Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Encyclopedia
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, which serves as the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Dutchess County
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...

. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

 midway between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 and Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...

. The name derives from a word in the Wappinger
Wappinger
The Wappinger were an American tribe native to eastern New York. The term "Wappinger" may also refer to:* Wappinger, New York, the Town of Wappinger named for the tribe...

 language, roughly U-puku-ipi-sing, meaning "the reed covered lodge by the little-water place," referring to a spring or stream feeding into the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

, south of the present downtown area. Poughkeepsie is known as "The Queen City of the Hudson." Poughkeepsie is the largest principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area, which includes all of Dutchess and Orange
Orange County, New York
Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...

 counties. It was originally settled in the 17th century by the Dutch, and became New York's second capital shortly after the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

. It was chartered as a city in 1854. Major bridges in the city include the Poughkeepsie Bridge
Poughkeepsie Bridge
The Poughkeepsie Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east bank and Highland, New York on the west bank...

, a former railroad bridge now serving as a public walkway, and the Mid-Hudson Bridge
Mid-Hudson Bridge
The Mid-Hudson Bridge is a toll suspension bridge which carries US 44 and NY 55 across the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie and Highland in the state of New York. Governor and local resident Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor attended the opening ceremony on August 25, 1930. The bridge...

, a major thoroughfare built in 1930 that carries U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44 in New York
U.S. Route 44 in the state of New York is a major east–west thoroughfare in the Hudson Valley region of the state. Its entire length is maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation, with the exception of the Mid-Hudson Bridge, which is maintained by the New York State Bridge...

 (concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...

 with State Route 55
New York State Route 55
New York State Route 55 is a state highway in southern New York, running from the Pennsylvania state line at the Delaware River in Barryville to the Connecticut state line at Wingdale...

) over the Hudson.

History

The site of Poughkeepsie was purchased from Native Americans in 1686 by Robert Sanders, an Englishman, and Myndert Harmense Van Den Bogaerdt, a New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...

-born Dutchman. The first settlers were the families of Barent Baltus Van Kleeck and Hendrick Jans van Oosterom. The settlement grew quickly and the Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie was established by 1720. The community was set off from the Town of Poughkeepsie when it became an incorporated village in 1799. The City of Poughkeepsie was chartered in 1854. Outside of municipal designations, the City and Town of Poughkeepsie are generally viewed as a single place, and are commonly referred to as Poughkeepsie, with a current combined population of approximately 75,000.

Spared from battle during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

, Poughkeepsie became the second capital of New York. In 1788 the Ratification Convention for New York State, which included Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...

, John Jay
John Jay
John Jay was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, a Founding Father of the United States, and the first Chief Justice of the United States ....

, and George Clinton
George Clinton (vice president)
George Clinton was an American soldier and politician, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the first Governor of New York, and then the fourth Vice President of the United States , serving under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He and John C...

, assembled at the courthouse on Market Street, debated and ratified the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...

. With its ratification, New York entered the new union as the eleventh of the original thirteen colonies to join together as the United States of America. In 1799, a new seal was created for Poughkeepsie.

Early on, Poughkeepsie was also a major center for whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...

 rendering, and during the 19th century industry flourished through shipping, hatteries, papermills, and several breweries along the Hudson River, including some owned by Matthew Vassar
Matthew Vassar
Matthew Vassar was an English-born American brewer and merchant. He founded the eponymous Vassar College in 1861.He was a cousin of John Ellison Vassar.-Background:...

, founder of Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...

. Due to the area’s natural beauty and proximity to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, families such as the Astors
Astor family
The Astor family is a Anglo-American business family of German descent notable for their prominence in business, society, and politics.-Founding family members:...

, Rogers and Vanderbilts built palatial weekend homes nearby. The city is also home to the oldest continuously operating entertainment venue in the state, the Bardavon 1869 Opera House
Bardavon 1869 Opera House
The Bardavon 1869 Opera House , in the downtown district of Poughkeepsie, New York, USA, is the oldest continuously-operating theater in New York State. Built in 1869, it served as a venue for various performing arts, community meetings, and celebrations until 1923; it largely resumed this...

 (see below).

Geography

The City of Poughkeepsie is on the western edge of Dutchess County, bordered by the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

 on the west and by the Town of Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie (town), New York
Poughkeepsie is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 42,777 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the native term, "Uppu-qui-ipis-in," which means "reed-covered hut by the water."...

 on the north, east and south. To cross the river there is the Mid Hudson Bridge.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²). 5.1 square miles (13.3 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.4 km²) of it (9.65%) is water.

Climate

Poughkeepsie has a humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....

 (Koppen Dfa), with hot summers and cold winters. It receives approximately 44.12 inches (1,120.6 mm) of precipitation per year, much of which is delivered in the late spring and early summer.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2010, there were 32,736 people. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 5,806.2 inhabitants per square mile (2,243.8/km²). There were 13,153 housing units at an average density of 2,556.6 per square mile (988.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.8% White, 35.7% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.4% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 5.3% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.6% of the population.

There were 12,014 households out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 19.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,389, and the median income for a family was $35,779. Males had a median income of $31,956 versus $25,711 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $16,759. About 18.4% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.3% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.

Educational institutions

The area is home to several colleges: Marist
Marist College
Marist College is a private liberal arts college on the east bank of the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, New York. The site was established in 1905 by Marist Brothers, and the college was chartered in 1929...

, Vassar
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...

 (one of the Seven Sisters
Seven Sisters (colleges)
The Seven Sisters are seven liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women's colleges. They are Barnard College, Bryn Mawr College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College, and Wellesley College. All were founded between 1837 and...

), The Culinary Institute of America, and Dutchess Community
Dutchess Community College
Dutchess Community College is one of 30 community colleges within the State University of New York system . The College, located in Dutchess County, is situated on on a hill above Poughkeepsie, New York...

, all of which are in the Town of Poughkeepsie.

