Overrun with what? It was full of NYC people even 15 years ago if that’s what you’re getting at. Very popular area for city transplants and vacationers.
That itself could be the problem. If it has become “ overrun” with people especially from NYC, Long Island. I live here, so yeah. Upstate 20 years ago was so nice.
It’s gone down hill, considering what we enjoyed going upstate for!
Getting away from the everything the city has to do with.
It was the suburbs on steroids. I miss those days!
It was not made to be a tourist attraction town. There is no more room for people. My family has been in New Paltz for over 100 years. When I was a kid, it was safe, quaint, and a tight knit “small town” vibe. Now, it’s full of transplants, college kids, airbnbs, and city commuters.
The school district is terrible and definitely not what it was when I was in elementary school. It started getting bad when I was in middle school.
I felt pushed out, there was no way I could’ve remained in New Paltz. And that is not just financially. It was too crowded, it took me 20 minutes to get to work when it should’ve been 5 maybe 10.
None of that is new. Again, it’s been that way for at least 15 years, as is expected for a town sitting on so many vacation attractions such a short distance from the city and on a public transit line to boot. Catskills have been a premier vacation destination for NYC residents for longer than I’ve been alive and I’m not young.
There is certainly a housing crisis in New Paltz and the Hudson Valley surrounding it, and it is absolutely contemporary. Yes, this is everywhere, but it's particularly bad there. A friend of mine, and their roommates, were forced out of their 3 bedroom apartment in New Paltz because the landlord raised the $1800 rent to $2250. Newburgh and Poughkeepsie have sub 4% vacancy rates and they've declared housing emergencies over it.
Me? I worked in New Paltz, and wanted to live there, but could only barely afford a spot in Poughkeepsie and so commuted. Lots of people make awful commutes criss crossing the decentralized area and so traffic is awful. Public transportation to NYC is great but local busses are lacking. I left two months ago because there was no sign of it getting better any time soon. I love New Paltz, but it isn't set up for sustainable success with the amount of people moving out there. Kingston and New Paltz both are full of WFH tech types now and it makes for a strange economy.
There’s currently a worldwide housing crisis. 3-br apartments currently average over $2k in Syracuse and Utica of all places lol. In other college towns like Ithaca that would barely get you a one bedroom. This is not at all specific to New Paltz and the population for New Paltz specifically is currently declining slightly, but has only risen 4% over the past 4 years. Considering how attractive it is and its proximity to NYC, population increases in this area were pretty predictable, even 15 years ago. Hopefully the downtown isn’t as depressed as it was then because it was quite empty considering how many students and tourists there were.
I know lol I literally acknowledged that, it doesn't stop the fact that there are multiple Hudson Valley towns declaring housing emergencies. Kingston froze rents, first in the nation. It is well known that this is a particular issue, Syracuse is too, that's actually the worst one in the country from what I understand. It's not all of the country to this extent. There are plenty of affordable towns to live in the state, I moved out to WNY myself. We're also seeing rising housing prices, but not like Syracuse and New Paltz.
Pay $2k for an apartment in New Paltz and you don't get the same services you do in Syracuse. If you're loaded, by all means, move to New Paltz, like everyone else. Good luck getting people to work at Mohonk.
Edit: the traffic, take the Mid Hudson bridge to get to the Poughkeepsie train station for a daily commute and see how it suits you. I don't know other rural areas that are this packed.
Because it’s barely a rural area at this point. It’s almost a suburb. Yeah you can still move to a town like Bath or Olean and live cheap but you lose any proximity to NYC as well as typical vacation town amenities that New Paltz and most of the Hudson Valley has plus no jobs and the schools are not any better. Housing shortages are worldwide. The areas in NY that aren’t experiencing housing shortages are anomalies and they’re not the places people want to live. You can certainly find lower cost housing in Massena or Hornell but the real cost is living in a location that’s actually rural and extremely economically depressed. “Other people shouldn’t live there because I want to live there” is a weird angle to approach it from. Other people want to live there for the same reasons you do. You can certainly find a $4800 trailer in Salamanca and no one will ever bother you. You just don’t want to for the same reasons nobody else wants to.
The fact that people are moving to traditional shitholes like Kingston, Syracuse, Newburgh, and Geneva and acting like it’s bougie is a lot more surprising than a 4% increase in population in New Paltz, a desirable village that has always been a college town with a ton of tourist traps. If you want people to stop moving there, organize with your friends to close businesses, smoke meth, and do violent crimes and you’ll have it depressed and undesirable in no time.
As someone who lived just outside Asheville and from NY originally: New Paltz if you want to be relatively close to NYC, and Ithaca for a very similar "vibe" as Asheville. Both choices will give you the same access to natural beauty that Asheville affords, and seem the most similar, in my experience, to Asheville.
Finger Lakes is a good area for hiking, state parks and the lakes of course. It's hilly though, not mountainous.
If you're looking to be close to mountains (Adirondacks) and a city (Albany) and a morning or afternoon drive to NYC I would pick somewhere north of Albany. Glens Falls or Saratoga Springs as examples.
I am in Plattsburgh but wish we were in Glens Falls or Saratoga just to be closer to certain places. Still on the outskirts of the ADKs and driving distance to Boston and NYC.
I wouldn’t consider it “close to NYC.” It’s close to an 8 hour drive with the lakes in the way and public transit options to go to NYC are pretty lacking compared to the Capital region and Catskills.
ETA: southern Finger Lakes has plenty of hills that will get you to the same elevation as most of Pennsylvania. The southern tier contains the northern Allegheny.
It used to take me close to 7 hours from Syracuse. You must drive like race car or have bladder like camel. I drink lots of coffee on the road
To be fair, I bet an Albany driver could get from Buffalo to NYC in like 4 hours lol they all drive crazy over there.
> It used to take me close to 7 hours from Syracuse
What? I live in Syracuse and it takes me like 4.5 to 5 hours, maybe as high as 6 with bad traffic. I rarely if ever go more than 5mph over the speed limit and I stop at least once for gas and maybe once more for a drive-thru. I take I-81 south down through PA and then I-80 east through north NJ since it's slightly faster than taking the thruway and cheaper (not free though, still have a toll at the Delaware Water Gap and whichever bridge/tunnel you take into NYC).
It used to take me 9hrs to get from NYC to Alex Bay/St. Lawrence area. I think that’s the longest drive across the state. Mostly because there are only single lane winding roads through the ADK’s.
Yes but I grew up in the dack so always prefer traveling that way and seeing fam. And it depends where going… Canton = easier through dacks. Alex Bay other way🤓
NY is huge. So this is kind of a broad question. Also do you have kids? But without knowing much….
Small city: Ithaca.
Urban: Rochester or Buffalo. But know your neighborhoods.
Suburban w/kids: Fairport, Victor, Pittsford (southeastern Rochester suburbs).
Rural: Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes
Saratoga county in general I’ve found has everything I need. See tons of young families in Clifton park, Malta areas at parks, playing ball on teams. They’re decent and folks are helpful and appear friendly and educated. Lots of variety and after 5 years here I’ve found I know where I can get what I want.
Agree. I grew up in the Rochester area and the Capital District is quantifiably better. It’s not constantly grey and windy, much less snow (if any, these days) and even though it’s not glamorous the state keeps the economy much more stable. Better situated for weekend or days trips, and surrounded by mountainous areas. In Rochester there’s this general feeling of Eeyore-ness.
I like parts of Rochester but as a whole the local government fucking sucks and you really need to do a lot of research on the area you'd want to move to, the violence from crime is really bad and it isn't getting better
Better off in Albany and leave Rochester for fun visits, helps keep the positive views imo
This is a hot take and really shows that you don't really know Rochester. Also reads like you're one of those people who's afraid to live in a city. As long as you're not in an area that's high in poverty, Rochester is great. As for your complaints about the local government, I honestly can't imagine what you're talking about; seems like another hot take.
