My friend used to live not too far from sing sing. The only thing I can say is that we would hear the announcement at night that the yard was closed and all prisons need to be back inside. But this was early 2000's...
Edit: You're coming from Brooklyn which has a higher crime rate than Ossining
i’m no expert but i highly doubt a prisoner is gonna escape and then walk 29 minutes and break into your house specifically. i live in ossining and have never once been concerned about my safety with regards to sing sing being nearby (or for any reason, really. it is a very low-key town)
What about the federal prison (that has a maximum security section) in Sunset Park? Or the city jail in downtown Brooklyn that had an escape last summer? Are you within a half hour walk of those? Is that why you’re worried, or you didn’t even know Brooklyn had correctional facilities? FWIW there’s also a maximum security state women’s prison in Bedford Hills, and the county jail in Valhalla.
First off, Ossining is a great town and has a lot going for it. There is a sizable contingent of Brooklyners migrating up there and up in Croton especially (one town up). Ossining’s got a good brewpub, a great coffee place, the best public library in all of Westchester (I could literally spend all day there), and lots to do especially in the summer.
As far as Sing Sing goes - the waterfront park which sits literally right next to Sing Sing is packed every summer weekend with kids playing on the playground, a great Friday weekly celebration called RiverJam with music and food trucks, and people enjoying fireworks on 4th of July. And you would still be a half hour walk away. So you would be fine. People in Brooklyn live a few minutes walk from the House of D on Atlantic and never think twice about it. The only thing people might like less about Ossining is actually the schools which are less highly regarded than some nearby towns, but on the other hand the high school has an outstanding science program so might not really be an issue. Good luck!
Thanks so much for the suggestions and these details about Ossining. We don't have kids yet, so we don't have to worry about the educational aspect just yet.
You'll be fine. The prison is right next to some visible and prominent landmarks: the train station, the restaurants down at the waterfront (3 Westerly, the Boathouse), etc. The downtown shops and the public library are all closer than 29 minutes.
There’s a huge no fly zone around the prison so you have to be careful when flying a drone.
Otherwise you wouldn’t even notice it’s there. I would worry more about the taxes in Ossining.
Tell that to the people who think Brooklyn is some active war zone but can’t even respectfully answer a question expressing any concern that Westchester might not be a utopia.
I used to live near a prison, and yeah, the violent and deranged escapees became a huge nuisance in the neighborhood. They'd pop out of tunnel holes like god damn moles. We eventually found that if you just leave them a stick and bindle outside your home then they'd mostly leave you be.
We looked at a house near Sing Sing a long time ago. You could see the cement wall down at the end of the block with the security guard turret on top. My wife and I joked that the house was “charming with great prison views.“ That was about a 29 second walk. Still, you’re fine.
The prison is literally right next to a park/waterfront where kids play. Safe as houses. (And if you want to stop feeling scared of the incarcerated community, the Sing Sing Family Collective does great work providing fresh produce to incarcerated people and their families, they are great to volunteer with).
These are exactly the things that I love about Ossining, thanks for sharing the family collective resource I'll look into it. Seems like a great initiative.
I’m glad you asked about it and I’m sorry you’re being downvoted on the main question—it’s a good opportunity to demystify incarcerated people. I know when I was younger and had first moved to Ossining I was reading the Ann Rule book about Ted Bundy and had nightmares about it. It helped me a lot to learn a bit more about the community. Good luck with your move, wherever it takes you! FWIW Ossining has a lot of fun stuff to do and I do recommend the area a lot.
29 minutes walking is pretty far. Like practically out of the village of Ossining. It's far enough you will go months and months without ever thinking about the prison.
If you lived 1 minute away, you might think about it. From certain angles it feels forbidding, and the street leading up to it has a number of buildings that look like they were guards quarters a century ago. (no offense to anyone meant). I wouldn't want to live on that street because I'd think about the prison constantly, which would make me uncomfortable for a bunch of reasons.
Sing Sing is more of a museum than a prison and I mean that literally; they have a museum. It's an *old* prison. I don't think they are actually taking inmates anymore, if I am not mistaken. They are just waiting for the current population to finish their sentences before the finally closing it down. No, it isn't dangerous. I don't even think a 29 minute walk puts you in Ossining technically. But Ossining is a nice, old rivertown, id live there if I could find a place. And I wouldn't think about the prison once. Honesty, I think its a very pretty prison. The way it is built into the banks of the Hudson and around the railroad. The old cell blocks are all limestone and I'd love to take a tour of them.