A branch of Adelphi University
Adelphi University
Adelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the oldest institution of higher education on Long Island. For the sixth year, Adelphi University has been named a “Best Buy” in higher education by the Fiske Guide to...

 is also located in the city.

The Poughkeepsie City School District
Poughkeepsie City School District
Poughkeepsie City School District is located in Dutchess County, New York State. Approximately 75 miles north of New York City, the school district is situated on the banks of the Hudson River in an area known as the Mid Hudson Valley....

 is the public K-12 school system serving approximately 5,000 students.

Spackenkill Union Free School District
Spackenkill Union Free School District
The Spackenkill Union Free School District, also known as Spackenkill School District, is a New York school district in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York.-History of Spackenkill:...

, comprising generally the southern part of the Town of Poughkeepsie, consists of Hagan Elementary School
Hagan Elementary School
Hagan Elementary is located on 42 Hagan Drive in the Town of Poughkeepsie, New York. As of 2008, there are 467 students in the school. Dr. Eileen Sicina has been the principal since 1992. Hagan Elementary was first built in 1965. Other schools in the district are Orville A. Todd Middle School,...

, Nassau Elementary School, Orville A. Todd Middle School
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...

 and Spackenkill High School
Spackenkill High School
-History:Spackenkill Union Free School District was chartered by the New York State Legislature in 1865 and is one of the few remaining union free school districts within the state. The name Spackenkill stems from Spack's Creek...

.

Transportation

Poughkeepsie sits at the junction of the north-south US 9 and east-west US 44 and NY 55 highways.

Rail commuter service to New York City is provided at the Metro-North station
Poughkeepsie (Metro-North station)
The Poughkeepsie Metro-North Railroad station serves Poughkeepsie, New York and surrounding areas as the north end of the Hudson Line. It is also served by many Amtrak trains, which continue north to Albany and points beyond, and south to New York City's Pennsylvania Station. Trains leave for New...

 by the MTA
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...

's Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...

. Poughkeepsie is the northern terminus of Metro-North's Hudson Line
Hudson Line (Metro-North)
Metro-North Railroad's Hudson Line is a commuter rail line running north from New York City along the east shore of the Hudson River. Metro-North service ends at Poughkeepsie, with Amtrak's Empire Corridor trains continuing north to and beyond Albany...

. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

 also serves the station, along the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

 south to New York City's Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...

 and north along the river to Albany-Rensselaer
Albany-Rensselaer (Amtrak station)
The Albany – Rensselaer Rail Station is a long-distance rail terminal in Rensselaer, New York, located 1.5 miles from downtown Albany across the Hudson River. , the station was Amtrak's tenth-busiest station and by 2010 it had become the ninth-busiest...

 station and points further north and west; Amtrak trains serving Poughkeepsie are the Adirondack
Adirondack (Amtrak)
The Adirondack is a passenger train operated daily by Amtrak between New York City and Montreal. The trip takes approximately 11 hours to cover a published distance of , traveling through the scenic Hudson Valley and the Adirondack Mountains...

, Empire Service
Empire Service (Amtrak)
The Empire Service is a train service operated by Amtrak within the state of New York in the United States. Trains on the line provide frequent daily service along the 460-mile Empire Corridor between New York City and Niagara Falls, New York...

, and Maple Leaf
Maple Leaf (Amtrak/VIA)
The Maple Leaf is a 875-kilometre passenger train route operated jointly by Via Rail and Amtrak from New York City's Pennsylvania Station to Toronto's Union Station via Albany, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo. The train travels during the day and takes approximately 12 hours for the 875-kilometre ...

. Additionally, Amtrak's New York-Chicago train, the Lake Shore Limited
Lake Shore Limited
The Lake Shore Limited is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. The train runs between Chicago and Albany, NY, where it divides into two sections that provide thru-service to New York and Boston...

, the successor to the fabled 20th Century Limited
20th Century Limited
The 20th Century Limited was an express passenger train operated by the New York Central Railroad from 1902 to 1967, during which time it would become known as a "National Institution" and the "Most Famous Train in the World". In the year of its last run, The New York Times said that it "...was...

, serves this station when coming eastbound from Chicago.

The Mid-Hudson Bridge
Mid-Hudson Bridge
The Mid-Hudson Bridge is a toll suspension bridge which carries US 44 and NY 55 across the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie and Highland in the state of New York. Governor and local resident Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor attended the opening ceremony on August 25, 1930. The bridge...

, opened in 1930, carries US 44 and NY 55 across the Hudson River from Poughkeepsie to Highland
Highland, Ulster County, New York
Highland is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,060 at the 2000 census.Highland is a community in the Town of Lloyd, on U.S. Route 9W. Routes 44 and 55 run through it as well...

. The Poughkeepsie Bridge
Poughkeepsie Bridge
The Poughkeepsie Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east bank and Highland, New York on the west bank...

 opened in 1888 to carry railroad traffic across the Hudson, but ended this use when a 1974 fire damaged its decking. A local group (Walkway Over The Hudson) raised the funds to convert the bridge into a unique linear park connecting rail trails on both side of the Hudson River. The walkway opened on October 3, 2009, coinciding with the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. Hudson made two attempts on behalf of English merchants to find a prospective Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle...

's first exploration of the river named for him. The bridge is now open for pedestrian and bicycle use and is a State Historic Park.

