Rockland County Route 9w's Blog

New Construction in Upper Nyack

rocklandcounty9w — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:32:19 +0000

Just a little North of Barz on 9w is a new construction project. The Riverton developement boasts 19, 4 and 5 bedroom homes in their site plan. All 19 are not up yet however their is enough done to give you a good idea of how the community will look.

The land has been cleared to provide the new homeowners with a view of the Hudson. Currently, Zillow.com lists # 3 Riverton Drive at $1,429,000. This home has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 4,023 sq ft. http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3-Riverton-Dr-Nyack-NY-10960/2138962450_zpid/ If you get a chance to look at the link you’ll see that the builder included in all the bells and whistles that you could ever want. Speaking of the Builder…these homes were built by Wilder Balter. Wilder Balter decided to “go green” in 2006. The upswing , of course, is that these homes all incorporate up to date energy efficiency into their designs. You can learn more about the homes and the builder by visiting their website at www.rivertonhomes.com or better still…drop by. There is a model home available to tour. Give them a call!

You’ve seen the sign……

rocklandcounty9w — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:33:09 +0000

You’ve seen the sign. You’ve probably passed it a million times. Have you ever wondered what Barz is??

Barz, located at 327 Route 9w in Upper Nyack, is “Rockland County’s only Alternative Nightspot” according to their website. Barz is open Tuesday thru Sunday from 8pm to 4am. If you check out their website, www.barz1.com , you will see that they have a lot going on there. The October calendar is posted and virtually every night of the week there is something planned. For example, Tuesday is Latin Night, Thursday is Karaoke and Wednesday is Gay Bingo. With Halloween on the horizon, there are plenty of activities, including a costume party. Don’t count on them for dinner fare, Barz offers only light pub style food such as wings, fries and poppers.

Check us out on NyackNewsandViews.com!

rocklandcounty9w — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:29:45 +0000

Our blog got a little coverage on a great site. Check out http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2009/10/9wblog/

A hidden gem of real estate in Nyack

rocklandcounty9w — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:03:35 +0000

Just Past Nyack hospital and almost across the street from Children of America Childcare (see last post) is a hidden gem of real estate. Nestled into the westside of 9w, cut in amongst many mature trees, is a small community of townhouses known as Village Gate. Village Gate is a great complex for those that need easy access to the TZ Bridge or perhaps work at Nyack Hospital. Mass transit is easily accessible from just outside the complex.

Village Gate

While supply of real estate inventory is abundant in Rockland County, there are no current active listings in MLS in the Village Gate Complex. It should be noted that there may be some For Sale By Owner units available. More surprising than that is that at the time of this posting there has been only 1 unit sold this year. That unit was a 2/3 bedroom townhouse with 3 baths, granite in the kitchen and stainless steel appliances. The listing went on the market on 2/16/09 for $500,000 and by 3/2/08 there was an accepted offer. The unit sold for $480,000. Based on the law of supply and demand, it’s probably safe to say that there is a long line of people waiting to purchase in there. By the way, if you are looking for a view of the Hudson, many of the upper units do offer that.

If you are interested in learning more about this complex you can access great info via www.zillow.com . Just enter ‘Village Gate Way, Nyack NY” into the search field.

Next up - Ever pass a place called “Barz” and wonder what it was? Stay tuned…..

Looking for Childcare in Nyack area?

rocklandcounty9w — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 02:04:22 +0000

One of the most daunting experiences, for a parent, is choosing a child care facility. First time parents probably have it the worst but it doesn’t get much better as you have more children. Really, once you find your perfect fit, most families will stay at the same center.

In Rockland, from town to town, you will find a number of small child care centers. They range in size, offerings and price. More recently there have been a few “franchise” centers popping up. KinderCare, TutorTime and now, Children of America.

Children of America has a location at 265 Route 9W. Currently in NY, this is the only Children of America Center but there are 4 more in the works. Three of these are in Westchester County, but the fourth will be in Stony Point, also on 9W. Let’s see how quickly they get it up and running. Will I make it to Stony Point before it opens? hmmmm?

Children of America

For Nyack, this is the first Day Care Center of its kind. The Center cares for children ages 6 weeks – 12 years old. The curriculum is impressive and delivers a balance of education, socialization skills, fitness and artistic expression. The company started in 1999. One might like the fact that Children of America offers internet video surveillance for parent monitoring. Funny, I’m just thinking of a first time parent at their computer at work, calling the coworkers around saying, “Oh, look at little Billy! Isn’t he so cute when he sleeps!?!!” Pan the camara on all the co-workers rolling their eyes. Anyway, they do also offer an advanced security system using PIN technology. This is a far cry from when I would pull up to my day care center, honk the horn, and my son would come running out.

Children of America is in a newly constructed building on the right as you drive north with plenty of parking on the premises.

Next, we’ll talk a little Real Estate ….

