You know it is spring in Red Hook NY when.... Today I drove by Rockefeller Lane in Red Hook and it suddenly struck me that the soccer nets were up, yes a sure sign that spring is here. I grew up with soccer all around me although to us it was "football".  At that time, this sport was not readily embraced in America but when it was you could say the participants were more into it than people who grew up with it. Many families relocating to the Red Hook area often ask about sport activities for their children, and I am happy to tell them there are many soccer opportunities available in the area. This is not an activity just for teenagers but you can also find leagues for the pre-teens.  The participation by the parents is also very high.  Whenever there is a game in progress you will find... 03/22/2008

There is nothing more depressing than driving through a village or town and seeing many storefronts boarded up.  Thankfully that is not a problem in Red Hook.  Yes a business might go under for various reasons however in Red Hook there always seems to be another small business to take the space.In the last two weeks I had the opportunity to stop by some of the stores in town for a friendly chat and to welcome the newcomers to town.I stopped by One Cut Better a new hair salon, I was really impressed by how tastefully the space was put together.  This shop is located next to Village Pizza restaurant and Sipperley's Grog Shop at 7508 North Broadway and can be reached at 845-758-8627.On Monday I stopped in at the new Allstate Insurance office and met John Squillante, he was very excited to ... 03/05/2008

Only once every 4 years will I get the opportunity to issue a market report on February 29th.  So Red Hook residents:Did You Know?  - There are presently 67 listings on the market.  That's like having an entire year of inventory in February since the total sales last year was 66 units.                                                                 Town of Red Hook                                                    AVG. list price          DOM             AVG Sq. Ft.        AVG. $ per sq. ft.                  53  Active                     $535,360             125                  2560                     $211                     1 New                          $350,000               5                   2600                      $135                     6 0ffers                        $4... 02/29/2008

Each year during July and August Bard college hosts 7 weeks of delighful performances of film, music, opera, dance, theater in conjunction with the Bard music festival and film festival.  This truly culturally rich period known as Bard Summerscape is eagerly anticipated by many.There are so many summer activities in the area such as; sailing on the Hudson River, biking, hiking, picnics, fairs, and antiquing but at the same time it is great knowing that your evening could be filled with culturally enriching performances.Ticket for these events go on sale February 24th.  To reserve your seat go to www.fishercenter.bard.edu or call 845-758-7900. A discount is available for a group purchase of 10 or more seats.     02/22/2008

It is impossible to drive through most streets in Red Hook without noticing a House for sale sign.  This is a typical scene in most towns - And the Spring rush has not yet occurred.  As spring approaches this is a time when most owners typically put their property on the market  so I thought it would be a good time to see what the numbers show so far . In the month of January 6 properties were listed ranging from $229,000 to $524,900 During the same time 3 properties were sold ranging from $239,900-$369,900 and the days on the market range from 132-211. At Present there are 77 active listings on the market, which is already a large inventory brought forward from 2007. Price ranged from $43,500 to $4,018,900. It is obvious that homes priced under $300,000 are moving faster because of a m... 02/10/2008

                                                    Trees make such a difference to the environment; they are especially appreciated in a village where the homes are closer together.In 2002, the Red Hook Village Green Committee was formed with the co-operation of the Village Board of Trustees and community residents.  Since its inception the organization has been involved with cataloging the trees in the village, marking the ones needing replacement and finding spots for new trees.Money, for the purchase of trees, was obtained by contribution, a budget from the village, fund-raising activities, as well as grants.  Once the committee knew how much they had to spend they would go about selecting the trees.  This process involved choosing trees that were very hardy.  The committee would th... 02/09/2008

    Looking for something to do this weekend? At Bard College you have a choice between a musical performance or films. The music performance will be presented by The American symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leon Botstein, music director and president of Bard College Showtime is at 8:00 PM at the Fisher Center, Sosnoff Theater.  Call 845-758-7900 for ticket information. The films screening will also be at 8:00 PM The Story of stuff Soylent Green Who kill the Electric car. Location: Bertelsmann campus center, Weis Cinema Fisher Center      Frank Gehry Designed                       Jennifer Fivelsdal - JFIVE HOMES REALTY LLC - 845-758-6842- jennifer@jfivehomes.com  www.jfivehomes.com  or www.midhudsonhomevalue.com    |subscribe to Blog   Copyright © by Jennifer Fivelsdal, all rights res... 01/31/2008