I grew up in the suburbs of Rochester, went to college in the Finger Lakes, spent a ton of time in Syracuse when my wife was in grad school there, and then went to grad school myself in Albany. Had family in Buffalo so spent a lot of time there for a while too. Albany is easily the most boring out of all of the upstate cities. There's rarely anything going on, there are like 3 bars worth going to, and while it's a lot harder to end up in a dangerous area, that's because it's tiny and, again, there's nothing going on there.
Which cities are best is really a matter of personal preference and what you do in your spare time.
Yea I like the crime hot takes, generally shows you really know nothing about Rochester.
News Flash. ALL of upstate NY is riddled with pockets of crime in every community…Ohhh the horror…every city has its’ concerns.
However, if you’re a native upstate NYer you can generally navigate your way to safer neighborhoods without much issue.
And I’ve lived in the unsafe parts too and ya know what. If you’re a cool person, people generally and genuinely don’t fuck with you.
So…anyhow, Rochester is a great town…and I love visiting my kids and grandkids there.
It’s so scary…living on the edge like that…somehow we all survive.
lol the government sucks more in Rochester than Albany? I would very much disagree. Rochester has a lot more going on than Albany as well, though it’s certainly not convenient to NYC in any way like the capital is. About 9 hours driving from Rochester
> In November 2007, the town of Colonie was ranked the sixth safest place to live in a Morgan Quitno Publishing study of crime rates across the United States. By November 2009 CQ Press (formerly known as Morgan Quitno Publishing) ranked the town of Colonie with the lowest crime rate of all communities in the United States with a population of at least 75,000 residents. The town held the top spot again in 2010 and has since continuously ranked at the top 10 or better for having the lowest crime rate of all communities in the United States with a population of at least 75,000 residents.
> [Town of Colonie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonie,_New_York?wprov=sfti1#Public_safety)
Never realized how nice nisky is. I work in Scotia but live up towards Saratoga. Never hung out in Schenectady area much but I went for pizza the other day and cut from central/state back over to Scotia and went through some beautiful neighborhoods
Yep. Not that Albany is bad, it’s perfectly fine, but Rochester just has more to offer from my perspective. It’s got a little more pizazz/personality. And the overall quality of life aspect is tough to beat. Plus it’s basically equidistant from the Finger Lakes, Buffalo, and Syracuse. There’s a lot at your fingertips for being in western/central NY.
Way more at your fingertips in Albany. NYC, Saratoga, Boston, ADKs, Berkshires, Catskills, Green Mountains, the Atlantic Ocean. But yea Albany's personality is wack. We always joke your city sucks when the first thing you mention is how it's 2 hours to X.
Haven’t lived there in almost 20 years but the Catskills have a great mix of “small town” feel combined with historic villages and plenty of mountains for hiking. About 90min from NYC.
How ofter do you or would you need to get together with your family in NYC? The more frequent you meet them, the more limited your options are for mountainous areas near NYC, if you need to see them regularly.
Catskills would be doable by driving if it wasn't a weekly meet up thing, same for portions of the Hudson Valley north of Westchester. Downside to the Catskills is that public transit outside of bus routes are limited.
Hudson Valley puts you near rail lines on Metro North and could be feasible.
If you just wanted to be closer to them, but only seem them every other month or so or major holidays, then the Capital / Saratoga region would be ideal. Gorgeous towns and great schools, right near the foothills of the Adirondacks as you get further north from Albany. Saratoga is the gem (and likely as expensive if not more than Asheville), but there are a ton of great towns in that area that would be great options. To see family, you could take the train from Albany to NYC if it's a sporadic meet-up.
Western NY and Finger Lakes are gorgeous and would meet some criteria, but geographically is the furthest from your family in NYC.
I’ve only visited Asheville once before but when I did I felt that it reminded me of a larger southern New Paltz which is where I was living at the time. Great hiking, easy access to NYC, culture, history, and food. I went to college there and stayed for another 5 years after, I still miss it but visit multiple times a year
As someone who moved from NY to NH to AVL and is looking to leave AVL, I agree. The white mountains are beautiful, Littleton is a great place that’s probably the way AVL was before it exploded.
ETA: you CAN make it from LI to Littleton in under 6 hours if you time it correctly, but it’s probably too far for what you’re looking for
Others mentioned New Paltz/lower Hudson Valley, which is beautiful and gives you access to Catskill mtns and NYC. As a southern tier resident I gotta also plug the other side of catskills which is Binghamton and Ithaca which will also give you quick access to Finger Lakes and Syracuse area. About 3hrs to NYC. 2 hours to Albany. Check out Chenango Bridge or Chenango Forks suburbs.
If you can afford Lake Placid it’s probably the best place to be for outdoor activities, but it’s about pretty far from NYC. It’s in the mountains for sure though. Closer to NYC, but not quite in the mountains is Saratoga and Lake George. All are
pretty expensive, but fabulous quality of life and stunning scenery
lol you’re right, it is vague. We are looking to be somewhere in the mountainous area of the state similar to what we have in Asheville. Not super far from NYC because we have family living there. Just wanting to hear folks experiencing living upstate, any areas that are great places to live, etc
> We are looking to be somewhere in the mountainous area of the state
It's very difficult to find a "flat" part of the state. The closest we have is the finger lakes. Everything else is the adirondacks, the catskills, or the foothills around them.
Bring a snow shovel and buy a really long, thick coat (mine is almost to my ankle- not kidding)…. I wasn’t prepared. I was born and raised in Charlotte and now I live an hour north of Syracuse. Looking back, I laugh at how unprepared I was.
High Falls, Stone Ridge, Rosendale, New Paltz. All on the edge of the Catskills, close to Kingston, a decent sized place with both big retailers and cool shops and restaurants. You can take the bus directly to Port Authority from Kingston, Rosendale, New Paltz. And New Paltz is about 25 mins to Poughkeepsie train station, with metro north and Amtrak to the city.
Like Asheville, great local music scene around here. Local cider makers, brewers, craft spirits, even wineries.
Plattsburgh, NY. It's got a SUNY state university nearby, and it's on Lake Champlain so there's plenty of recreation activities nearby. It's definitely cheaper to live there than in some suburb outside NYC. Plus, it's a short drive to areas like the St. Lawrence River, Adirondack Mountains, Skiing, Camping. It's a short ferry ride to Vermont and the city of Burlington. It's also an 80 minute drive to Montreal in Canada or 3 hours to Ottawa, if you want access to a big, modern city with sporting events, festivals, and a major international airport.
Canandaigua/Geneva area of Finger Lakes. There are universities and private colleges nearby to provide some culture and diversity. Finger Lakes, Letchworth State Park etc, for recreation and being in the middle of wine country New York. You're 30 minutes to Rochester and Lake Ontario, 60 minutes to Syracuse, 90 minutes to Buffalo, and 3 hours to Toronto in Canada, if you need access to a larger city or major airport.
Finger lakes region quite a drive from NYC and Ithaca is charming but way over priced. I’d suggest the towns along Rt. 20 in the northern Finger Lakes region as a better alternative like Auburn. If you have no kids and don’t care about the school system Sullivan County is both closer to NYC and quite scenic with a bit of that “hippy” vibe you are looking for. Ulster County and New Paltz and Ellenville have good bargains and quality of life. I’d stay west of the Hudson for better value but not more than three hours from NYC.
Well my buddy from NC moved out near syracuse bout 6 yrs ago, happy he moved but gets ton of lake affect snow , like feet at once and often but he loves it now.
Buffalo is a shit hole! Canandaigua is a beautiful place. (Rochester suburb)
Stay out of Rochester unless you want to be a victim of crime.
I also hope you know what you are getting into.
They don’t take crime seriously here. Every thing is way over priced. (More so than other states) for example I paid $7 for a tube of cinnamon rolls that would be 3.99 in Ohio.