Nyack Hospital

rocklandcounty9w — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:54:37 +0000

Nyack Hospital

Located right on 9w, just off of Route 59, Nyack Hospital is one of Rocklands two major hospitals. Formed in 1895 and originally funded by the proceeds of a town fair, the hospital is a not-for-profit, 375-bed acute care facility. It is affiliated with the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System and the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Nyack Hospital houses specialty centers for cancer care, stroke, pediatrics, joint replacement, sleep studies, wound care, and women’s wellness. It treats more than 36,000 patients each year in its emergency room. The hospital has a staff of more than 650 doctors and surgeons.

I have been there on a few occasions…mostly to utilize their Pediatric Emergency Room. This is a godsend to any parent. If your child needs attention you need not wait in the main emergency room. There is a separate area just for children. Anyone who has ever brought a child to the ER will appreciate this. The children are seen by a completely separate group of doctors and nurses. You wait time most times would be minimum. I always found the staff, doctors, nurses, to be very pleasant.

Our proximity to NY City gives those that live in the county the ability to go into the city should they need specialty care. For a fall off a ladder, a broken …anything, this is your place to go.

Feel free to write in and share your experience.

A quick stop at Pals

rocklandcounty9w — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:44:22 +0000

If you need to grab a bite to eat before heading into Nyack Hospital you can’t miss Pals Neighborhood Bagel & Deli. It really is the only deli nearby. In fact, if you are visiting someone in the hospital, you can walk there from the main entrance. Pals maintains a captive audience because of this. Street parking is at a minimum near Pals, especially when it is during hospital visiting hours. The location has had a number of different owners thru the years.

Pals Deli

Don’t let the small exterior fool you. You would get the feeling from the outside that it might be crowded and cramped inside. In reality, the deli is open and airy. The food inside is neatly displayed and everything is very clean. I was impressed with the amount of pre-made wraps in the display case. They looked fresh and there was a good selection. Pals opens at 6am for the early breakfast crowd. They have a grill which serves up eggs in the morning and burgers and the like in the afternoon. If you are feeling brave try The Cardiac Attack. It’s 4 eggs with ham, bacon and cheese. Ugh… guess that works for some…I would be dead by noon if I ate it. (Good thing the hospital is next door.) I played it safe with a chicken salad sandwich. It was in the case and ready to go. I found it to be tasty and fresh at $5.49.

If you are interested in learning a little more, I saw that Pals has a page on Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nyack-NY/Pals-Neighborhood-Bagel-Deli/202905250149

Check it out….Oh and by the way, if you have the cardiac attack egg sandwich let me know. Bye for now!

On the road again!

rocklandcounty9w — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:29:23 +0000

Well here we are at the intersection of 9W and Route 59….I’m not gonna lie, I’m not impressed. If you were just dropped off by a Grey Hound bus at this spot, you might think about getting back on. Those “in the know” ,of course, would continue their trek down Rt. 59 into the lovely village of Nyack. Great shops, galleries, antiques and restaurants. There is very special feel here….just be careful of parking. Nyack is known for its “parking enforcers”. They have no mercy. I once ran a business luncheon at a restaurant for about 40 people. The majority of people there got parking tickets. Some were expired meters, some had expired registrations, some had expired inspections – bottom line is no one is spared. SO if you drive down there off 9w…make sure you have a pocket full of quarters and your inspection, registration, etc. are in order.

Ok so anyway…back up on 9w. The intersection is a little tired. One side has a little strip mall with a dry cleaner and a (gulp) check cashing place.

stip mall at Rt 59 and 9W

Crossing over Route 59 and heading north again up 9W…you will find a new commercial construction on one side of the road. This will be home to a new Provident Bank. Across from that is a gas station with a Mini-Mart. This a main stop for those that come over the bridge and are nearly out of gas. Also right near is Dapper Dog.

Dapper Dog

Dapper Dog just relocated onto 9W. Prior to this they were on Route 59 just off of 9W. I stopped in to check it out for you and ran into the owner Gerri. Gerri told me that they had only been there a few weeks. They had an ample supple of high end pet products. Good selection for a small shop and moderately priced. I will say that they were in a bit of a disarray but then again they had just moved after being in one location for 20 some odd years. Gerri was pleasant enough chatting about her move and such. The back of the store was bustling with a couple of employees doing grooming activities on dogs. There was that familure pet store odor. (Does that ever not exist?) Anyway, Gerri was friendly enough until we started talking about my dog. I told Gerri that my children feel in love with a dog that we found at a pet store. We felt so bad for the dog we bought it. Gerri was so upset about this and let me know for sure! Well, I didn’t much let it bother me. I took it as coming from a woman with a passion for animals. Well, I did a little research on the place and found a couple of sites with postings from people that called her rude. I will tell you that I can understand where these people are coming from BUT let’s all agree….we want her to love the dog/cat….not the owner per say. I wouldn’t want to bring my pet to a place where the owner was a great “people person” but when you left, couldn’t care less about the pet. Gerri, after she beat me with a wet noodle, took me to the back of the store where she had a couple of dogs that she had rescued. She told me all about them, their story and was not pushy about me taking one home at that moment. I admired her conviction to save pets that needed rescue. She should be applauded for her efforts in that regard. I left with her business card in my hand. I would feel confident about calling her for advice on my pet for sure.

Tomorrow…..let’s step across the street to the deli that’s there. I’ll tell you what they have and did you know how close we are to Nyack Hospital? Really close!

