I'm looking for a small rural town to live in, BROADLY in the Woodstock, NY area (could be MA or CT). (New York: for sale, how much)

[SummertimeRose]

I can live where I want to now, so I'm looking for a very rural small town approximately three or four hours north of Manhattan that has a cultural bent (not so much trendy as down-to-earth cultural/artistic). I've lived in Woodstock (Saugerties) before, so that's an option. Does any place come to mind that's just as rural but maybe less trendy--but where a writer wouldn't be an oddball?

[piperspal]

Rensselaerville, NY. It's on the Albany County/Greene County border. LOTS of writers there - even a few "famous" ones.
Centrally located to a lot of universities should you be lucky enough to hit the lecture/book signing circuit.

[highfallslover]

I'm trying to get back to Woodstock, a realtor told me she likes a challenge so I gave her one, to find a place we can afford that has a barn and land too! I haven't heard back so I guess she hasn't found anything.

I also love the High Falls/Stone Ridge areas and up north on 28 towards Boiceville and beyond.

[piperspal]

Originally Posted by highfallslover

I also love the High Falls/Stone Ridge areas and up north on 28 towards Boiceville and beyond.

isn't Rt. 28 a gorgeous drive?! I think that is the road I "sort of" got lost on & went all the way to Delhi, I believe.
I knew I should have turned around, but it was just so darned pretty.......made me wish I knew how to ride a motorcycle...

[SummertimeRose]

Thanks for the input--more info, please.

Can you tell me about the places mentioned? I know nothing about any of them.

Is Rensselaerville a suburb or exurb of Albany? I don't want to be too near a city, but living among writers sounds good.

Tell me about High Falls, Stone Ridge, and Boiceville.

Also, what are the advantages/disadvantages of living within a state or national park? (Woodstock is within a state park, I believe.)

Again, thanks for responding. And others, please join in.

[piperspal]

Originally Posted by SummertimeRose

Thanks for the input--more info, please.
Can you tell me about the places mentioned? I know nothing about any of them. Is Rensselaerville a suburb or exurb of Albany?

Hey thanks, Summertime! I just looked up the meaning of 'exurb' - never heard that word before! Don't know if Ren'ville qualifies as one. I think it's more just a small rural blip on the map. Just for the heck of it; I just googled Rensselaerville to see what would come up. In addition to this thread; there are 5 other city-data threads/posts that mention it. Also mentioned are the other towns highfallslover suggested.

I found Ren'ville by mistake, sort of. I had a job years ago that involved a lot of driving and literally stumbled onto the town. It's over in a blink - CD stats say it's less than 2000 population. There is a restaurant there named the Palmer House. The owners are trying to sell. The town residents love it so much that they are working together to keep the restaurant afloat.

Andy Rooney just sold (I hear) his farmhouse in Ren'ville. There are plenty of writers in that area who subscribe to the "live & let live" policy. In fact I love the Catskills for just that reason. They don't try & fancy things up in those towns; they just expect you to appreciate them for their natural environment.

BTW, good luck highfalls, with trying to find land cheap in Woodstock!

Oh, I should mention one thing I know about Ren'ville you might be interested in: The Rensselaerville Institute. It's sort of like a retreat for extremely smart people. Seriously! It's like a 'think tank' where like minds get together to come up with ways to better our society. Every couple of years, the Times Union (albany news paper) does a bit on the Institute. Just something to keep in mind.

Hopefully you'll get some descriptions of other towns by other posters. I am biased - I love the entire Catskill region & all the little towns within - but I don't know enough about any specific one in particular.

[highfallslover]

I think my dream of going back to Woodstock is pretty much gone unless the realtor can come up with a miracle and I don't think that'll happen. I was excited when she said she thought she could help but so far nothing which I sort of figured but got my hopes up a little too much I guess even though I knew I gave her a pretty hard challenge. My parents live right outside of town and a house in their neighborhood is up for sale for $359,000 and that's become affordable now, no land to it, nothing special and you can't have horses there. Anything I like or with land is over $700,000. I found the cutest house on 50 acres but it only has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath and building on would ruin the character of it plus it's over $700,000. I can not even imagine the taxes on that. OH WELL! I knew that things are expensive but that realtor thought she might be able to help, so far nothing. If it's meant to be it'll happen.

For me I can't explain really why I like the areas I like. Maybe because I moved to High Falls when I was less than 2 and lived there 'til I was 13 and always went back to visit with friends 'til I moved then they moved. My chidhood memories are there. I also love the old houses in the area and I just love it for reasons that are hard to explain.

Woodstock is Woodstock, to me it's beautiful, even the cemetery gets good views. I love the little town. I guess again it's memories for me going into Joyous Lake after school or the candle shop talking to the cute guy who was hoping for a music career but working in a candle shop. Just walking the streets, driving the back roads and finding Big Pink knowing The Band was there, the little cottages stuck in the woods. I just love all of that. The beauty, the old houses [We don't have any old stone houses here] and the memories, I guess that's what it is for me. I also don't know enough about any certain area since I haven't lived there in ages I just know what looks good going through but every area has their issues.

Once you get to West Hurley and go up 28 it is beautiful. Sometimes we'll go to my parent's house the "long way" which means going through Margaretville and coming down 28 through Phonecia, Boiceville etc. I lived up that way for so long and never once got tired of looking at it. If I knew how much I'd miss it I never would have left.

If you Google the areas you can find info and pictures etc. I should probably pay more attention to details but I look at the scenery and sort of forget everything else! Probably not a good thing!

Good luck finding a place, there are so many beautiful areas that would be nice to live in, I just sort of concentrate on the places where I have the most memories plus I want to live near my parents so I'm concentrating my searches no more than 1/2 an hr from their house but the closer the better which means Woodstock which would be perfect in all ways. I guess for us if it's meant to be it'll happen. My husband isn't wild about the idea but I told him if we moved up there he could go to Levon Helm's midnight rambles or fund raisers or what ever he does when he does them, we'd be close! It's giving him something to think about but he's not totally convinced especially when he sees the prices and taxes. Good Luck to all of us.

[ss58yy]

If you're looking for *very* rural and *broadly* near Woodstock, you might consider places like Turnwood, Hardenburgh, Seager, or the area south of Pepacton Resevoir. You won't have to worry about any of these areas being too trendy .

If you want anything more rural, you'd probably have to go up into the Adirondacks, Northern Maine or New Hampshire, the Cherry Springs area in PA, or the Spruce Knob area in WV, (along the East Coast, anyway).

[Fireflyhill]

Rensselaerville is a great town. It has lots of cultural events throughout the year sponsored by the town's cultural center (Conkling Hall), it's historic library, the Rensselaerville institute, and the Hyuck Preserve (a nature preserve and ecological research institute). The countryside is really beautiful, with lots of open space and spectacular views of the Catskills. Numerous residents are tranplants from New York City and it has plenty of artsy residents. And although the town is small, the architecture is nicely preserved and very historical. It's one of my favorite towns.

[highfallslover]

I don't know how cultural Stone Ridge or Hurley are these days but I found my dream house between Stone Ridge and Hurley, it has land and a barn too. It truly is my dream house, even my husband loves it and he normally doesn't like anything I show him there since he doesn't want to move. It's affordable if we could sell this place. All was going well 'til we found out the taxes. Can't do it. So depressing. I've totally given up.

Good luck finding the special place. It will be nice to know someone found what they want in a great area.