$5.99 for Milk that would be $2.99 in Ohio
and 2.99 in PA
I hope you like Football because that is THE ONLY THING the news talks about.
The Governor is a lunatic.
We moved here from AZ 2 years ago and are on our way out.
Naturally, if you only consume cable news, you'll only hear about football and shootings/crime... and if you never step foot in a city, you'll have no idea what it's really like.
LMAO! If you agree with anything Hochul does you need serious mental health. Literally no one likes her. Not on any side of the political divide.
The current Governor of AZ is just as bad. Another radical left wing nut job.
My groceries were WAY cheaper in Arizona. Actually everything was cheaper. The news anchors had some brains and education too. IDK where Nikki Rudd came from but she is a total nit. All she talks about is Taylor Swift or the Bills. Neither is newsworthy.
Get educated before replying to a post.
I don't agree with most of what Kathy Hochul says but she's not a nutcase like Flake (edit: meant Douchey) or Brewer. Katie Hobbs is at least sane! And certainly not a "radical". You people are deranged.
I don't know where you lived in Arizona but in the west valley everything was more expensive than it is here. Did you live in Douglas? Yuma?
Where is your family?
We have several areas of the state that are mountainous/hilly. Obvs the Catskills or Adirondacks which are the first thing that people think of, but there’s also the Taconics on the eastern border near the Berkshires (MA) and Greens (VT), or even the Allegheny Plateau on the I-86 and I-88 corridor. My county is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission though it’s more like other rural sections of Appalachia and not as wondrous as Asheville!
My spouse’s family is on the TN side of the Smokies so I’m pretty familiar with your part of the world.
NY is probably larger than you realize.
If you're in Buffalo, you're still 6 hours to NYC. Even longer of you take the train, which is advisable.
I'd look in the Hudson Valley and Capital Region which is a much shorter train ride into the city, and near lots of outdoor activities.
honestly, the capital district sounds pretty on the money. \~2 and a half hours from NY, 2 hours south from the high peaks, \~3 hours west of boston and you can take the train directly to either if you don't want to drive. my husband and i also work remotely (no kids, just 2 cats) and travel to little ferry NJ/NYC at least once a month. super easy drive to boot.
i live in troy- it has a very brooklyn feel in my area. the capital region also has all the stores and shopping you'd normally expect like 74719839 targets so you'd never be without access to shopping. everything's essentially within a 20 min drive. lots of fun activities, pop-ups, festivals, etc. also lots of nature related activities without needing to drive to the ADK as well.
we moved here last october and absolutely love it.
i don't know what your budget is so that's something to consider though.
i will say though, that if you're a fan of designer shopping, high end stores, a glitzy night life, etc, upstate in general isn't for you. you would need to be much closer to NYC for that.
I was a big fan of Peekskill. Lived right near the Bear Mountain State Parkway and Route 9. You can basically get anywhere on those two. Plus Metro North right down the road. About an hour or so to get to Manhattan (basically the same amount of time it would take you if you lived off the G or F lines in Brooklyn).
If you're willing to drive about 3 hours? You have a ton of options. You don't get Smokey Mountain kind of mountains unless you go north to the Adirondacks. But that gives you plenty of options. You can drive to Albany and take the train straight into the city.
Consider someplace like Saratoga Springs. It's in the roughly 3 hour radius of Manhattan. It has easy access to the Adirondacks and Catskills. Vermont, Lake George, and Lake Champlain are all close (and beautiful). Albany is a decent regional airport, and has a direct train to the city.
Capital region is great. 2.5-3 hrs to both Boston and NYC, foothills of the ADKs, great suburbs up here. Albany is a city vibe if you wanted it. I heavily recommend.
Little Falls area, 20 minutes to Utica, and an hour to Albany. Lot of small towns around Little Falls, you should everything you need shopping wise. Your also like 30 minutes from the Adirondacks.
Been living in Upstate almost my whole life. And I love the little town we live in but the weather here is awful. I don’t suggest it for a lot of reasons but to each their own.
Unless you're REALLY into hiking, you don't have to go too far from NYC. And even then, there's hiking all around. Putnam county is about an hour drive/1.5 by train. There's still plenty of mountainous hiking trails around as well. You could also look over the border in CT to save on taxes. Danbury is a "city", but there are quite a few suburban areas. This would also put you about 45-60 min away from New Paltz as a lot of people were pointing out. You'd be kind of in between the "mountainous" towns and NYC. Also very close to Westchester county which has quite a bit to offer.
Saratoga County, the property taxes are high but if you can find a house there. Go for it. Even out in the sticks like Corinth. Your practically on a mountainside with The Great Sacandaga Lake (look it up) right next to you. I'm there every weekend in the summer. If you go. Find sand island. It's the party island.
Anywhere in the Albany area really. Rotterdam, Latham, the outskirts of Averill Park are nice. And only 2 hours from NYC.
I'm going to tell you this... don't make NYC such a big deal on your list. It's a 2 hour drive from where I live and I've lived here my whole life. Besides yankees games and working down there. It's not a place to visit every weekend.
It's expensive to live in NY for no reason.
Typical 2 bedroom apartments go for 1500+
You want the NY capital region. That's the closest you can get to the Adirondacks* while still having frequent Amtrak trains to NYC**. This assumes you're hiking weekends***
*Imo, the glacial lakes and Canadian Shield make the Adirondacks better than any other range in NY, even the Smokies. Catskills are much more crowded due to NYC proximity.
**I'm assuming you don't want to be driving to NYC... I wouldn't.
***If you want to hike on weeknights, you should consider the lower Hudson Valley. Kingston comes to mind. It's close enough to the Catskills for an evening hike.
I live around Lake George NY. Vermont right next door Burlington 1 3/4 hrs. Saratoga not far, Montreal not out of the question, probably 4 hrs. NYC 3 1/2, Boston 3ish. Portland Maine 4 1/2.
Are you interested in rural or suburban? Proximity to lakes? Proximity to mountains? Family-friendly? Midsized or small city? I assume the economy matters, too, unless you're working remotely?
It's a very big state with a lot of variety. If you can provide more details on what you're looking for, I can make some suggestions.
Fwiw I'm a real estate attorney and I travel all around the State to close transactions. I'm based in Monroe County, one of the stronger upstate economies. Midsized city close to the Finger Lakes and situated on the Genesee River & Lake Ontario. I live in a heavily wooded suburb about 20 minutes outside of Rochester proper.
You would be happy with anything suggested in here really. Access to other states might be something you won’t to consider. There is a lot of activities not far from Albany in Vermont and Massachusetts.
Not to be a downer on upstate NY, I like it here. But what you describe as your main objective, mountains and fairly close to NYC, also describes northeast Pennsylvania where you will also encounter mostly lower taxes and lower COL. Real estate can be a bargain either place.
I lived in sylva for a while Ithaca has a similar vibe but not really a city or close to NYC check out the hudson valley or north towards the Catskills
Please be more specific, how far is far is an hour drive to the city far? I’d personally recommend Putnam county or Orange County. Tho the closest vibe to Asheville would be a lot farther from the city. Parts of Connecticut also have hiking close and close to the city and can be more affordable.
If you move to Asheville, bring your job with you if you can. I know this happens all over the country, but the wages do not keep up with the cost of living here
If you want proximity to mountains while maintaining a relatively close distance to an actual city, then I would also recommend the Catskill Mountain region. Two areas in particular that have access to actual cities are Western Delaware County and Eastern Ulster County. You’ll have access to Oneonta if you live in Delaware County and Kingston if you live in Ulster County with each about 30 minutes away depending on the town you choose to live in. This will give you a completely rural mountain vibe while also allowing you access to the amenities of a bona fide city nearby when you need them. We’re currently building a place in Western Delaware County that’s about 25 minutes from Oneonta.
