Pleasant Valley

There are a few things important to me when considering visiting or living in any town, and those things are pizza and hiking. I love to get outdoors and go for a long walk through beautiful scenery. After working up a healthy appetite I like to satisfy it with a slice of pizza. Fortunately, Pleasant Valley has both a wonderful hiking trail and one of my favorite local pizza places.

First, the Bower-Quarry Trails are outstanding. They're just the perfect level of kept up and natural. I'd gotten used to the well-manicured trails of big city 'parks,' and when I first came to Dutchess County it was really refreshing to see real scenery, not something developed by a city planner. The Bower Quarry trails are easy to navigate, but you wouldn't want to walk them in sandals. Sounds good to me. I like to put on my shoes and get out there. You can find little trails on occasion and new places to sit and drink a sip of water or just relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. It's really a great place to get away from life for a while.

For pizza, I enjoy Four Brothers. It may not be the world's greatest pizza place, but it's pretty good, and the environment is very welcoming. And it isn't just pizza there, as the sandwiches and salads are also really good. Top notch all around.

Outside of the parks and pizza, Pleasant Valley is a fairly safe, picturesque town, with a fair amount of local businesses, though I would hesitate to say there's much to do for nightlife. If you're looking for a great bar scene, you won't find it here.

I could see Pleasant Valley as a good place to raise kids, and I've had such a good time there when I've visited that I'd recommend it for most people, though I think many singles might find it too slow.