When General George Washington allegedly came through to water his horse in the early 1800s, this Orange County village was renamed Washingtonville, and it stuck. And like most New York villages, it was the railroad that helped it grow, not to mention the winery begun by John Jacques in 1839, now the Brotherhood Winery, still in operation and one of the oldest in the country. 

Today Washingtonville is a charming bedroom community prized for its small-town way of life, old fashioned neighborhoods, and community events. Of its 5,800 citizens, many are employed by New York City. "Washingtonville was always, and still is, a haven for New York City fire and police personnel because of its serenity and the shift work schedule that came with the job," says owner/realtor Christine Chersicla of Grapevine Realty. "But there was a big rush up here right after 9/11. Many people who at first thought the village was too far from the city changed their minds and now felt that the 90-minute drive wasn't really so bad." 

As for the real estate market, it has definitely cooled, says Chersicla. "Homes sold in three months or less before the summer and now are taking six months or more."  Washingtonville offers a mix of single-family homes, both older homes and new construction, along with townhomes, condos, and two senior housing complexes. Chersicla adds that right now a three-bedroom ranch fixer-upper runs about $250,000.