By Vanessa Saunders, MBA, MIMC, Broker Owner, Global Property Systems Real Estate.
Putnam County in the Lower Hudson Valley of New York, located north of Westchester, south of Dutchess county, and separated from Orange County to the west by the Hudson River. Its location, with easy access to the Taconic Parkway, makes it a popular commute by car for people working in White Plains and the Westchester area.
Much of the county maintains its rural atmosphere. Hilly roads snake through forests lined with 200-year-old stone walls, beside pastures where horses graze, and around numerous ponds and lakes. But the county’s rural feel hides a surprising fact: It is one of the most affluent counties in America, ranked 21st by median household income, and 43rd by per-capita income, according to the 2012 American Community Survey and 2009-2013 American Community Survey, respectively.
There are six towns and three incorporated villages in Putnam County. Carmel, population 34,300, is the county seat., and is known for its historic courthouse and high school, which serves grades 9–12. Within Carmel is the village of Mahopac, which like Putnam County in general. is steeped in Revolutionary War history.
Putnam County maintains its status as a popular escape for Manhattanites and city residents. Cold Spring, on the far western edge of the county and overlooking West Point across the Hudson, is one of the area’s popular day trip destinations. It’s four-block long main street is lined with quaint shops and trendy restaurants. For those seeking the great outdoors, a good portion of the 14,086-acre Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park lies to the south in Putnam Valley, along with about 1,000 acres of protected land owned by the town and the Hudson Highlands Land Trust.
Residents find the county more affordable than Westchester. Property prices and taxes are significantly lower. The three major lakes — Lake Peekskill in the southwest corner, Roaring Brook Lake to the northeast and Lake Oscawana, the largest, in the middle — are the hubs of once summer-only, now year-round communities. The Continental Village section of Garrison on the Westchester/Putnam county border, is a private lake community with a sandy beach, clubhouse, tennis, playground and basketball courts.
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