Introduction to Rockland County Neighborhoods
Less than 10 miles north of Manhattan, and linked to the city by New Jersey Transit/Metro-North Railroad lines, Rockland County is naturally a prized location for those seeking a countrified life close to the city. Indeed, the area has been an escape for city dwellers since the Dutch founded New Amsterdam in the 1600s. Location, as any real estate advisor will tell you, doesn’t come cheap; Rockland County ranks ninth on the list of highest-income counties by median household income in the United States. Over the years, many of the rich-and-famous have settled here, including notable artists and entertainers such as Edward Hopper (who used Rockland sites in his paintings), Maxwell Anderson, Helen Hayes, Katherine Cornell, Lottie Lenya and Kurt Weill. Today’s artists continue the county’s rich cultural heritage, which is home to repertory theatre groups, dance companies, choral and instrumental ensembles, and art galleries and museums such as Nyack’s Hopper House and Blue Hill Plaza in Pearl River. There are also many shopping opportunities, at Palisades Center Mall and the near-by Woodbury Commons, plus many excellent restaurants, all of which give Rockland County the amenities of a big city. But it also offers the beauty and charm of its pastoral countryside. More than one-third of Rockland County is protected parkland, and some of the most visited parks in the state, including Bear Mountain and Harriman parks, are in Rockland County. They offer spectacular views of the river and mountains that make the lower Hudson Valley such a magnificent place to live.
