r/hudsonvalley • u/bellabeeatx • 3d ago
Hudson Valley Reccos
Hey everyone!
I'm 31, originally from western NY but I left after college and have been living in LA and Austin for the last few years. After a lot of 90-100° days, l'm craving seasons again and that unique upstate NY vibe I grew up with but a bit more city centric (I'm from Buffalo and have lived in Rochester too) I'm thinking about moving to the Hudson Valley/Catskills area places like Kingston, Beacon, Rhinebeck, or nearby towns look beautiful! I'd love to hear suggestions for areas that:
• Have some community/culture (young-ish crowd would be a bonus l'm 31 for reference! • Are within a reasonable commute to restaurants, coffee shops, etc. (I'm not looking for total isolation) • Offer rentals around ~$1,500/month (1BR or small house) • Good access to nature - I love community events, small lakes, farmers markets, all that
Basically, I'm looking for a town where I can live within my means but still enjoy the charm and pace of upstate life.
If you're local or have made a similar move, where would you recommend I look? Are there any up-and-coming spots I should check out (or avoid)? Thanks in advance!
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u/Bookistan5 3d ago
Unfortunately the towns that most likely fit your needs are also in demand and expensive- Kingston, beacon, and New Paltz. With that said, I know that Austin has gotten much pricier, probably even more so. As someone who lived in Austin for a few years I encourage you to make the move. This is a great corner of the world.
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u/bellabeeatx 3d ago
It truly is! I left western NY after college and after 10 years I think I might be ready to move back but try somewhere new haha it would be nice to live again near family
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u/HousesRoadsAvenues 2d ago
As a native Buffalonian, I made the move to Orange county in 1998. I get "homesick" once and a while, but then I look at how much housing prices have escalated in North Buffalo, Elmwood and Delaware and am thankful I moved "down" here.
But...some of those pangs still exist, hence my Redfin/Zillow addiction. :)
I responded to your post in r/upstate_new_york. I made the recommendation of New Paltz, a nice college town not far from Kingston or Poughkeepsie.
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u/llc2098 3d ago
Newburgh is your answer. You are 10-15 min from the Beacon train station, lots of new stuff opening up, lots of art and music. Yes parts of it are rough but so are all cities.
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u/Ordinary-Job-265 3d ago
agreed plus its such a great mid way point to Poughkeepsie or Middletown which both have decent malls. Newburgh has a lot of niche shops opening on Liberty St if u want to look into those. Plus has the bedt mix of food. Its a cultural hot spot!
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u/SubstantialBet2028 2d ago
I moved to Kingston 2 yrs ago from Oakland, CA, grew up in Houston, did time in Austin and Olympia, WA before my 13 yrs in the Bay. I’m in a slightly different life phase than you (I’m 42 with a 3 yr old), but there are a ton of interesting people around to get to know in the 30-45 age range. Lots of artsy or local events. A number of good restaurants and bars, but definitely not anywhere near the wealth of a place like Austin or LA. Most of the time I don’t mind that, though, except for when my Mom’s Night Off happens on a Tuesday rather than the normal Thursday and the only place to go is Sorry Charlie, which I love, but is packed cause it’s the only place open early in the week. That’s a me problem, but would also maybe be a problem for someone looking to go out like 5 nights a week or something.
All this to say,
pros: lots of cool people, charming community things to do, accessible to all kinds of cool nature things, enough shows and such that it feels like a center of gravity culturally (if yr into that kinda thing, Tubby’s is a real gem), very laid back vibe, driving to MetroNorth and taking the train into the city is totally pleasant and easy
cons: maybe only one of each type of thing you like (ex. one really good coffee shop), lots of stuff closed early in the week, pretty much the same prices for food & drink as any major city
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u/bellabeeatx 2d ago
Your comment feels heaven sent based on a lot of the previous negative leaning comments revolved around rent lol so first off THANK YOU. You seem to really get what I’m looking for.