The Dutchess County Airport
Dutchess County Airport
Dutchess County Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located on State Route 376 in the Town of Wappinger, Dutchess County, New York, United States, four miles south of the central business district of Poughkeepsie. It is sometimes called Poughkeepsie Airport, which gives it the code POU...

 in nearby Wappinger
Wappinger, New York
Wappinger is a town of in Dutchess County, New York in the United States. The population was 26,274 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the Wappani Indians that inhabited the area...

 services general aviation, although it once had scheduled air carrier service by Colonial Airlines
Colonial Airlines
Colonial Airlines was a Canadian airline from the 1940s and 1950s with bases in Montreal and at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. It was formerly known as well as Canadian Colonial Airways and Colonial Airways before becoming Colonial Airlines.By 1956, Colonial's executive offices were on Park...

 in the 1950s and commuter airline service by Command Airways
Command Airways
Command Airways was a regional airline based at the Dutchess County Airport in Wappinger, New York, just outside Poughkeepsie where it began operations in 1965 as Mid-Hudson Airlines....

 and others in the 1960s–1980s. The nearest major airport to Poughkeepsie is Stewart International Airport
Stewart International Airport
Stewart International Airport is located in the southern Hudson Valley, west of Newburgh, New York and over north of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The airport is located in the Town of Newburgh and the Town of New Windsor."." U.S. Census Bureau...

 about 25 miles (40 km) south in Newburgh
Newburgh (city), New York
Newburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York, United States, north of New York City, and south of Albany, on the Hudson River. Newburgh is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area, which includes all of Dutchess and Orange counties. The Newburgh area was...

, with the three major metropolitan airports for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 - John F. Kennedy International approximately 88 miles (142 km) south, Newark Liberty International approximately 105 miles (169 km) south, and LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...

 approximately 80 miles (129 km) south - and Albany International Airport
Albany International Airport
Albany International Airport is a public use airport located six nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Albany, in Albany County, New York, United States. It is owned by the Albany County Airport Authority....

 approximately 75 miles (121 km) north.
Within Poughkeepsie there are two transit bus services:
  • City of Poughkeepsie Transit
    City of Poughkeepsie Transit
    City of Poughkeepsie Transit is the municipal bus system serving the City of Poughkeepsie, New York as well as parts of the Town of Poughkeepsie and Hyde Park. The system operates five different regular routes and a service which serves students at Poughkeepsie Middle School and Poughkeepsie High...

    , operated by the City, operates five mostly unidirectional loop routes throughout the city, town
    Poughkeepsie (town), New York
    Poughkeepsie is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 42,777 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the native term, "Uppu-qui-ipis-in," which means "reed-covered hut by the water."...

    , and into Hyde Park
    Hyde Park, New York
    Hyde Park is a town located in the northwest part of Dutchess County, New York, United States, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The town is most famous for being the hometown of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt....

    .
  • Dutchess County LOOP
    Dutchess County LOOP
    The Dutchess County LOOP Bus System is the bus service provided by the Dutchess County Department of Mass Transit in Dutchess County, New York. LOOP provides a variety of bus services throughout Dutchess County ranging from fixed-route services, centered primarily along the Route 9 corridor,...

    , operated by Dutchess County, travels throughout Dutchess County and also serves as the main link to the Route 9 corridor including Poughkeepsie Galleria
    Poughkeepsie Galleria
    The Poughkeepsie Galleria is a shopping mall on U.S. 9 in the Town of Poughkeepsie, New York, not far from Wappingers Falls, and is the biggest mall in New York's Hudson Valley region. The mall, which opened in 1987 after much controversy regarding its construction, has an area of with two floors...

     and South Hills Mall
    South Hills Mall
    South Hills Mall was an indoor shopping mall on U.S. 9 in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York. The 675,000 ft² plaza opened in 1974 and included four stores, a small food court, and an eight-screen second-run cinema...

    .

Both services have a quasi-hub at the intersection of Main and Market streets, adjacent to the Mid-Hudson Civic Center and at the west end of the former pedestrian-only Main Mall
Main Mall
The Main Mall was an outdoor pedestrian shopping plaza in downtown Poughkeepsie, New York, which was in existence from 1973 until 2001. A urban renewal project designed with the intention of stopping the decline of the central business district of downtown Poughkeepsie, the mall was created by...

; the Mall was removed in 2001, with those blocks being restored back to traffic and to the name Main Street. Other buses serving this area include Adirondack Trailways
Trailways of New York
Trailways of New York is a bus company in New York operating under the Adirondack Trailways, Pine Hill Trailways, and New York Trailways brands, primarily along the Albany to Buffalo corridor...

, ShortLine, commuter runs to White Plains
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...

, and a shuttle to New Paltz
New Paltz (village), New York
New Paltz is a village in Ulster County in the U.S. state of New York. It is about north of New York City and south of Albany. The population was 6,818 at the 2010 census.The Village of New Paltz is located within the Town of New Paltz...

.

Industry and media

IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...

 has a large campus in Poughkeepsie, once referred to as IBM's "Main Plant," although this facility is actually in the Town of Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie (town), New York
Poughkeepsie is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 42,777 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the native term, "Uppu-qui-ipis-in," which means "reed-covered hut by the water."...

, and much of the workforce has been moved elsewhere in the company (2008). The site once built the 700 computer family (Scientific, 701, 704, 709, 7090) and commercial (702, 705, 7080) as well as IBM Stretch
IBM 7030
The IBM 7030, also known as Stretch, was IBM's first transistorized supercomputer. The first one was delivered to Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1961....

 Computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...

 and later IBM mainframes. The RS/6000 SP2 family of computers, which came to fame after one of them won a chess match against world chess master Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....

, were also manufactured by IBM Poughkeepsie. In October 2008 IBM's Poughkeepsie facility was named "Assembly Plant of the Year 2008" by the editors of Assembly Magazine. Poughkeepsie remains IBM's primary design and manufacturing center for its newest mainframes and high-end POWER
IBM POWER
POWER is a reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by IBM. The name is an acronym for Performance Optimization With Enhanced RISC....

 servers, and it is also one of IBM's major software development centers for z/OS
Z/OS
z/OS is a 64-bit operating system for mainframe computers, produced by IBM. It derives from and is the successor to OS/390, which in turn followed a string of MVS versions.Starting with earliest:*OS/VS2 Release 2 through Release 3.8...

 and for other products.

Until 1972 Poughkeepsie was home to the Smith Brothers cough drop factory. The Smith Brothers' grave site is in Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery.

