Austerlitz or Spencertown NY (Hudson, Berkshire: real estate, housing, jobs)

[thunder94]

Any info would be helpful

[Pidgett]

Thunder94,

It's very hard to determine what info you need due to your terse post. So I'll just throw in a brief outline and the you can respond with more specific questions about these two communities.....

I noticed that in your profile you are from Long Island. You do know, I hope, that moving from LI to Columbia County is a H U G E change in lifestyle. I'll assume you are prepared and willing to give up:

***Convenient jaunts to shopping centers, schools, work, theatres, auto repair, the dentist, the barber, the gas station---in other words: anyplace in exchange for longer drive-times.
***High-stress, fast-paced living in exchange for a relaxed, take-it-easier lifestyle.
***Keeping up with the Joneses in exchange for keeping up with no one.
***Pushiness, rudeness and superficiality in exchange for patience, politeness and down-to-earthness.
***Mild winters and hot, humid summers in exchange for very cold winters and pleasantly warm and much less humid summers.
***Being stuck in traffic in exchange for unimpeded driving.
***Higher wages; more jobs in exchange for much lower wages and fewer jobs available.
***Being close to friends and family in exchange for isolation from them.
***Alas, suburban life as you know it (completely).

If not, then don't bother to consider a move to either of these towns for one split second longer. If yes, then here goes:

Austerlitz And Spencertown

Both of these hamlets boast beautiful 18th and 19th century homes, many of which are artfully and faithfully restored. The hamlets of Austerlitz and Spencertown both lie within the Town of Austerlitz, which covers approximately 50 sqaure miles. The town has a population of about 1,500 full-time residents, according to the town's official website. Overall, it is an exceptionally beautiful town, situated in the northeast corner of Columbia County, abutting the Massachusetts border. Austerlitz and Spencertown boast rugged, rolling hills covered in thich forests of maple, beech and oak interspersed with a few dairy and horse farms. There are a few ponds and brooks that offer both wildlife and residents a wonderful, peaceful rural idyll. It lies approximately 120 miles north of NYC and is convenient to the Taconic Parkway and Route 22.

The differences between the two hamlets are very few. Spencertown, located along Route 203, is a lightly populated community of perhaps 150 people. It has a charming 17th century church that is used for art exhibitions and community activities. There is a general store/deli that acts as the hamlet's gathering spot. Residents and tourists alike often post news and things of interest on the comunity bulletin board outside the store. There are fine homes nearby and the overall feel is very, very New England. Spencertown is close to the Taconic Parkway and is approximately 25/30 minutes to Hudson, NY, the main small city for the county. It is also less than 30/35 minutes to Tanglewood in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.

Austerlitz hamlet is located along Route 22, the main drag that, like the Taconic Parkway, leads to NYC. It once was home to the poet and author Edna St. Vincent Millay, and is very proud of its history and fine architecture. Like Spencertown, Austerlitz hamlet is lightly populated and offers peace and quiet for both resident and tourist alike. Austerlitz is hillier than S-town, and perhaps is more expensive of the two. Being near the Mass border, it is very convenient to all Berkshire attractions. In fact, many resdients commmute to nearby Pittsfield, MA, which is a fairly large town for the area--population 50,000--and provides shopping and employment possibilites that do not exist in the very rural Town of Austerlitz.

Hope I have been helpful.

Pidgett

[Jansu]

Pidgett,
Very helpful information! Do you know anything about the school districts in either of these towns? How do real estate values and taxes compare to housing over the Mass border? I ask because my husband is interviewing for a job in Pittsfield.

Thanks!