Small Town life near NYC (Albany, Sullivan: transporting, how much, homes)

[ltnflvr]

Hello. I enjoy the outdoors and organic lifestyles. I am looking to be within 2 hours to NYC and live as isolated in the woods as possible or in a small New Paltz style town. I cannot seem to find an area closer than a 2 hour drive to NYC, specifically brooklyn. It does not have to be in NY either as long as I am far from humanity to read and write! Thanks in advance.


-Andy

[Jason_Els]

Acerage and privacy costs money because so many people want it and the taxes are unreal too. If you have a pile of money then you'll find what you're looking for. If you don't, then you're going to have to compromise, especially if you want a 2-hour commute to Brooklyn.

[UrbanQuest]

Putnam Valley maybe?

[ltnflvr]

I will be driving to the city and my girlfriend will be coming from the city via the train. So both, but I think driving will be the main mode of transporting. So I am going to visit some places this Monday. I have a list maybe you guys think some of them won't work for me. I would like a small town nearby, but mostly I want to find a place that is in the middle of the woods.
mountainville, peekskill, croton, tarrytown, putnam valley, piermont, walden, nyack, cornwall, montgomery. Hopefully I can see them all in one day heading South from Albany.


Thanks

[Miker]

ltnflvr

I can relate to your love of the outdoors and a secluded homestead, but, keep in mind the direction of gasoline prices and what is going on in the world right now. A few years from now we may be remembering the days of $3.30 a gallon as the good old days.

No one really knows how this will end up. In my opinion, we'll be seeing a reverse in the trend of moving to the "country" due to the outrageous cost of commuting. You could end up losing A LOT of money on your secluded, faraway homestead.

Just something to think about...

[Cathryn A]

Check out Sullivan County. It is about 2 hours to the city depending upon how deep into the county you go. It is very country in that area. Privacy and acreage are completely affordable. In fact, you'll be surprised how much home you can get for your dollar.

[Jason_Els]

Hmm. Wurtsboro, the closest town in Sullivan to Manhattan, is 86 miles. You would need to have a perfectly clear drive averaging 65mph to make it in the 2 hour time limit. As the OP stated, he needs to get to Brooklyn in two hours. I know a couple in Yankee Lake who needed 3 hours to drive to mid-town and that was in good weather. Going over Wurtsboro Mountain in winter will slow you down.

The train from Port Jervis is two hours just to Hoboken and that's not even in Sullivan county.

[joeymarine]

Yankee lake is a ways off the highway....so your 3 hours is a little skewed...there isn't too much of that in Orange County...so I think it's pretty good advice. It's an idea, which is what the thread was asking.

[Cathryn A]

Perhaps people aren't reading the threads before posting a reply? I stated that "depending upon how far into Sullivan County you go...."

According to Mapquest one can arrive in Brooklyn from Wurtsboro in 1 hour and 51 minutes....if you want to get technical.

[Jason_Els]

Mapquest is wrong.