Sleepy Hollow, New York: Where the Headless Horseman Rides

Image: John Quidor, The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.

This week's Neighborhood of the Week is just in time for Halloween: Sleepy Hollow, New York, on the Hudson River in Westchester County.

A Legend with a Real Address

Photo: Old Dutch Church, Sleepy Hollow by Daniel Case, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

In 1820, Washington Irving published "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," the story of schoolteacher Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. Irving set it in a quiet valley about two miles from Tarrytown, where locals were said to be prone to "trances and visions." The place he described was modeled on the village of North Tarrytown.

One of the story's key spots is still standing. The Old Dutch Church, which plays a big part in the tale, has been there since the late 1600s and is often called the oldest existing church in New York.

The Village That Renamed Itself

The legend was good for business early on. Around 1900, one local writer noted that the story had brought more visitors to the area than every other attraction combined.

In 1996, after a popular vote, North Tarrytown made it official and changed its name to Sleepy Hollow. The Old Dutch Church rang its bell to mark the occasion. Today the Horseman shows up all over town, from street signs to local fire trucks, and never more than in October.

Last week we visited the real Ghostbusters firehouse in Tribeca. This week, it's the original ghost story.

Rep Sleepy Hollow

Live in Sleepy Hollow, grew up there, or just love it? Grab the Sleepy Hollow Neighborhoodie. Nearby, we also make the Tarrytown Neighborhoodie and the Irvington Neighborhoodie. Not your neighborhood? We make Neighborhoodies for more than 21,000 neighborhoods across the country, so find yours or browse more Neighborhoodies around White Plains and Westchester.

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Sources: Atlas Obscura: In Sleepy Hollow, Life Imitates Legend