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I have never been, I don't think, in recent year to the Catskills.
I have been to NE Dutchess County, near the Berskires/Taconics.
I also have driven I-84 across NY State and I-87 from I-84 south...so I don't know if any of these count.
Anyway I wanted to know
1) What region does the Catskills consist of? What counties are included and what is the general boundary for this area?
2) What is the area like? Is it rural/suburban? Is this considered to still be part of the greater NYC tri-state region or is it a place like the capital region of it's own?
-Do people commute to the greater NYC area, is there an increase in sprawl and development, or is the area pretty safe and well preserved?
3) How does the Catskills as a region both culturally, geographically, and topographically compare to the Berskire/Taconics?
-Is it more rural and much more steeper a terrain?
4) Last....which sports teams are most popular in
-MLB
-NFL
-NHL
-NBA
1. While the Catskill Park is well defined (you can Google a map for that), I would say a more generalized definition of the Catskill region would be Ulster, Sullivan, Delaware, and Greene counties. Maybe include Orange county if you want. An even more generalized region would be the area between the Hudson, Mohawk, and Susquehanna Rivers. But purists would probably object to including so much real estate. Personally, I would say that anything north of rt 145 between Schoharie and Cobleskill isn't really Catskills anymore.
2. It is rural. It was/is a traditional weekend retreat for the NYC area due to its proximity - when you hear NYers in tv shows or movies say they are going upstate, this is generally a reference to the Catskills. The Catskill region has been called the "Jewish Alps" because of the large number of summer camps and getaways that cater to the large Jewish population and NYCers in general. It also has physical ties to the city as the vast majority of the drinking water for NYC comes from the Catskills. NYC has a heavy official presence in the region and this has caused much tension/resentment from the locals. People do commute, from the many communities along the Hudson and from up NY-17 to Middletown and Monticello.
3. Not really sure but I think it is more rural. The terrain is steeper. The economy is more tourist oriented - skiing, hiking, fishing. Its probably more similar to the Poconos than the Berkshires.
4. Can't speak for everyones loyalties, but I grew up on the western edge and most people I knew were NY Giants, Syracuse Orangemen, and NY Yankees fans - probably in that order as far as preference for sports is concerned. Oneonta has since lost the Yankees minor league team and the Binghamton Mets are pretty popular in that area, so I don't know if the dynamic has changed. Get closer to Albany and I think the Boston influence kicks in. NBA and NHL weren't that popular. I don't know what teams the Hudson Valley follow/ed.
I would start with google or any map. Select New York "road view" the Catskills and Adirondacks areas are colored green, the counties are usually outlined. Then search New York county map.
Although I have been visiting the Catskills and Adirondacks all my life the decision to buy my grand parents property spurred me to research in many different ways. This forumn is one way, I also have the local news media bookmarked and open several papers home pages.
My area is economically struggling what use to be thriving dairy farms is just about gone. You might not think that's important but one aspect is that I cant even give away hay. So my current problem is how do I maintain 15 acres if no one wants to cut them with out being paid.
1) Are the Catskills a true "working" rural region or is more a green tourist based area?
2) The Catskills region is pretty much loyal to NY sports all the way?
1- Its a mix, but I would say the tourist industry outweighs anything else at this point. Without the seasonal inflow of second home owners, skiers, hunters & fisherman, I don't think there would be much of anything. Agriculture exists to support the dairy farms, but that is crapping out. Timber industry has been stagnant for years. What else is there? According to some, oil shale is going to save the world, but I'll believe it when I see it.
2- I would guess so. But then again, NASCAR doesn't exactly have a NYC franchise.
It is a very rural area, but not in the farm sense. Most of that has disappeared. It's people living or having second homes in wooded settings. The people living here own or work in small businesses although a few commute to places like Orange County or Poughkeepsie. It's way too far to commute to NYC. The region is experiencing a "hollowing out" as younger people leave due to lack of jobs and more weekenders come. School enrollments are in decline.
The northeast part of Sullivan County has a very low population density due to the fact that a lot of land is within the NYC watershed and is off-limits for development of any kind. There is very little industry in Sullivan County as a whole, and not much agricultural activity either aside from the dairy farms in the Bethel/Jeffersonville areas. Sullivan County is known for its wilderness areas rather than for rolling farmland. Because of this, the environment is quite pristine with excellent air and water quality.
Commuting to New York City from Sullivan County is an ordeal. Not many people do it. There is no train service unless you drive down to Middletown or Port Jervis in Orange County. There is bus service to Port Authority from Monticello. If there's not much traffic, it takes about an hour and fifty minutes.
Another thing about Sullivan County is that it doesn't have a shopping mall. People drive down to Middletown or to Kingston to do clothing shopping. There is only one movie theater in Callicoon at present. I believe there are only one or two bookstores and no Starbucks in the entire county!
I would say that the Berkshires is much more gentrified than Sullivan County with cute shops, restaurants and places to see live music and dance. There is not much of that here. People come to Sullivan for fishing, hunting, and camping or to enjoy the nature and wildlife. There are a number of city people who have second homes in Sullivan. It's a place where you can find a reasonable house on an acre or two or land for under $200,000 which makes it very attractive to middle-income New Yorkers who are priced out of real estate market in the city itself and its suburbs.
I consider the Catskills still to be part of greater New York because of the large economic and physical ties (2nd homes, water, resorts).
I feel once you go North/West from the Catskills you are out of the NY region.
Agree?
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Learning about an area
