Living in Peekskill really makes me appreciate what it was like growing up in a very quiet neighborhood. That’s what LaGrangeville NY was. It’s where I spent my childhood, surrounded by lots and lots of green.

My parents, who are environmentally-conscious people, instilled in me a great appreciation for nature at a very early age. They taught me the importance of enjoying a peaceful breeze and exploring ancient long-untrodden trails. They helped me to see the importance of every animal, no matter how big or how small! Even today as a grown woman, I find myself quickly fascinated by insects of all different kinds.

The woods are like a completely separate universe filled with marvelous things. You can easily forget the rest of the world exists when you’re spending most of your time alone in the woods, which I did a lot; it made me a thinker and a dreamer, and I might not be the poet or musician I am today without it.

LaGrangeville is not a place for the socially active. For that you will have to go a few towns over to say perhaps Hopewell Junction, or further on towards Wappingers Falls or Poughkeepsie. If you’re a kid, you’re going to have to rely on play dates to keep you company. Of course, there’s always your imagination – and I made good use of this throughout my childhood (I wrote; I drew; I molded the most bizarre-looking creatures ever out of Play-Dough; I put on skits with my younger sister; we even transformed our basement into a makeshift Haunted House for Halloween – for our mother’s eyes only, mind you).

The woods are like a completely separate universe filled with marvelous things. You can easily forget the rest of the world exists when you’re spending most of your time alone in the woods.

SR

When not at home getting creative, enjoying my pet rabbit or hamster, playing outside or watching TV, my fondest memories of LaGrangeville are the family trips that we took together to visit the town’s own Freedom Lake Park.

This private park had all the fixings of a wonderful time for everyone to enjoy a nice leisurely outing. It has picnic tables galore (I had more than one birthday party there), an area for outdoor sports, a sandy beach, a closed off area for the shallow end of the lake (perfect for beginning swimmers) and last but not least, my favorite: a water slide! This slide was positioned right in front of the lake on the sand. You could go up the slide, and it would send you zooming down into the refreshing cool water. They also have a wonderful snack bar, and I remember the joy of good classic ice cream on a swelteringly humid day. We also went there at times for fireworks on the Fourth of July, and I always enjoyed searching for tadpoles near the stream that went under a nearby bridge. The bridge was part of the path that led you into the lake.

Another fond memory I have of going “out and about” in LaGrangeville is visiting Barton Orchards’ “Apple Core” (located at 462 Noxon Rd), which is an adorable and old-fashioned Farmer’s Market as well as Bakery that makes some of the finest Apple Turnovers I’ve ever had in my life! You will feel like you’ve stepped back in time there. Make sure to visit their lovely Orchard as well to pick some fresh fruit and say hello to the farm life. Barton Orchards is located in neighboring Poughquag NY, at 63 Apple Tree Lane; check online for fun future and family-friendly events at the Orchard!

As someone who loves nature and being creative, LaGrangeville NY was the perfect place for me while growing up. The only drawback was that I felt pretty isolated from time to time. I was a pretty shy kid, which didn’t help matters (I eventually grew out of this when I started college). While it could be lonesome at times, I had my sister to play with; I also kept myself busy by getting creative and playing with my animals. If we had to go food shopping, we generally went to Hopewell Jnct. or another neighboring town; today, LaGrangeville has a Shop Rite, so you don’t have to go too far.

Overall, I had pretty great childhood, even though I had to deal with a lot of solitude. However, I believe that made me a much more creative person, and I probably wouldn’t enjoy writing or making music as much as I do now if it weren’t for the time I spent outdoors growing up in La Grangeville, NY.