Riverbend in Peekskill (Hudson: condos, how much, townhome)

[ThomB]

Does anyone know what it is like to live in this development? The units seem nice and the proximity to Metro-North and Route 9 is certainly a plus. But, are the units quiet inside? Do you hear your neighbors above, below and beside you or are the walls and floors sufficiently sound-proofed? Also, just how bad is the noise from the railroad? Both the NY Times and LoHud have had articles about Riverbend residents complaining about the train horns. Does the nearby convent ring any church bells regularly?

I appreciate any insight anyone may have. Thanks!

[BRally]

I've been wondering about that place myself. Great looking complex, but not exactly surrounded by the greatest neighborhood.

Besides the train station, you've also got that municipal station and the baseball stadium down the block. And aren't they supposed to build a Target on Louisa Street? Is Riverbend insulated from all that noise somehow like soundproof barriers or something like that?

[ThomB]

I forgot about Target, BRally...whatever happened to that? I did not see any soundproof walls outside when I checked out the development. They should have used them by the railroad, but that would probably block the view of the river which was supposed to be one of the selling points of the place.

Does anyone know what these units are like inside in terms of noise? I have been to many condos where the walls were so flimsy, you can clearly understand your neighbors' normal conversations as if they were in your own unit! What are these units like?

[dma1250]

Peekskill is seeing a lot of new development. Riverbend is a block away from the site of The Peekskill Brewery, which is scheduled to open in the spring. Based on the website, this looks like it will be great.

Welcome to The Peekskill Brewery

[ThomB]

So, this means that if the neighbors and the train are too noisy, a Riverbend resident should head to the brewery, get sloshed and then walk home where you fall asleep by passing out?!? LOL

Seriously, I thought the whole area around the train station was being demolished for some stores and more condos. Yet, this brewery looks like it is being built in an existing structure. Any news on what's going on with the redevelopment there?

And, if anyone can answer my original Riverbend question, I would really appreciate it!

[dma1250]

Originally Posted by ThomB

So, this means that if the neighbors and the train are too noisy, a Riverbend resident should head to the brewery, get sloshed and then walk home where you fall asleep by passing out?!? LOL

Seriously, I thought the whole area around the train station was being demolished for some stores and more condos. Yet, this brewery looks like it is being built in an existing structure. Any news on what's going on with the redevelopment there?

No, this means that residents will have a really fun, cool gourmet restaurant and bar just a few steps from their house. Along with the Peekskill Coffee House, Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Paramount Center for the Arts, and multiple restaurants and galleries, the new brewery will add to the vitality of the city. These are the reasons that many people are buying houses in the city.

The brewery will be in one of the historic structures by the riverfront park, near the train station. An old warehouse is currently being converted into housing down the road. Peekskill is very committed to maintaining its historic buildings and there were never any plans to knock down these beautiful buildings and put up a development in their place.

The new development is planned for the empty land further north, but the plans are on hold. The new mayor and town council (and most residents) are opposed to the plans. Last I heard, the town was in talks with the developer (Ginsburg) about rethinking the development.

As for noise in Riverbend, it is sandwiched between a highway and train tracks. I'd expect noise. And it is crappy new sheetrock construction, so I'd expect interior noise too.

[ThomB]

I recall reading about the waterfront development plans when Testa spoke about it sometime last year. I could not believe how they wanted to build condos literally right next to the railroad - much closer than even the Riverbend condos are. Honestly, didn't anyone at Ginsburg consider that maybe people don't want to have a train frequently zooming by literally right outside their windows? You could expect that along some of the elevated subway lines in NYC's dicier neighborhoods, not from a "high-end" development in the 'burbs. I have noticed that some homes have been torn down where the new parking garage is supposed to be erected. Is that still a go at this point?

As for Riverbend, have you - or anyone else - been in these condos now that they are occupied? I realize most condos are "cardboardminiums," but I was wondering if Riverbend - touted as "luxury" - is better than the norm when it comes to indoor and outdoor noise insulation.

[Susan McDonald]

I have lived in Riverbend in Peekskill for three years. The train and route 9 can be noisy, especially at rush hour, but if your windows are closed, you can barely hear anything, After awhile, I stopped noticing the train all together. As for neighbor noise, I NEVER hear anyone. I've asked my downstairs neighbor several times if she can hear any noise and she told me the only time she hears anything, is when someone flushes the powder room tiolet, then she can hear the water running thru the pipes. That's it. The units are separated by chipcrete, which not only helps prevent noise, but is also keeps a fire from spreading if one should ever occur. As for Target, noone has heard a thing about it since Mayor Testa left office. The same thing goes for any redevelopment near or around the train station. I guess you'd have to ask the new Peekskill administration about that. Right now, noone is saying anything. I, personally, think it's a great place to live!