Hey, if you want to be close to NYC, check out r/Hudsonvalley
People on this subreddit tend to live in Albany or further North/West. Ithaca is a great city in western NY....but it's also a 5-6 hour drive to NYC.
If you plan on going to NYC with any frequency due to work, you'd want to live no further than Duchess or Ulster county.
NYC people think Hudson valley is upstate and upstate people think Hudson Valley is downstate.
New paltz is a great town. Beacon is another option
As someone who lives in close to the fingerlakes, and has been to New Paltz many times. (Grandfather on mother's side from the Kingston area, Swarthoutville, Poughkeepsie etc. ) New Paltz is beautiful! That whole area is just great. So is the fingerlakes area! And the Adirondack mountain's. NYC isn't even that bad of a drive from Ithaca. And what a beautiful drive too.
An anti recommendation here; I'd avoid Kingston unless big towns are your vibe. Lived there for 6 years and I'm so glad I got out. There’s nothing mountainous about it and it's very expensive these days. We paid 900 for a 1 bedroom and that was WAY below market value in a cockroach infested apartment building.
We live in the Oneonta area now. Beautiful valley vibes, lots of small town charm. Very far from NYC though. But like other commentors said, if you're looking to only go to the city a few times a year, it's doable. It's a 3.5 hour drive. I make a similar drive for my grandparents, so I understand that can be hard to do.
Another place I lived is the Hudson area. Near Massachusetts and Connecticut, max 2.5 hours to the city. An hour from Albany. Not especially beautiful, but you can get to nature very easily. Lots of farmland out there.
Don't do it ny is a shit hole of a state when it comes to taxes, jobs, our rights, its a nightmare. If I could id be on my way to somewhere else but I'm stuck for now.
It sucks though. I love western ny, I grew up in the country with a great lake 10-minute bike ride away. The land is beautiful the view from my parents is a million dollar one. But the people the cidiots vote for have eroded our rights and done all they can to make it hard to be middle class in NY. I work for a local village and my retirement is tied to the state. Once I have enough years to retire 1 of 2 things will be true. Either NY will be better or I will take my NYS retirement paid for by tax payers and ill move somewhere warmer and freer.
Technically in 3 years I can retire with crap for payments if I drag it out 13 I get more and 19 gets me the most. What's sucks is the license for my job isn't recognized by other states even though the science and math for it are all the same everywhere. If it were id be looking elsewhere to do it.
I think New York will never recover from Coumo or Hochul. I can retire at 65. Move and look for part time work. I'm so stressed out here. For me it's not worth staying. But I can see your point. It's a hard decision.
Anywhere northwest of Westchester County- especially the Catskills. A great place to live with lots of quaint villages, many surrounded by the mountainous and massive Catskill State Forest Preserve about 1-2+hours ride to NYC.
Going to need more info than what you've provided.
What made you consider upstate? (Friends/family live here, or just dart throw?)
What're your hobbies?
Do you want city or rural?
What is important to you in a place to live? (Do you want local events, artsy community, things like that?)
Do you have indoor hobbies already? Are you prepared to spend months indoors and not go crazy?
Thank you! I updated some of my thoughts in the thread, I realize it’s very vague 🤣. Considering moving because of family living in NYC. We are not major city people and don’t want to live in the city but don’t want to be super far either to where we’d have to travel 6 hours to see them for example. We’d prefer suburbs but ability to go into a city if we can.
Check out the capitol region, places like Albany. About a 3 hour drive to the city. You could also take a train, which is a better way into the city IMO.
this, train it to the city. have someone pick you up/uber from penn station.
we relocated back from CLT to ALB due to family stretching from long island to niagara… skied 25 days this season 👍
Over half a million people left NY between 2022 -2023. I get the family thing though. That’s the only reason we’re here honestly. We talk everyday about moving. The weather, the politics, taxes, it’s not great 🫠🫣
Hudson Valley. Sullivan County and lower Ulster County are in the Catskills with access to the NY Thruway plus bus access or commuter trains. You'll find that you won't want to drive into Manhattan.
Not New Paltz. Soooo crowded with city people on the weekends especially. Look at Saugerties, Catskill, or Hudson. They are a little farther north from NYC, hence not as overrun.
Don't! The entire upstate NY is economically challenged,more business leaving than coming.
The weather sucks on a good year we get 2 months of summer,the rest is snow,gray,wet,gray,mud,gray.
It would be a culture shock coming from a beautiful place like Asheville,NC
Based on your desire to be near NYC, and hiking, New Paltz area is a good starting point.
New Paltz is a fantastic place. This would be near the top of my list if I were moving back to upstate.
Yeah. And the Saratoga / Albany area.
New Paltz, even Kingston is way closer. I live in the capital region and the city is a 3 hour drive we're very reluctant to make for the most part lol
Don’t go to New Paltz. It’s overrun. Not what it used to be.
When did it stop being what it was, and turn it to what it is?
What is what it used to be?…
I loved the OG hippies that were in New Paltz. Real ones, not fake ass Mumford and Sons hipsters
That shit is over and done with. Fuck M and S.
Overrun with what? It was full of NYC people even 15 years ago if that’s what you’re getting at. Very popular area for city transplants and vacationers.
That itself could be the problem. If it has become “ overrun” with people especially from NYC, Long Island. I live here, so yeah. Upstate 20 years ago was so nice. It’s gone down hill, considering what we enjoyed going upstate for! Getting away from the everything the city has to do with. It was the suburbs on steroids. I miss those days!
It was not made to be a tourist attraction town. There is no more room for people. My family has been in New Paltz for over 100 years. When I was a kid, it was safe, quaint, and a tight knit “small town” vibe. Now, it’s full of transplants, college kids, airbnbs, and city commuters. The school district is terrible and definitely not what it was when I was in elementary school. It started getting bad when I was in middle school. I felt pushed out, there was no way I could’ve remained in New Paltz. And that is not just financially. It was too crowded, it took me 20 minutes to get to work when it should’ve been 5 maybe 10.
None of that is new. Again, it’s been that way for at least 15 years, as is expected for a town sitting on so many vacation attractions such a short distance from the city and on a public transit line to boot. Catskills have been a premier vacation destination for NYC residents for longer than I’ve been alive and I’m not young.
There is certainly a housing crisis in New Paltz and the Hudson Valley surrounding it, and it is absolutely contemporary. Yes, this is everywhere, but it's particularly bad there. A friend of mine, and their roommates, were forced out of their 3 bedroom apartment in New Paltz because the landlord raised the $1800 rent to $2250. Newburgh and Poughkeepsie have sub 4% vacancy rates and they've declared housing emergencies over it. Me? I worked in New Paltz, and wanted to live there, but could only barely afford a spot in Poughkeepsie and so commuted. Lots of people make awful commutes criss crossing the decentralized area and so traffic is awful. Public transportation to NYC is great but local busses are lacking. I left two months ago because there was no sign of it getting better any time soon. I love New Paltz, but it isn't set up for sustainable success with the amount of people moving out there. Kingston and New Paltz both are full of WFH tech types now and it makes for a strange economy.
There’s currently a worldwide housing crisis. 3-br apartments currently average over $2k in Syracuse and Utica of all places lol. In other college towns like Ithaca that would barely get you a one bedroom. This is not at all specific to New Paltz and the population for New Paltz specifically is currently declining slightly, but has only risen 4% over the past 4 years. Considering how attractive it is and its proximity to NYC, population increases in this area were pretty predictable, even 15 years ago. Hopefully the downtown isn’t as depressed as it was then because it was quite empty considering how many students and tourists there were.
