Best "upstate" town for commute to NYC? (New York: for sale, houses)

[newyorkobserveher]

Hello all!

I'm trying to help a friend of mine who lives in Brooklyn but works in Manhattan find a better place to live in terms of costs. She really likes historic homes and knows that there are some gorgeous, affordable properties to be had upstate. I am really unfamiliar with upstate NY as I was born and raised in NYC (so was she) and have lived here all my life except for the two years I spent in Italy, so unfortunately I couldn't help.

Are any of these communities with historic homes (she's looking to buy with her boyfriend) under a two hour rail commute to NYC? Her price range would be under $400,000.

I really have no idea how to start the search or if Rochester would even be the correct area! We were looking on Historic Properties and Old Houses For Sale but the towns are all Greek to us!

Thanks.

[Kefir King]

Rochester is preposterous unless you friend owns a plane. It's 250 miles away.

Many of the communities up the Hudson are riddled with historic homes. The Poughkeepsie area is about 65 miles North...you could start there and work your way South.

For real quiet living, aim, towards the Catskills. NJTransit runs to Campbell Hall (NY)...where your car awaits to take you further North.

[newyorkobserveher]

I said Rochester by accident!

What about Cold Spring or Newburgh?

[drewtonium]

sloatsburg and tuxedo area would have historic homes, plenty of nature, easy access to all the shopping on route 17 in jersey and the outlets (in those two area there is just about every store in existence), and the shortest commute from anywhere upstate without the taxes of the westchester area. lots of parks and recreation like ringwood state park are just minutes away. pretty good local food would also be a short drive. the hills, lakes and small towns of the area are a real pretty backdrop.

[Kefir King]

Originally Posted by newyorkobserveher

I said Rochester by accident!

What about Cold Spring or Newburgh?

I was going to mention Newburg. All the publicity about the downtown gangs has probably lowered housing costs. Perhaps the unsavoriness has been exaggerated? There may be values there.
Personally I don't know the town other than for passing through quickly.

[OrangeHudson]

Originally Posted by Kefir King

I was going to mention Newburg. All the publicity about the downtown gangs has probably lowered housing costs. Perhaps the unsavoriness has been exaggerated? There may be values there.
Personally I don't know the town other than for passing through quickly.

For Newburgh check out this blog.
Newburgh Restoration - The Revitalization of the City of Newburgh NY

There is a ferry to Beacon (10 minutes or so) then you take the train (70-80 minutes).

The residents living north of the city refer to this area as the Hudson Valley NOT upstate NY.

[Moth]

Originally Posted by newyorkobserveher

I said Rochester by accident!

What about Cold Spring or Newburgh?

Cold Spring is a very nice town and has a Metro North station. I was there years ago for a wedding and have never quite eliminated it as a place to live someday.


I have heard Newburgh is a dump, but I have never been there.

[stevej64]

Try pennsylvania around the New Hope area historic and access to NY

[BrownstoneNY]

Are you just looking for suburbs, or genuinely rural towns? There are a lot of options in Westchester if you just want nice looking suburbs, or you could try Nyack in Rockland County (you'd have to drive to Nanuet to get a train to the city from Nyack, though).

[Walter Greenspan]

NYS Geographic Glossary may be of some help to you in understanding the geography of New York.