Thinking of Moving to Fishkill, NY but Aren’t Sure if It’s the Right Place for You?
Every year people from NYC consider making a move to the Hudson Valley. They are looking for an escape from the hustle of NYC and want to find a charming home “upstate”.
People are looking for a commutable, affordable town with a charming main street, nature & hiking galore, restaurants and culture.
If you are relocating from NYC and haven’t spent much time in the Hudson Valley, you likely won’t have an inkling of what the different towns are like. Towns along the Hudson River that have train service are probably top of your list if you are from NYC or out of the area and want to take the train from “upstate” to Grand Central.
When I first started coming to the Hudson Valley, I was venturing up for weekend getaways to the cute towns like Woodstock, Hudson, Germantown, Phoenicia, New Paltz and a few other cool tourist spots staying overnight in campy Airbnb’s or yurts gently nestled amongst abandoned apple orchards. I was what is classically referred to as a “citiot” – an oblivious city dweller coming up on the weekend to traipse around towns and pop into shops, almost treating them like mini-museums, where Hudson Valley artists sell their authentic creations at ridiculously high prices.
Relocating to Fishkill, NY?
After living in Northern New Jersey and the Poconos for many year, I visited the town of Beacon which is just next to Fishkill at the end of 2017 to see a dreamy loft style apartment building and was hooked. Signed a lease, sold my home, and landed in Beacon just in time for spring. This was a couple of years before the Hudson Valley housing market took off during the pandemic.
While it did take some time to get used to the slower pace of life and the change of nearby amenities, it has been a happy adjustment – one I don’t regret making!
One of the things that has struck me most about the Hudson Valley, Fishkill & Beacon is the breathtaking scenery. Even in winter, the sunsets, natural beauty and brooks running alongside meandering country roads bring me so much joy. It’s hard to keep my eyes on the road sometimes when confronted with the abundance of natural beauty in the area.
Living in the Hudson Valley is so different than a weekend or week long getaway. If you are thinking of relocating to Fishkill because it is a little more affordable than Beacon, I recommend staying at an Airbnb or hotel for a few days to explore the area and see if it is a good fit for you. In my experience, it takes about a year to adjust to a new area – especially if you are from somewhere more densely populated.
What I missed in the first year of living in the Hudson Valley was the convenience of choice when it came to shopping & dining out. Having choices is something that most people crave and want to find in their hometown or the region they are living. The pace of life is slower in Fishkill, Beacon & the entire Hudson Valley than it is in NYC & Northern New Jersey, but you get to wake up to a beautiful area with plenty to do and great people to become friends with. The population density was also a major adjustment. I was used to so many more people and so many different cultures melding together. That was probably the biggest adjustment overall.
Is Fishkill, NY a Good Place to Live? Should YOU Move to Fishkill, NY?
There is a lot to consider when deciding if someplace is “good” or not – and good is subjective anyway. As I mentioned above, my #1 recommendation before relocating to an area is to visit it multiple times and see if the things you enjoy doing are available. Personally, I like having a good coffee shop with pastries nearby – check! I prefer shopping at Trader Joe’s (the closest one is in Danbury or Northern NJ) so this is possible, but it takes a while to get there.
I like having a lot of options when it comes to dining out. I prefer food from many cultures – like Ethiopian and middle eastern fare. Beacon has a stellar Palestinian restaurant, but there isn’t an Ethiopian place that I know of nearby. But there is Greek, Indian, Thai, Italian & American food in Fishkill, and Wappingers Falls which is the next town up from Fishkill has a few other choices like authentic Chinese & Korean food. Newburgh has Hudson Taco which has stunning views of the Hudson River. There are some great food options in the area, but there aren’t any Michelin Star restaurants in Dutchess County.
Art and a creative culture is important to me. The Hudson Valley in general has more art than it can handle – art, artists and art events are all over the place. You can’t go 24 hours without having some way to engage in the arts community. Fishkill doesn’t have a thriving art scene, but Beacon & Wappingers Falls make up for it. You can also head across the river to Newburgh for more art and an amazing arts supply store.
What about education? Yep… there are quite a few colleges in the Hudson Valley. If you want to pursue a degree or go to events at a college, you can do that. The Fishkill school district is also rated well if you have kids that need a public education.
I get asked a lot of the Hudson Valley or specific towns are gay friendly, open to mixed race couples and similar questions.
My personal experience in the Hudson Valley and the towns in Dutchess County specifically – like Fishkill – have been positive. As an openly gay woman, I haven’t had a bad experience. I can’t speak for everyone, but overall the communities in all of the Hudson Valley are welcoming and open. This doesn’t mean there isn’t the odd person out there who isn’t kind and welcoming, but I haven’t personally experienced any negativity.
