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Hello All!
My husband and I are both New Yorkers but we have spent the past few years in Missoula, MT and Köln, Germany. We are excited to finally return to the mid-Hudson valley. We’ve narrowed down our search to New Paltz/Gardiner or Red Hook/Tivoli. We’ve been to both areas a few times but would love advice on how the two areas differ. Here’s a little about us and what we are looking for:
Husband is a working musician who goes to NYC 1-2 each week (distance isn’t much of a problem since the commuting days are fairly minimal) and I work remotely. We have a 2.5 year old and a 5 year old so we are looking for a great school district that is as artsy-intellectual-project based as possible in this climate of standardized testing and common core structure. Aside from the arts, we want our sons to grow up with a connection to the land and spend time hiking/biking/exploring the natural world. As for a community, we are interested in a community-centered area that emphasizes family activities, arts and options for socialization. We like the idea of a walkable downtown where we can enjoy a nice meal out. We love to laugh. We are educated but not pretentious.
Knowing that, I would love to hear how the two areas differ.
A few specific questions: Is one a stronger area for families? Outdoor opportunities? Progressive politics? How do the home prices and taxes differ between the areas? How do the school districts differ?
Sounds like this may come down to a preference between the 2 and I believe that Red Hook would have better access/more options into NYC . Hopefully someone else will chime in with more specific information.
Apparently Red Hook Central High School uses "project based learning," but there is no mention of its use in elementary or middle school. Hyde Park S.D. also uses PBL- serving all grades. But most of the schools in that district are rated below average in school quality. Maybe that's why they are experimenting with PBL?
I must confess to never having heard of PBL. Educational theorists are always coming up with nutty new learning theories. Most die out eventually like OBE. I suspect that PBL is just another offshoot of the "active learning" fad.
Yes PBL is probably a fad but at least it gets kids away from worksheets for awhile. Wondering if someone can let me know about some of the differences between the New Paltz area and Red Hook area in vibe/families/local culture etc.
thanks!
Hello All!
My husband and I are both New Yorkers but we have spent the past few years in Missoula, MT and Köln, Germany. We are excited to finally return to the mid-Hudson valley. We’ve narrowed down our search to New Paltz/Gardiner or Red Hook/Tivoli. We’ve been to both areas a few times but would love advice on how the two areas differ. Here’s a little about us and what we are looking for:
Husband is a working musician who goes to NYC 1-2 each week (distance isn’t much of a problem since the commuting days are fairly minimal) and I work remotely. We have a 2.5 year old and a 5 year old so we are looking for a great school district that is as artsy-intellectual-project based as possible in this climate of standardized testing and common core structure. Aside from the arts, we want our sons to grow up with a connection to the land and spend time hiking/biking/exploring the natural world. As for a community, we are interested in a community-centered area that emphasizes family activities, arts and options for socialization. We like the idea of a walkable downtown where we can enjoy a nice meal out. We love to laugh. We are educated but not pretentious.
Knowing that, I would love to hear how the two areas differ.
A few specific questions: Is one a stronger area for families? Outdoor opportunities? Progressive politics? How do the home prices and taxes differ between the areas? How do the school districts differ?
Thank you in advance!
VK
So funny, I was in Gardiner Mon-Wed this week. Its a nice little town that I never really ventured through until this week. Personally, I'd prefer Gardiner as its really close to Minnewaska State Park (really beautiful) also I prefer the mountains on the west side of the Hudson to the east. They're just so much more majestic and wild.
I'd stay away from Ellenville, just as an FYI. That area is a dump.
The school systems are a push - New Paltz is larger with multiple elementary schools and probably has the edge on extracurriculars. Both districts are among the most highly regarded in the area. RHHS has had an IB program for years.
NP is the more affluent of the two communities. RH is more economically diverse, has more of an agricultural background, and locally known for being pretty down to earth, basically the kind of place where you are equally likely to see a Prius and an F250 on the road. You are going to get the artsy vibe from both towns but I think RH is more salt of the earth, while NP is more polished, if that makes sense.
RH has better direct access to the city (Rhinecliff Amtrak station). NP outdoor activity access is superior due to access to rock climbing in the Gunks - and the Mohonk/Minnewaska presence.
School districts in NY span multiple towns - talk to a realtor for details, but I think the RH district includes part of Columbia county, which will have lower taxes than either RH itself or the NP district as a whole.
The school systems are a push - New Paltz is larger with multiple elementary schools and probably has the edge on extracurriculars. Both districts are among the most highly regarded in the area. RHHS has had an IB program for years.
NP is the more affluent of the two communities. RH is more economically diverse, has more of an agricultural background, and locally known for being pretty down to earth, basically the kind of place where you are equally likely to see a Prius and an F250 on the road. You are going to get the artsy vibe from both towns but I think RH is more salt of the earth, while NP is more polished, if that makes sense.
RH has better direct access to the city (Rhinecliff Amtrak station). NP outdoor activity access is superior due to access to rock climbing in the Gunks - and the Mohonk/Minnewaska presence.
School districts in NY span multiple towns - talk to a realtor for details, but I think the RH district includes part of Columbia county, which will have lower taxes than either RH itself or the NP district as a whole.
I didn’t realize the NP is the more affluent. For some reason I associated RH with rhinebeck and bard and more artsy in a private school way. Perhaps I’m wrong! Thanks for the insight. Much appreciated.
New Paltz is great. Leans liberal, but it is a college town. And as such, does have some college town issues like hoardes of drunk kids roaming the streets and some noisy and annoying off campus housing issues but that's mostly within the main drag area. Off the beaten path it's nice and quiet. It's a little pricey but not too terrible. For a minimal commute to NYC it's doable. Would get old quick if you had to do it more than a few times a week.
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