Wingdale

Wingdale is on the eastern side of Dutchess County near the Connecticut border, and anyone who knows this county is aware that the western half (particularly the southwestern quadrant) and the eastern half might as well be in other states. The difference could not be bigger: in Poughkeepsie, it's built-up, suburban and urban, and with plenty of modern conveniences and hangouts like malls, restaurants, bars, clubs, and more. In Wingdale, you're just not going to find much of anything, try though you might.

If your idea is to be out of the way in a small town, then Wingdale may be the place for you. There is a strip mall with a pizza place and a hair salon, amongst other things, as well as a library, an elementary school, a diner, and a very good bakery called Cousin's (try the danishes -- in fact, try everything at least once). There is also a gas station nearby, and Dover High School is not far from the main intersection (Route 22 & Pleasant Ridge Road). That's about it.

If you're looking for wide-open spaces and a place with scenery and parkland, this might be a good destination. If you're looking for nightlife, however, this is definitely not the place for you. You'll almost certainly have to go out of Wingdale to find a nice restaurant, either in Poughkeepsie (over half an hour away), Pawling, or maybe even Connecticut.

This is the kind of town where you'll see the occasional Mercedes or BMW on the roads, because there are wealthier areas around, but Wingdale still is not what I would consider a destination for the rich and famous. Indeed, a great many houses there are modest, as is the way of life here. Speaking of roads, Route 22 is the main road passing through here, and although it is a useful state highway which is no stranger to through traffic, any congestion you'll see is nowhere near that of the Poughkeepsie area. In fact, I have never seen any traffic backups here whatsoever. Seeing more than a few cars stopped at the main traffic light is almost shocking.

Wingdale is a very quiet, small town which is not all that close to major amenities like shopping malls or major medical facilities; if that and the prospect of wide-open spaces has appeal to you, then certainly give it a chance. It's a pleasant community, but if you need to be near civilization, you probably won't think much of it.