General Information
Rhinebeck, New York, is a beautiful town located in Northern Dutchess County, New York, in the Hudson River Valley. The whole town of Rhinebeck is like stepping into a museum, with 437 historic locations listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In fact, the village of Rhinebeck itself has been on the National Register since 1979.
The town of Rhinebeck was founded in 1686 by four Dutch settlers who acquired the land from Indians and named it Kipsbergen. It was first called "Ryn Beck" in 1713 by Judge Henry Beekman; the Beekman Arms Inn was opened in 1766 and is widely considered to be the oldest inn in America.
The population of Rhinebeck is approximately 10,000. The town of Rhinebeck consists of the Village of Rhinebeck, The Town of Rhinebeck and the hamlet of Rhinecliff. There is an Amtrak station in Rhinecliff with service to New York City, Albany, and Buffalo.
Rhinebeck is about 65 miles south of Albany (the state capital), 47 miles from Danbury, Connecticut, and 85 miles from New York City.
Schools
The Rhinebeck Central School District is attended by students from the town, village and hamlet of Rhinecliff. There is a single elementary school, Chancellor Livingston, for grades K-5, Bulkeley Middle School, for grades 6-8 and Rhinebeck High School, grades 9-12.
Government
Rhinebeck has both a Town Government and Village Government. Both have active planning and zoning boards that place a strong emphasis on natural resource protection, historic preservation and retaining the rural nature of the area. The town has a supervisor and the village has a Mayor. There is a Comprehensive Planning Committee currently working on a plan that will set the direction for future development. The citizens of Rhinebeck are committed to controlling sprawl and conserving green space.
Things to Do
Rhinebeck has many wonderful restaurants, a wide variety of shops to browse, a great independent film theatre called Upstate Films, a local performing arts theatre, Rhinebeck Performing Arts Center, with productions for all ages interests and great places to walk and hike.
Rhinebeck has a community center that includes the new Starr Library and community room, a pool, tennis courts, playground and a ball field. There is a town landing in Rhinecliff with a boat launch and wonderful views of the river. The immediate Rhinebeck area has places to horseback ride, fish, hike, golf, play tennis, cross county ski or spend the day shopping in the village.
Rhinebeck is home to Wilderstein, an incredible Italianate villa built by Thomas Suckley, a direct descendent of the Beekman and Livingston families who were prominent residents of the Hudson Valley from the 17th to 19th century.
Three generations of the Suckley family lived at Wilderstein with Miss Margaret Suckley being the last. She lived there until her death in 1991. Wilderstein is now open to the public as the Wilderstein Preservation a not for profit educational corporation.
Another great way to spend an afternoon in Rhinebeck is at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. There is a large collection of antique airplanes on display and live air shows are performed.
Housing
No matter what lifestyle you seek you can find it here. Rhinebeck offers family friendly neighborhoods, homes with a river or mountain views, horse properties, large estates and luxury homes, condominiums and quaint village homes.
Newspapers
The local newspapers are:
- Kingston Freeman
- Poughkeepsie Journal
- Register Star
Airports
The Mid Hudson Valley is serviced by the 3 major New York City airports in addition to regional airports in Albany, Newburgh and White Plains.
Weather
The Rhinebeck area has four distinct seasons all with their own appeal. Spring and summer bring lush green foliage to our mountains and farmlands and the river beckons boaters to enjoy the scenery. In the fall the Hudson Valley is a blaze of color and in winter our moderate snowfall is wonderful for sledding locally or skiing and snowboarding in the nearby Catskill and Berkshire mountains.
Surrounding Towns
Rhinebeck is surrounding by many other beautiful towns all with their own unique personalities. They are: Red Hook, Tivoli, Hyde Park, Germantown, Pine Plains, Clermont, Stanford and Staastburg. The major shopping centers are located in Kingston and Poughkeepsie.
The entire Hudson Valley is a great place to live, come see for yourself!
Check out the Featured Listings on my web site and do an MLS search and look at all the great possibilities. Then, give me a call at 845-224-5238 and we can get started finding you the home of your dreams.
Disclaimer: The information provided herein is supplied by Diana Corcoran and is subject to change without notice. The "Rhinebeck/Red Hook Real Estate Blog by Diana" does not guarantee or is any way responsible for its accuracy, and provides said information without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Entries on this blog represent the opinions and ideas of the author.
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