See you tomorrow.

The next 3 miles on 9w…real estate alley!

rocklandcounty9w — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:26:01 +0000

The next 3 miles on 9w heading north offer absolutely nothing in terms of businesses. (It should be noted, however, that there is a clearly marked sign for the Business District of Piermont. If you follow the signs, you will be taken down into Piermont where there is a lovely collection of shops and restaurants. ) One could not possibly miss the potpourri of Real Estate Broker signs that line the 3 mile stretch to the area of the NYS Thruway. Piermont offers a few condo/townhouse areas. There is a complex called, The Overlook at Piermont, which are newly renovated 1 and 2 bedroom apartments. I believe a 1 bedroom was around 1,700. (Check out their website for all the details) A little further north you will find the older and reasonably priced, Lawrence Park Condo Complex and The Roundtree Condo Complex. Both of them often have units available. As I drove North, I counted 10 real estate For Sale signs. The stretch of Real Estate in this area is prime and screams, “Location, Location, Location.” On the 9w corridor the views, in most cases, are of the glorious Hudson River or sometimes the Tappan Zee Bridge. Here’s a pic I took which should give you an idea of the view…….

View from a 9W property

You can somewhat see that there is quiet a slope in this area. Most of the homes have tiered gardens. If excavation is not possible, many properties added lovely decks so that they could enjoy the view. It should be mentioned that parking for these properties can be a challenge. Considering the terrain, I am sure you can imagine the challenge of a family with more than one car. Many homeowners carve out a little part of the property up top just off the road and have a little path or driveway down to the house. The drawback of living on 9w would be the constant traffic. 9w is a double yellow line roadway thus there is a steady stream of traffic. I am quite confident that for many, the benefits of the beautiful view outweigh some of the sounds of the cars.

So how much does it cost to own one of these properties? Well, in Piermont there is a 3 bedroom, 3 bath home, 3,000 sq. ft, built in 1955 with river views, listed at 1,375,000. Further North, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, built in 2007 listed at 1,445,000. You get the idea…you are looking at properties over 1 million.

Location, location!

So…you’re asking….is there anything under a mil? The answer is, yes. Of course, you get what you pay for. In S.Nyack, 895,000, will get you a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath home that was built in 1890. Oh and by the way, it’s listed as a cottage. (To me it looked like a log cabin)

Well enough about real estate for now. Tomorrow we will cross over into the Nyack/Upper Nyack area. See you then!

Hello world!

rocklandcounty9w — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:09:09 +0000

Rockland County New York is quite varied in what it can offer to a resident or a traveler. To demonstrate this, I will be exploring the 9W corridor. I will begin at the Southern end, just over the New Jersey border and make my way North. Along the way, I will stop, explore, eat, take pictures, talk to people, look at a little real estate and report back to you what I have learned.

I drove down to the NJ border today, as we had beautiful weather, and started to explore…..

: Welcome to NY!

Driving North on Route 9W you first come to the area known as Palisades. According to Wikipedia,“Palisades, formerly known as Sneden’s Landing and then Rockland, is a hamlet in the Town of Orangetown Rockland County, New York.

The hamlet has no mayor, nor any official legislative bodies. It does, however, have its own library, and post office, with the zip code 10964. It is almost entirely residential with the exception of a small industrial area section on the Tappan border. The area commonly referred to as Snedens Landing, is located within the eastern portion of Palisades between US Route 9W and the Hudson River.”

There is a lovely Day Spa located in Palisades by the name Welda. Welda offers skin care and message services. It also has a shop that sells the Welda name products. The spa is on the smaller side compared to most but is lovely and relaxing none the less.

Before you know it, you see the sign for the Hamlet of Sparkill. Sparkill is located 15 miles north of the George Washington Bridge. Rockland County Country Club has its entrance on the left as you drive North. Although it has a catering facility, it is noted for its golf course.

A little further north of the club is Tallman State Park. Tallman is a hidden gem. Although much smaller than the Bear Mountain State Park, Tallman offer 687 acres that overlook the Hudson River and Piermont Marsh.

Welcome to Tallman!

Tallman has a swimming pool, tennis courts, play ground, gravel jogging track and many picnic areas scattered throughout.

Jogging Track

If you go, follow the signs to the North Picnic Area as you drive in.

Shaded picnic areas.

This will bring you to the top of the mountain where the views are the best.

A view from the top.

Before you head out of Piermont, be sure to check out the Hinode Japanese Restaurant. It is a small Mom and Pop type restaurant located in a small strip mall next to a mini mart and a dry cleaner. It may not look like the type of place you would stop and eat at without knowing the food quality, but I can tell you the food is excellent.

Sushi Bar

Today I ordered a Jina Roll and a New Lobster Roll. While I waited they served me a small plate of Edamame Beans, and a small piece of Soft Shell Crab and Salmon Roll.

Edamame Beans

In total, the bill was $15.61. Overall the prices are comparable to most small scale Japanese Restaurants. What impressed me the most was that for a weekday it was bustling with a nice size lunch crowd. Definetly worth checking out if you have never been there.

Next we go farther North.