Castleton-on-Hudson, NY

On the east bank of the Hudson, Castleton-on-Hudson occupies southwestern Schodack, southeast of Albany. The 2020 census counted 1,477 residents. Main Street runs between the village’s older buildings and the railroad tracks, while Amtrak trains pass behind the street on their way along the river. That arrangement gives Castleton a very specific map: the commercial center sits close to the water, yet the tracks and crossing gates make the river harder to reach than its name suggests.

Castleton’s history is tied to transportation. Henry Hudson’s exploration supplied the name, the Hudson carried boats and commercial traffic, and the railroad later made the village part of a larger corridor. The old railroad station still stands in altered form near the proposed Scott Avenue crossing. Recent village activity has kept that history in circulation: a bicentennial committee formed in 2025, and a self-guided historical tour begins at Village Hall on Academy Street. The 2018 downtown plan also identified the Hudson River and village history as Main Street themes, with the Main Street Association organizing around river access, events, and building improvements. That group has treated the waterfront as a business question as well as a geographic one, keeping river access tied to downtown events and building work.

River access remains the practical issue. The Scott Avenue gate has been closed for more than two decades, while crossings at the Castleton Boat Club and wastewater treatment plant remain open; the railroad lies between Main Street and the Hudson. That crossing question affects pedestrians, cyclists, emergency access, and waterfront use. The riverfront is a real part of the village’s geography and a recurring subject of local planning. The crossing also affects emergency access. Castleton’s map has three lines at once: Main Street’s village businesses, the railroad corridor, and the Hudson just beyond the gates.