Valley Cottage, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valley Cottage, New York
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| Nickname(s):
"Storms Corner"
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Location in Rockland County and the state of New York.
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 Valley Cottage, New York
Location in New York
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Rockland |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.57 sq mi (11.84 km2) |
| • Land | 4.39 sq mi (11.37 km2) |
| • Water | 0.18 sq mi (0.47 km2) |
| Elevation | 177 ft (54 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,038 |
| • Density | 2,058.30/sq mi (794.64/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
10989
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| Area code | 845 |
| FIPS code | 36-76661 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0968357 |
Valley Cottage is a small community in Rockland County, New York, United States. It's known as a hamlet and a census-designated place. This means it's a local area that doesn't have its own city government but is recognized for counting people.
Valley Cottage is located in the town of Clarkstown, New York. It is surrounded by other communities like West Nyack, Central Nyack, and Congers. In 2010, about 9,107 people lived here.
Contents
- Where is Valley Cottage Located?
- Who Lives in Valley Cottage?
- What is the History of Valley Cottage?
- What Schools are in Valley Cottage?
- What is Community Life Like in Valley Cottage?
- How Do People Get Around in Valley Cottage?
- What are the Interesting Places to Visit in Valley Cottage?
- What Religious Places are in Valley Cottage?
- Who are Some Famous People from Valley Cottage?
- Images for kids
- See also
Where is Valley Cottage Located?
Valley Cottage is found at coordinates 41.117862 degrees North and -73.942531 degrees West. This helps pinpoint its exact spot on a map.
The community covers an area of about 4.4 square miles (11.4 square kilometers). All of this area is land.
Who Lives in Valley Cottage?
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 9,038 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 9,269 people living in Valley Cottage. These people lived in 3,347 households, and 2,379 of these were families.
The population density was about 2,168 people per square mile (837 people per square kilometer). This tells us how crowded the area is.
How Diverse is Valley Cottage?
Valley Cottage is home to people from many backgrounds. In 2000, about 82% of the people were white, 3.5% were African American, and nearly 10% were Asian. About 6.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
What is the Age Range in Valley Cottage?
The people living in Valley Cottage have different ages. In 2000:
- About 20.9% of residents were under 18 years old.
- About 29% were between 25 and 44 years old.
- About 14.7% were 65 years or older.
The average age of people in Valley Cottage was 41 years old.
What are the Incomes in Valley Cottage?
In 2000, the average income for a household in Valley Cottage was $75,828. For families, the average income was $87,123. A small number of families and people lived below the poverty line.
What is the History of Valley Cottage?
The first known person to live in Valley Cottage was John Ryder. He owned a very large farm that covered most of the area.
The first post office in Valley Cottage opened in 1892.
How Did Valley Cottage Get Its Name?
Valley Cottage was once called "Storm's Corner." This was according to a book about Rockland County during the American Revolution.
In 1876, before the West Shore Railroad station opened, people in the area decided on the name "Valley Cottage." One story says it was named after a house near the station, called "that cottage in the valley." Another story suggests the name came from a famous horse named "Cottage Maid."
What Schools are in Valley Cottage?
Valley Cottage is part of the Nyack Union Free School District. This district includes several schools:
- Valley Cottage Elementary School
- Liberty Elementary School: This school won a Blue Ribbon Award in 2000–2001. It also received other awards for its reading programs.
- Nyack Middle School
- Nyack High School
What is Community Life Like in Valley Cottage?
Valley Cottage has a strong community feeling. It offers many schools, libraries, restaurants, and places for fun activities. The area has a calm and welcoming feel, with lots of nature and sidewalks for walking.
Libraries in and Around Valley Cottage
There are several libraries that serve the Valley Cottage community:
- Valley Cottage Library
- Nyack Library
- West Nyack Library
Parks and Recreation Areas
Valley Cottage has many places for outdoor fun and relaxation:
- Twin Ponds Park on Massachusetts Avenue
- Rockland Lake State Park on Rockland Lake Road
- Valley Cottage Hamlet Green on New Lake Road
- Kings Park on Kings Highway
- Wholeness Center on New Lake Road
How Do People Get Around in Valley Cottage?
