Page 35 - Westchester Relocation Guide 2021

DUTCHESS COUNTY
Dutchess County boasts wide appeal. Students flock here to study at Bard, Vassar, Dutchess Community College, and Marist, which debuted its Steel Plant fashion studio and makerspace in 2019, while young families from NYC take advantage of the reasonable home prices. Metro-North and Amtrak connect popular towns like Beacon, Hyde Park, Poughkeepsie, and Rhinebeck, which boast big-ticket historic and cultural attractions, as well as stylish boutique shops, big-box stores, and first-class dining.
Dia:Beacon
Known for its world-class museums, Dutchess is home to the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, Presidential Library and Museum, as well as the Vanderbilt Mansion, one of the region’s oldest Hudson River estates. Cultural institutions include art-filled Dia:Beacon and Revel 32°, a new live-music venue that debuted in Poughkeepsie in late 2019. Historic sites include the ruined Bannerman Castle, accessible by kayak tour, while the younger set will enjoy the award-winning Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, with STEM programming just steps from Walkway Over The Hudson — the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge with stunning, panoramic views.
The Hyde Park-based Culinary Institute of America cultivates talented chefs who often go on to enhance the county’s rich dining culture. Dutchess also pours some of the Valley’s finest
Farm Brewery, Sloop Brewing Co., and cultish Hudson Valley Brewery. For an overnight stay, secret hotel The Dutchess is a rustic retreat with a serious, farm- to-table dining program, while much- hyped Mirbeau Inn & Spa Rhinebeck offers French-inspired character and a luxurious, 12,000 sq. ft. spa.
Through the year, festivals and seasonal events are a big part of the county’s charm. The 160-year-old Dutchess County Fairgrounds hosts the Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival and one of the state’s largest country fairs each summer. Family-run farms offer pick-your-own produce from
Marist College, Poughkeepsie
suds at craft breweries such as Plan Bee
June through November, with harvest celebrations such as the Fall Festival at Barton Orchards in Poughquag.
Come October, things get spooky at Kevin McCurdy’s Haunted Mansion in Wappingers Falls, one of the most interactive scream parks around. In Rhinebeck, the annual Sinterklaas Festival Day ushers in the holiday season with family-friendly entertainment, music, and decorations.
Mirbeau Inn & Spa, Rhinebeck
DID YOU KNOW?
In 1944, there were two opposing presidential candidates with homes in Dutchess County: Franklin D. Roosevelt of Hyde Park and Thomas E. Dewey of Pawling. As we well know, incumbent Roosevelt won.
LIVING IN WESTCHESTER AND THE HUDSON VALLEY | RELOCATION & MOVING GUIDE 33
© COURTESY OF MIRBEAU INN & SPA RHINEBECK © MARIST COLLEGE/CARLO DEJESUS
© BILL JACOBSON STUDIO, NEW YORK. COURTESY DIA ART FOUNDATION, NEW YORK