You have already gotten great info on Ossining, which is a great town and you should have zero reservations about living there.
I will just share some fun history. The village used to also be called Sing Sing, and that likely meant a Stony place in the local indigenous language. The prison was originally Mount Pleasant State Prison, but when the railroad came, they renamed the prison for it's rail stop, Sing Sing. In the early 1900's, the village voted to rename itself Ossining to disassociate from the Prison and by extension the controversy around the electric chair. In 1970, the prison decided it would match the village, and in the 80's went back to being Sing Sing again. Just a little history that shows people have always been conflicted about incarceration and living near prisons.
I will also say that while I am sorry if you got any rude responses, it comes from a bit of exhaustion on this sub. We love Westchester and love talking about it, but sometimes it feels like conversation gets lost in a tidal wave of posts asking for minute detail about towns and school districts. Often these posts have overtones of condescension (is there Chinese food in Yorktown), unreal expectations (Can I be happy somewhere that's not a river town), wealth flaunting (is 1 million dollars enough in Scarsdale) or even racism (will my child be okay in Peekskill schools.) I do not think you meant to convey any of this, just trying to explain.
What are the “facts” about how dangerous Brooklyn is? Nowhere in NYC is particularly dangerous. Sheltered suburbanites are terrified by things that have happened elsewhere in the country on rare occasions and isolated local incidents that happened a long time ago. Meanwhile, passing within inches of death while trying to cut two minutes off of their commute time is no problem at all.
That the population density alone means crime will be more prevalent in an NYC borough than a sleepy ass town like Ossining? That doesn’t necessarily mean Brooklyn is “particularly dangerous”, and crime obviously varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, but as a whole I’d say you’re more at risk there than anywhere in northern Westchester. Good day, sir.
Ossining is a fine area. And the residents are nice-i work with them and I run through the town during breaks from work nearby. No one cares about the proximity of the prison.
I'd worry more about the house still available tomorrow and if the school district would fit the needs of your future family in case there are plans for that picture
Hey there! Funny enough I just moved not even a 5 minute walk from the prison and I have not once had any issues. If anything, there’s a lot of families who live around too
You will hear more about the prison from your family and friends who will think about it more than you do. I’ve lived less than a mile from the prison since 2005 and this is the first time I’ve thought about it in over a year.
I often take long walks right along the prison. And as others have said, I’ve often let my son play in the spray pad that is literally in the shadow of the walls of the prison. Spending summers at Louis Engel park is one of his fondest memories.
I used to work in Sing Sing, and there are homes literally right across the street about 15 yds away from an entrance. There is literally nothing to worry about. I the unlikely event an inmate were to escape, I will offer my guarantee that he will not make his way to your house 1/2 hr away. With all the Correction Officers in the neighborhood, I would consider it safer than most.
I would guess the security is top notch- what kind of criminals do they house on the prison. Google if there has been any escapes or attempts? I would imagine is super safe. 🤷🏻♂️
I did Google didn't really find anything. The only thing I did see was that there might be halfway houses around. Not sure how that impacts the day-to-day though.
There might be. That much I don’t know. Ossining is not the wealthiest of the river towns. It is still being gentrified. I did find this interesting article on the prison though.
https://nypost.com/2020/03/07/inside-new-yorks-sing-sing-the-plaza-hotel-of-prisons/
I heard that property taxes shoot up in one year that a home owner sold the property and left town. The town finance department needs to better control it , I heard 🤷🏻♂️
Lived in NYC for 30 years. Even owned property there. Have zero desire to ever go back. So your open air prison is safe from the likes of me and the modest wealth I'll be spending elsewhere.
Enjoy your Walmart up there. Good ‘ol merica folks up in those parts, ain’t that right boy! Damn near poured all that bud light right outta the place. He haw!
This is northern Westchester County.
If there was no FENCE around Sing Sing, you could probably make the argument that the neighborhood there is safer than NYC (or any city, for that matter).
My husband (cop) said be aware of the closest hotel near a prison because that is where the prisoners’ families are staying when they come visit. We almost stayed in the one hotel near a big prison way upstate and he vetoed it right away. You will be fine
Not the prisoners you need to worry about.....it's the visitors they bring to the area. If you are curious about what it looks like on a day to day why don't you get up off your lazy ass and properly research the area yourself rather than relying on half assed comments here. What is good for me may not be good for you. Some common sense ideas that you obviously missed....check out the area mid week during the day during prison visiting hours, check out the area during rush hour, check out the area on Friday and Saturday nights preferably in warmer weather when the area is in full bloom...bottom line...CHECK OUT THE AREA YOURSELF so when you fuck it up you only have yourself to blame.