The Poughkeepsie Journal
Poughkeepsie Journal
The Poughkeepsie Journal is a newspaper based in Poughkeepsie, New York owned by the Gannett Company, who bought the paper in 1977. Founded in 1785 , the Journal is the oldest paper in New York state, and is the third-oldest in the nation...

 is the third-oldest active newspaper in the United States.

FM radio stations in the area are WRRV
WRRV
WRRV is a modern rock radio station licensed to Middletown, New York and serving the mid Hudson Valley and Catskills of New York state plus nearby areas in New Jersey and Pennsylvania...

-96.9 (alternative rock), WPDH
WPDH
WPDH is a mainstream rock radio station licensed to Poughkeepsie, New York, and serving from extreme Northern New Jersey to New York's Hudson Valley and Catskills. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts on 101.5 MHz at 4.4 kilowatts ERP from a tower site on Illinois Mountain in...

-101.5 (album-oriented rock), WCZX
WCZX
WCZX is an hot adult contemporary radio station licensed to Hyde Park, New York and serving the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York state...

-MIX 97.7 (adult contemporary), WKXP
WKXP
WKXP is a country music station licensed to Kingston, New York and serving the Hudson Valley of New York state. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts at 6 kilowatts ERP from a tower in Kingston....

-94.3 THE WOLF (Country), WRWD-FM
WRWD-FM
WRWD-FM are the call letters of a country music radio station licensed to Highland, New York and primarily serving the mid-Hudson Valley of New York. The station broadcasts at 6 kilowatts ERP from a tower near Illinois Mountain in Marlborough, New York shared with sister station WBWZ...

-107.3 (country), WSPK
WSPK
WSPK is a CHR radio station licensed to Poughkeepsie, New York and broadcasting from studios in Fishkill. It is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts on 104.7 MHz at an ERP of 7.4 kilowatts from a tower at the top of Mount Beacon in Fishkill.WSPK's main coverage area is centered on the...

-104.7 (top 40), WHUD
WHUD
WHUD is an Adult Contemporary radio station licensed to Peekskill, New York. The station is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts on 100.7 MHz at 50 kW ERP from a tower site in Philipstown, New York.-History:...

-100.7 (adult contemporary), WDST
WDST
WDST is a radio station licensed to Woodstock, New York. The station is owned by CHET-5 Broadcasting and broadcasts with 3 kW ERP from a tower in the Town of Kingston.WDST also broadcasts one translator:...

-100.1 (independent rock), and WPKF
WPKF
WPKF is a Rhythmic Top 40 radio station licensed to Poughkeepsie, New York and serving the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York state. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and broadcasts at 6 kilowatts ERP from a tower mounted on the roof of the Ross Pavilion at the Hudson River...

-96.1 (rhythmic top 40) WVKR
WVKR
WVKR-FM is a college radio station owned by, and primarily staffed by students of, Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. The station broadcasts on 91.3 MHz at 15 kilowatts ERP from a tower in Milton, New York with a directional signal to the south...

-91.3 (Vassar College Radio). AM radio stations in the area are WEOK
WEOK
WEOK is a radio station licensed to Poughkeepsie, New York and serving the Mid-Hudson Valley. The station is owned by Cumulus Media broadcasts on 1390 kHz at 5 kilowatts daytime and 106 watts nighttime from a two-tower directional antenna array adjacent to the Cumulus cluster complex on Pendell...

-AM 1390 (Oldies), WGNY
WGNY (AM)
WGNY is a radio station broadcasting a Oldies format. Licensed to Newburgh, New York, the station serves the Newburgh-Middletown area and is currently owned by Sunrise Broadcasting Corporation and features programming from ABC Radio ....

-1220 (50's & 60's music), WHVW
WHVW
WHVW is a radio station licensed to Hyde Park, New York that is noted for its eclectic format based on old-fashioned blues, jazz, country and Americana music. In a time of corporate ownership of broadcast outlets, it is also one of only three Hudson Valley radio stations that are independently...

-950 (50's and older blues and country), WKIP-1450 (talk radio) .

Local online resources: Hudson Valley Grapevine: Poughkeepsie News, Classifieds, Events, Schools, County information etc...

Fire

The Poughkeepsie Fire Department
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...

 is the fire department that covers the City of Poughkeepsie. By keeping buildings up to code, controlling illegal occupancies, monitoring the safety of living areas and issuing licenses and permits, the department works to control the potential for dangerous situations. The fire district operates three fire stations spread out throughout the city, as their district covers the entire city, while the Arlington Fire District
Arlington Fire District
The Arlington Fire District is one of 3 fire departments that provides fire and EMS services to the residents of the Town Of Poughkeepsie. Arlington has four fire stations located at numerous ends of the Town. The fire district is staffed with 78 paid and 85 Volunteer members. along with EMT's and...

, Fairview Fire District, and New Hamburg Fire Department
New Hamburg Fire Department
The New Hamburg Fire District is the fire department that provides volunteer fire and EMS services to the residents of the Town Of Poughkeepsie. New Hamburg has two fire stations located in the southern end of the Town of Poughkeepsie. The fire district is staffed by 60 volunteer members along...

 cover the Town of Poughkeepsie. The PFD is capable of handling fires, rescues, extrications and natural disasters. The PFD operates a varied fire apparatus fleet; however it is not a transport service, but rather a First Responder service. Both BLS and ALS EMS calls are handled by Moblie Life EMS who provide the city with as many ambulances as needed to provide 24/7 ambulance service.

Police

Police protection to the city is provided by the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department. When someone calls 911
911
Year 911 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.-Africa:* Rebellion of the Kutama Berbers against the Fatimid Caliphate...

 in the city, it is routed to the city 911 headquarters. From there they notify police units in the city, and locate the closest available unit. The Dutchess County Sheriff Station is based in Poughkeepsie NY with the Dutchess County Jail being next to it which houses around 275-300 inmates maximum capacity at any time.

