Clinton Corners

Along the Taconic State Parkway in north-central Dutchess County, one will find the small town of Clinton. There is not much population here, nor is there necessarily a lot to do, but it is peaceful, green, and wide-open in many spots, but not so terribly far from modern conveniences and local business that it's completely isolated.

Traffic through here is not what I would consider a problem. Yes, there are often enough cars going through on the Taconic Parkway, but a lot of times, it's just passing though and doesn't really make its way onto the side streets. Most every neighborhood in this town I've encountered in Clinton is pretty quiet.

There is essentially no public transportation available in Clinton. The county bus system comes close (Millbrook), but doesn't quite stop here, so you'd need a car, anyway, and the Metro North/Amtrak trains run closest in Poughkeepsie, which will take you a little time to reach by vehicle.

In the Salt Point area, you'll find a few prominent local businesses and perhaps a restaurant, amongst other establishments; in Clinton Corners, you have a gas station, a park with a baseball diamond, and maybe if you're lucky somewhere to eat (perhaps the gas station's convenience store). A little out of the way, you might find some nice little vineyards and/or a nice lake to admire. Otherwise, that is pretty much the long and short of life in this town. Clinton is quite rural and though there is a residential population, there's not much of anything else.

Restaurant and/or nightlife options, medical facilities, variety in schools, fitness establishments and retail or grocery shopping are in short supply here -- which is to say, virtually none. You will have to leave the town boundaries for all of that and more. Clinton is a place where you go to live in peace and quiet in a close-knit community, perhaps with a lot of land and a large house. Speaking of, having also known previous and current residents of the town, Clinton folk tended to be a bit more on the well-to-do side, but that was only my experience; your mileage may vary. For what it's worth, some of the other nearby towns and villages like Millbrook and Stanford can say the same thing about their residents.

Clinton is a very pleasant place to be if you want a bit of isolation without being an hour away from civilization. You will need to go outside of it, however, for medical care, shopping, eating out, and all the rest.

I haven't spent as much time in Clinton as some other nearby towns, but I did check it out when I looked into moving to Dutchess County. The problem was the price for a nice place. It's a weird thing for me to talk about, since I've spent a fair bit of time in big cities like Chicago and New York, so to say the cost of living was higher than I'd have liked is almost ridiculous, as your dollar will go WAY further here than in NYC, but it's still a bit pricier than other towns. Of course, the upside is that the average income in Clinton is higher than other towns, and the town itself is very well kept up.

Sure, it's a small town, but you'd have a hard time finding a place as nice and welcoming as Clinton almost anywhere in the world. This is sorta true of most areas in Dutchess County, but Clinton has an extra level of friendliness. The village runs a lot of events that are intended to bring everyone together, and from what I can tell these events work well, because the people seem to know one another very well. The sense of community in Clinton is outstanding.

Another thing that stands out to me about Clinton is that it feels really spread out. There are small streets of business, with nice little stores and boutiques, but for the most part you feel like there's a lot of room here. Maybe my time in major cities has clouded my judgement here, but more than even towns like Amenia and Beekman, which are not exactly packed with people, Clinton felt wide open. It's a nice feeling.

You'll find a few more restaurants in Clinton than other towns in the area, but it's not exactly the type of place where you'll find a lively nightlife. I think you're more likely to find a fantastic dinner party and learn to prepare feasts at home than visit a fancy dining establishment. You can get a drink as well, but don't expect to find any amazing clubs or bars.

As a fun side note it turns out Clinton was named after George Clinton, who was an early governor. Not quite as funky as the singer, but it's a cool detail!