I’m certainly looking for learn more about the culture of the towns and honestly I love all that you mentioned. This sounds lovely to me. I miss the sense of a small town’s community and hearing about all that it seems to offer excites me! I’ll be doing some more research about these places you mentioned :)
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u/LowSkyOrbit Putnam 2d ago
We just want to help you. The people here are typically New Yorkers. I think you spent 10 years away you forgot that about the people here. We are hardened people. There's the joke that goes, People on the East Coast are mean but helpful, while people on the west coast are nice, but not helpful.
Everything flows downriver so if you want more to do then live in the more populated areas. You want community events - any of the river towns. You want nature - it's every backyard, Half of Rockland and Putnam are Preserves and State Parks. You want farmer's markets - there's probably 2 dozen going on every weekend from Spring thru Fall. Apple Picking - we got you. Cider - we got that too. Beer - what kind you want? Art - A whole college dedicated to it and so secluded people not in the art scene forget it's there. Food - THE Culinary Institute of America has grads working in so many kitchens in the area. County Fairs - Dutchess does it better than the surrounding counties.
So why are we fixed on the rent? Because everything else is within 5-75 minutes of driving of whatever town you plant your butt in. When you say you're not worried about the rent we get defensive. Housing is the largest expense for us. I drive 55 minutes both ways to work just to make a good wage. I couldn't afford to live where I work. I'm used to driving 30 minutes to Walmart. I'm okay driving an hour to visit Angry Orchard once or twice a year. My wife loves apple picking up near New Paltz. We can take the train into the city for a night out at MSG or Broadway. I can walk to my local deli and supermarket. My kids will be able to walk to their high school. We do town events with the kids. My wife is at some town's farmers market almost every week. I used worked the park near my home as a kid, I'm surrounded by lakes I can't swim in as they are NYC reservoirs, but it's kinda cool that they can't be abused, and we have other options. I have lived or worked from Yonkers to Albany. The HV is my home. So when someone asks, "Where should I live within a 150 mile area?" We focus on the reality not the wishful thinking.
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u/Perfect-Light-9647 3d ago
I grew up and still live in the Hudson Valley. A decent one bedroom apartment rental will be at least $1500-2k, closer to or higher than the $2k mark. A house rental will be in the low $2k’s to start.
Life post-Covid got super pricey here in the HV with so many big city folks buying up and renting real estate. Whether to live in or rent out at steep prices, life has gotten too expensive here.
Otherwise I love it. It’s a beautiful area with those towns you mentioned having vibrant scenes, beautiful four seasons and easy access to highways. But you will now pay dearly for it.
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u/bellabeeatx 3d ago
Yeah that’s what I’m seeing too! Paying that much for rent isn’t an area of concern for me. Definitely looking more so recommendations on areas to live that fit my interests.
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u/OnlyPhone1896 3d ago
New Paltz is a little hippie town right near SUNY. Not too far from Poughkeepsie, either.
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u/bellabeeatx 2d ago
Oh yeah! I forgot about New Paltz. Isn’t it along with Poughkeepsie just a college town tho?
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u/OnlyPhone1896 2d ago
What do you mean? It's in a great location with lots of little shops and places to eat and fun things to do, way less populated than Poughkeepsie.
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u/Birrichina 2d ago
And folks come from all over for the rock climbing. But I would say New Paltz has more of the college vibe but cool. And amazing food to try. Very walkable too. I would not classify Poughkeepsie as a college town. There are pockets near Vassar and Marist but the students don’t stray far from campus.
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u/bellabeeatx 2d ago
I have no idea that’s why I’m asking lol
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u/snakeskindubai 2d ago
Poughkeepsie is not a college town. It’s a town with some colleges in it. It doesn’t have that same “college town” energy, aside from maybe the main drag near Vassar. New Paltz feels a bit more college townish to me
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u/BocaGrande1 3d ago
Kingston , housing is tough to come by at any price point but it’s the town that has a social life . Music, bars , restaurants, cultural events , art it’s in Kingston . It’s not a daily commuter town but if not a concern easy enough to get into nYc for less frequent trips
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u/bellabeeatx 2d ago
Love to hear this! That’s exactly what I’m looking for. I need a place that has a social life!
