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Home , Frederick Philipse, Kykuit, Philipsburg Manor

Reprint Compliments Of:

Bill Boeckelman, Associate Broker (914) 681-5792

Coldwell Banker, 6 Cedar Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

Real Estate Sunday, July 18, 1999

If You’re Thinking Of Living In: Sleepy Hollow, NY

A Sense Of The Past In A Diverse Village

By CHERYL PLATZMAN WEINSTOCK Revolutionary War. Crane vanished as 1996. Since then, it has attracted many living in Beverly Hills he rode away from the ghost along what newcomers. Janet Nold, a broker who is for seven years, Laura is now Route 9, leaving behind a shat- district manager of Coldwell Banker in tered pumpkin. Tarrytown, said that quite apart from its and William Carraro, a freelance film producer, longed for the things they Though its connections with its Colonial river views and ''affordable price couldn't find there. past, evident in the ranges,'' there are myriad housing op- Restoration, make it an interesting vil- tions ranging from multifamily homes ''I grew up looking at the and single-family dwellings to stately outside the window of my parents' apart- lage for children and adults alike, Mayor Philip E. Zegarelli said his village had colonials and Tudors on the banks of the ment on Riverside Drive,'' said Mrs. Hudson. other merits. Carraro. ''I really wanted to be back look- ing at that river. I also wanted to live in a ''Sleepy Hollow is really a mirror reflec- Ms. Eisert said housing prices begin in neighborhood where I could borrow a cup tion of the greater metropolitan area,'' he the $200,000 to $300,000 range for of sugar and where my kids could have a said. ''Its diversity from a socio- small, two-bedroom, one-bath colonials, lifestyle where they could get off the economic point of view and the blend- ranches and Cape Cods on 50- by 100- school bus, dump their knapsacks and go ing of the different ethnic backgrounds foot properties around the village and in out and play.'' present a challenge, but also provide a Webber Park. Houses in the $300,000 to great opportunity to meld all the groups $375,000 range are larger, but may back Also crucial to the Carraros was that their on to Route 9. together.'' two children grow up in a diverse envi- ronment. ''I think a lot of life's lessons are ANDRES VALDESPINO, a villager From there, she said, houses jump to learned spending time with people not who works in neighboring Tarrytown at $450,000 for 1940's and 1950's three- like you,'' said Mrs. Carraro. his law firm, Valdespino Copland, said: and four-bedroom ranches, split-levels ''Although the Hudson River is a natural and old colonials with about 2,200 Last year, the Carraros finally found the square feet of space on a quarter to a place for them -- Sleepy Hollow, a cultur- boundary of this village, there are few boundaries within it. This is not a bed- third of an acre in Philipse Manor and ally and socio-economically diverse vil- Sleepy Hollow Manor. Both neighbor- lage sloping toward the Hudson replete room community. It's more like a corri- dor. A lot of our neighbors work in hoods have many cul-de-sacs and river with many historical landmarks. views. Ms. Eisert said that renovated town, or nearby and we all gather and When he was 16, Washington Irving play during lunch at the Y.M.C.A.'' homes in the Manors sell for $450,000 hunted and fished in what is now Sleepy to $500,000 and that larger homes go for Hollow and was inspired by its customs Barbara Eisert, a sales associate for $650,000 to $750,000. Houlihan/Lawrence in Tarrytown and and whimsical stories, said Henry Nineteen condominium units are avail- Steiner, the village historian. Irving then Irvington, said the village ''used to be a harder sell because of its diversity.'' able in two town-house complexes, wrote ''The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'' A.R.C.H. and Pocantico Park Condo- about the schoolmaster Ichabod Crane Now, she said, ''whatever comes on the market sells fast. We have no inventory. miniums. ''But they rarely turn over,'' who left a neighbor's party after he tried said Ms. Eisert. A two-bedroom town to court Katrina Van Tassel and encoun- Maybe because our name has changed it's put us on the map.'' house with a one-car garage on the mar- tered the Headless Horseman on the site ket is selling for $128,000. where Major John Andre was captured The Village of North Tarrytown was with the plans of West Point during the renamed Sleepy Hollow in December Downtown there are also 415 two- and