Sports

Poughkeepsie is home to the Hudson Valley Bears
Hudson Valley Bears
The Hudson Valley Bears were an ice hockey team in the Eastern Professional Hockey League. They split their home games between the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York and the in Newburgh, New York.-2008-2009:...

, who are one of four founding members of the Eastern Professional Hockey League (EPHL)
Eastern Professional Hockey League (2008)
The Eastern Professional Hockey League was a low-level professional ice hockey league. The league was developed by Curtis Russell, Tim Kolpien, Igor Mrotchek, and Jim Riggs, the former commissioner of the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League in 2007....

. They play their home games at the McCann Ice Arena in the Mid-Hudson Civic Center
Mid-Hudson Civic Center
The Mid-Hudson Civic Center is a venue in Poughkeepsie, NY, USA consisting of Mair Hall and the McCann Ice Arena . It was built in the 1970s as part of the general attempt at rehabilitation of the central district of the City of Poughkeepsie...

.

The Hudson Valley Renegades
Hudson Valley Renegades
The Hudson Valley Renegades are a minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays. The team is a member of the New York - Penn League, a Class A Short Season league. The Renegades play at Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, NY....

 are a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...

. The team is a member of the New York - Penn League
New York - Penn League
The New York – Penn League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the northeastern United States. It is classified as a "Short-Season A" league; its season starts in June, after major-league teams have signed their amateur draft picks to professional contracts, and ends in early...

, and play at Dutchess Stadium
Dutchess Stadium
Dutchess Stadium is a stadium in Fishkill, New York. It opened in 1994 and holds 4,500 people. It is located on New York State Route 9D.It is primarily used for baseball, as the home field of the Hudson Valley Renegades minor league baseball team. The Renegades are the rookie-level team of the...

 in nearby Fishkill
Fishkill, New York
Fishkill is an upscale village within the much larger town, Town of Fishkill, one of the fastest growing towns in the region, in Dutchess County, New York, USA. The village population was 1,735 at the 2000 census...

.

The Hudson Valley Hawks
Hudson Valley Hawks
The Hudson Valley Hawks are a professional basketball team in the National Professional Basketball League based in Beacon, New York. The Hawks play at Beacon High School....

 is a team in the newly formed National Professional Basketball League
National Professional Basketball League (2007-)
The National Professional Basketball League, often abbreviated to the NPBL, was an American men's professional basketball minor league featuring teams from the East Coast of the United States which played for two seasons....

. The team's home court is at Beacon High School, in nearby Beacon
Beacon, New York
Beacon is a city located in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The 2010 census placed the city total population at 15,541. Beacon is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport,...

.

The Hudson Valley Highlanders of the North American Football League played their home games at Dietz Stadium
Dietz Stadium
Robert Dietz Memorial Stadium is a football stadium in Kingston, New York. Dietz Stadium is the home field of the Kingston High School Tigers football team. It is named for Robert H. Dietz, a medal-of-honor recipient killed in World War II...

 in nearby Kingston
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...

.

Poughkeepsie also hosted a founding member of the North Eastern Hockey League (NEHL)
North Eastern Hockey League
The North Eastern Hockey League was a semi-professional ice hockey league from 2003 until 2008. It was created by entrepreneur Jim Cashman, who served as league president. The NEHL was built to focus on giving players that were not quite ready for the ECHL, United Hockey League, and the Central...

 with the formation of the Poughkeepsie Panthers in 2003. However, due to financial problems the team only played for one season, and became the Connecticut Cougars the following year. The North Eastern Hockey League folded due financial problems in January, 2008.

One of Poughkeepsie's most notable sports events was the annual regatta of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association
Intercollegiate Rowing Association
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association runs the IRA Championship Regatta, which is considered to be the United States collegiate national championship of rowing. Since 1995, it has been held on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, New Jersey, and includes both men's and women's events for sweep boats...

 (IRA), which was held on the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

 from 1895 to 1949. Tens of thousands of spectators attended the regattas, which were longer than present-day races, with varsity eights rowing a 4-mile race. Spectators watched from the hills and bluffs overlooking the river and from chartered boats and trains that followed the races along the entire length of the course. When the IRA moved the regatta to other venues, the Mid-Hudson Rowing Association was formed to preserve rowing in the area. It successfully lobbied to preserve the regatta's facilities and for area high schools to use them for school rowing programs. Currently (2009), area colleges, high schools and rowing clubs are active in expanded facilities. As part of the 400th Anniversary of the Hudson celebration, a recreation of the regatta was held with Marist College Crew as its host. The events included a fireworks display, a large dinner and the unveiling of the restored historic Cornell Boathouse, now property of Marist Crew. The race was the historically accurate 4 miles long and was competed in by Marist, Vassar, Army, Penn, Navy and Cornell. This was also the first time any women's crew was allowed to participate in the historic IRA Poughkeepsie Regatta.

Entertainment and the arts

Poughkeepsie has a number of notable institutions for arts and entertainment. The Bardavon 1869 Opera House
Bardavon 1869 Opera House
The Bardavon 1869 Opera House , in the downtown district of Poughkeepsie, New York, USA, is the oldest continuously-operating theater in New York State. Built in 1869, it served as a venue for various performing arts, community meetings, and celebrations until 1923; it largely resumed this...

, located near Main and Market Streets, is a theater which has an array of music, drama, dance and film events. It is also the home of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic
Hudson Valley Philharmonic
The Hudson Valley Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in Poughkeepsie, New York in the United States. The Hudson Valley Philharmonic also known as HVP began in 1932 and it serves the Hudson Valley region....

.

The Mid-Hudson Civic Center, located down the street from the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, hosts concerts, professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

, trade shows
Trade fair
A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...