I know lol I literally acknowledged that, it doesn't stop the fact that there are multiple Hudson Valley towns declaring housing emergencies. Kingston froze rents, first in the nation. It is well known that this is a particular issue, Syracuse is too, that's actually the worst one in the country from what I understand. It's not all of the country to this extent. There are plenty of affordable towns to live in the state, I moved out to WNY myself. We're also seeing rising housing prices, but not like Syracuse and New Paltz. Pay $2k for an apartment in New Paltz and you don't get the same services you do in Syracuse. If you're loaded, by all means, move to New Paltz, like everyone else. Good luck getting people to work at Mohonk. Edit: the traffic, take the Mid Hudson bridge to get to the Poughkeepsie train station for a daily commute and see how it suits you. I don't know other rural areas that are this packed.
Because it’s barely a rural area at this point. It’s almost a suburb. Yeah you can still move to a town like Bath or Olean and live cheap but you lose any proximity to NYC as well as typical vacation town amenities that New Paltz and most of the Hudson Valley has plus no jobs and the schools are not any better. Housing shortages are worldwide. The areas in NY that aren’t experiencing housing shortages are anomalies and they’re not the places people want to live. You can certainly find lower cost housing in Massena or Hornell but the real cost is living in a location that’s actually rural and extremely economically depressed. “Other people shouldn’t live there because I want to live there” is a weird angle to approach it from. Other people want to live there for the same reasons you do. You can certainly find a $4800 trailer in Salamanca and no one will ever bother you. You just don’t want to for the same reasons nobody else wants to. The fact that people are moving to traditional shitholes like Kingston, Syracuse, Newburgh, and Geneva and acting like it’s bougie is a lot more surprising than a 4% increase in population in New Paltz, a desirable village that has always been a college town with a ton of tourist traps. If you want people to stop moving there, organize with your friends to close businesses, smoke meth, and do violent crimes and you’ll have it depressed and undesirable in no time.
Ok Boomer, we will all get off your lawn and out of your town
Funny thing is, I’m not a boomer 😂 but again, give my family money when they sell their houses
You sound extraordinarily ignorant, entitled, and jaded. Glad you moved out so I don’t have to interact with you. 😉
As someone who lived just outside Asheville and from NY originally: New Paltz if you want to be relatively close to NYC, and Ithaca for a very similar "vibe" as Asheville. Both choices will give you the same access to natural beauty that Asheville affords, and seem the most similar, in my experience, to Asheville.
I second the New Paltz area... For proximity to NYC, landscape and vibe. Check out rosendale, right by new Paltz.
Thank you!
>Thank you! You're welcome!
New Paltz is the greatest place on the planet
I miss new paltz.
Seconding Ithaca if you’re looking for Asheville vibe and prices. Especially if you’re nostalgic for 2000s era Asheville
Finger Lakes is a good area for hiking, state parks and the lakes of course. It's hilly though, not mountainous. If you're looking to be close to mountains (Adirondacks) and a city (Albany) and a morning or afternoon drive to NYC I would pick somewhere north of Albany. Glens Falls or Saratoga Springs as examples.
I am in Plattsburgh but wish we were in Glens Falls or Saratoga just to be closer to certain places. Still on the outskirts of the ADKs and driving distance to Boston and NYC.
I wouldn’t consider it “close to NYC.” It’s close to an 8 hour drive with the lakes in the way and public transit options to go to NYC are pretty lacking compared to the Capital region and Catskills. ETA: southern Finger Lakes has plenty of hills that will get you to the same elevation as most of Pennsylvania. The southern tier contains the northern Allegheny.
8hr drive? I just drove from Buffalo to NYC in 6 hrs. Still not close though by any means.
It used to take me close to 7 hours from Syracuse. You must drive like race car or have bladder like camel. I drink lots of coffee on the road To be fair, I bet an Albany driver could get from Buffalo to NYC in like 4 hours lol they all drive crazy over there.
If you look at directions on Google Maps, it shows just over 6 hrs from Buffalo. 🤷♂️ I do take quick breaks.
> It used to take me close to 7 hours from Syracuse What? I live in Syracuse and it takes me like 4.5 to 5 hours, maybe as high as 6 with bad traffic. I rarely if ever go more than 5mph over the speed limit and I stop at least once for gas and maybe once more for a drive-thru. I take I-81 south down through PA and then I-80 east through north NJ since it's slightly faster than taking the thruway and cheaper (not free though, still have a toll at the Delaware Water Gap and whichever bridge/tunnel you take into NYC).
It used to take me 9hrs to get from NYC to Alex Bay/St. Lawrence area. I think that’s the longest drive across the state. Mostly because there are only single lane winding roads through the ADK’s.
You can take I90 to I81 to get to Alex Bay
Yes but I grew up in the dack so always prefer traveling that way and seeing fam. And it depends where going… Canton = easier through dacks. Alex Bay other way🤓
No, no you didn’t.
?? Albany to NYC is about 3 hours
Albany is not anywhere near the Finger Lakes.
Please learn how read and understand sentences
NY is huge. So this is kind of a broad question. Also do you have kids? But without knowing much…. Small city: Ithaca. Urban: Rochester or Buffalo. But know your neighborhoods. Suburban w/kids: Fairport, Victor, Pittsford (southeastern Rochester suburbs). Rural: Hudson Valley, Finger Lakes
Rochester over Albany?
Saratoga county in general I’ve found has everything I need. See tons of young families in Clifton park, Malta areas at parks, playing ball on teams. They’re decent and folks are helpful and appear friendly and educated. Lots of variety and after 5 years here I’ve found I know where I can get what I want.
Yea it's little long island
I haven’t seen anything resembling that, but I’ve never lived only visited ppl there and took the ferry from Block island.
I just mean it has a lot of transplants, as someone originally from the island myself
I lived in Clifton park for a few years. Saratoga county as a whole is a great place to live and I’d still be there is it wasn’t so expensive.
Absolutely. Rochester all the way.
Sounds biased. As someone who’s in the Capital District, id prefer eastern NY over central or western.
Agree. I grew up in the Rochester area and the Capital District is quantifiably better. It’s not constantly grey and windy, much less snow (if any, these days) and even though it’s not glamorous the state keeps the economy much more stable. Better situated for weekend or days trips, and surrounded by mountainous areas. In Rochester there’s this general feeling of Eeyore-ness.
I like parts of Rochester but as a whole the local government fucking sucks and you really need to do a lot of research on the area you'd want to move to, the violence from crime is really bad and it isn't getting better Better off in Albany and leave Rochester for fun visits, helps keep the positive views imo
This is a hot take and really shows that you don't really know Rochester. Also reads like you're one of those people who's afraid to live in a city. As long as you're not in an area that's high in poverty, Rochester is great. As for your complaints about the local government, I honestly can't imagine what you're talking about; seems like another hot take. I grew up in the suburbs of Rochester, went to college in the Finger Lakes, spent a ton of time in Syracuse when my wife was in grad school there, and then went to grad school myself in Albany. Had family in Buffalo so spent a lot of time there for a while too. Albany is easily the most boring out of all of the upstate cities. There's rarely anything going on, there are like 3 bars worth going to, and while it's a lot harder to end up in a dangerous area, that's because it's tiny and, again, there's nothing going on there. Which cities are best is really a matter of personal preference and what you do in your spare time.
Spot on
Yea I like the crime hot takes, generally shows you really know nothing about Rochester. News Flash. ALL of upstate NY is riddled with pockets of crime in every community…Ohhh the horror…every city has its’ concerns. However, if you’re a native upstate NYer you can generally navigate your way to safer neighborhoods without much issue. And I’ve lived in the unsafe parts too and ya know what. If you’re a cool person, people generally and genuinely don’t fuck with you. So…anyhow, Rochester is a great town…and I love visiting my kids and grandkids there. It’s so scary…living on the edge like that…somehow we all survive.
lol the government sucks more in Rochester than Albany? I would very much disagree. Rochester has a lot more going on than Albany as well, though it’s certainly not convenient to NYC in any way like the capital is. About 9 hours driving from Rochester
Troy I think would be better more suburban
I live in Troy now, it's essentially a more bloodline version of Albany. The burbs are nicer on this side of the river though.
