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Where Highland Brook descends to the Hudson River, the Town of Highlands is best known as the gateway to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the oldest continuously occupied military post in America. The town was originally known as Buttermilk Falls, described over 100 years ago when it wasn’t surrounded by private land: “A small stream comes rushing down the rocks in cascades and foaming rapids, falling more than 100 feet in the course of as many yards. The chief fall, where the stream plunges into the river, is over a sloping granite rock. It spreads out into a broad sheet of milk-white foam, which suggested its name to the Dutch skippers; they called it Boter Melck Val, or Buttermilk Fall.”
Nowadays the Town of Highlands comprises the charming village of Highland Falls, the hamlet of Fort Montgomery, Bear Mountain State Park and West Point. The U.S. government purchased land for its military post in 1790; now West Point occupies more than 16,000 acres. The Academy’s presence guarantees an ongoing international tourist influx, but the community is as tightly knit as any small American town.
Since 1926 the Thayer Hotel, with great Hudson River views, has been visited by U.S. Presidents, international leaders & celebrities! They’ve the only rooftop bar between NYC & Albany!
Highland Falls’ Long Pond Recreation Area is one of the great places locals go to swim! Mine Dock Park is one of the sites nearby where you can put your kayak or canoe into the Hudson!
The West Point Art Gallery collection includes figurative works with subjects such as world wars I & II, Arlington National Cemetery, the war with Spain & the Normandy invasion!
At the West Point-Town of Highlands Farmers Market you’ll find goods from, among others, Lorna’s Naturals, John Lupinski Farms, Fjord Vineyards and Rob’s Roast Coffees!
Carrot Ginger Bisque & Mushroom Toast at MacArthur’s Riverview! Avocado Cucumber Roll at Sushi King! Eggs Benedict Florentine at Andy’s! Schade’s Pizza Margherita!
“Pavonine” means “peacock-like,” which embodies what Pavonine Yoga offers: they hope you relate to the peacock regardless of your experience, mood or focus in your yoga practice!
Lily’s of the Valley sells not only flowers but gifts for every occasion, providing the best service a small-town business can! The stock is always changing at Epic Robo-Spider!
West Point Bowling Center offers lessons, league bowling, party packages & Galactic Bowling & is home to Lil' Skeeters BBQ & Primo's Pizza. Now serving soft-serve ice cream!
There's so much to do in West Point, NY - it can be hard to decide! Contact one of our Local Experts at Village Green Realty. We'd love to give you our recommendation on the best things to do in West Point.
Public-spirited volunteers get involved with Vision, the Town of Highlands community group investing time and energy in “projects and events that add to the spirit, pride and worth of our residents and visitors.” Among their many good efforts are the Farmers Market & Book Sale, parks beautification, town gardens maintenance, annual Winterfest and so much more. The Highland Falls Library is another wonderful town resource where you can not only find books, movies and other literature but also join a reading group or get creative with five different online galleries!
There’s lots to do in Highlands. At West Point, the Visitors Center and West Point Museum are open daily to the public, and you can take tours of the academy grounds most of the time. The other huge local resource is Bear Mountain State Park, where, aside from the things you’d expect, there are playing fields, a swimming pool and a Merry-Go-Round with hand-painted park scenes and animal seats for summer visitors and a skating rink for cold-weather guests. How sweet!
Some of the other great things at Bear Mountain are the Hessian Lake and Trail and Iona Island, part of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve; it’s one of the largest tidal wetlands along the Hudson River, which bird’s love, so it’s a bird sanctuary, too. You can rent paddle and row boats at Bear Mountain and after that, climb up to the Perkins Memorial Tower for a 360-degree view. When you’re hungry, enjoy a snack at Hiker’s Café & Stand 10 or a meal at Restaurant 1915.
The Town of Highlands itself has a number of parks, including Roe Park, where they have playing fields, basketball courts and a pond; that’s the site of July 4th fireworks, fishing, movie nights and several children’s summer sports programs. The town being right on the Hudson, there aren’t many access points, but you can put a kayak in the water at Mine Dock Park. West Point does have a marina, but it’s for limited use, like attending football games. The Point does host public golfing and skiing.
If you’re looking for culture around Highlands, you can see Broadway musicals and plays at Eisenhower Theater at West Point along with concerts of all genres, opera, dance and comics. You’ll find figurative and abstract sculpture from May through October in the annual Town Art Walk along a half-mile of green median and pocket parks on Main Street and West Point Highway in Highland Falls; a self-guided tour app features the artists’ narrations.
About 10 miles away is the world-famous Storm King Art Center, a 500-acre site for eyeing large-scale sculpture in a magnificent landscape as well as excellent museum exhibitions. Storm King “nurtures a vibrant bond between art, nature and people, creating a place where discovery is limitless.” Amen.
Whether you come to West Point and see Highlands, or you come to Highlands and end up seeing West Point, it’s win-win.
Highlands real estate puts you within an hour of NYC; you pop onto the Palisades Parkway right in town, just south of Fort Montgomery. If you like the slower, scenic drive, Route 9W is the main north-south road through Highlands. You’re near New Jersey and Pennsylvania and handy to the Bear Mountain Bridge and the east side of the Hudson River.
If you want to be within walking distance of West Point, check out a four-bedroom, two-bath colonial Highlands home for sale with Hudson Valley views, hardwood floors, walk-up attic, full basement and Roe Park and shopping just up the street. For those who prefer building a Highlands home or subdividing and selling the lots, there are eight acres of Highlands real estate with three-season views over Bear Mountain Bridge and the Hudson.
Whatever your dreams of living in Highlands near West Point, a Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty agent can help you make them come to life!
If you have any questions about West Point real estate, feel free to contact Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty. We'd love to show you all that West Point has to offer.
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Listing information last updated on April 18th, 2024 at 1:35pm EDT.