League's N.Y. Islanders (Uniondale), N.Y. Rangers (Manhattan), and New Jersey Devils (Meadowlands Sports Complex), the Women's National Basketball Association's New York Liberty (Manhattan), Major League Lacrosse's Long Island Lizards (Uniondale), and Major League Soccer's Red Bull New York (formerly the Metrostars) who play at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

High Points

Poughkeepsie strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in New York):

CategoryTrophy
Racial Diversity
(vs. State)		Top 4%trophyPoughkeepsie Racial Diversity
Public Transportation Use
(vs. Peers)		Top 9%Poughkeepsie Public Transportation Use
Walking and Biking to Work
(vs. Peers)		Top 14%Poughkeepsie Walking and Biking to Work

Comparative Profile of Poughkeepsie, NY

Comparing Poughkeepsie to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in New York (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Racial Diversity910
Children Under 5 Years Old89
Female Share of the Population76
Senior Citizens74
Male Share of the Population45
Age of the Population31
Well-Paid Single Men33

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Average Household Size44
Portion of People Married11

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
College Educated Adults44
People in Middle Class or Better21
People Above Poverty11
Median Family Income11

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Public Transportation Use108
Walking and Biking to Work99
Working at Home76
Short Commute Times67

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals1010
People Living Alone109
Seasonal and Vacation Housing75
Affordability of Rents66
Affordability of Property Taxes25
Housing Recently Built14

Crime

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Low Property Crime52
Low Violent Crime11
Detailed pages on related topics: Colleges in Poughkeepsie, Graduate Schools in Poughkeepsie, Poughkeepsie travel

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