, and has an ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...

 next door for hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...

 events. From July 1984 to August 5, 1986 the Civic Center was the location for filming WWF Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation's
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...

 nationally and internationally broadcast weekly television program of the time. The Civic Center is also home to the Hudson Valley Bears
Hudson Valley Bears
The Hudson Valley Bears were an ice hockey team in the Eastern Professional Hockey League. They split their home games between the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York and the in Newburgh, New York.-2008-2009:...

.

The Chance
The Chance
The Chance is a concert and theater complex in downtown Poughkeepsie, New York, United States.It began its life as one of Poughkeepsie's movie theaters in the 1920s...

, located at 6 Crannell Street in downtown Poughkeepsie, hosts live rock concerts with local as well as major artists.

The collections of the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center
Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center
The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center is a teaching museum, major art repository, and exhibition space on the campus of Vassar College, in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA. It was originally founded in 1864 as the Vassar College Art Gallery. It displays works from antiquity to contemporary times...

 at Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...

 chart the history of art from antiquity to the present and comprise over 15,000 works, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, and glass and ceramic wares.

The Barrett Art Center at 55 Noxon Street offers exhibits, art classes, lectures and demonstrations focused on the visual arts. Twice yearly it presents nationally acclaimed shows, juried by curators of notable museums. It also operates Barrett Clay Works at 485 Main Street, with studio spaces for individual artists, and a street level space devoted to instruction in various methods of "working clay" for children through seniors.

Cafe Bocca, located at 14 Mount Carmel Place, is the newest business to open in Poughkeepsie's Mt. Carmel neighborhood. Cafe Bocca features weekly original music from area artists, art exhibits, and poetry events.

Locust Grove, the home of Samuel Morse and a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...

, features representative paintings by Morse, as well as historically important examples of telegraph technology.

The Mid-Hudson Children's Museum
Mid-Hudson Children's Museum
The Mid-Hudson Children's Museum is located on North Water Street in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. It has been located in a brick building across from the former Innis Dye Works building, a short walk from the Poughkeepsie station on Metro-North's Hudson Line and right on the Hudson River....

, 75 North Water Street, serves the city and region as an educational resource center, family destination and tourist attraction.

The Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center at 9
Vassar Home for Aged Men
The former Vassar Home for Aged Men is located at Main and Vassar streets in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. It is just across the street from the architecturally similar Vassar Institute....

 and 12 Vassar Street
Vassar Institute
The Vassar Institute building is located at Main and Vassar streets in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States, across from the architecturally similar Vassar Home for Aged Men...

 provides venues for both professional and amateur artists to showcase their talent in music, dance, and the visual arts.

Bananas is a comedy club that presents comedians such as Jim Norton
Jim Norton (comedian)
James Joseph "Jim" Norton, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, radio personality, author, and actor. He is an on-air personality, often dubbed the 'third mic' on The Opie and Anthony Show, which airs on Sirius XM Radio...

, Rich Vos
Rich Vos
Richard Ira "Rich" Vos is an American comedian. Originally from Plainfield, New Jersey, Vos has been a working stand-up for decades. Colin Quinn described Vos in his early days as a "Jersey Hack"....

, Patrice O'Neal, and Nick DiPaolo
Nick DiPaolo
Nicholas Rocco "Nick" DiPaolo is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and radio host formerly on 92.3 Free FM in New York City until May 24, 2007, when the station changed formats. He is also a frequent guest on the Opie and Anthony and Howard Stern radio shows...

. Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...

 started his career performing at the club.

Joseph Bertolozzi's
Joseph Bertolozzi
Joseph Bertolozzi is an American composer and musician with works ranging from full symphony orchestra to solo gongs to suspension bridge...

 Bridge Music
Bridge Music
Bridge Music is a public sound art installation. Additionally, there is an album of the same name featuring music from this installation.- History :...

 is a sound-art installation on the Mid-Hudson Bridge
Mid-Hudson Bridge
The Mid-Hudson Bridge is a toll suspension bridge which carries US 44 and NY 55 across the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie and Highland in the state of New York. Governor and local resident Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor attended the opening ceremony on August 25, 1930. The bridge...

, allowing listeners to hear it played like a musical instrument. A recording of the results, the 2009 CD "Bridge Music" (on the Delos
Delos International
Delos International is an American record label. Based in Hollywood, California, it specializes in publishing classical music. The Delos recording label was founded in 1973 by Amelia S. Haygood , one of the most prominent figures in the classical recording industry...

 label DE1045), entered the Billboard Classical Crossover Music Chart at #18, and has been released globally. The Bridge Music Listening Stations (which play selections from the CD) are located on the pedestrian sidewalk of the Mid-Hudson Bridge, at each of the bridge's towers. They are open dawn to dusk from April 1 through October 31. Additionally, Park Radios on 95.3FM play the same music year-round, 24/7 in Waryas Park, Poughkeepsie and Johnson-Iorio Park, Highland.

Urban housing

  • Eastman Terrace
  • Tubman Terrace
  • Smith Street Projects
  • Delafield Projects
  • Beechwood Projects
  • Mill Street Projects
  • Hudson Harbor Projects
  • MLK projects *Charles Street Projects * Boulevard Knolls Projects

Notable natives and residents

  • We Are The In Crowd
    We Are the In Crowd
    We Are the In Crowd is an American pop punk band from Poughkeepsie, New York, formed in 2009. The band consists of Taylor Jardine , Jordan Eckes , Mike Ferri , Rob Chianelli , and Cameron Hurley...

    , band
  • Alfred Mosher Butts
    Alfred Mosher Butts
    Alfred Mosher Butts was an American architect and the inventor of the board game Scrabble in 1938.-Personal life:...

    , architect and inventor of Scrabble
    Scrabble
    Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...

    .
  • Dr. Sara Josephine Baker
    Sara Josephine Baker
    Sara Josephine Baker was an American physician notable for contributions to public health in New York City...

    , physician and public health worker.
  • Joseph Bertolozzi
    Joseph Bertolozzi
    Joseph Bertolozzi is an American composer and musician with works ranging from full symphony orchestra to solo gongs to suspension bridge...