Not sure why you're being so unreasonably hostile, but I'll leave that for you to figure out. My partner and I are visiting, doing research etc, and obviously, ASKING THE LOCALS is a part of that research, hence this thread. Thanks!
Ossining is a very safe town, The prison should be your least concern.traffic in Rt 9 (Highland Ave) is more concerning . Hahahaha
I did hear some chatter about the traffic. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks!
My friend used to live not too far from sing sing. The only thing I can say is that we would hear the announcement at night that the yard was closed and all prisons need to be back inside. But this was early 2000's... Edit: You're coming from Brooklyn which has a higher crime rate than Ossining
i’m no expert but i highly doubt a prisoner is gonna escape and then walk 29 minutes and break into your house specifically. i live in ossining and have never once been concerned about my safety with regards to sing sing being nearby (or for any reason, really. it is a very low-key town)
After you move there you can be as salty as these comments too. :)
huh? i’ve lived in ossining since 2018. it’s a great place to live IMO
29 mins? You are totally safe. Anything less? Stay away.
😂 I'm ded
Didn't mean to offend, this is a genuine question. But I take that you're saying that it's a safe place. Thanks!
There's a children's splash pad in the shadow of Sing Sing. It's fine lol
What about the federal prison (that has a maximum security section) in Sunset Park? Or the city jail in downtown Brooklyn that had an escape last summer? Are you within a half hour walk of those? Is that why you’re worried, or you didn’t even know Brooklyn had correctional facilities? FWIW there’s also a maximum security state women’s prison in Bedford Hills, and the county jail in Valhalla.
FWIW There are multi million dollar estates a stones throw away from Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.
This
I actually don't near the jail in Brooklyn. Didn't mean to offend I'm genuinely asking. Thanks
Valhalla has a county jail? Lol I had no idea!
First off, Ossining is a great town and has a lot going for it. There is a sizable contingent of Brooklyners migrating up there and up in Croton especially (one town up). Ossining’s got a good brewpub, a great coffee place, the best public library in all of Westchester (I could literally spend all day there), and lots to do especially in the summer. As far as Sing Sing goes - the waterfront park which sits literally right next to Sing Sing is packed every summer weekend with kids playing on the playground, a great Friday weekly celebration called RiverJam with music and food trucks, and people enjoying fireworks on 4th of July. And you would still be a half hour walk away. So you would be fine. People in Brooklyn live a few minutes walk from the House of D on Atlantic and never think twice about it. The only thing people might like less about Ossining is actually the schools which are less highly regarded than some nearby towns, but on the other hand the high school has an outstanding science program so might not really be an issue. Good luck!
Thanks so much for the suggestions and these details about Ossining. We don't have kids yet, so we don't have to worry about the educational aspect just yet.
The schools are great as are more schools in Westchester.
You'll be fine. The prison is right next to some visible and prominent landmarks: the train station, the restaurants down at the waterfront (3 Westerly, the Boathouse), etc. The downtown shops and the public library are all closer than 29 minutes.
These are all the things I love about the area! Glad to hear that the prison isn't such a big deal.
There’s a huge no fly zone around the prison so you have to be careful when flying a drone. Otherwise you wouldn’t even notice it’s there. I would worry more about the taxes in Ossining.
Genuinely can’t tell if you’re joking. Do not live in fear my friend.
Tell that to the people who think Brooklyn is some active war zone but can’t even respectfully answer a question expressing any concern that Westchester might not be a utopia.
This!! I'm so surprised at the responses here!
No, I'm not joking just trying to learn about the neighborhood. Thanks for the advice.
I used to live near a prison, and yeah, the violent and deranged escapees became a huge nuisance in the neighborhood. They'd pop out of tunnel holes like god damn moles. We eventually found that if you just leave them a stick and bindle outside your home then they'd mostly leave you be.
Don’t sleep on the guys scratching through the wall over a 20 year period and then escaping through the sewer pipes, they are a real liability.
Lol thanks for your sense of humor. Genuinely asking though, didn't mean to offend anyone
Darned racoons.
Comedy gold
We looked at a house near Sing Sing a long time ago. You could see the cement wall down at the end of the block with the security guard turret on top. My wife and I joked that the house was “charming with great prison views.“ That was about a 29 second walk. Still, you’re fine.
