East Nassau, NY

East Nassau sits in eastern Rensselaer County along the Town of Nassau’s border with Stephentown. Routes 20 and 66 meet here, linking the village’s hamlets with the Berkshire foothills to the east and the Capital Region to the west. The name came later: early residents knew the area as Schermerhorn’s, after one of the first local inhabitants. The present village was incorporated in 1998 and brings together Brainard, East Nassau, and Hoags Corners under one municipal name.

Those pieces still matter to the feel of the place. Homes and small businesses line roads that follow the valley, while Kinderhook Creek and the surrounding hills shape the wider landscape. Hoags Corners remains a recognizable gathering point, with the fire station hosting community breakfast events that turn a practical building into a social stop. The village’s location makes it a crossroads without requiring a dense center: residents can head along Route 20 for regional trips, use Route 66 for local connections, and look east toward Stephentown for the rural edge. It is a place where three hamlets share services and a civic name.