    , composer, musician, and creator of the Bridge Music
    Bridge Music
    Bridge Music is a public sound art installation. Additionally, there is an album of the same name featuring music from this installation.- History :...

     project, was born in Poughkeepsie.
  • Josh Billings
    Josh Billings
    Josh Billings was the pen name of 19th century American humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw . He was perhaps the second most famous humor writer and lecturer in the United States in the second half of the 19th century after Mark Twain, although his reputation has not endured so well with later...

    , pen name of Henry Wheeler Shaw, American humorist of the mid-to-late 19th century.
  • Bill Duke
    Bill Duke
    William Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. is an American actor and film director with over 30 years of experience. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action/crime and drama genres but also includes comedy.-Early life:Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the...

    , actor and film director, was born in Poughkeepsie and attended Dutchess Community College.
  • Martin Faust
    Martin Faust (actor)
    Martin Faust was an American film actor. He appeared in 107 films between 1910 and 1944.He was born in Poughkeepsie, New York and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:* The Silent Command...

     (1886–1943), actor.
  • Kendall Francois
    Kendall Francois
    Kendall Francois is a serial killer from Poughkeepsie, New York, convicted of killing eight women, from 1996 to 1998. He is currently serving life in prison for his crimes.-Life:...

    , serial killer, lived and operated in Poughkeepsie.
  • Carolyn Garcia, a/k/a "Mountain Girl," Merry Prankster
    Merry Pranksters
    The Merry Pranksters were a group of people who formed around American author Ken Kesey in 1964 and sometimes lived communally at his homes in California and Oregon...

     and former wife of Grateful Dead
    Grateful Dead
    The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...

     guitarist Jerry Garcia
    Jerry Garcia
    Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...

    .
  • Jonathan Idema
    Jonathan Idema
    Jonathan Keith "Jack" Idema is a convicted felon and con artist who was also found gulty in September 2004 for running a private prison in Afghanistan and torturing Afghan citizens. At the time, Idema had been portraying himself as a U.S. government-sponsored special forces operative on a mission...

    , a self-proclaimed counter-terrorism
    Counter-terrorism
    Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...

     expert and covert operations specialist who partially served a sentence in the Pul-e-Charkhi prison
    Pul-e-Charkhi prison
    Pul-e-Charkhi , also known as Afghan National Detention Facility, is the largest prison in Afghanistan east of Kabul. Construction of the jail began in the 1970s by order of former president Mohammed Daoud Khan and was completed during the 1980s...

     in Afghanistan
    Afghanistan
    Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

     before being pardoned by Hamid Karzai
    Hamid Karzai
    Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...

    , was born in the town.
  • Tibor Kalman
    Tibor Kalman
    Tibor Kalman was an influential American graphic designer of Hungarian origin, well-known for his work as editor-in-chief of Colors magazine....

     (1949–1999), graphic designer, emigrated from Hungary to Poughkeepsie as a child.
  • Terry Lickona, founder of the PBS live-music show Austin City Limits
    Austin City Limits
    Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...

    .
  • G. Gordon Liddy
    G. Gordon Liddy
    George Gordon Liddy was the chief operative for the White House Plumbers unit that existed from July–September 1971, during Richard Nixon's presidency. Separately, along with E. Howard Hunt, Liddy organized and directed the Watergate burglaries of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in...

    , a key figure in the Watergate Scandal
    Watergate scandal
    The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...

    , worked here as an assistant district attorney.
  • Keith Lockhart
    Keith Lockhart
    For the baseball player, see Keith Lockhart Keith Lockhart , to Newton Frederick and Marilyn Jean Woodyard Lockhart, is an American orchestral conductor....

    , conductor of the Boston Pops.
  • Jocko Maggiacomo
    Jocko Maggiacomo
    Chauncey Maggiacomo, Jr. known as "Jocko" or, in high school, as "Chant," was a NASCAR Winston Cup series driver from Poughkeepsie, New York. Maggiacomo started in 23 NASCAR races in 10 seasons, primarily in the Northeastern United States...

    , race car driver.
  • Mark Mahoney
    Mark Mahoney
    Mark Mahoney is a Boston born tattoo artist, considered the "founding father" of black and grey art with a single needle.-Biography:Many in the business consider Mahoney a living legend. He currently owns and is the principal artist at the Shamrock Social Club on Sunset Boulevand in Hollywood, CA...

    , 2009 Pulitizer Prize winner, journalism (editorial writing)
  • Elizabeth (Lee) Miller
    Lee Miller
    Elizabeth 'Lee' Miller, Lady Penrose was an American photographer. Born in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1907, she was a successful fashion model in New York City in the 1920s before going to Paris where she became an established fashion and fine art photographer...

    , fashion model, photographer and World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

     correspondent, was born in 1907 in Poughkeepsie and grew up there. Her father, Theodor Miller, was a prominent citizen of the city.
  • Sterling Morrison
    Sterling Morrison
    Holmes Sterling Morrison, Jr. was one of the founding members of the rock group The Velvet Underground, usually playing electric guitar, occasionally bass guitar, and singing backing vocals.-Biography:...

    , guitarist for the 1960s rock band The Velvet Underground
    The Velvet Underground
    The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...

    , lived in Poughkeepsie.
  • Samuel F.B. Morse, inventor of the telegraph and the Morse code
    Morse code
    Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...

    , lived in Poughkeepsie from 1847 until 1872.
  • Billy Name
    Billy Name
    Billy Name, , is an American photographer, filmmaker and lighting designer. He was the archivist of the Warhol Factory, from 1964 to 1970. His brief romance and subsequent friendship with Andy Warhol led to substantial collaboration on Warhol's work, including his films, paintings and sculpture...

