Pawling

In the southeastern corner of Dutchess County, you'll find the Town of Pawling. Being on the eastern side hugging the Connecticut border, you'd correctly assume that this area is less developed and a little more isolated than the western side. With that said, there is still civilization here, as well as other points that make this town an appealing place to live.

Other than Routes 22 and 55, there is nothing resembling a highway coming through here. You'll be driving south for a little while before you hit Interstate 84, and there's no highway link from here to Poughkeepsie -- Route 55 will get the job done, but you will contend with traffic lights just like everybody else. The good news is that there are two public transportation options as well. First, the Dutchess County Loop Bus does operate a route between the City of Poughkeepsie and Pawling, and second, the Metro North's Harlem Line train to New York City stops here. Neither trip to the end of the line will be brief, but it is nevertheless available. Still, don't kid yourself: you need a car to get around here.

When you drive around this town, you'll see a peaceful, safe, and green community. Like many other areas of Dutchess County, it has grown, but with that, you'll find a fair amount of houses for sale in most towns, including Pawling. Just because this town has drawn more interest in recent years, however, doesn't mean it's sprawling out, nor does it mean it's becoming less peaceful. I've always found Pawling to be pretty reasonable in that regard.

There is a supermarket in town (a Hannaford, if I'm not mistaken) but your major retail options are very limited -- as in, they don't exist. For most places in Dutchess County, the logical and closest place to go for big-ticket shopping would be Poughkeepsie, but down here, it might be better to head south and swing to the Danbury Mall. There are a few medical clinics (including pediatric care) here, but the closest hospital is in Carmel in Putnam County. More good news, though: there is a gym in town for fitness fans.

The school system here is reportedly pretty strong and is able to service students all the way up through high school.

There are lots of local businesses in town, including restaurants, some of which I've heard are very good. There are places to eat, sure, but a drawback is that there still are not many other places to enjoy a night out in this town. You'll have to find your fun elsewhere for the most part.

Pawling is quiet, but not so quiet that it's just you and the trees like some other Dutchess County towns. You're not swamped with traffic or urban sprawl like in Poughkeepsie, either. In some respects, Pawling is like a happy medium, where you've got a number of modern conveniences available to you and get to live in a nice community while not having to worry too much right now about an area that's getting too big, too fast.