Rhinebeck (town), New York

Rhinebeck, New York
Town
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Dutchess
Area
• Total	39.8 sq mi (103.2 km2)
• Land	36.3 sq mi (93.9 km2)
• Water	3.6 sq mi (9.2 km2)
Elevation	200 ft (61 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	7,762
• Density	214.1/sq mi (82.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	12572
Area code	845
FIPS code	36-61346
GNIS feature ID	0962436
Website	www.rhinebeck-ny.gov

Rhinebeck is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 7,762 at the 2000 census.

The Town of Rhinebeck in the northwest part of Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley. Rhinebeck is also the name of a village in the town. US Route 9 passes through the town. The Town also includes the hamlet of Rhinecliff, which has an Amtrak station, Rhinecliff-Kingston (Amtrak station), with service to Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, Albany and New York City.

It is part of the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area as well as the larger New York metropolitan area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.8 square miles (103.2 km²), of which, 36.3 square miles (93.9 km²) of it is land and 3.6 square miles (9.2 km²) of it (8.96%) is water.

The west town line, marked by the Hudson River is the border of Ulster County, New York.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 7,762 people, 3,001 households, and 1,797 families residing in the town. The population density was 214.1 people per square mile (82.7/km²). There were 3,255 housing units at an average density of 89.8/sq mi (34.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.50% White, 3.61% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 1.37% Asian, 1.17% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.94% of the population.

There were 3,001 households out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,679, and the median income for a family was $67,837. Males had a median income of $49,028 versus $31,995 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,069. About 3.1% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Rhinebeck Panorama

The Methodist Church and Academy at Rhinebeck, N.Y. (circa 1856-1860) by John Warner Barber

In 1941, in Rhinebeck, a set of four historic panoramas of London, dating from about 1810, were found lining a barrel of pistols.

Trivia

• Actress Emma Roberts was born in Rhinebeck at Northern Dutchess Hospital.
• On several episodes of Law & Order, one of the characters mentions having gone to visit Rhinebeck. In several other episodes, cast members actually go there.
• The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome is in the town of Rhinebeck, not the village.
• On an episode of Mad About You, Paul and Jamie discuss an antique plate they bought at the Rhinebeck Antique Fair, held annually at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.
• Part of an episode of The Sopranos was filmed in Rhinebeck and in nearby Red Hook.
• Rhinebeck is the birthplace of the singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright.
• Rhinebeck is mentioned in an episode of Northern Exposure, in which Adam, played by Adam Arkin, mentions a canning plant there.
• In the film 27 Dresses, Katherine Heigl and James Marsden's characters head to Rhinebeck during a rainstorm on an expedition for antique wedding linens.
• The newlyweds Newland and May Archer in Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence have arrangements to spend their wedding night in Rhinebeck, but an unfortunate accident with a water tank prevents their stay. Characters in the novels of Wharton and her contemporary Henry James are often mentioned taking the train to Rhinebeck.
• The postal address for James Gurney, author of the Dinotopia books, is located in Dinotopia, Rhinebeck, New York.
• Former head of the Genovese Crime Family, Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno, spent most of his time at his 100-acre Rhinebeck horse farm during the 1970s and 1980s, before his incarceration.
• A glockenspiel duet appearing on Godspeed You! Black Emperor's second album Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven is credited as being recorded at a campsite in Rhinebeck.
• On August 21, 2008, former President Bill Clinton and his wife Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton had a leisurely lunch at the Beekman Arms then strolled through the village before their trip to Denver for the Democratic National Convention.

Communities and locations in the Town of Rhinebeck

• Eighmyville – A location northeast of Rhinebeck village.
• Ellerslie – A location in the southwest part of the town near the Hudson River.
• Rhinebeck – The Village of Rhinebeck.
• Rhinecliff – A hamlet on the east bank of the Hudson River.
• Weys Corners – A location in the northeast part of the town.
• Württemberg – A hamlet in the southeast part of the town.

External links

• Rhinebeck Community Forum
• Town and Village of Rhinebeck
• Rhinebeck Chamber of Commerce information
• Starr Library
• Museum of Rhinebeck History
• Text and Video Blog for The Rhinebeck Area
• Rhinecliff website
• Consortium of Rhinebeck History Digital Collections