    , photographer, filmmaker, artist and Andy Warhol
    Andy Warhol
    Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...

     collaborator, was born and lives in the city.
  • Homer Augustus Nelson
    Homer Augustus Nelson
    Homer Augustus Nelson was an American politician and soldier from the state of New York. He was an officer in the Union Army during the first part of the Civil War and a United States congressman during the latter half of the war.-Biography:Nelson was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he was...

    , lawyer
    Lawyer
    A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

    , congressman
    United States Congress
    The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

    , Secretary of State of New York
    Secretary of State of New York
    The Secretary of State of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York.The current Secretary of State of New York is Cesar A...

     and colonel
    Colonel
    Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

     in the Union Army
    Union Army
    The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

    , was from Poughkeepsie.
  • Elfquest
    Elfquest
    Elfquest is a cult hit comic book property created by Wendy and Richard Pini in 1978. It is a fantasy story about a community of elves and other fictional species who struggle to survive and coexist on a primitive Earth-like planet with two moons. Several published volumes of prose fiction also...

    , creators/authors/artists Wendy and Richard Pini live in Poughkeepsie.
  • Rock band Pound
    Pound (band)
    Pound was an American rock band from Poughkeepsie, New York.-History:Four of the members of Pound were in a New York hair metal band in the early 1990s. Later in the decade, they went on to be signed with EMI Music Publishing working closely with then EMI V.P. Evan Lamberg...

     was from Poughkeepsie.
  • CBS news reporter Dave Price
    Dave Price
    For the American publisher with the same name see Dave Price .Dave Price was a reporter and weatherman for CBS's The Early Show until he and Maggie Rodriguez were let go in an effort to boost last place ratings.Before his broadcasting career, Price spent eight years as a corporate human resources...

     is from Poughkeepsie.
  • Brian Regan, American stand-up comedian.
  • Charles Spencer, Florida Tuskers offensive tackle, was born in Poughkeepsie in 1982.
  • Robert Sheckley
    Robert Sheckley
    Robert Sheckley was a Hugo- and Nebula-nominated American author. First published in the science fiction magazines of the 1950s, his numerous quick-witted stories and novels were famously unpredictable, absurdist and broadly comical.Sheckley was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and...

    , (July 16, 1928 – December 9, 2005) was a Hugo- and Nebula-nominated American author.
  • Delilah Strong
    Delilah Strong
    __notoc__Delilah Strong is an American pornographic actress. Strong is of Puerto Rican and Sicilian descent. She is the daughter of 80's pornographic actress Deborah Coxxx...

    , adult film star.
  • Director Edward D. Wood, Jr. was born and raised in Poughkeepsie.

  • Eleven Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

     players were born in Poughkeepsie: Frank Bahret
    Frank Bahret
    Frank F. Bahret was a Major League Baseball outfielder, for about a week, during the Union Association's one and only season of 1884. He stood 6'1" and weighed 184 lbs....

     (1858), Frank Beck (1860), Bill Daley
    Bill Daley (baseball)
    William Daley was a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1889-1891. He played for the Boston Reds and Boston Beaneaters....

     (1868), Buttons Briggs
    Buttons Briggs
    Herbert Theodore "Buttons" Briggs was an American Major League Baseball pitcher, who played a total of five seasons.-Career:...

     (1875), Elmer Steele
    Elmer Steele
    Elmer Rae Steele was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched from 1907-1911.-External links:...

     (1886), Mickey McDermott
    Mickey McDermott
    Maurice Joseph "Mickey" McDermott Jr. was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball.-Pre-professional career:...

     (1929), Fred Lasher
    Fred Lasher
    Frederick Walter Lasher is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played six seasons with the Minnesota Twins , the Detroit Tigers , the Cleveland Indians , and the California Angels.Lasher debuted in the major leagues with the Twins at age 21 in 1963...

     (1941), Tommy Boggs
    Tommy Boggs
    Thomas Winton Boggs is a former professional baseball pitcher. Boggs pitched in all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball between 1976 and 1985....

     (1955), Ricky Horton
    Ricky Horton
    Ricky Ness Horton is an American former Major League Baseball player who pitched from 1984-1990. He was known as Ricky during his playing career, but now goes by Rick. He currently provides color commentary for television broadcasts of the St...

     (1959), Frank Cimorelli
    Frank Cimorelli
    Frank Thomas Cimorelli is former Major League Baseball pitcher. Cimorelli played for the St. Louis Cardinals in .-External links:*...

     (1968), Jeff Pierce
    Jeff Pierce (baseball)
    Jeffrey Charles Pierce is a former middle relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox during the season...

     (1969), and Dan Gallagher (1982).
  • Hardcore punk band Shai Hulud
    Shai Hulud (band)
    Shai Hulud is an American hardcore punk band with progressive metal influences, originally formed in Pompano Beach, Florida, the band later moved up to Poughkeepsie, New York....

     moved to Poughkeepsie from Southern Florida and is still based here.
  • Emo band Matchbook Romance
    Matchbook Romance
    Matchbook Romance was an American rock band from Poughkeepsie, New York and was formed in 1997.were signed to Epitaph Records. They released two full length albums and one EP...

     was from Poughkeepsie.
  • Professional poker player Hevad Khan
    Hevad Khan
    Hevad Khan is a professional poker player, best known for making the final table at the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing in sixth place.-Competitive Gaming:...

     was born and raised in Poughkeepsie.

See also

  • List of newspapers in New York in the 18th-century: Poughkeepsie
  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Poughkeepsie, New York
    National Register of Historic Places listings in Poughkeepsie, New York
    List of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Poughkeepsie, New YorkThis is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the city and town of Poughkeepsie, New York, including the hamlet of New Hamburg...



Further reading

  • Flad, Harvey. 2005. A digital tour of Poughkeepsie. Poughkeepsie, NY : Vassar College.
  • Mano, Jo Margert and Linda Greenow. 2006. Mexico comes to Main Street: Mexican immigration and urban revitalization in Poughkeepsie, NY. Middle States Geographer 39: 76-83.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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