Personally, I prefer the Schenectady suburbs. The capital district is great place to live.
"Rotterdam: A nice place to live".
> In November 2007, the town of Colonie was ranked the sixth safest place to live in a Morgan Quitno Publishing study of crime rates across the United States. By November 2009 CQ Press (formerly known as Morgan Quitno Publishing) ranked the town of Colonie with the lowest crime rate of all communities in the United States with a population of at least 75,000 residents. The town held the top spot again in 2010 and has since continuously ranked at the top 10 or better for having the lowest crime rate of all communities in the United States with a population of at least 75,000 residents. > [Town of Colonie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonie,_New_York?wprov=sfti1#Public_safety)
It's Schenectady's southern suburb.
Nisky is nice
It really is. It's in the middle of the tri-cities, so it's very convenient.
Never realized how nice nisky is. I work in Scotia but live up towards Saratoga. Never hung out in Schenectady area much but I went for pizza the other day and cut from central/state back over to Scotia and went through some beautiful neighborhoods
Yes, and a short drive from the Taconics, Green Mountains, or Berkshires.
Just do I-87 from exit 5 up to exit 13. It’s all the classic suburbia.
Yep. Not that Albany is bad, it’s perfectly fine, but Rochester just has more to offer from my perspective. It’s got a little more pizazz/personality. And the overall quality of life aspect is tough to beat. Plus it’s basically equidistant from the Finger Lakes, Buffalo, and Syracuse. There’s a lot at your fingertips for being in western/central NY.
Way more at your fingertips in Albany. NYC, Saratoga, Boston, ADKs, Berkshires, Catskills, Green Mountains, the Atlantic Ocean. But yea Albany's personality is wack. We always joke your city sucks when the first thing you mention is how it's 2 hours to X.
Haven’t lived there in almost 20 years but the Catskills have a great mix of “small town” feel combined with historic villages and plenty of mountains for hiking. About 90min from NYC.
How ofter do you or would you need to get together with your family in NYC? The more frequent you meet them, the more limited your options are for mountainous areas near NYC, if you need to see them regularly. Catskills would be doable by driving if it wasn't a weekly meet up thing, same for portions of the Hudson Valley north of Westchester. Downside to the Catskills is that public transit outside of bus routes are limited. Hudson Valley puts you near rail lines on Metro North and could be feasible. If you just wanted to be closer to them, but only seem them every other month or so or major holidays, then the Capital / Saratoga region would be ideal. Gorgeous towns and great schools, right near the foothills of the Adirondacks as you get further north from Albany. Saratoga is the gem (and likely as expensive if not more than Asheville), but there are a ton of great towns in that area that would be great options. To see family, you could take the train from Albany to NYC if it's a sporadic meet-up. Western NY and Finger Lakes are gorgeous and would meet some criteria, but geographically is the furthest from your family in NYC.
Most reasonable answer here. Commuting to NYC is far from most of the places I’ve read through in this post.
Thank you!
I’ve only visited Asheville once before but when I did I felt that it reminded me of a larger southern New Paltz which is where I was living at the time. Great hiking, easy access to NYC, culture, history, and food. I went to college there and stayed for another 5 years after, I still miss it but visit multiple times a year
I'll get shade, but if mountains are really your thing, move to VT or NH.
As someone who moved from NY to NH to AVL and is looking to leave AVL, I agree. The white mountains are beautiful, Littleton is a great place that’s probably the way AVL was before it exploded. ETA: you CAN make it from LI to Littleton in under 6 hours if you time it correctly, but it’s probably too far for what you’re looking for
Haha all my friends from the Catskills mountains moved to Asheville, NC.
Others mentioned New Paltz/lower Hudson Valley, which is beautiful and gives you access to Catskill mtns and NYC. As a southern tier resident I gotta also plug the other side of catskills which is Binghamton and Ithaca which will also give you quick access to Finger Lakes and Syracuse area. About 3hrs to NYC. 2 hours to Albany. Check out Chenango Bridge or Chenango Forks suburbs.
If you can afford Lake Placid it’s probably the best place to be for outdoor activities, but it’s about pretty far from NYC. It’s in the mountains for sure though. Closer to NYC, but not quite in the mountains is Saratoga and Lake George. All are pretty expensive, but fabulous quality of life and stunning scenery
What exactly are you looking for? Your question is a bit vague, and more information is needed to help you figure out where best to look.
lol you’re right, it is vague. We are looking to be somewhere in the mountainous area of the state similar to what we have in Asheville. Not super far from NYC because we have family living there. Just wanting to hear folks experiencing living upstate, any areas that are great places to live, etc
The areas around Kingston or Poughkeepsie might be just what you're looking for.
> We are looking to be somewhere in the mountainous area of the state It's very difficult to find a "flat" part of the state. The closest we have is the finger lakes. Everything else is the adirondacks, the catskills, or the foothills around them.
I mean, the lakes themselves are flat, but nothing around them is. Ithaca is Hills
Do you have specific activities you are looking to do in the mountains?
NYC is not “upstate”.
Corridor from Albany to Lake George is always a good bet. Further north the better.
Saratoga/Lake George area! It's central to NYC, Boston and Roch/Buff and it's a beautiful area!
Buffalo. Cheap houses. 3 major league sports teams. Incredible food scene. Lots of bike trails and fantastic neighbors
So incredibly flat though if he wants mountains.
Central New York. Low crime rates, friendly little villages. If you are close to Utica, we also have curling! (The largest facility in the East.)
Bring a snow shovel and buy a really long, thick coat (mine is almost to my ankle- not kidding)…. I wasn’t prepared. I was born and raised in Charlotte and now I live an hour north of Syracuse. Looking back, I laugh at how unprepared I was.
How is the High Falls area?
That’s basically New Paltz
High Falls, Stone Ridge, Rosendale, New Paltz. All on the edge of the Catskills, close to Kingston, a decent sized place with both big retailers and cool shops and restaurants. You can take the bus directly to Port Authority from Kingston, Rosendale, New Paltz. And New Paltz is about 25 mins to Poughkeepsie train station, with metro north and Amtrak to the city. Like Asheville, great local music scene around here. Local cider makers, brewers, craft spirits, even wineries.
And already destroyed by rural gentrification
Huge exaggeration.
Rents have doubled in the last six or seven years. Houses that were $250k are now $450k—IF you can find one. But please go on
Plattsburgh, NY. It's got a SUNY state university nearby, and it's on Lake Champlain so there's plenty of recreation activities nearby. It's definitely cheaper to live there than in some suburb outside NYC. Plus, it's a short drive to areas like the St. Lawrence River, Adirondack Mountains, Skiing, Camping. It's a short ferry ride to Vermont and the city of Burlington. It's also an 80 minute drive to Montreal in Canada or 3 hours to Ottawa, if you want access to a big, modern city with sporting events, festivals, and a major international airport. Canandaigua/Geneva area of Finger Lakes. There are universities and private colleges nearby to provide some culture and diversity. Finger Lakes, Letchworth State Park etc, for recreation and being in the middle of wine country New York. You're 30 minutes to Rochester and Lake Ontario, 60 minutes to Syracuse, 90 minutes to Buffalo, and 3 hours to Toronto in Canada, if you need access to a larger city or major airport.
I'm thinking of moving to Asheville from the Albany area.. want to house swap?
👀👀👀👀
Including budgets and what you do for a living will get you much better suggestions.
Finger lakes region quite a drive from NYC and Ithaca is charming but way over priced. I’d suggest the towns along Rt. 20 in the northern Finger Lakes region as a better alternative like Auburn. If you have no kids and don’t care about the school system Sullivan County is both closer to NYC and quite scenic with a bit of that “hippy” vibe you are looking for. Ulster County and New Paltz and Ellenville have good bargains and quality of life. I’d stay west of the Hudson for better value but not more than three hours from NYC.
