"The chief part of the stories, however, turned upon the favorite spectre of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman, who had been heard several times of late, patrolling the country." - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow is the setting for Washington Irving's famous story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, written in 1820. In 2013, the TV show Sleepy Hollow recreated the events of this well-known story, although in this version, Sleepy Hollow (at 9,870 people) is transformed into a bustling metropolis of 144,000 people. Shots of the actual village can be seen throughout the series, however.
While Sleepy Hollow is just 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, the tiny village is worlds away in terms of atmosphere and lifestyle
"The chief part of the stories, however, turned upon the favorite spectre of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman, who had been heard several times of late, patrolling the country." - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow is the setting for Washington Irving's famous story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, written in 1820. In 2013, the TV show Sleepy Hollow recreated the events of this well-known story, although in this version, Sleepy Hollow (at 9,870 people) is transformed into a bustling metropolis of 144,000 people. Shots of the actual village can be seen throughout the series, however.
Moving to Sleepy Hollow
While Sleepy Hollow is just 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, the tiny village is worlds away in terms of atmosphere and lifestyle. Taking its name to heart, Sleepy Hollow isn't an exciting city where the bars stay open all night. Quite the contrary, Sleepy Hollow is a small, quaint village within the larger city of Mount Pleasant just north of New York City. It wasn't always known as Sleepy Hollow, however. When it was incorporated in the late 19th century, it was known as North Tarrytown. It kept that name until 1996 when the village decided to adopt the name everyone already knew it as. Thanks to Irving's short story at that point a century old, most people called the village Sleepy Hollow anyway!
While you're sure to see a Headless Horseman or two around town -- especially around Halloween -- don't worry too much about your safety in Sleepy Hollow. The village has a much lower crime rate than the U.S. average and beheadings are only the stuff of fiction. Perhaps even better, though, is the fact that the village has a strong rental market with two-thirds of residents renting. Rents are about on par with what you'd expect in New York so close to NYC. Expect to earmark a good portion of your monthly income for rent, but luckily unemployment rates are low in Sleepy Hollow. Expect to spend at least a few months searching for places to rent in Sleepy Hollow.
Sleepy Hollow Neighborhoods
Sleepy Hollow is divided up into two different areas, the village itself and Sleepy Hollow Manor.
Sleepy Hollow Village: Just south of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is Sleepy Hollow Village. Renters rule here, with plenty of apartment complexes and rental apartments in this densely urban area. You will have no trouble finding 1 or 2 bedroom apartments for rent here, or even pet-friendly apartments. Get views of the Tappan Zee Bridge from the Bridge View Tavern by the water, or head to Patriots Park in the south or Kingsland Point Park on the north end if this neighborhood.
Sleepy Hollow Manor: The north side of town is known as Sleepy Hollow Manor. Spend some time in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where Washington Irving is buried. You can also see the graves of Andrew Carnegie, Elizabeth Arden, and Brooke Astor here. Some smaller apartment buildings with studio apartments for rent can be found here, but most of the rental options will be houses for rent.
Living in Sleepy Hollow
You can't really escape the past here, and the residents love it that way! Patriot's Park is where Benedict Arnold's plans went off the rails when his emissary was captured on the way to West Point.
Of course there are plenty of locations throughout the town that have ties to Irving's story, such as the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and its neighbor the Old Dutch Church. A dramatic retelling of Irving's story is performed every Halloween at the church, and there are cemetery tours scheduled from April through November. Halloween in Sleepy Hollow isn't complete for most residents until they've taken the Haunted Hayride through the village's streets and run into the Headless Horseman at least once.
Residents also like to spend time in Rockefeller State Park Preserve. On the northeastern end of town, the 1,233-acre park features more than 20 miles of trail for jogging, hiking or horse riding. Swan Lake is located within the park and is an excellent place for fishing and bird watching, especially since the area is known to have an impressive amount of different species of birds -- more than 180 to be exact.
