Page 36 - 2023 Westchester Relocation & Moving Guide

34
LIVING IN WESTCHESTER AND THE HUDSON VALLEY | RELOCATION & MOVING GUIDE
HUDSON VALLEY
Hudson Valley Guide
ROCKLAND COUNTY
Rockland County is unparalleled when it comes to green spaces. A small but mighty county made up of 30 percent parkland, this area allows visitors to enjoy a trip to Bear Mountain, Nyack Beach, and Rockland Lake State Park all within a day. For a more leisurely itinerary, shoppers can wander the expansive Palisades Center, which is full of activities from bowling and axe throwing to escape rooms and ice skating. This historic county has it all, complete with spectacular river views and picturesque villages to explore.
Industries that thrive here include health, retail, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and research businesses, including Columbia University’s Lamont–Doher ty Ear th Observatory, while groups like the Rockland Business Women’s Network and Rockland Business Association actively suppor t the county’s lively business scene.
Outside of the 9-to-5, Rockland is heavy on waterfront and sidewalk dining, golf courses and country clubs, mom-and-pop shops, and historic sites, including The ’76 House (the oldest tavern in New York State). Valley Rock Inn & Mountain Club, which opened in Sloatsburg in 2019, is the
area’s ultimate luxury wellness retreat, with private guest houses, a pool, its own organic fields, and fitness-focused programming.
Right on the river with a charming Main Street, Nyack is a popular destination — and an endpoint for the newly opened Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Path, a three-mile, bike-and- walking pathway with scenic views of the Hudson River and public art. The walkable downtown is also home to the Edward Hopper House museum, and first-class dining, including The Greekish mezze bar, DPNB Pasta and Provisions, and Filipino Karenderya, one of Esquire’s 2018 Best New Restaurants in America.
In historic Haverstraw, visit the Haverstraw Brick Museum to learn how the town’s 42 brickyards shaped Manhattan, then grab a Wrench IPA at Industrial Arts Brewing, housed in a pre-Civil War industrial complex in Garnerville (a hamlet of Haverstraw). The town also has one of the Valley’s most scenic commutes — locals ferry across the Hudson to Ossining’s Metro- North station, and on to Grand Central via the river-view Hudson Line.
Rockland County is home to top- rated schools, with several districts (Suffern Central, Nyack, Clarkstown Central, South Orangetown, and Nanuet) ranking among the top 100 in New York State according to Niche.com. Set amid a bucolic landscape, Clarkstown ranked among the 100 best places to live in the United States — with relative affordability — by Money magazine in 2019.
BEST OF ROCKLAND
Hudson Valley Magazine
found lots to love in Rockland, including these top picks:
Best Asian Comfort Food:
Grub Asian Fusion Cuisine, West Nyack
Best Blue Grass Festival:
Bluegrass Festival & Crafts Fair, Sloatsburg
Best Place to Find Crystals and Gems:
Crystal on the Rocks, Nyack
Best Meatball Heros:
B-Balls Meatballs, Suffern
Bear Mountain State Park
The Greekish
Edward Hopper House
© COURTESY OF THE GREEKIS
© COURTESY OF EDWARD HOPPER HOUSE
© ROCKLAND COUNTY TOURISM