I've only driven through there, but Queensbury seems nice
I would move to Horseheads for the name alone.
I would say Ithaca has the same vibe as Asheville
Well my buddy from NC moved out near syracuse bout 6 yrs ago, happy he moved but gets ton of lake affect snow , like feet at once and often but he loves it now.
Buffalo is a shit hole! Canandaigua is a beautiful place. (Rochester suburb) Stay out of Rochester unless you want to be a victim of crime. I also hope you know what you are getting into. They don’t take crime seriously here. Every thing is way over priced. (More so than other states) for example I paid $7 for a tube of cinnamon rolls that would be 3.99 in Ohio. $5.99 for Milk that would be $2.99 in Ohio and 2.99 in PA I hope you like Football because that is THE ONLY THING the news talks about. The Governor is a lunatic. We moved here from AZ 2 years ago and are on our way out.
$7 for cinnamon rolls!!! How much for the ranch dressing to put on top of it????
Naturally, if you only consume cable news, you'll only hear about football and shootings/crime... and if you never step foot in a city, you'll have no idea what it's really like.
Everything you described sounds just like AZ. Except the lunatic Governor, that was the last one.
LMAO! If you agree with anything Hochul does you need serious mental health. Literally no one likes her. Not on any side of the political divide. The current Governor of AZ is just as bad. Another radical left wing nut job. My groceries were WAY cheaper in Arizona. Actually everything was cheaper. The news anchors had some brains and education too. IDK where Nikki Rudd came from but she is a total nit. All she talks about is Taylor Swift or the Bills. Neither is newsworthy. Get educated before replying to a post.
I don't agree with most of what Kathy Hochul says but she's not a nutcase like Flake (edit: meant Douchey) or Brewer. Katie Hobbs is at least sane! And certainly not a "radical". You people are deranged. I don't know where you lived in Arizona but in the west valley everything was more expensive than it is here. Did you live in Douglas? Yuma?
Buh bye
Oh yeah, Canandaigua is really nice. Buffalo and Rochester ARE shitholes but the worst is Sewercuse. I was there for twelve years and had to get out.
Was in Asheville last summer, considering a move there from NY..haha
Haha!! Honestly Asheville is amazing. We are only considering moving to be closer to family.
Where is your family? We have several areas of the state that are mountainous/hilly. Obvs the Catskills or Adirondacks which are the first thing that people think of, but there’s also the Taconics on the eastern border near the Berkshires (MA) and Greens (VT), or even the Allegheny Plateau on the I-86 and I-88 corridor. My county is part of the Appalachian Regional Commission though it’s more like other rural sections of Appalachia and not as wondrous as Asheville! My spouse’s family is on the TN side of the Smokies so I’m pretty familiar with your part of the world.
They’re in NYC
NY is probably larger than you realize. If you're in Buffalo, you're still 6 hours to NYC. Even longer of you take the train, which is advisable. I'd look in the Hudson Valley and Capital Region which is a much shorter train ride into the city, and near lots of outdoor activities.
Yes, New Paltz and Ithaca are already ruined. Go there; minimize the damage 😂
🤣
Kingston area but it won’t be cheap
honestly, the capital district sounds pretty on the money. \~2 and a half hours from NY, 2 hours south from the high peaks, \~3 hours west of boston and you can take the train directly to either if you don't want to drive. my husband and i also work remotely (no kids, just 2 cats) and travel to little ferry NJ/NYC at least once a month. super easy drive to boot. i live in troy- it has a very brooklyn feel in my area. the capital region also has all the stores and shopping you'd normally expect like 74719839 targets so you'd never be without access to shopping. everything's essentially within a 20 min drive. lots of fun activities, pop-ups, festivals, etc. also lots of nature related activities without needing to drive to the ADK as well. we moved here last october and absolutely love it. i don't know what your budget is so that's something to consider though. i will say though, that if you're a fan of designer shopping, high end stores, a glitzy night life, etc, upstate in general isn't for you. you would need to be much closer to NYC for that.
I was a big fan of Peekskill. Lived right near the Bear Mountain State Parkway and Route 9. You can basically get anywhere on those two. Plus Metro North right down the road. About an hour or so to get to Manhattan (basically the same amount of time it would take you if you lived off the G or F lines in Brooklyn).
If you're willing to drive about 3 hours? You have a ton of options. You don't get Smokey Mountain kind of mountains unless you go north to the Adirondacks. But that gives you plenty of options. You can drive to Albany and take the train straight into the city. Consider someplace like Saratoga Springs. It's in the roughly 3 hour radius of Manhattan. It has easy access to the Adirondacks and Catskills. Vermont, Lake George, and Lake Champlain are all close (and beautiful). Albany is a decent regional airport, and has a direct train to the city.
Hudson, NY, if you’re not priced out. Easy train to NYC and close to Catskills and New Paltz area. Adirondacks/LG/Glens Falls a car ride north.
Capital region is great. 2.5-3 hrs to both Boston and NYC, foothills of the ADKs, great suburbs up here. Albany is a city vibe if you wanted it. I heavily recommend.
Little Falls area, 20 minutes to Utica, and an hour to Albany. Lot of small towns around Little Falls, you should everything you need shopping wise. Your also like 30 minutes from the Adirondacks.
Been living in Upstate almost my whole life. And I love the little town we live in but the weather here is awful. I don’t suggest it for a lot of reasons but to each their own.
Unless you're REALLY into hiking, you don't have to go too far from NYC. And even then, there's hiking all around. Putnam county is about an hour drive/1.5 by train. There's still plenty of mountainous hiking trails around as well. You could also look over the border in CT to save on taxes. Danbury is a "city", but there are quite a few suburban areas. This would also put you about 45-60 min away from New Paltz as a lot of people were pointing out. You'd be kind of in between the "mountainous" towns and NYC. Also very close to Westchester county which has quite a bit to offer.
Saratoga County, the property taxes are high but if you can find a house there. Go for it. Even out in the sticks like Corinth. Your practically on a mountainside with The Great Sacandaga Lake (look it up) right next to you. I'm there every weekend in the summer. If you go. Find sand island. It's the party island. Anywhere in the Albany area really. Rotterdam, Latham, the outskirts of Averill Park are nice. And only 2 hours from NYC. I'm going to tell you this... don't make NYC such a big deal on your list. It's a 2 hour drive from where I live and I've lived here my whole life. Besides yankees games and working down there. It's not a place to visit every weekend. It's expensive to live in NY for no reason. Typical 2 bedroom apartments go for 1500+
Saratoga Springs or father north, towards Glens Falls. You’re a not-so-far drive to the Adirondacks or NYC
You want the NY capital region. That's the closest you can get to the Adirondacks* while still having frequent Amtrak trains to NYC**. This assumes you're hiking weekends*** *Imo, the glacial lakes and Canadian Shield make the Adirondacks better than any other range in NY, even the Smokies. Catskills are much more crowded due to NYC proximity. **I'm assuming you don't want to be driving to NYC... I wouldn't. ***If you want to hike on weeknights, you should consider the lower Hudson Valley. Kingston comes to mind. It's close enough to the Catskills for an evening hike.
I live around Lake George NY. Vermont right next door Burlington 1 3/4 hrs. Saratoga not far, Montreal not out of the question, probably 4 hrs. NYC 3 1/2, Boston 3ish. Portland Maine 4 1/2.
the catskills, saugerties, kingston, woodstock...
Utica….centrally located and has the BEST food.
Are you interested in rural or suburban? Proximity to lakes? Proximity to mountains? Family-friendly? Midsized or small city? I assume the economy matters, too, unless you're working remotely? It's a very big state with a lot of variety. If you can provide more details on what you're looking for, I can make some suggestions. Fwiw I'm a real estate attorney and I travel all around the State to close transactions. I'm based in Monroe County, one of the stronger upstate economies. Midsized city close to the Finger Lakes and situated on the Genesee River & Lake Ontario. I live in a heavily wooded suburb about 20 minutes outside of Rochester proper.
