Homes for sale in Peekskill

Peekskill is a small city in northern Westchester County, on the east bank of the Hudson River, about an hour from Manhattan. It has a historic centre, a main street, a railway station, a riverfront and an artists' district, and it is one of the few Hudson Valley cities where you can buy in Westchester for under half a million dollars.

For a buyer, Peekskill offers what many suburbs lack: walkable city life, views over the Hudson and the mountains, and Metro-North on the doorstep. The trade-off is taxes, which in Westchester are among the highest in the country, a school district that is worth confirming address by address, and the fact that much of what is for sale is co-op and condominium apartments, with their own rules. This page explains the city, what is for sale and what to check before buying.

Where it is and how to get there

Peekskill lies in northern Westchester, where the Hudson narrows before the Hudson Highlands, with Bear Mountain and the bridge of the same name a few minutes away. It is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandt and, across the river, by Rockland County.

By train, Peekskill station, on the Metro-North Hudson Line, sits by the river, and the trip to Grand Central takes about an hour. By car, Route 9 links the city north and south along the river, and the Taconic State Parkway runs to the east. In the centre and near the station you can live on foot; in the hills and the outer residential areas you need a car.

A little history

The name comes from Jan Peeck, a New Amsterdam trader who came here in the seventeenth century, and from kil, the Dutch word for stream. During the Revolution, its position on the Hudson made Peekskill a support point for the American army. It became a village in 1816 and only in 1940 did it separate from the Town of Cortlandt as a city.

In the nineteenth century it grew with the river and the railway, with foundries and factories, and most of the Victorian houses in the centre date from that time. After industrial decline, the city bet on the arts: studios, galleries and the Paramount theatre gave the centre the life that now draws people leaving New York. A few kilometres away, in Buchanan, the Indian Point nuclear plant ran for decades and closed in 2021.

Peekskill, area by area

The centre and the arts district

Around South Street, Main Street and Division Street is the centre: restaurants, cafés, galleries, the Paramount theatre and old buildings with apartments. This is where the most affordable options and the street life are, at the cost of parking and older buildings.

The riverfront and the station

Along the Hudson are the station, Riverfront Green park and some of the condominiums with river views, such as River House. It is the most sought-after area for daily commuters to the city.

The Victorian hills

Climbing from the centre, streets such as Ridge Street and those on the upper part of town have single-family houses, many Victorian or from the early twentieth century, with yards and views over the river. They are houses with character, and also with more upkeep.

The condominiums outside the centre

Towards Route 6 and the Cortlandt boundary are condominium and co-op complexes — Hillcrest Park, Peekskill Towers, Woods111, Greenacres, Chapel Hill — with parking, green space and, in some, a pool. They are the most common way in for first-time buyers.

Health, schools and services

The main hospital is NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, in Cortlandt Manor, a few minutes away. The city has its own school district, the Peekskill City School District, but many addresses with a Peekskill postcode are actually in the Town of Cortlandt and belong to other school districts. In the United States the school district weighs on the price and on the tax bill, so always confirm it by the exact address. Supermarkets and everyday shops are on Route 6 and in the city centre.

What is for sale

Peekskill mainly sells co-op and condominium apartments, townhouses in gated complexes and, in the hills, single-family houses, some of them Victorian. In our selection, prices range from about US$142,000 to US$900,000: one-bedroom co-ops at the lower end, townhouses and houses in the middle, and the larger historic houses at the top.

What to check

Property taxes

The annual tax in Westchester is high and varies widely between addresses. Ask for the tax bill for that house, with the special districts itemised, and confirm whether the address is in the City of Peekskill or the Town of Cortlandt, because the bill and the school district change.

Co-op or condominium

In a co-op you do not buy the apartment, you buy shares in the corporation, and the board has to approve the buyer — which can be hard for someone living outside the United States or without income there. Many co-ops restrict renting out. In a condominium ownership is outright and the rules are simpler. Always confirm which of the two it is, and ask for the building's financials and any planned works.

Older houses

Victorian and early twentieth-century houses have charm and they have costs: roofs, foundations, plumbing, wiring and sometimes lead paint. An independent inspection before closing is the norm in the United States and is worth even more here.

Indian Point

The Indian Point nuclear plant, in Buchanan, closed in 2021 and is being decommissioned, with the spent fuel stored on site. A possible restart has been discussed publicly. Anyone buying nearby should follow the issue, which weighs on how some buyers see the area.

Hills and winter

Many streets are steep, and in winter there is snow and ice. Visit the house and the route to the station on a rainy day and at the time you will make the trip every day.

Legal and tax checklist, in the United States

Before buying: the property tax bill; confirmation of the municipality and school district by address; an independent inspection; for a co-op, the bylaws, the building's financials, the approval criteria and the rental rules; permits for any works and the certificate of occupancy.

On purchase: in New York State, each side has its own attorney, and a contract is signed before closing. Budget for title insurance, closing costs and transfer taxes. Buyers from abroad need a US tax number to report income and, at closing, the bank and the attorney ask for proof of the source of funds.

While owning: property tax paid to the county, the city and the school district; insurance and maintenance; and, where applicable, the co-op or condominium fee. Rental income is declared in the United States, even by non-residents.

On sale: capital gains tax. Non-residents are subject to FIRPTA withholding at closing, which is an advance on the tax and not the final tax. It is worth speaking to a US accountant before selling.

Who it suits — and who it does not

It suits those who want to live on foot in a small Hudson city with a train to Manhattan; first-time buyers in Westchester on a moderate budget; and those looking for a Victorian house with river views.

It suits less families who put the school district first without confirming the address, those who want to rent out a co-op without reading the rules, and those who run the numbers without including Westchester taxes.

Final thoughts

Peekskill is Westchester at a more accessible price, with a city, a river and a train. What separates a good purchase from a bad one is the tax bill and school district for that address, the type of ownership — co-op, condominium or house — and the real condition of the older houses.

When you contact us through a property page, we forward your details to our partner broker, who holds the full information on that specific property — tax bill, school district, co-op or condominium rules, and negotiating terms.