Bill Boeckelman, Associate Broker http://www.billboeckelman.com (914) 681-5792

Page 2 Times - Sleepy Hollow, NY Sunday, July 18, 1999

three-family homes scattered along Beek- commitment to run an advanced place- In June 1996, the 2.8 million-square-foot man Avenue and two federally subsidized ment course even if only seven or eight General Motors plant just north of the low-income housing projects with a total kids register for it.'' Bridge, which had been pri- of 117 apartments. marily producing minivans, shut down, In addition to 15 advanced-placement ''Apartments are rented quickly,'' said Ms. courses, the district offers several com- displacing 2,100 employees and creating Nold. They rent from $950 for a one- puter science courses and a three-year a large revenue gap for the village. Since bedroom to $1,200 for a two-bedroom. science research course. then three proposals have been offered for redevelopment, all calling for a mix What the schools offer is as varied as the Of the 124 graduating students this year, of housing, offices and retail space. housing stock. ''They really have some- 77 percent are going on to higher educa- thing here for each individual child,'' Mrs. tion. The proposals for the 96-acre property are now under consideration by both the Carraro said. ''They can address every- The village has its own police and fire one's needs. From an academic stand- village and General Motors, which before services, as well as the 235-bed Phelps it closed the plant paid close to $1 million point of view, I think the district com- Memorial Hospital Center, which in- pares favorably to the Beverly Hills a year in property taxes and now pays cludes a Memorial Sloan Kettering Can- $185,000, according to Deputy Mayor school district we left. I feel it's just as cer Satellite. Mario DiFelice. challenging.'' VILLAGE landmarks on the National Deborah Lindsay, president of the Sleepy Donald R. Kusel is superintendent of the Register of Historic Places include the 2,194-student Public Schools of the Hollow Chamber of Commerce, said that Tarrytown Lighthouse on the Hudson, the the anticipation of the development of the Tarrytowns. The district, which serves Manor House at Philipsburg Manor, the the village and adjoining Tarrytown, has downtown had attracted many new res- Captor's Monument at Patriots Park taurants to the village, including Casey's five schools -- a kindergarten building, where Major Andre was captured; one for first grade, a second and third- Tarry Inn, an Irish pub; La Pastora, a Kykuit, the mansion that John D. Rocke- Chilean restaurant, and Hudson Restau- grade building, the Washington Irving feller and his son John D. Jr. built in Intermediate School serving grades four rant and the Sleepy Hollow Castle, which 1913, and the Philipse Manor Railroad serve American fare. through six and the Sleepy Hollow Mid- Station, restored by the dle School/High School. In 1693, owned Writers Center three years ago. The cen- Dr. Kusel said what made the district ter sponsors readings, courses, perform- 100,000 acres of land, including Slaper- work so well -- with its diverse student ances and other educational events there. shaven (sleepers' harbor in Dutch), which body that is 8 percent black, 5 percent later became Sleepy Hollow. But because The Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, his descendant Frederick Philipse 3d was Asian, 38 percent white and 49 percent a massive stone and brick edifice built in Hispanic -- was that ''we encourage our a Loyalist, the land was confiscated dur- 1685 and immortalized in Irving's ghost ing the . teachers to experiment.'' story, is also a national landmark. The ''A few years ago some teachers in the church, which is still active, is one of six A portion of the village became known as district began teaching first-graders Span- in the village. Beekmantown in the early 1800's, after ish after school,'' he said. ''Then our Gerard Beekman purchased 750 acres of The village has a plethora of recreational the property. teachers, on their own time, starting ex- opportunities in more than 57 acres of tending the classes to kindergarten and parkland. The village was incorporated as North second grade and then integrated the cur- Tarrytown in 1874. Farming and milling riculum into the school day. Now we're Visitors to the 18-acre county-owned continued there until the late 19th century institutionalizing teaching Spanish.'' Kingsland Point Park can picnic, fish and when several manufacturers moved in. view Kidd's Rock where, said Mr. General Motors opened its complex in HIS philosophy of melding the student Steiner, legend has it that Capt. William body together is somewhat unique. ''We 1918. Kidd conspired with Frederick Philipse to prefer not to focus on a specific holiday, dispose of the pirate's treasure. The pri- but to study about our students' different vate Philipse Manor Beach Club has a lives every day,'' Dr. Kusel said. ''Even 40-slip marina for its members. In 1996 though we don't necessarily work a spe- the village opened a catch-and-release cial day in with a party, we want our kids trout stream program at the section of the to know about it and we put it on the alongside the Old Dutch school calendar.'' Church where Irving fished.

In addition to sensitizing the students But the best opportunity for the village is about one another, Dr. Kusel cites as an yet to come. example of his policies ''our absolute

Bill Boeckelman, Associate Broker http://www.billboeckelman.com (914) 681-5792