Poughkeepsie

I lived in Poughkeepsie for three years. Outside of town is very pretty, and you can tryly enjoy nature and the change of seasons. In the town of Poughkeepsie the schools are excellent. In contrast the city is really a dump, with criminal elements and very few things to enjoy. (Bardavon theater is nice)
Poughkeespie has a typical suburban feel to it, with not a lot of originality, and lots of chain restaurants and stores.
The winters are cold with a lot of snow and not much to do.
I would say it’s worth visiting but not staying, since it can get pretty boring after a while.

I am moving to Poughkeepsie for a (very good) job. Can anyone tell me which neighborhoods/areas are safe and which to avoid?

1985, My good friend Shawn Haarer once worked for Intel there. He is now a teacher in the Rochester, NY area. Maybe someday I’ll get to go there as well.

Today i revisted the Dutchess County Department of Public Health on Main Street. If you’re in the area, the lot behind the building doesn’t say it’s free, but during the day, no one pays. Not that it’s a lot of money, but the box wouldn’t even take my quarter. I imagine it could be different during an event or something though.

I moved to Poughkeepsie from South Florida earlier this year. This place is like a breath of fresh air and I love it here. What I don’t understand is why so many people seem to have such a negative opinion about this city. This is a geographically beautiful place. Tree-lined streets, rolling hills, quiet neighborhoods, beautiful Hudson River views. Tons of historic sites, old mansions, gardens, and parks. How about all of farms, orchards and vineyards just over the river in Ulster County, and the Shawangunks, the Catskills, Mohonk Preserve. Close enough to New York City to enjoy world-class shopping, dining, and every possible cultural attraction. Even commutable to NYC by train. Home to several fine educational institutions – Vassar College, Marist, the Culinary Institute, not to mention some top-rated public school districts. Seems to me that this would be a great place to raise a family. Every community has it’s share of crime, homelessness, drug-dealers, dead malls, and run-down buildings. It amazes me how people complain about the “horrible traffic” on Route 9. Try commuting to work on I-95 every day in South Florida, seeing at least 1 car wreck a day, taking more than an hour to drive 30 miles. Try going out to dinner in Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale and waiting 2 hours for a table. Fight the crowds in the grocery stores, stock up on bottled water, and board up your house every other weekend for 6 months out of the year to “prepare” for hurricanes. Then hide in your closet in the dark with no electricity while mother nature blows your roof off. The Pok locals say, “Wait until winter.” Tell you what… I’ll take snow, ice and bitter cold weather, along with the spring flowers, mild summers, and spectacular fall colors the rest of the year. Poughkeepsie is lovely.