Central Nyack, New York

Central Nyack is an unincorporated community (hamlet) in the Town of Clarkstown Rockland County, New York, United States approximately 20 miles north of New York City located north of Pearl River; east of Nanuet; south of West Nyack and west of the Village of Nyack. As an unincorporated community, governmental functions default to the town level (Clarkstown).

History

Central Nyack grew up along the old Nyack Turnpike (present-day State Route 59). Anecdotally, travelers looking to avoid the toll on this road just outside of the village of Nyack developed a path into the hills just south of the toll gate. This path eventually became Waldron Avenue, and a hamlet grew up around it. Most of the community was built between the 1880s and the 1920s. Outlying tracts were developed in the 1970s.

Hub Shopping Center

The Hub Shopping Center include Stop and Shop, Hot Bagels,Rose Nails, a liqour Store and Drug World. It also includes Amici Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria and a Japanese Restaurant called Sakurabana.

Transportation

The community straddles State Route 59. County buses (Transport of Rockland) provide service along this route to Suffern, Spring Valley, Nyack, and the MetroNorth commuter rail station in Tarrytown. Clarkstown MiniTrans provides circulator buses within the community.

Land Use

The primary housing type is single-family, detached dwellings. One sub-division, Ward Drive, has semi-attached units. There is one garden apartment complex. Several older single-family homes have been converted to multiple dwellings. There are apartment complexes located on Pine Street and Waldron Avenue, both built in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

There is highway commercial use along State Route 59. There is a small business district located at West Broadway and Waldron Avenue [this area no longer contains any businesses as if mid 1990s] . The community center and fire station are also located here.

A shopping plaza was built on the wooded area north of Route 59 and east of Route 303 in the late 1980s which contains a supermarket and several restaurants.

There are no significant industrial uses in the hamlet.

The area abuts Buttermilk Falls county park to the south. This park is largely undeveloped, with a small parking area and three improved hiking trails. There are no schools located in the community.

Education

The western portion of Central Nyack is part of the Clarkstown Central School District. Students here attend West Nyack Elementary School, Felix V. Festa Middle School and Clarkstown Senior High School South.

The eastern portion of Central Nyack is part of the Nyack Public Schools system. Students here attend Valley Cottage Elementary School, Nyack Middle School and Nyack High School.

Demographics

Central Nyack is composed of Block Group 3 of Rockland County Tract 111.02.

2000 U.S. census data gives:
*Population: 1,845
*Non-Hispanic White: 31%
*Non-Hispanic Black: 40%
*Non-Hispanic Asian: 8%
*Hispanic: 11%
*Other: 10%
*Housing Units: 574
*Rented Units: 39%
*Owner-Occupied Units: 61%