Amenia: The New Hamptons in the Hudson Valley

  |  March 10, 2015
silo ridge entrance

Under construction: Google Map’s Street View of Silo Ridge’s entrance

Calling something “the new Brooklyn” is so five minutes ago. Now we’re looking for the new Hamptons, and we’re pretty sure we found it in the rural Dutchess County town of Amenia. There, according to a recent article in the New York Times, a new gated resort community called the Silo Ridge Field Club is set to be built on 850 acres at the old Silo Ridge golf course. And when we call it a resort community, that’s just exactly what we mean. The Discovery Land Company development is as upper-crust as it gets in drowsy Amenia (the village of Amenia is a quaint one-stoplight town) and will be completely self-contained with a clubhouse, spa, children’s club house, outdoor theater, indoor sports courts, shooting/archery ranges, and an organic farm that will provide food for the resort’s dining facilities. Private residents will be able to cultivate their own organic produce on the farm, as well. But of course, the piece de resistance of the whole shebang is the golf course. Realtor Elyse Harney Morris told the Times that the development will increase real estate demand in the area. Amenia’s town supervisor Veronica Perotti is quoted in the article: “We don’t have any light industry and our largest employer has closed, so this will be a big revenue boost for us.” For Amenia’s sake, we hope Supervisor Perroti is right, but a high-end gated community that provides very little incentive to leave the grounds doesn’t sound like a boon to the local economy to us. Of note: Amenia is home to the Wassaic Project music and arts festival, and it’s also on the Metro North’s Harlem Line. Silo Ridge residences will start around $1 million and go beyond $3 million. Thinking of getting one? Yearly dues are $24,000, and the initiation fee will run you about $100,000. More thoughts on Silo Ridge here, and here.

About Kandy Harris

Kandy is a writer and musician/music teacher living in Saugerties, NY.

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