Take just a brief drive through Tarrytown- especially during the fall months- and it is easy to see why real estate in this area tends to be highly sought-after and expensive. This charming community inspired Washington Irving to write "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", a classic Halloween tale that has been delighting readers of all ages for almost two centuries now.
While Tarrytown NY has no doubt changed a great deal since the days of Washington Irving, that Hudson Valley charm still lingers and nowadays attracts a great many tourists to the Sleepy Hollow area and to "Sunnyside", which was the home in which Irving resided until his death in 1859. While this is a prominent tourist attraction in the area, it is by no means the only one. There are numerous other historical landmarks located within minutes of of Tarrytown real estate.
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Tarrytown had a population of around 11,500 as of 2013, and the population of this community has risen only slightly since 2000. Real estate prices in the neighborhood are no doubt prohibitive for many families who may be interested in living in this area. The median home value in Tarrytown is significantly higher than the median home value in New York state overall. As of 2013, the median home value in Tarrytown was recorded at just over $500,000.
Median incomes are also higher in Tarrytown than they tend to be in the rest of the state on average. The median household income in Tarrytown was recorded at just under $100,000 in 2013. The cost of living index for Tarrytown shows that it is a very expensive community to live in. Tarrytown has a cost of living index of 157.4 in comparison to a reading for the average United States community of only 100.
The population of Tarrytown is about three quarters white, with African Americans, Asians, and Hispanic making up the majority of the last quarter of the population. Over half of Tarrytown's households consist of married couples living together, with 27.1 percent these households including children under 18.
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Residents of Tarrytown tend to be highly influenced culturally by both their close proximity to New York City and by the scenic natural surroundings of the Hudson Valley. Nearby Manhattan offers world class entertainment, shopping, and educational resources. The Hudson Valley offers opportunities for enjoying the outdoors through hiking, fishing, boating, sailing, and swimming.
The literary significance of the community promotes an interest in history and the arts that can be noticed in area attractions including Sunnyside, the Tarrytown Music Hall, and the Tappan Z Gallery Contemporary and Fine Art Gallery.
The presence of various monuments to business and industry also influences Tarrytown culture. Landmarks in the area include Lyndhurst and Kykuit, the mansion homes of industrialists Jay Gould and the Rockefellers, respectively. Tarrytown today serves as the headquarters of some prominent companies including Bayer HealthCare, Hitachi America, Kraft Foods, and Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics. These companies attract affluent new residents to the area and drive the community's economy. Of course, tourism is also an important part of the community's economy and residents of Tarrytown have to get used to a seasonal influx in traffic due to visitors coming in to the community to tour the many attractions it offers.
Source: wikimedia.org
Residents of Tarrytown real estate tend to be affluent and well educated. As such, the quality of life in the neighborhood is high. Statistics show that almost 60 percent of the community's residents who are over 25 years old hold at least a Bachelor's degree. This compares with only around a third of New York residents across the state holding a Bachelor's degree.
Tarrytown residents don't only benefit from high educational achievement, but also from convenient access to the resources offered New York City. A Metro North station connects Tarrytown with Manhattan and makes it possible for Tarrytown residents to reach Manhattan in under an hour. The mean commute time for getting to work for Tarrytown residents is just under 30 minutes. Manhattan can be reached by car in about 40 minutes.
Tarrytown is most known across the country for its status as the home of the Sleepy Hollow legend and the past residency of American writer Washington Irving. However, there are a variety of additional landmarks- as well as some other individuals- who have contributed to the fame of the community.
West Chester county- and especially the Tarrytown neighborhood- has in the past been home to many of New York's wealthiest industrialists. For this reason, the Sleepy Hollow cemetery is the burial site for such famous individuals as Andrew Carnegie, Elizabeth Arden, Walter Chrysler, and William Rockefeller. This cemetery attracts many tourists and makes it so that Tarrytown is also known as the resting place of some of the most prominent industrialists of America's "Gilded Age."