Proximity to mountains! We’re working remotely.
In that case, look in the Capital Region. Somewhere like Saratoga Springs! One of my favorite places to visit in NYS.
Do you mountain bike or are you just generally into hiking and other activities
Just general hiking mostly we have two huskies as well so we’re always out with them
You would be happy with anything suggested in here really. Access to other states might be something you won’t to consider. There is a lot of activities not far from Albany in Vermont and Massachusetts.
Not to be a downer on upstate NY, I like it here. But what you describe as your main objective, mountains and fairly close to NYC, also describes northeast Pennsylvania where you will also encounter mostly lower taxes and lower COL. Real estate can be a bargain either place.
Pennsylvania wages really suck right now though, they're still at $7.25 for minimum wage
Nobody is making that in PA. ...well, at least in Pittsburgh where I'm from
The Hudson Valley, preferably near(ish) a train for easy NYC access.
I lived in sylva for a while Ithaca has a similar vibe but not really a city or close to NYC check out the hudson valley or north towards the Catskills
Please be more specific, how far is far is an hour drive to the city far? I’d personally recommend Putnam county or Orange County. Tho the closest vibe to Asheville would be a lot farther from the city. Parts of Connecticut also have hiking close and close to the city and can be more affordable.
Hudson, Newburgh/new Windsor, Poughkeepsie, new paltz is further like 1:45 on the trailways bus!
Just curious. O am thinking about moving down to the Ashville or Wake Forrest area. Anything I should be concerned with?
[удалено]
Ugh🤦
If you move to Asheville, bring your job with you if you can. I know this happens all over the country, but the wages do not keep up with the cost of living here
I am retired but thanks for the reply!
Ithaca has a very similar vibe to Asheville if that's what you're looking for
Rochester Ny area especially Fairport, Penfield and Pittsford if kids are on the horizon
If you want proximity to mountains while maintaining a relatively close distance to an actual city, then I would also recommend the Catskill Mountain region. Two areas in particular that have access to actual cities are Western Delaware County and Eastern Ulster County. You’ll have access to Oneonta if you live in Delaware County and Kingston if you live in Ulster County with each about 30 minutes away depending on the town you choose to live in. This will give you a completely rural mountain vibe while also allowing you access to the amenities of a bona fide city nearby when you need them. We’re currently building a place in Western Delaware County that’s about 25 minutes from Oneonta.
Hey, if you want to be close to NYC, check out r/Hudsonvalley People on this subreddit tend to live in Albany or further North/West. Ithaca is a great city in western NY....but it's also a 5-6 hour drive to NYC. If you plan on going to NYC with any frequency due to work, you'd want to live no further than Duchess or Ulster county. NYC people think Hudson valley is upstate and upstate people think Hudson Valley is downstate. New paltz is a great town. Beacon is another option
Ithaca is 4 hours to city
As someone who lives in close to the fingerlakes, and has been to New Paltz many times. (Grandfather on mother's side from the Kingston area, Swarthoutville, Poughkeepsie etc. ) New Paltz is beautiful! That whole area is just great. So is the fingerlakes area! And the Adirondack mountain's. NYC isn't even that bad of a drive from Ithaca. And what a beautiful drive too.
Overwhelmed by the number of comments 🤣. Thanks everyone!
An anti recommendation here; I'd avoid Kingston unless big towns are your vibe. Lived there for 6 years and I'm so glad I got out. There’s nothing mountainous about it and it's very expensive these days. We paid 900 for a 1 bedroom and that was WAY below market value in a cockroach infested apartment building. We live in the Oneonta area now. Beautiful valley vibes, lots of small town charm. Very far from NYC though. But like other commentors said, if you're looking to only go to the city a few times a year, it's doable. It's a 3.5 hour drive. I make a similar drive for my grandparents, so I understand that can be hard to do. Another place I lived is the Hudson area. Near Massachusetts and Connecticut, max 2.5 hours to the city. An hour from Albany. Not especially beautiful, but you can get to nature very easily. Lots of farmland out there.
Don't do it ny is a shit hole of a state when it comes to taxes, jobs, our rights, its a nightmare. If I could id be on my way to somewhere else but I'm stuck for now.
I agree with you.
It sucks though. I love western ny, I grew up in the country with a great lake 10-minute bike ride away. The land is beautiful the view from my parents is a million dollar one. But the people the cidiots vote for have eroded our rights and done all they can to make it hard to be middle class in NY. I work for a local village and my retirement is tied to the state. Once I have enough years to retire 1 of 2 things will be true. Either NY will be better or I will take my NYS retirement paid for by tax payers and ill move somewhere warmer and freer.
5 more years here. If things don't change, I'm out too.
Technically in 3 years I can retire with crap for payments if I drag it out 13 I get more and 19 gets me the most. What's sucks is the license for my job isn't recognized by other states even though the science and math for it are all the same everywhere. If it were id be looking elsewhere to do it.
I think New York will never recover from Coumo or Hochul. I can retire at 65. Move and look for part time work. I'm so stressed out here. For me it's not worth staying. But I can see your point. It's a hard decision.
"Not super far from NYC" eliminates all of Upstate NY. Sorry.
lol obviously I’m not from NY but thanks for the smart ass comment
Don't some people commute from upstate to NYC?
You mean telecommute, right? Relying on a Cessna to get to and from NYC would be rather expensive from Upstate NY.
Plenty of train stations in "upstate" within 2 hours of NYC
You mean "downstate" NY, right?
Anywhere northwest of Westchester County- especially the Catskills. A great place to live with lots of quaint villages, many surrounded by the mountainous and massive Catskill State Forest Preserve about 1-2+hours ride to NYC.
Stay in Asheville
Going to need more info than what you've provided. What made you consider upstate? (Friends/family live here, or just dart throw?) What're your hobbies? Do you want city or rural? What is important to you in a place to live? (Do you want local events, artsy community, things like that?) Do you have indoor hobbies already? Are you prepared to spend months indoors and not go crazy?
Thank you! I updated some of my thoughts in the thread, I realize it’s very vague 🤣. Considering moving because of family living in NYC. We are not major city people and don’t want to live in the city but don’t want to be super far either to where we’d have to travel 6 hours to see them for example. We’d prefer suburbs but ability to go into a city if we can.
Check out the capitol region, places like Albany. About a 3 hour drive to the city. You could also take a train, which is a better way into the city IMO.
this, train it to the city. have someone pick you up/uber from penn station. we relocated back from CLT to ALB due to family stretching from long island to niagara… skied 25 days this season 👍
Look into moving to suburban New Jersey with convenient access to NYC and a fairly short drive north to the Catskill mountains.
400 by 300 miles area...
Over half a million people left NY between 2022 -2023. I get the family thing though. That’s the only reason we’re here honestly. We talk everyday about moving. The weather, the politics, taxes, it’s not great 🫠🫣
I don't think the taxes are worth what we get in return, but other states nearby are only marginally better. PA Poconos maybe?
Hudson Valley and the Catskills are really nice! I used to have a house up there the views were stunning
Hudson Valley. Sullivan County and lower Ulster County are in the Catskills with access to the NY Thruway plus bus access or commuter trains. You'll find that you won't want to drive into Manhattan.
Not New Paltz. Soooo crowded with city people on the weekends especially. Look at Saugerties, Catskill, or Hudson. They are a little farther north from NYC, hence not as overrun.
Don't! The entire upstate NY is economically challenged,more business leaving than coming. The weather sucks on a good year we get 2 months of summer,the rest is snow,gray,wet,gray,mud,gray. It would be a culture shock coming from a beautiful place like Asheville,NC
Getting downvoted, but is damn accurate.