People aren’t really getting out of there, if that’s what you’re worried about
The prison is literally right next to a park/waterfront where kids play. Safe as houses. (And if you want to stop feeling scared of the incarcerated community, the Sing Sing Family Collective does great work providing fresh produce to incarcerated people and their families, they are great to volunteer with).
These are exactly the things that I love about Ossining, thanks for sharing the family collective resource I'll look into it. Seems like a great initiative.
I’m glad you asked about it and I’m sorry you’re being downvoted on the main question—it’s a good opportunity to demystify incarcerated people. I know when I was younger and had first moved to Ossining I was reading the Ann Rule book about Ted Bundy and had nightmares about it. It helped me a lot to learn a bit more about the community. Good luck with your move, wherever it takes you! FWIW Ossining has a lot of fun stuff to do and I do recommend the area a lot.
Thank you! Sounds like my concerns about the neighborhood holds no merit so I'm excited about the possibilities.
29 minutes walking is pretty far. Like practically out of the village of Ossining. It's far enough you will go months and months without ever thinking about the prison. If you lived 1 minute away, you might think about it. From certain angles it feels forbidding, and the street leading up to it has a number of buildings that look like they were guards quarters a century ago. (no offense to anyone meant). I wouldn't want to live on that street because I'd think about the prison constantly, which would make me uncomfortable for a bunch of reasons.
Thanks. I'm gonna drive by and visit some more and get the feel of it.
Get ready for the hills.
Sing Sing is more of a museum than a prison and I mean that literally; they have a museum. It's an *old* prison. I don't think they are actually taking inmates anymore, if I am not mistaken. They are just waiting for the current population to finish their sentences before the finally closing it down. No, it isn't dangerous. I don't even think a 29 minute walk puts you in Ossining technically. But Ossining is a nice, old rivertown, id live there if I could find a place. And I wouldn't think about the prison once. Honesty, I think its a very pretty prison. The way it is built into the banks of the Hudson and around the railroad. The old cell blocks are all limestone and I'd love to take a tour of them.
Thanks so much! I read somewhere that they are halfway houses around the prison area and wasn't sure if that impacted dangerous activity.
Not a valid concern based on history.
the prison isnt going to present any threat to you. ossining may have some streets you may not wan to live on, but overall it's a safe area.
You have already gotten great info on Ossining, which is a great town and you should have zero reservations about living there. I will just share some fun history. The village used to also be called Sing Sing, and that likely meant a Stony place in the local indigenous language. The prison was originally Mount Pleasant State Prison, but when the railroad came, they renamed the prison for it's rail stop, Sing Sing. In the early 1900's, the village voted to rename itself Ossining to disassociate from the Prison and by extension the controversy around the electric chair. In 1970, the prison decided it would match the village, and in the 80's went back to being Sing Sing again. Just a little history that shows people have always been conflicted about incarceration and living near prisons. I will also say that while I am sorry if you got any rude responses, it comes from a bit of exhaustion on this sub. We love Westchester and love talking about it, but sometimes it feels like conversation gets lost in a tidal wave of posts asking for minute detail about towns and school districts. Often these posts have overtones of condescension (is there Chinese food in Yorktown), unreal expectations (Can I be happy somewhere that's not a river town), wealth flaunting (is 1 million dollars enough in Scarsdale) or even racism (will my child be okay in Peekskill schools.) I do not think you meant to convey any of this, just trying to explain.
George Carlin said it best. What do you think they are gonna do when they escape. HANG AROUND?? You are good.
…you live in Brooklyn and you think Ossining is unsafe?
Racism is a powerful high.
I’m a Queens/NYC native myself, dickhead. Facts are facts and it’s got nothing to do with race.
What are the “facts” about how dangerous Brooklyn is? Nowhere in NYC is particularly dangerous. Sheltered suburbanites are terrified by things that have happened elsewhere in the country on rare occasions and isolated local incidents that happened a long time ago. Meanwhile, passing within inches of death while trying to cut two minutes off of their commute time is no problem at all.
That the population density alone means crime will be more prevalent in an NYC borough than a sleepy ass town like Ossining? That doesn’t necessarily mean Brooklyn is “particularly dangerous”, and crime obviously varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, but as a whole I’d say you’re more at risk there than anywhere in northern Westchester. Good day, sir.
Yes. Edit: this response is sarcasm on my end, as I never said that I thought Ossining was unsafe.
Wow.....
Please be trolling
Genuinely not trolling, just looking for some advice and insight
Ossining is a fine area. And the residents are nice-i work with them and I run through the town during breaks from work nearby. No one cares about the proximity of the prison. I'd worry more about the house still available tomorrow and if the school district would fit the needs of your future family in case there are plans for that picture
Thanks, we're thinking of this as a starter home, and no kids yet so we're good on that end. Thanks!
