Scotchtown, NY 101 Apartments for Rent

Scotchtown's Mills Industrial Park was supposed to be the site for the 1969 Woodstock festival, but city leaders struck the proposal down.

Scotchtown is a hamlet between the towns of Wallkill and Middletown in Orange County, New York. Just over 9,200 people called this 4.2 square mile piece of prime New York property home in 2010, and the area continues to grow, mostly because when people settle in Scotchtown, they tend to stay. Census data from 2010 shows that home owners average nine years in their current house, and renters had been in the same spot for at least four years. With July high temperatures hovering in the mid-80s, you get a real taste of summer, and although winter lows dip into the teens, the area only sees six to eight inches of monthly snow during the colder months. The hamlet is considered part of the metropolitan New York area, with the city about 73 miles to the south and accessible by highway or rail.

Moving to Scotchtown

Even though residents tend to stick around for a long time, you should be able to find an apartment for rent in Scotchtown. Several communities, such as Stevens Manor and Rockwood Gardens, feature studio, one bedroom apartments and two bedroom units. To rent at one of these, be prepared to share rental and credit references, as you'll need to be in excellent standing to score a place at one of these high-demand complexes.

If you're looking to rent a one bedroom apartment with some utilities included, Imperial Gardens has those, along with larger apartments and 3 or 4 bedroom townhouses, two community pools and flexible leasing options.

Homes in the area lean to the large side and many are owner occupied. You can find homes to rent, though, if that's what you're looking for. Almost 45 percent of residents in Scotchtown are renters, so there are many properties potentially available if you keep your eyes peeled for that rare occurrence that someone actually moves out.

Scotchtown Neighborhoods

As a hamlet within a larger metropolitan area, Scotchtown is a neighborhood itself, but there are some things you should know about how the town is set up.

North and West Scotchtown: The western border is defined by NY Highway 17, which will take you quickly to I-84 and down into New York City and Newark, New Jersey. The north end of Scotchtown is less developed and has a very low housing density. If you like to have lots of trees and few people around you, look for something up here off of Conners Road.

East Scotchtown: If you like to have lots of trees around you and still be close to commercial areas, then look on the east side of town. If you're renting an apartment, this is also the location of Imperial Gardens Apartments. Properties to the east of Goshen Turnpike back up to Highland Lakes State Park, a 3,000 acre expanse of undeveloped woodland and lakes. And it's really undeveloped. You will not find restrooms or picnic shelters or cute little cabin rentals within this park. It is popular with hikers and trail riders on horseback. Goshen Turnpike South leads you to Highway 211 and Scotchtown's commercial district.

South Scotchtown: Most of the area's shopping and dining establishments run along the Highway 211 corridor, which is almost the very south end of the hamlet, but not quite. Here you can find all your typical American restaurants, along with a selection of ethnic fare including plenty of Italian spots. This is New York, after all. Crystal Run Plaza on the west end of 211 is a popular shopping destination, and access to the Port Jervis rail line into New York and New Jersey is in this area, as well.

Blumel Road: Blumel Road, which runs between 211 and Goshen, is almost entirely residential.

Living in Scotchtown

Even if you plan on taking a bus into Middleton for work or the rail down into the city, you are going to want to have your own wheels in Scotchtown. Even though you'll be able to find practically everything you need without leaving town, you are not likely to find a place within walking distance of everywhere you want to go. There is one rail stop on the southwest of town, and bus lines barely peek into this corner, as well. Most commuters spend between 15 and 30 minutes traveling to work one-way, but Scotchtown is also known for a large number of commuters with hour-plus travel time each way.

If you're looking for a close-knit community within the greater New York metropolitan area, you really can't miss with Scotchtown. As mentioned earlier, when people move in, they tend to stay for a very long time, and that says nothing but great things about the area. When you first get to town, stop in at Maroney's Cove Clam Bar to pull a pint with the locals. For an interesting evening, head a few miles north to the Fair Oaks Drive In for a double feature the old-fashioned way. Most of all, when you get to Scotchtown, make yourself at home because chances are, you'll never want to leave.