Need some help from peeps familiar with upstate

Not sure exactly where I should be looking. DH can do virtual work so that's not the issue. We are looking to do a trip upstate to visit but we're not really sure where to start. Someone mentioned Columbia County which from what I can see is beautiful. Here is what we are looking for in a home purchase:

*a few acres of land
*older style home perhaps a *farmhouse/smalltown feel
*good school system/low crime rate
*a bit off the beaten path but easy to access parkways to major medical or stores
*looking to spend up to 300,000
*would like lakes, nature trails, parks close by

Anything else I should know about the area specifics like well water? harsh weather conditions? tornados?

We have looked in Chatham, Red Hook. Any other suggestions?

Re: Need some help from peeps familiar with upstate

I grew up in Orange County. I am a graduate of the Minisink Valley School District. A lot of people like it because most of the schools are on one campus. A lot of people who live in the district still have gone here for generations, teach here or are involved somehow (coaching, working, volunteering).

My parents are about a 3 minute drive from Rt 84 and about 30 minutes from the Thruway.

Everything shopping is about 15 minutes away in any direction.

I think that you will find a lot that meets your criteria here.

Where they live is right on the NY/NJ/PA border (My sister actually lives in Milford, PA right outside of town in an old farmhouse).

There are lots of parks and outdoors kinds of things in any direction.

Also Orange Regional Medical Center is a few years old, nearby in Middletown, NY.

My mom recently had a knee replacement done there.


Lastly, with no traffic, I can get back and forth to Long Island (I'm in Western Suffolk) in about 2 hours and 30 minutes give or take.

FM if you have any specific questions.

Message edited 5/26/2013 12:34:08 PM.

Re: Need some help from peeps familiar with upstate

How rural do you want? Columbia County is rural - it will be a drive to get anywhere. I personally could not live there. I worked in the county next to Columbia, Greene County, and I know their school systems are not rated very highly. Here is a list of current rankings: Capital Region School Ratings Also my students at the time had to take very LONG bus rides to get to school. Some were on the bus for well over an 1 hour! Also since it is rural, these schools are more frequently closed for weather related issues.

I am not sure about the hospitals in the area. When I worked near there, people would joke that if they needed any medical care to have the ambulance take them to Albany Med no matter what.

If you want to know more about Albany, Schenectady, or Saratoga counties, FM me and I can provide you with endless info.

Need some help from peeps familiar with upstate

My good friend lives in Garrison and raves about the area. It is close to hiking trails, West point and good hospitals. He is on a few acres with a lake in his back yard. One of the reasons for choosing the area was the homes have land/privacy. The schools are good. They are not that far north but get a lot more snow than Westchester county.

Re: Need some help from peeps familiar with upstate

Message edited 8/24/2013 5:21:53 PM.

Re: Need some help from peeps familiar with upstate

Re: Need some help from peeps familiar with upstate

I grew up on LI but I have many family members that have lived upstate for 30 years. My grandparents had a summer house in summit, near cobleskill. Very rural not much to do at all. I'm not sure about the schools.
My great aunt and uncle had a dairy farm in Schenectady, actually just outside. Very rural not much to do, schools were not great back when my cousins were little so they were homeschooled. A few of them still live on or around the farm, one moved to Arizona.
One cousin now lives in renselear(sp) and works in Albany so her lifestyle is pretty similar to LI. She doesn't have kids.

My aunt and uncle lived near Kingston in Hurley for 30 years on 8 acres. They both owned businesses. At times they thrived but struggled at times because the economy is fragile there compared to here. My cousins went to catholic school because the schools were not good.
My younger cousin now lives in poughkeepsie, she's back in college working on another degree working in her dads business again. She moved to Georgia looking for more opportunity but came back. She struggles to find high paying jobs.
Her brother is a tradesman in a union, his wife is a
hairdresser. They live in highland now on 4 acres in a house they are trying to buy. I think the schools are average there. He also moved to Florida a few years ago thinking he'd find better work opportunities but came back.
My aunt and uncle sold their house in Hurley about 5 years ago. Now they live year round in what was their vacation house in Lake Copake near the Massachusetts border.
From what I understand the schools are pretty good there,
more and more people are living there year round. It's
about a 40 minute drive to Albany.

I have a bunch or other relatives I'm not as close with that live in various areas as well.

My stepdaughter just finished here freshman year at SUNY Albany so we've been up there a lot , aside from the weather I really like it. Tons of shopping and entertainment. It seems like it wouldn't be boring there.
I despise the winter, my DH likes it even less. We talked about buying land upstate from recreation but having spent a lot of time up there in my life I don't think I could do it year round. We would not be able to find employment opportunities like we have here either.

Message edited 5/27/2013 10:47:02 AM.

Re: Need some help from peeps familiar with upstate

How about something by Lake Placid? That area is breathtaking. I don't know anything about the schools though.

Re: Need some help from peeps familiar with upstate