Homebuyers continue to beat a well-worn path to the Mid-Hudson Valley

Homebuyers continue to beat a well-worn path to the Mid-Hudson Valley  

 

The Mid Hudson Valley has been attracting homebuyers from downstate for generations.  Many have    moved “up to the country” to escape the hustle and bustle of big city life, trading a comparatively short commute for lower housing costs, scenic vistas and backyard barbecues.

As a result. parts of the valley have become more and more suburban in character, with shopping malls, multifamily developments and park and rides.

The Upstate migration has only accelerated in recent years as the internet has made working remotely more prevalent. 

In Ulster County, places like New Paltz, Highland, and Marlboro have all seen significant population growth in recent years, with buyers drawn to a  lush and evolving landscapes, that’s far enough but not too far from New York City.   

In the midst of suburbanization, the region’s bountiful apple orchards, planted generations ago,  continue to thrive.  Many have been  re-invented to one degree or another  as seasonal pick-your own tourist destinations.

 Some even have farm bars now that are open into the evening hours, offering live music hard cider and craft beer.

A newer attraction, the Walkway Over the Hudson, a pedestrian bridge from Highland to Poughkeepsie, has proven to be  a spectacular addition to the local rail trail system and a popular destination for  walkers and cyclists from near and far

Since the Walkway opened in 2009, the hamlet of Highland in the Town of Lloyd has undergone a mini-renaissance with the addition of bicycle shops, restaurants and a brewery.

Entertainment options are plentiful enough throughout the region.Malls on both sides of the Hudson include movie houses for first run feature films while more esoteric fare can be seen in downtown theaters in Rhinebeck,  Woodstock and Rosendale. 

Musicians and comedians on national tours are booked throughout the year at the  Bardavon in Downtown Poughkeepsie and the affilliated Ulster Center for the Performing Arts (UPAC) on Broadway in Kingston. 

The Civic Center in Poughkeepsie hosts bigger shows on occasion and The Falcon, a more intimate venue   brings a variety of local and traveling musicians to its main stage Marlboro.  

Sure, Amazon delivery trucks have become ubiquitous on residential streets, , but plenty of retail shopping opportunities remain, with a plethora of malls and stand-alone box stores in Poughkeepsie, Kingston and Newburgh — not to mention the alluring independent shops and boutiques in the ever-charming  and more touristy villages of  New Paltz, Rhinebeck and Woodstock. 

There is no shortage of fine dining, with The Ships Lantern Inn in Marlboro, and Garvan’s Gastropub in New Paltz among the first places to come to mind.

The Culinary Institute of America, a world renowned academy for aspiring chefs , has its own restaurants on its Hyde Park campus that are open to the public.   .

For air travel, local residents can avoid major airport congestion in the New York metro area by using the admittedly limited services Stewart Internationall Airport in Newburgh, or by driving an hour or so north to Albany International Airport.

For getaways close to home, nature lovers can follow their bliss on any one of the dozens of hiking trails and scenic overlooks  at any of the several mid-Hudson nature preserves, which include the 24,000-acre Minnewaske State Park and the Mohonk Preserve, Franny Reese Park along the Hudson River in Highland or Black Creek Preserve in the Town of Esopus, to name just a few.

All considered, it should be no surprise that the Upstate migration never ends.