New Paltz, New York
Encyclopedia
New Paltz is a town in Ulster County
, New York
, USA. The population was 14,003 at the 2010 census. The town is located in the southeastern part of the county and is south of Kingston, New York
. New Paltz contains a village also with the name New Paltz
. The name of the town is derived from Palz , the German dialect name of the Rhenish Palatinate, now a region of Germany
called "Pfalz" .
The Mohonk Preserve
and Mohonk Mountain House
resort hotel are located near the western part of New Paltz, and have New Paltz mailing addresses. The Survival of the Shawangunks
triathlon
has been held in that area of the town each September since 1983.
. The first settlers were Huguenot
refugees from Mannheim
in the German Palatinate, who settled around the present-day village of New Paltz (on what is now known as Huguenot Street Historic District
) and established their own local government. The size of the town increased from surrounding regions in 1775 and 1809. In 1842, part of New Paltz was removed to form the town of Esopus
. More of New Paltz was removed in order to form the towns of Rosendale (1844), Lloyd (1845), and Gardiner (1853).
flows northward through New Paltz on its way to join the Rondout Creek
, which in turn feeds into the Hudson River
.
The portion of the Shawangunk Ridge
which includes the Mohonk Preserve
and Minnewaska State Park Preserve
is in the town. The ridge is the single busiest rock climbing destination in North America, with some 50,000 technical climbers visiting the area each year.
of 2000, there were 12,830 people, 4,455 households, and 2,347 families residing in the town. The population density
was 378.4 inhabitants per square mile (146.1/km²). There were 4,679 housing units at an average density of 138.0 per square mile (53.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.16% White, 5.99% Black or African American
, 0.20% Native American, 4.06% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.93% from other races
, and 2.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.22% of the population.
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There were 4,455 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% were married couples
living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.3% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.
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In the town the population was spread out with 16.9% under the age of 18, 31.4% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
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The median income for a household in the town was $40,542, and the median income for a family was $55,537. Males had a median income of $38,250 versus $26,629 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $18,436. About 6.8% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
(the New York State Thruway
) is the main thoroughfare and passes through in the eastern part and houses Exit 18 for Route 299. State routes that traverse through are Route 32
, Route 208
, and Route 299
.
The town is home to several private schools, including one which received attention for having a registered sex offender
living on the grounds.
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
, 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...
, USA. The population was 14,003 at the 2010 census. The town is located in the southeastern part of the county and is south of Kingston, New York
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...
. New Paltz contains a village also with the name 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...
. The name of the town is derived from Palz , the German dialect name of the Rhenish Palatinate, now a region of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
called "Pfalz" .
The Mohonk Preserve
Mohonk Preserve
The Mohonk Preserve is located in the Shawangunk Ridge, a section of the Appalachian Mountains, north of New York City in Ulster County, New York, USA. The Preserve is west of the Village of New Paltz...
and Mohonk Mountain House
Mohonk Mountain House
The Mohonk Mountain House also known as Lake Mohonk Mountain House, is a historic American resort hotel located on the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County, New York. Its prominent location in the town of New Paltz is just beyond the southern border of the Catskill Mountains on the western side of the...
resort hotel are located near the western part of New Paltz, and have New Paltz mailing addresses. The Survival of the Shawangunks
Survival of the Shawangunks
The Survival of the Shawangunks is a triathlon held in the town of New Paltz, New York. It is unusual in that it has seven transitions among the three racing modalities, compared to the two that are typical for the sport...
triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
has been held in that area of the town each September since 1983.
History
The town of New Paltz was founded in 1678 by both patent and purchase from the local Esopus tribeEsopus tribe
The Esopus tribe was a tribe of Lenape Native Americans who were native to Upstate New York.The tribe fought a series of conflicts against settlers from the New Netherland Colony from September 1659 to September 1663, known as the Esopus Wars...
. The first settlers were Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
refugees from Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
in the German Palatinate, who settled around the present-day village of New Paltz (on what is now known as Huguenot Street Historic District
Huguenot Street Historic District
The Huguenot Street Historic District is located near downtown New Paltz, New York, approximately north of New York City. The seven stone houses and several accompanying structures in the district were built in the early 18th century by Huguenot settlers fleeing discrimination and religious...
) and established their own local government. The size of the town increased from surrounding regions in 1775 and 1809. In 1842, part of New Paltz was removed to form the town of Esopus
Esopus, New York
Esopus is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 9,331 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the local Indian tribe and means "high banks."...
. More of New Paltz was removed in order to form the towns of Rosendale (1844), Lloyd (1845), and Gardiner (1853).
Geography
The Wallkill RiverWallkill River
The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly to Rondout Creek in New York, near Rosendale, with the combined flows reaching the Hudson at Kingston....
flows northward through New Paltz on its way to join the Rondout Creek
Rondout Creek
Rondout Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River in Ulster and Sullivan counties, New York, USA. It rises on Rocky Mountain in the eastern Catskills, flows south into Rondout Reservoir, part of New York City's water supply network, then into the valley between the Catskills and the Shawangunk...
, which in turn feeds 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...
.