Things to Consider When Buying a Home in or Relocating to Fishkill, NY
Fishkill is a centrally located town in southern Dutchess County with more affordable housing – than Beacon. If you are thinking of moving to Beacon, Fishkill may be a good option if your budget is $100K lower than Beacon’s average which is hovering just over $500K right now.
It has a climbing median household income and education levels that are also rising as more and more people with higher paying jobs relocate to the area.
Many of the people who built homes and raised families in Fishkill in the past 30-50 years are downsizing or relocating out of the area. There is some new construction, but most of the homes are older – and a lot of the homes are the raised ranch style.
Many of the homes in Fishkill, NY that are not “new construction” may need updating if you are interested in personalizing the interior to your own aesthetic. However, with home prices being more “average” for towns that are commutable to NYC, hopefully Fishkill makes sense for your budget and you can make the upgrades you desire.
My Experience in Fishkill, NY
My real estate office was on Main Street in Fishkill and for many years I was there eating lunch, dinner or having happy hour many times a month. I do my grocery shopping at Nature’s Pantry on 52 or Adam’s Fairacre Market weekly.
I’m still in Fishkill ALL THE TIME 🙂 because it’s a place you have to go through to get most places. Fishkill is a very convenient place to live if you need to access the highway and travel out of the area.
Fishkill is part of my daily life as a Beacon resident as everything seems to go through Fishkill if you live in the area. If you are heading north to Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park, Rhinebeck or heading east to Connecticut or eastern Dutchess County, you’ll drive through Fishkill. Going west? You’ll drive through Fishkill.
People who live in Beacon do a lot of their day to day shopping in Fishkill as it has more of the traditional shopping centers and places to buy bulk items and groceries.
There is also a public driving range and golf course in Fishkill next to Home Depot.
Click Here to Search for Homes in Fishkill, NY
Pros and Cons of Fishkill, NY
Point #1 – Location of Fishkill
Fishkill, NY is in Dutchess County and sits across a portion of I-84 east of the Hudson River so it’s considered southern Dutchess County. It technically surrounds Beacon to the South. Wappingers Falls is to the west and north and Hopewell Junction is to the East.
Fishkill, NY is east of the Hudson River and about 30 minutes from the Connecticut/NY border.
People google “What’s the zip code in Fishkill, New York” so for what it’s worth, there are two zip codes in Fishkill, 12524 and 12527. 12524 covers most of Fishkill and 12527 covers the Glenham area which borders parts of Beacon.
Point #2 – Population & Housing in Fishkill
Fishkill has about 24,000 people living in its borders and covers about 32 square miles.
There is a lot more land for people to spread out on than its neighboring city of Beacon so you’ll find homes on larger lots in many places than you would if you were looking at houses in Beacon.
Fishkill’s population has risen and is continuing to rise as newer homes and townhome communities are being built within its boundaries.
Point #3 – Shopping in Fishkill
Fishkill is mostly suburban neighborhoods, however there is a cute Main Street area with quite a few restaurants and bars where you can get Greek food, Sushi, Craft Beer and German food, Pizza as well as traditional American or Steak and Italian food.
Fishkill has public parking behind Main Street so it’s generally easy to find parking within a block or two if not directly on Main Street.
Fishkill has sections of traditional shopping where you can find Panera, Starbucks, Walmart, Chipotle, 5 Guys and quite a few nicer hotels. Fishkill seems to be the hotel hub for the area since it borders I-84 and is a good spot for people to stop.
There is also a Home Depot in Fishkill which makes getting home projects completed much easier since you don’t have to drive far to buy what you need.
Point #4 – Working in Fishkill or Commuting out of Fishkill
Salary.com has a great comparison of Fishkill vs other cities in the US. Check out their statistic here.
Fishkill has a large GAP Distribution & Warehouse Facility which employs a lot of people in the area.
Otherwise, there’s the usual smattering of jobs like in any town – professional jobs, trades, banks, hotels, restaurants, part time and full time positions in offices, etc. and plenty of commuters. The average median household income is $86,000 per year.
People also commute out of Fishkill to work.
It’s not directly on a train line, but the Beacon and New Hamburg train stops are about 10 minutes away by car. If you are commuting to NYC, you’ll have to plan an extra 10-15 minutes into your commute to account for the drive time to and from the train station.
The train from New Hamburg to Grand Central Station takes 1:36 minutes.
Point #5 – Education in Fishkill
For higher education, you’ll drive a short distance to Poughkeepsie for Marist, Vassar or the Culinary Institute.