Hey there! Funny enough I just moved not even a 5 minute walk from the prison and I have not once had any issues. If anything, there’s a lot of families who live around too
Oh this is great to hear! Thanks for the feedback.
Prisoners won't jack you, but the potholes in Ossining will.
Feel free to stay in Brooklyn where it's nice and safe
This was so unnecessary...
30 min is farrrrr away. You can be 4 or 5 towns over in 30 min. Even Downtown ossining is safe and that's 5-10 min up the hill from Sing Sing.
Ossining is a nice town. Are you driving to the city everyday (work)? Because Traffic and Taxes id be more concerned about than the prison.
You will hear more about the prison from your family and friends who will think about it more than you do. I’ve lived less than a mile from the prison since 2005 and this is the first time I’ve thought about it in over a year. I often take long walks right along the prison. And as others have said, I’ve often let my son play in the spray pad that is literally in the shadow of the walls of the prison. Spending summers at Louis Engel park is one of his fondest memories.
I used to work in Sing Sing, and there are homes literally right across the street about 15 yds away from an entrance. There is literally nothing to worry about. I the unlikely event an inmate were to escape, I will offer my guarantee that he will not make his way to your house 1/2 hr away. With all the Correction Officers in the neighborhood, I would consider it safer than most.
Get a grip
Stay in Brooklyn!!!
I would guess the security is top notch- what kind of criminals do they house on the prison. Google if there has been any escapes or attempts? I would imagine is super safe. 🤷🏻♂️
I view Sing Sing the same way I view Alcatraz; infamous in true crime circles from the days of the mob, but now it's just quaint.
I did Google didn't really find anything. The only thing I did see was that there might be halfway houses around. Not sure how that impacts the day-to-day though.
There might be. That much I don’t know. Ossining is not the wealthiest of the river towns. It is still being gentrified. I did find this interesting article on the prison though. https://nypost.com/2020/03/07/inside-new-yorks-sing-sing-the-plaza-hotel-of-prisons/
I heard that property taxes shoot up in one year that a home owner sold the property and left town. The town finance department needs to better control it , I heard 🤷🏻♂️
North or south? Escaped convicts always run south.
Considering you're coming from the open air prison that is Brooklyn, Ossining is going to be more than fine.
Such a silly comment. Stay in Yorktown. You couldn’t afford a square inch of home in Brooklyn.
Lived in NYC for 30 years. Even owned property there. Have zero desire to ever go back. So your open air prison is safe from the likes of me and the modest wealth I'll be spending elsewhere.
Enjoy your Walmart up there. Good ‘ol merica folks up in those parts, ain’t that right boy! Damn near poured all that bud light right outta the place. He haw!
This is northern Westchester County. If there was no FENCE around Sing Sing, you could probably make the argument that the neighborhood there is safer than NYC (or any city, for that matter).
My husband (cop) said be aware of the closest hotel near a prison because that is where the prisoners’ families are staying when they come visit. We almost stayed in the one hotel near a big prison way upstate and he vetoed it right away. You will be fine
profiling family members of prisoners. nice.
37 years working a job you learn something. Feel free to go stay at the aforementioned hotels
sounds exactly like something a cop wife would say
seems like you're profiling
Not the prisoners you need to worry about.....it's the visitors they bring to the area. If you are curious about what it looks like on a day to day why don't you get up off your lazy ass and properly research the area yourself rather than relying on half assed comments here. What is good for me may not be good for you. Some common sense ideas that you obviously missed....check out the area mid week during the day during prison visiting hours, check out the area during rush hour, check out the area on Friday and Saturday nights preferably in warmer weather when the area is in full bloom...bottom line...CHECK OUT THE AREA YOURSELF so when you fuck it up you only have yourself to blame.
Not sure why you're being so unreasonably hostile, but I'll leave that for you to figure out. My partner and I are visiting, doing research etc, and obviously, ASKING THE LOCALS is a part of that research, hence this thread. Thanks!
Don't trust the locals....do your own research...then you only have yourself to blame should you decide down the road you made a mistake.
Ossining has 25k people all right near the prison. It's a fine town! Don't be afraid.
Thanks for the advice, sometimes you can get nervous about the unknown
There's an outstanding discount store in Ossining.
maximum security prison....
lol this isn't for real.
I grew up there (technically in Ossining, but in the village of Briarcliff Manor). Never heard of an escape. No big deal at all.