East Greenbush

East Greenbush is a predominantly affluent suburban town in Rensselaer County, New York. As of the census of 2010, the population is nearly 16,500 people. The major road cutting across town is Columbia Turnpike, and is also known as “9 and 20″ because it consists of US Route 9 and US Route 20. It was originally known as Boston and Albany Post Road, and was laid out in 1800 (during the French and Indian Wars).

Albany (the capital of New York state) is only 6 miles away. East Greenbush is also adjacent to the city of Rensselaer which is the home of the area’s Amtrak station. The zip code in East Greenbush is 12061.

According to town documents, “The name “Greenbush” came from the Dutch “Green Bosch” from the pinewoods which originally covered the land. Historians are not clear when the first settlers arrived, but there is an indication that it was in 1628 in the area known as Greenbush, which covered a large area on the east bank of the Hudson River.”

The terrain in East Greenbush is possibly one of the most diverse in the region. Bordering the Hudson River to the southwest, the land becomes flat with frequent marshy areas. As found on the town website, “The land then rises abruptly to the east to an upland area featuring diviersified topography. The upland areas have many hills, gently rolling terrain and streams. The eastern portion of the town is generally hilly with areas of steep slopes with the steepest slopes in the northeastern portion, associated with the Taconic Mountain Range.”

The East Greenbush Central School District (five elementary schools, one middle school, and Columbia High School) serves the majority of the community, with the student population of approximately 4,600. The school district currently ranks within the top 10 districts in the Capital Region. The school’s mission is “To promote the maximum growth of every child who is served educationally by its programs and services.” The private parochial school, Holy Spirit Elementary School, enrolls students from K-8. It is located on Highland Avenue.

The town provides several areas for recreation. Onderdonk Park is home to many get togethers for the community with live music, numerous activities and food vendors for residents to enjoy. The East Greenbush Town Park is located at the end of Town Park Road which is located off of Elliot Rd between Route 151 and Leslie Circle.

One of the largest libraries in the region is located in East Greenbush. The East Greenbush Community Library serves nearly thirty-thousand patrons and is a member of the Upper Hudson Library System, a resource-sharing consortium consisting of twenty-nine public libraries in the counties of Albany and Rensselaer. It is located within walking distance from an equally impressive YMCA campus (the Greenbush Area YMCA). This YMCA offers community Kid’s Night Outs and has many planned 5Ks throughout the year for Capital District residents to participate in. They also offer summer camps, water safety, aerobic group activities, swim lessons and strength training for members.

FunPlex Fun Park, an outdoor play center with bounce houses, batting cages, go-karts, rock climbing and mini-golf, is located on Columbia Turnpike in town. East Greenbush is also the home to many independently owned and nationwide stores and restaurants. There are several shopping plazas in the area with stores such as Walmart, Target, Home Depot and Staples as well as smaller, locally owned businesses. There is also an 8 screen Regal Movie Theater within the East Greenbush area.