The portion of the Shawangunk Ridge
Shawangunk Ridge
The Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of New Jersey to the Catskill Mountains.The ridgetop, which widens considerably at...
which includes the Mohonk Preserve
Mohonk Preserve
The Mohonk Preserve is located in the Shawangunk Ridge, a section of the Appalachian Mountains, north of New York City in Ulster County, New York, USA. The Preserve is west of the Village of New Paltz...
and Minnewaska State Park Preserve
Minnewaska State Park Preserve
The Minnewaska State Park Preserve is a 21,106 acre preserve located on the Shawangunk Ridge in New York on US 44/NY 55, five miles east of New York State Route 299. The park is managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. It is primarily used for picnicking, hiking, mountain biking,...
is in the town. The ridge is the single busiest rock climbing destination in North America, with some 50,000 technical climbers visiting the area each year.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 2000, there were 12,830 people, 4,455 households, and 2,347 families residing in the town. 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 378.4 inhabitants per square mile (146.1/km²). There were 4,679 housing units at an average density of 138.0 per square mile (53.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.16% White, 5.99% 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...
, 0.20% Native American, 4.06% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.93% 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 2.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.22% of the population.
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There were 4,455 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.4% 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, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.3% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.99.
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In the town the population was spread out with 16.9% under the age of 18, 31.4% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.
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The median income for a household in the town was $40,542, and the median income for a family was $55,537. Males had a median income of $38,250 versus $26,629 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 town was $18,436. About 6.8% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
New Paltz is accessible by a number of different roads. Interstate 87Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
(the New York State Thruway
New York State Thruway
The New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
) is the main thoroughfare and passes through in the eastern part and houses Exit 18 for Route 299. State routes that traverse through are Route 32
New York State Route 32
New York State Route 32 is a north–south state highway that extends for through the Hudson Valley and Capital District regions of the U.S. state of New York. It is a two-lane surface road for nearly its entire length, with few divided and no limited-access sections. From Harriman to Albany,...
, Route 208
New York State Route 208
New York State Route 208 is a state highway located in southern New York in the United States. The southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 17M in the Orange County village of Monroe...
, and Route 299
New York State Route 299
New York State Route 299 is a short but important state route entirely within Ulster County, New York, United States. Centered around its interchange with the New York State Thruway outside New Paltz, it provides access from that road to the popular recreational attractions of the Shawangunk...
.
Education
New Paltz has 4 public schools, K-12 and is home to a college in the SUNY system.- Duzine Elementary School (K-2)
- Lenape Elementary School (3-5)
- New Paltz Middle School (6-8)
- New Paltz High SchoolNew Paltz High SchoolNew Paltz Central High School is situated in the town of New Paltz in upstate New York, on South Putt Corners Road. It educates students in grades 9-12 from the New Paltz Central School District, which serves most of New Paltz and Gardiner, New York, as well as parts of several other adjacent...
(9-12). - State University of New York at New PaltzState University of New York at New PaltzThe State University of New York at New Paltz, known as SUNY New Paltz for short, is a public university in New Paltz, New York. It was founded in 1828 as the School for teaching of classics. In 1885, the New Paltz Normal and Training School was established as a school to prepare teachers for the...
The town is home to several private schools, including one which received attention for having a registered sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
living on the grounds.
Government
The town is governed by a town council composed of four at-large members who serve for four years and a supervisor who serves for two years. The highway superintendent serves for two years, while the town clerk is elected to a four-year term.Notable natives and residents
- Roberto AzankRoberto AzankRoberto Azank was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1955; the grandson of an oil canvas artist and the son of a master embroidery designer....
, Argentine-born American painter - Benjamin F. Church, Milwaukee, Wisconsin pioneer
- Robert De NiroRobert De NiroRobert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
, actor - Oscar TschirkyOscar TschirkyOscar Tschirky was maître d'hôtel of Delmonico's Restaurant and subsequently the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, New York, United States. He was widely known as "Oscar of the Waldorf" and produced a large cookbook despite not being a chef...
, inventor of the Waldorf saladWaldorf saladA Waldorf salad is a salad traditionally made of fresh apples, celery and walnuts, dressed in mayonnaise, and usually served on a bed of lettuce as an appetizer or a light meal.-History:... - Floyd PattersonFloyd PattersonFloyd Patterson was an American heavyweight boxer and former undisputed heavyweight champion. At 21, Patterson became the youngest man to win the world heavyweight title. He was also the first heavyweight boxer to regain the title. He had a record of 55 wins 8 losses and 1 draw, with 40 wins by...
, heavyweight boxing champion. - Jason WestJason WestJason West is the mayor of the village of New Paltz, New York, having resumed the duties of office on June 1, 2011. He served previously as the village's mayor from January 1, 2003 to May 31, 2007....
, who performed marriages of gay couples while mayor of the Village of New PaltzNew Paltz (village), New YorkNew 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...
. - Daniel Jason TorresDaniel Jason TorresDaniel Jason Torres is a New Paltz Central School District Board of Education member in New Paltz, New York. At the time of his election, he was the youngest elected official in New York State. He is also the youngest elected Latino in the history of New York State.-Board of education:In March...
, the youngest Latino elected to office in New York State history.