Dutchess Community College is opening/has opened a campus on I-84 and Route 9 so it’s convenient for people in southern Dutchess County to pursue higher learning.
To see if the public schools work for your family, I recommend doing some research for their rankings. Each family has different expectations on how they want to educate their kids or what is a suitable ranking so I recommend doing some research on the public or private schools to see if they work for you.
The Pros of Living in Fishkill, NY
Easy to commute: Fishkill is a good spot to be if you are working out of the area – like Westchester or Putnam County – the Taconic, I-84, & Route 9 are right there making commuting easier – or you can drive over to New Hamburg which is 10 minutes or so and grab the Hudson Line and go to Grand Central within an hour and forty minutes.
Housing: House prices and house taxes are less expensive than Beacon which is the next town over or 5 minutes away – so you can get more house for less money.
Fishkill’s homes tend to be larger than many homes in Beacon because the style of housing is generally newer, and you’ll find some newer construction neighborhoods with larger houses or townhomes within Fishkill’s borders.
Where Beacon has homes that were built more for factory workers – smaller and closer together – Fishkill’s homes were built to accommodate the “modern family” who wanted more space and larger yards.
Fishkill does have historic farmhouses throughout its borders and a smaller historic district walking distance to Main Street’s restaurants.
Fishkill also has a lot of townhomes & apartments to support a more affordable price point than a single family home.
Shopping: Fishkill has more traditional shopping centers where you can get your big box items – like Walmart – or buy groceries at a larger grocery store like Shoprite.
Gyms: if you want to go to a larger gym like Gold’s Gym or All Sport, you’re good to go!
Food: Fishkill has a large variety of food – including Thai, Indian, Italian, Greek, American, Sushi, Steakhouses and your usual bagel shops, deli’s & chain restaurants
Transportation: Stewart International Airport is just across the Hudson River in Newburgh and the Westchester Airport has direct flights to some places in Florida if you are itching to get away without having to go to JFK, LGA or EWR.
The Dutchess County Buses also run in Fishkill making public transportation accessible if needed.
Sports: The Yankees minor league baseball team, The Renegades, is in the next town over, Wappingers Falls. The stadium is easy to get to, and it’s a lot of fun watching the games. Tickets and parking are affordable. If you like baseball, this is a great place to catch the game!
Vibe: Fishkill has a laid back vibe and people are friendly.
The Con’s of Living in Fishkill, NY
Outdoor Adventure: If you want to walk out of your front door and head up the mountain like in Beacon, you won’t be able to do that in most of Fishkill. There is a neighborhood that shares a zip code with Beacon but is technically Fishkill for taxes where you can do this – so if you are looking for Fishkill taxes and Beacon hiking – you’ll want to explore that option. Call me for details!
There are also some hiking trails in Fishkill, but you’ll have to drive to get there. While that’s not a big deal, a lot of people like the convenience of Beacon’s trails and hikes.
Traffic: There is a lot more traditional traffic in Fishkill than Beacon which has tourist traffic on the weekends. Main Street in Fishkill or Highway 52 funnels between Route 9 and I-84 so there are many times during the day that you’ll be in a long line of traffic on Main Street.
Art & Culture: Fishkill doesn’t have the same art and culture scene as neighboring Beacon, but since Beacon is 5 minutes away you can always head over there to go to a gallery opening or the Howland Cultural Center for events.
Wappingers Falls is next to Fishkill and has an up and coming art scene and a community theater.
Also, Vassar and Marist colleges are 20 minutes north in Poughkeepsie so you can also find what you are looking for just a few minutes north.
Storm King art center is just across the river near Cornwall & Newburgh which is on the way to Cornwall has a thriving art scene as well.
Moving to Fishkill, NY and Wondering if Fishkill, NY is a Good Place to Live?
Fishill is a great place to buy a home if you are looking for a relaxed town that has more affordable housing than neighboring Beacon. Many people who want to move to Beacon end up in Fishkill because of the housing options being more in line with their budget.
Fishkill does have a cute Main Street area where you can grab a bite to eat from a broad array of restaurants.
Fishkill also has more options when it comes to shopping and gyms and a variety of neighborhoods.
Buying a Home in Fishkill, NY?
I hope this recap of Fishkill has been helpful!
If you are moving to Fishkill, please reach out to me – I’m a local real estate agent in Dutchess County and help buyers and sellers in Fishkill and the surrounding Hudson Valley.
I’m happy to help you with your home search or answer any questions you may have regarding buying a home in Fishkill or the area.
Tags: moving to fishkill ny, relocating to fishkill ny, living in fishkill ny, pros and cons of fishkill ny