This is a very focused group with several objectives.  1.  Yearly plant and bake sale fund-raiser 2.   Yearly scholarship to a high school student 3.   Maintenance and beautification of local parks .  The Old Dutch Village Garden Club meets in Red Hook NY every second Thursday of the month,  dessert, coffee and tea is always provided, members take turn to see to this.  For the edification of the members several topics are covered yearly.  Below you will find the highlights. February 14th               Living with mature trees March 1th                  Plant Propagation May 8th                     Wild flowers May 16th                   Annual Plant and Bake Sale June 12th                  Plant Pests, and diseases and natural pesticides September 11th         Herbs and Edible Flowers ... 01/21/2008

Because the Culinary Institute is located in Dutchess County we are blessed with many wonderful chefs.  Getting great cuisine could just be a few minutes from home. Here are some of the restaurants you can find in Northern Dutchess.        Max's Memphis Barbecue This place is alway packed on the weekends so reservations are advised.  Here you can get terrific barbeque  and chillies.  A favorite of mine among this food of the new South is the gulf  barbeque shrimp with pulled pork chili.    Santa Fe Located in the village of Tivoli in the town of Red Hook, this restaurant offers nouveau Mexican Cuisine .  A favorite of the week-enders.                                                                                       Beekman Arms                                                       ... 01/13/2008

Red Hook had a very eventful  2007 so if you are new to town or for any reason haven't a clue as to what happened during 2007 here are a few highlights.     Hardscrabble Day in Red Hook Like most small towns Red Hook takes pleasure in the community and start the spring off with Apple Blossom Day and later Hardscrabble Day.  The celebration includes parades, music, fund raising, food and the distribution of important community information.    Grabrielle H. Reem and Herbert J. Kayden Center for Science and Computation at Bard College. This modern and functional building was designed by well known architect Rafael Vinoly.   New Senior Complex - Red Hook Commons This was a welcome addition to the community. We all know that there is a great demand for senor housing.  The seniors I have spok... 01/11/2008

 Red Hook, Dutchess County, NY - Homes for SaleDecember 2007 Market Analysis Currently (as of January 1, 2008) in the Red Hook area of Dutchess County which includes the Town of Red Hook, the Village of Red Hook and the Town of Milan there are 98 homes for sale.  68 homes for sale are located in the Town of Red Hook, 10 are in the village of Red Hook and 20 are in the Town of Milan.  A video tour of Red Hook and the ability to search for homes in the Red Hook area are available to you by clicking on the links in this article. I have displayed the data I collected in table format below for easy reading.  The strict average and median prices are increased by a few high end homes in each area.  For that reason I have included the average and median prices excluding the home over $1,000,000... 01/11/2008

THE RED HOOK LIBRARY I truly believe that  a community is not complete without a library.  I remember a time in my life when going to the library or bookstore then staying up late to read was what I considered as fun. Today I am just like everyone, life is hectic and  because of the Internet not too many people now see the inside of a library.  Recently my son-in-law has been going to the library very frequently.  You might be asking why a twenty- something would find the library so valuable. Today's library no longer requires you to go through the catalog cards to find the book you are looking for.  These days you join the library get a login and from the comfort of your home can search for items of interest. Back to why the  twenty-something would be so involved with the library.  We... 01/07/2008

For many years it was the dream of Josephine and Anna Salvatico to own their own Montessori school.Josephine and Anna, both trained teachers, had commuted to Albany for years to work at a Montessori school.  Since I too was a commuter we usually discussed the long commutes, the weather, and their dreams.I was happy to see their dream finally become a reality a few years ago with the construction of the little Montessori School The question you might be asking is: who started Montessori?The program was started by Maria Montessori  thus the name Montessori.What is the Montessori program?  This program is popular in North America and is gaining momentum throughout the world.The program does offer an alternative to the traditional preschool option.  If this is an option you are contemplatin... 12/27/2007

