Poughkeepsie, New York

Poughkeepsie is Scenic Hudson’s home base, and we’re investing in multiple efforts here to connect people to place, nature, each other, and new opportunities. Our work is organized around the Fall Kill Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River that meanders through the city’s Northside before heading westward through downtown toward the Hudson. We’re exploring a city-wide activation of the Fall Kill corridor with the potential for urban trails and outdoor education, while providing habitat for the region’s rich array of wildlife.

Our efforts along the Fall Kill have spurred numerous relationships and partnerships with community members, other nonprofits, educational institutions, local churches, and local government. This has resulted in coalitions like the Northside Collaborative, a group of local organizations and residents working together to improve the quality of life in Poughkeepsie’s Northside. Through the Fall Kill Watershed Coalition, scientists, community members, students, public officials, and organizers are advancing long-term plans to improve water quality, manage flood risks, and expand public access along the creek.

This work aligns with community calls for transportation justice, affordable housing, climate resilience, job training, youth empowerment, gun violence prevention, food justice, educational opportunities, mental health, arts, and urban farming.

We’re collaborating on a variety of projects to make it easier for residents to come together, enjoy being outside, and engage with the the biodiversity (variety of plant and animal life) of Poughkeepsie:

• We transformed an abandoned factory on a contaminated brownfield along the Fall Kill into sun-powered Scenic Hudson offices and community gathering spaces. The vision is to make the new Northside Hub a welcoming place for all residents and visitors to learn, grow, play, create, and celebrate together. 

• In partnership with local community members and the City of Poughkeepsie, we built Pershing Community Farm adjacent to the Fall Kill and within the City’s Pershing Avenue Park.
  • This is the first city-sanctioned urban farm in Poughkeepsie.
  • Half of the quarter-acre property serves as a small production farm where our Urban Farmer and Assistant Grower produce hundreds of pounds of fresh organic produce every year, which are distributed free of cost to local families.
  • We work closely with our long-term partner Poughkeepsie Farm Project on workshops and educational opportunities for local youth.
  • Neighborhood residents grow their own food, herbs, and flowers in 22 raised bed garden plots.
  • The farm is a key activation strategy for Pershing Avenue Park, which Scenic Hudson helped restore in a three-way partnership with the City and New City Parks.

• Informed by a long-term community engagement process, we worked with the City of Poughkeepsie, Environmental Facilities Corporation, and New City Parks to complete improvements to Malcolm X Park. The refresh includes restored basketball courts, a new pavilion, new play equipment, benches, tables, grills, raised garden beds, walking paths, native plantings, and greater visibility to the Fall Kill, which runs through the park.
  
  
• Visitors and residents of Poughkeepsie can now reach many essential community assets without a car, thanks to the recent opening of the first phase of the Marcus J. Molinaro (MJM) Northside Line. The 16- to 22-foot-wide, 1.2-mile-long pathway for cyclists and pedestrians gives people a safe way to go from residential areas to parks, hospitals, schools, and shops. In 2019, Scenic Hudson negotiated and funded the acquisition of the former rail corridor. The following year, the Dutchess County Legislature voted unanimously to assume ownership. We’re pushing to move ahead with the second phase of the line to link more communities with assets across Poughkeepsie.
• Urban ecosystems are widely understudied, so as part of our commitment to conservation in cities and community science, we are partnering with Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies on Defining Urban Biodiversity. This multi-year research project engages residents to document and discover the amazing biodiversity that call this city home. 
• Each fall, we also hold community AquaBlitz events to create opportunities for people of all ages to get their hands wet and discover what’s living in their creeks and watershed. 
• As a member of the Poughkeepsie Alliance, we launched the Poughkeepsie Park Stewardship Program that provides trained stewards to foster safe, welcoming, and positive park spaces for children and families. The stewards build relationships with park-goers, connect individuals in need with local services, and provide a consistent, positive park presence.

For updates on our collaborative work in Poughkeepsie, visit: https://northsideconnected.com.