Valhalla isn't just where Vikings go when they die; it is where smart central Westchester residents live. Valhalla, NY is a hamlet in the town of Mount Pleasant which is served by the Valhalla School District and punctuated by a quaint downtown, a scenic train station and Kensico Dam. Kensico is one of the largest dams in New York State and is adjacent to downtown Valhalla. Valhalla does indeed have a connection with many great people who have departed, as Kensico Cemetery is the final resting place of such notables as Ayn Rand, Lou Gehrig, Tommy Dorsey, Danny Kaye, and Billie Burke, the Good Witch of the North.
The downtown is very charming and has been for as long as I can remember. There is plenty of food and window shopping, and you can even eat al fresco. Up the Hill from downtown is the old Columbus school, which is no longer a public school school and owned by Easter Seals. My daughter attended there for early intervention for 2 years and we are grateful for the outstanding job they did.
Kensico Dam is named for the village that is now under the water of the Kensico reservoir that the dam helped create! Every year they have fireworks on the great lawn of Kensico Plaza, and it is a popular recreation and picnic area. It is walking distance to the train station and Taconic Parkway. This makes Valhalla one of the most unique places in New York. How many towns have a huge dam in their downtown?
The real estate market in Valhalla had a far better June in 2010 than it had in 2009, with sales more than doubling and the median price increasing almost 50%. With 12 homes currently under contract, this small hamlet is showing no signs of losing momentum. This isn't luck; the quality of life in Valhalla is very, very good.
All information is derived from the Westchester Putnam Multiple Listing Service and is for the Valhalla school district, which also encompasses parts of the towns of North Castle and Greenburgh.
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