The main roads in Valley Cottage are New York State Route 303, U.S. Route 9W, and Kings Highway.
Train and Bus Services
Valley Cottage is located along the CSX Transportation's River Line. Many freight trains pass through daily. However, passenger train service on this line stopped in 1959. The closest train stations with passenger service are in Nanuet and Tarrytown.
For getting to New York City, people can use Rockland Coaches buses. These buses go to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Local bus services are also available through Transport of Rockland and Clarkstown Mini-Trans.
What are the Interesting Places to Visit in Valley Cottage?
Valley Cottage has several historical sites and landmarks that tell its story.
Historical Markers
Markers were put up at Rockland Lake and Hook Mountain in 2008. These markers share important historical information about these places.
Landmarks and Places of Interest
- The Josephine Hudson House: This house belonged to the first woman who worked for the Knickerbocker Ice Company.
- The Knickerbocker Ice Company: This company started in 1831. Rockland Lake was famous for having very clean ice. The company's Ice House No. 3 could store over 40,000 tons of ice! This ice was harvested from the lake and kept frozen with sawdust in the walls. The ice was then shipped to New York City. Because of this, Rockland Lake became known as the "Icehouse of New York City." The ice house burned down in 1926. Today, only some walls and foundations remain, and it is a historic site.
- Knickerbocker Fire House: This fire station was established in 1862.
- Palisades Center: A large shopping mall located near Valley Cottage.
- Rockland Lake Community: This was a busy community where many workers from the Knickerbocker Ice Company lived.
- Rockland Lake State Park: A beautiful park offering many outdoor activities.
- Storms Tavern: This building is thought to have been built in 1765 and was restored in 2008.
- Tolstoy Foundation of Valley Cottage: This foundation was started in 1939 by Alexandra Tolstaya, the youngest daughter of famous writer Leo Tolstoy. Many important people, like composer Sergei Rachmaninoff and aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky, were part of its board.
What Religious Places are in Valley Cottage?
Valley Cottage has several places of worship for different faiths:
- All Saints Church (Episcopal)
- Elim Tabernacle Church
- Islamic Center of Rockland
- St. Mary's Indian Orthodox Church
- Saint Sergius of Radonezh Russian Orthodox Church
Some older churches, like Lake Avenue Chapel, Methodist Church, St. Michael's Church, and St. Therese's Chapel, are no longer standing, but some of their cemeteries are still used.
Who are Some Famous People from Valley Cottage?
Many interesting people have lived in Valley Cottage:
- Isaac Bonewits (1949–2012): A writer known for his books on neopaganism.
- Stephen Greene (1917–1999): A painter, who lived with his wife, novelist Sigrid de Lima.
- Maurice Heaton (1900–1990): A talented glass artist.
- Rose Thompson Hovick (1890–1954): The mother of famous performers Gypsy Rose Lee and June Havoc.
- Jack Klugman (1922–2012): A well-known actor.
- Audrey Landers (born 1956) and Judy Landers (born 1958): Actresses who grew up in Valley Cottage.
- Megan Leavey: A Marine corporal who served in Iraq as a K9 handler.
- Mitch Miller (1911–2010): A famous musician, singer, and record producer.
- Princess Vera Constantinovna of Russia: A Russian princess.
- Vladimir Nikolayevich Petrov: A professor at Yale University.
- Ismael Quintana (1937–2016): A Puerto Rican singer and composer.
- Claudio Sanchez: From the band Coheed & Cambria, who uses Valley Cottage for his side project, The Prize Fighter Inferno.
- Anita Shreve: A writer, novelist, and editor.
- Olga Spessivtseva (1895–1991): A famous classical ballerina.
- Kim Stanley: An actress and teacher.
- William Styron (1925–2006): A writer who lived here while writing his first novel.
- Harvey Swados: A novelist and writer.
- Alexandra Tolstaya: The daughter of Russian author Leo Tolstoy, who organized the Tolstoy Foundation Center in Valley Cottage.
- Kristi Zea (born 1948): A production designer, costume designer, and producer.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Valley Cottage para niños
