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Vassar College
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Vassar College - Local Atmosphere - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler1.93

Local Atmosphere

C-
Where does this grade come from?View all Local Atmosphere rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Local Atmosphere Grades:

Quick Stats

Fun Local Trivia
  1. Fun Facts about Poughkeepsie:
  2. The former mayor of nearby village New Paltz,, 26-year-old Jason West, was the second mayor in the country to perform marriages of same-sex couples. While his actions resulted in a media and legal uproar, they were a major victory for the gay rights movement.
  3. The name "Poughkeepsie" is from the Indian word Apo-keep-sinck, meaning safe harbor. There is an Indian legend of when a beautiful young Pequod Indian woman was captured by Delaware warriors, her fiancé, the young Pequod chief, devised a plan for her escape. As the two lovers fled at nightfall, the Pequod chief paddled his beloved to the mouth of the Minnakee, where he concealed her. This sheltered nook was a "safe harbor" for her, while her fiancé single-handedly fought the Delawares and finally drove them off.
  4. The Vassar Class of 1951 Observatory houses a 32-inch telescope, one of the two largest in New York State, for advanced courses and faculty-student research. On clear Wednesday nights during the school year, the observatory hosts "open nights" for the local community.
  5. The Courthouse on Market Street in the center of downtown Poughkeepsie is where New York ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1788. It was ratified with the provision that certain amendments (which were later incorporated into the Bill of Rights) were needed to insure personal liberty.
  6. The Bardavon Theatre located in Poughkeepsie opened its doors in 1869; it is now the oldest continuously operating theater in New York State.
Points of Interest
  • Bardavon Opera House
  • The Chance Theater
  • Culinary Institute of America
  • The Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site
  • Hudson River
  • Mohonk Preserve
  • New Paltz
  • Shawangunks
  • Storm King Art Center
  • Vanderbilt Mansion

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Even though Poughkeepsie houses a number of schools, there can be no mistaking it as a “college town.” Vassar’s campus is in a residential area of about three miles from the city center and a 10-minute drive from the Hudson River. The streets immediately surrounding Vassar tend to cater to and rely upon students for business. Vassar is somewhat disconnected from the main hub of the city; most students don’t venture far beyond those streets except to go to the supermarket, the mall, or the movies. Much of Vassar’s social life is focused on the school’s campus. Surprisingly, there isn’t even a lot of interaction between the Vassar students and the students at other local colleges, though some student groups occasionally work with organizations on other campuses.

As a student, it is easy to utilize Poughkeepsie and the surrounding area, but it is also easy not to. Tree-hugging environmentalists and rugged outdoors people have plenty to explore in the Hudson River Valley. There are a variety of settings, from a rural countryside to a small metropolis. Though Poughkeepsie may not be New York City, it is still a city. Everything you need can be found on campus and in the surrounding areas. Poughkeepsie might not be the greatest place for a college, but it definitely suffices.

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Vassar Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at Vassar College

rohwyxo

Sociology '15

3.1
B-

Poughkeepsie

Poughkeepsie is a tad bit hostile to Vassar students if you get out of the Arlington neighborhood. Students hardly go anywhere else in Poughkeepsie besides Arlington and Poughkeepsie train station anyways. Vassar has been recently trying to establish better relations with the city, but alas, it has not really succeeded thus far.

Mar 13, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at Vassar College

etengelvassar

Religion '09

2.3
C

Po-Town

Do NOT go into Poughkeepsie. Only reason the grade isn't lower than a C is that it's relatively easy to catch a train out to the City.

Dec 26, 2011

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Local Atmosphere at Vassar College

sushitime

Political Science and Government '15

5.0
A+

So Close to NYC

Recently, we went with my religion class to go see an event at a famous mosque in nyc. Vassar's close proximity with NYC and easily accessibility to NYC (easy direct train ride) is vastly undervalued. It is amazing.

Also, although Poughkeepsie itself isn't too shabby, it is still a legitimate city with malls, stores, and bars for going out.

Dec 16, 2011

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Page 1 of 9
User rating for Vassar College - Local Atmosphere is 3.5 out of 5 based on 27 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the local atmosphere on the following topics

What is the local atmosphere like at your school?

What is the proximity to other universities? Is there much interaction?

Can you see yourself living here after graduation?

Facts

Shopping Centers
  • Poughkeepsie Galleria
  • Route 44 Plaza
  • South Hills Mall
  • Strip malls on Route 9
Major Sports Teams Hudson Valley Renegade: minor league baseball
City Web Sites
Distances to Nearest Major Cities
  • Albany: NY: 1 hour, 15 minutes
  • New York City: NY: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

Hyde Park Drive-In
510 Albany Post Rd.
Hyde Park
(845) 229-4738

Overlook Drive-In
126 DeGarmo Rd.
Wappingers Falls
(845) 452-3445

Regal (Hoyts) Cinemas Galleria Mall 12
2001 South Rd.
Poughkeepsie
(845) 297-1161

Silver Cinemas South Hills
1895 South Rd.
Poughkeepsie
(845) 297-5516

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Sam Murray
Hometown
Bend, IN
Major
Philosophy/Economics

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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