At midday today in Red Hook I got up for a break, looked out my window and very close to the house were several deer.  I was rather surprised to see them at that time of the day so I grab the camera.How cute, I thought! The warm fuzzy feeling did not last very long because the deer moved into my garden, so I hurried outside to send them packing.   12/26/2007

Taste Budds a chocolate and coffee cafe was opened in the village of Red Hook by Dan Budd.  The first time I saw Chef Budd was at a wine tasting event where he gave an awesome baking demonstration. This is no ordinary coffee house, here you can get all types of coffee and espresso drinks, sandwiches and most of all, all kinds of chocolate desserts - and now fresh fudge.  Because Chef Budd is a trained chef from the Culinary Institute of America, once you have had his desserts you will come back for more. The atmosphere is welcoming so it is not unusual for people to meet there for a business lunch.  It is also a popular meeting place with students and professors from nearby Bard College. Since Internet service is also available it is not uncommon to see people working on their computer... 12/26/2007

The  streets were ploughed and salt added.  Thank you to those hardworking men.My husband ploughing the drivewayView from a DeckBroadway in Red Hook on Friday 12-14-07 The ElmendorphThe snow on Thursday came down quickly, it was light and looked like a winter wonderland.  Schools were closed so parents had to spend the day entertaining the children.Because the snow was so light it was an easy clean up.Contrast that to the storm that started Saturday night, it was certainly a wintry mix of snow, sleet, ice, rain and more snow .  When it came time to clean up it was a real mess.  Not only was the snow very heavy there was also ice to contend with.  The plough could not handle it; so two friends came over to help us break up the ice before the driveway could be shoveled.  I sure hope this ... 12/16/2007

Taking the time and spending the money to properly prepare your home for sale makes sense---a lot of sense. So, why don't all Realtors suggest it to their clients?  The biggest obstacle is fear. Fear of perhaps offending the client and losing the listing or fear of having to explain a process that the realtor knows little about. I think that most realtors would rather play it safe and just go about the business of selling homes the old fashion way instead of advocating for their client to spend money to make more money. Successful realtors might think why mess with success?   This is a real disservice to the client. As a percentage, the realtor won't gain megabucks if the house is staged but the client certainly can. Take for example, a house I staged in Red Hook New York. The realtor s... 12/15/2007

With winter approaching many people are looking forward to various winter sports.  My attention  turns to things such as will the snow plow work this year? Do we have enough shovels, hats, and gloves? There is however one subject that has never been resolved so maybe you kind folks can weigh in on the matter.  My husband and I have disagreed on whether snow should be shoveled off the roof or not.  I believe it should be, my husband thinks the roof is better off if left as is. Some years we have had so much now on the roof  that I worry about the roof caving in, I guess this is a normal reaction because I have seen on the news roofs that actually caved in. I think a good snow rake would make the job easier, the only problem is who is going to get up on the roof to get the job done? Not m... 11/28/2007

I can't tell you how many times I have passed this office without giving it much thought.  This changed this  weekend. I received in the mail the free Daily Freeman Extra and the  headline of an article written by Patricia Doxsey caught my attention; DUTCHESS FOOD PANTRY SEES SHELVES GROWING BARE .   The problem seems to be more people needing assistance yet less contributions of both money and food.  Was I surprised? not really. So far I have noticed a significant drop off in construction jobs and the related fields in our area.  This is significant because a good percentage of the workers in the area relied on construction for their income.  So, when I discovered that the food pantry was related to DCCAP , which is Dutchess County Community Action Partnership, I wanted to know more.  ... 11/25/2007

Today I had to stop by Sam's Club customer service.  Once I was finished at the counter I needed to get some shopping done but I could not bring myself to do my food shopping there.  Yes, I knew I could possibly get a better price on some items.  I took a look at all the people shopping and the size of the store and made the decision to go somewhere else.  I went to a smaller store and the shopping experience was so much better for me.That experience made me think of conversations I have had with seniors( 70+ age group).  For instance in the town where I live there are two supermarkets one much larger than the other.  One senior I know is always shopping at the smaller store although I have shown her that she could spend less at the other store.  She feels the other store is too large a... 10/09/2007