Welcome to Scarborough, located 29.5 miles north of Grand Central, and the first stop we’ll be making on our tour of the Hudson Line. I felt Scarborough would be a good place to start, as it seems to reflect what the line is all about. Throughout much of its journey – from Grand Central to Poughkeepsie – the Hudson Line closely follows its namesake, the Hudson River. Some stations may be further from the river than others, but in the case of Scarborough, the station is right on the water. Because of this, the station is often subjected to cool breezes carried by the river – although nice in the summer, it is likely brutal in the winter. The river does provide a lovely backdrop, though, and on a clear day you can see the Tappan Zee Bridge in the background.
Old station building at Scarborough. You can see the older station facilities that were recently rebuilt by Metro-North in the background. [image credit]
In the past few years, Metro-North has been doing significant upgrades on the Hudson Line, and Scarborough is no exception. The old overpass (visible in the photo above) was completely demolished. When rebuilt, elevators were added to make the station handicap accessible. The rebuilt facility, besides being much more attractive, provides more space for commuters to sit – both outside, and in the overpass, protected from the elements.
During construction on the new overpass, stained glass was installed as part of the Arts for Transit program. [image credit]
As part of the Arts for Transit program, some stained glass panels were created for Scarborough station, and installed in the new overpass. The piece, called “Untitled with Sky,” was a collaboration between artists Liliana Porter and Ana Tiscornia. The six glass panels were fabricated by Willet Hauser Architectural Glass, a company that has worked extensively with the MTA and the Arts for Transit program.
Rendering of how the glass was to look when installed in the windows of the overpass. [image credit]
Although originally intended for the overpass (and for a short time installed there), the glass panels were, at some point within the past year or so, moved to the platform. They now provide a screen from the wind for commuters at the station. Also part of the Arts for Transit installation are a few concrete shapes covered in mosaic tiles, which can be used for sitting. Both share the same attractive palette of purples and blues, and are a lovely addition to the station.
That is about it for the informational tour of Scarborough, now onto the visual tour:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A most excellent start to the Hudson line…
AHH! The Hudson Division!
Can’t wait…………
If this station is a sign of things to come, it’s clear that the Hudson line will be the ne plus ultra of the Tuesday Tour series.
Hello! My wife and I are considering moving to the area -we’d live just a short walk away from the Scarborough stop on the Hudson line. We’re concerned about the potential high levels of noise that the trains may create. Does anyone have knowledge of (or an opinion on) living in the immediate area? The houses are gorgeous (on streets like Scarborough Cir, Linden Cir, Beechwood Way, Kemeys Cove, etc) but have no personal experience with the noise levels. It’s possible that we sign a lease for a great place but then our dog goes bananas each time the a train passes. We’ve asked the owners but they of course may be biased. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for any insight!
Well, I will tell you one thing – at least you are smart enough to consider this aspect of living near the railroad. I can not tell you how many times I’ve heard people complain after buying a house about the train noise.
As for Scarborough, I can’t really say too much about the noise level, since I don’t frequent the area much. For about three years I lived a similar distance from a train station (though on the Harlem Line). The distance is far enough that you don’t really hear much of the electric trains… but I guarantee you, you will hear the diesels (and with Amtrak running on the Hudson, there will be far more of them than the Harlem). My dog was used to the noise, but for some reason she would always howl at a particular diesel that would pass through at about 7pm. I always felt that being within walking distance of the train station was a good enough benefit to offset the occasional noise, but that was just my opinion. I am not sure if the nearby owners would really be biased, but they may value the location more (or less) than you do.
My experience with trains:
I have lived on the river, close to the tracks, for the past 20 years and hear the trains but they don’t bother me. Truthfully, I don’t actually even “hear” them anymore – the brain somehow puts the noise far in the backdrop when you get used to them.
Having lived at Beechwood back in the 70’s and 80’s, I can tell you the noise from the train is minimal. It’s electric, of course, so no engine noise. And there are no street crossings near there, so no whistle. Even right next to the train line in Kemey’s Cove, it’s very quiet. I don’t think your dog will have any problems at all!
My brother built a new house in Pleasantville, NY in the ’70s. He would spend some time ‘puttering’ around on the weekends. When he moved in, they discovered it was on the flight-path to the Westchester County Airport. Mucho business traffic on Friday nights and Monday mornings! ROARRR! I lived adjacent to the New Haven (more noise from the New England Thruway, which was much farther away, in New Rochelle and Rye) and the NYC (Fleetwood). Never heard a thing from the railroad, but the parkways were noisy! Also lived adjacent to the Hutchinson River Parkway. Guess I got inured to the noise, but no GPS-guided trucks on it hitting bridges, back then. Our dogs (Boston terriers) were never upset.