[ThomB]

Thank you so much for responding, Susan. I was beginning to think this thread was dormant. I appreciate your reply.

If you don't mind, I would appreciate if you could answer a few more questions:

Do you hear any noise from the ballpark on Louisa? I read that a minor league team from Connecticut relocated there and wondered how much noise and traffic they create in the area.

Does the adjacent convent ring any bells? I cannot imagine the nuns themselves are noisy (!), but I certainly do not appreciate hearing church bells so close while sleeping at 7 AM on a Sunday morning!

You mentioned that your downstairs neighbor does not hear you. Do you hear your neighbors beside you (the units left and right of yours)? I have been to some condos where you can clearly hear your neighbors casually talking through the wall without even straining to listen.

Thanks again for responding. As you can tell, I like Riverbend. But, since land is cheaper, most condo developments are bult in undesirable areas. The Riverbend complex and units look great, but I am wary of its location near the highway, train station, railroad, ballpark, Indian Point, etc. I want to be as certain as I can that wherever I live, I will not be up all night from the noise outside and listening to my neighbors through the walls of adjoining units.

If you would prefer e-mailing me instead of posting here, please check my profile. Thanks again for your help!

[Shinywalrus]

Originally Posted by ThomB

Thank you so much for responding, Susan. I was beginning to think this thread was dormant. I appreciate your reply.

If you don't mind, I would appreciate if you could answer a few more questions:

Do you hear any noise from the ballpark on Louisa? I read that a minor league team from Connecticut relocated there and wondered how much noise and traffic they create in the area.

Does the adjacent convent ring any bells? I cannot imagine the nuns themselves are noisy (!), but I certainly do not appreciate hearing church bells so close while sleeping at 7 AM on a Sunday morning!

You mentioned that your downstairs neighbor does not hear you. Do you hear your neighbors beside you (the units left and right of yours)? I have been to some condos where you can clearly hear your neighbors casually talking through the wall without even straining to listen.

Thanks again for responding. As you can tell, I like Riverbend. But, since land is cheaper, most condo developments are bult in undesirable areas. The Riverbend complex and units look great, but I am wary of its location near the highway, train station, railroad, ballpark, Indian Point, etc. I want to be as certain as I can that wherever I live, I will not be up all night from the noise outside and listening to my neighbors through the walls of adjoining units.

If you would prefer e-mailing me instead of posting here, please check my profile. Thanks again for your help!

I also lived (until this month) in Riverbend, so I might be helpful as well.

The noise from the passing trains varies based on your unit. Units on Northview Ct., which are positioned on the Northern edge of the complex, tend to bear the brunt of the noise, primarily because the trains must sound their horns as they proceed past the bend in the rails approaching or leaving the Peekskill station on the north side. If you are toward the south end of the complex, your noise situation will be worse. But it can be a nuisance - like any such nuisance, you grow accustomed to it based on your own ability to do so, but it's real. The highway, on the other hand, generates very little noise.

As to the comments about "crappy sheetrock", I would disagree. Sound insulation between units is substantially better than most townhome communities. I do not hear my neighbors or their dogs. The construction is not shoddy by any stretch of the imagination, either. On the north side of the community, I have never noticed any noise from the ball park. I didn't even know it was there.

The convent does ring their bells, but they're not especially loud, and they refrain from ringing them at ungodly hours of the day. I would not characterize it as obtrusive.

The community itself is positioned better than you might think - the train station is also adjacent to the park on the riverfront, which is quite nice - the surrounding community is not one of the worse parts of Peekskill, so I wouldn't overstate that either.

In terms of negatives, many Riverbend residents bear, for some reason I cannot understand, an unwarranted sense of snobbishness. This is one of those communities where, if you leave your trash can out one day too long, your neighbors may take it to your front door to prove a message. This is a community where, if you accidentally leave your garage door open, you'll find a note slipped under your door by a neighbor who didn't take kindly to your unsightly boxes. It's an island in Peekskill, to be sure, with nice, well built homes with very nice amenities and reasonable prices (for Westchester). But as a 20-something professional commuting in, to have a place in Peekskill make me consider the neighbors I had in Midtown more down-to-earth was a bit of a surprise.