| Downtown is generally bound by Washington to the south, 1st to the north, Robinson to the west, and the Hudson River to the east. Newburgh area was first settled in the early 18th century. During the American Revolution, Newburgh served as the headquarters of the Continental Army. Newburgh became quite prosperous during the Gilded Age helped by its situation on the Hudson River midway between New York City and Albany. Things started to unravel in Newburgh starting in the early 20th century with mills and industry shutting down. By the late 1960s the city was in full economic decline and used urban renewal plan to demolish the historic waterfront area. Newburgh has struggled for several decades even as Beacon across the river has stabilized and prospered. Much of this has to due with a lack of civic vision and political continuity. Fortunately things have begun to improve in Newburgh. More and more residential properties are being renovated with many homes selling in the 200K and 300Ks. The smaller Liberty Street biz district has seen many new businesses. Broadway Ave is still pretty rough but have businesses and most of its historic urban form. |
URBAN STRENGTHS:
| * Excellent connectivity Dwtn. * Hispanic majority population but still good diversity. * High percentage of family households. * Good for sale diversity ranging from around 75K-350K depending on size and condition. * Rentals are a bit more expensive but good amount of product. 1-bedrooms rent in the low $1,000s and 2-bedrooms in the mid $1,000s. This high end price range is pretty surprising given the blight of the neighborhood, but it is New York. * Good park amenities with Washington Head Quarter’s historic site, a waterfront park, safe harbor’s green (a good civic space), and the expansive Delano-Hitch Park to the west of Dwtn with a swimming pool and many sport facilities. * Decent cultural amenities including a handful ethnic restaurants, several cafes, and a good number of bars on Liberty, the Ritz Theater, a couple of art galleries. * While rough the main street urban form is very much in tact. Streetscape still pretty rough. Liberty Ave has the most investment, Broadway has a ways to go still. * Great density here. |
URBAN WEAKNESSES:
| * Consistent sidewalks but lots of crumbling infrastructure and ADA curb cuts are rare. * Not many jobs Dwtn but Beacon is only a 15 minute drive. Poughkeepsie is 35 minutes away. * Public transit is very limited. * No bike infrastructure really in Newburgh. * Pretty high poverty Dwtn but some income diversity. * Really no modern in-fill. * Lots of blight remain in downtown Newburg. Crime is high but getting better. * Retail amenities are more limited but include several nice boutiques and local stores on Liberty Ave, lots of small ethnic grocery stores, a florist, a bakery, a hardware store, and some other local retail. * The post office and library are located north of Dwtn. No banks dwtn, nor a pharmacy or full service supermarket. * Only the Catholic grade school is located within New borough. A couple good school options north of Dwtn. * Even with recent investment in dwtn Newburgh it still has a pretty bad reputation. |
Evaluating our Urban Communities [with a focus on America] 