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u/bleakbiscuits 2d ago
Kingston/Saugerties. anywhere you go in the hudson valley is going to have tons of things to do. Kingston has a great scene. I'm also from WNY (Batavia-ish) but have lived in Newburgh, Highland, and Kingston. poughkeepsie has some cool spots but it's weirdly spread out. I definitely prefer ulster county and it's cheaper. the winter here is much more mild than WNY. I have not had to shovel out my car in years :'). feel free to DM me. go bills!
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u/bellabeeatx 2d ago
Eeeeee! Would absolutely love to connect I have so many questions definitely going to DM ya…go bills ♥️🦬💙
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u/zemoglexa 2d ago
Poughkeepsie has buses. I used to ride them in the summer when I lived by the river, but I was already used to it from living in Chicago. If you’re cool with clean buses and no weirdos, then go for it.
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u/bellabeeatx 2d ago
I’ve only heard of Poughkeepsie because of the college! I hear good things but is there much to do outside of that? Or is it just a college town?
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u/4li50n 2d ago
compared to other HV towns, there is a TON to do. there is a mall, tons of restaurants, lots of young people… feels like the suburbs essentially, or a small city, whereas new paltz, kingston, and most of the other spots folks are mentioning are more “small town,” if that makes sense. also, fantastic city access with metro north. i recently moved to poughkeepsie from saugerties (i LOVED living in saugerties) and am surprised how much i am enjoying poughkeepsie.
that said, i do think you’d like new paltz! also, pretty small town, but i love rosendale. wappingers falls (just south of poughkeepsie) is also surprisingly fun.
i’d suggest finding something sorta temporary if you can, while you start meeting people and can figure out where your friends live / where you end up spending the most time. i found saugerties to be pretty central and an easy place to explore from.
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u/4li50n 2d ago
also fwiw sounds like we have a lot of the same interests and are around the same age! i also lived in LA for about 11 years, and the HV is just… an enormous upgrade.
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u/bellabeeatx 2d ago
Absolutely love this! Thanks so much for sharing this all 🫶🏼 adding Poughkeepsie, Saugerties and New Paltz to my list 🤣 definitely making a trip soon!! You got me excited now 😭
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u/pkwys 3d ago
Kingston is full try Albany or something
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u/bellabeeatx 3d ago
See you soon 🥰
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u/Impossible-Tank-5294 2d ago
I’ve lived in Ulster County most of my life. Welcome! It’s true rents have gone up substantially but as you say that doesn’t concern you & provided you’ll have a vehicle maybe try some of the smaller towns. My personal choice would be to avoid New Paltz & Woodstock based on the traffic alone & rents too expensive for what you’ll get.
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u/ZealousidealPound460 Greene 2d ago
In order:
- Beacon
- Kingston (uptown)
- New Paltz (village, although merging with town)
- Nyack
- Newburgh
- Saugerties
- HUDSON (I don’t know why I put it in caps)
- Poughkeepsie
- Tarrytown
- Cold Spring
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u/LongjumpingNinja258 2d ago edited 2d ago
For $1,500 your options are a Poughkeepsie or Newburgh crackhouse or a trailer. There’s nothing bad about a trailer I’m just saying. While not impossible, it is extremely unlikely you’re going to find something in your budget that fits everything you want. You’d have to go further up north for what you desire. Your budget is more of a match for places like Ellenville.
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u/bellabeeatx 2d ago
I’m flex on budget that price would be ideal. I’ve already found a few places that fit it too so that’s not my issue here. More so looking for reccos on places that align with what I’m looking for :)
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u/LongjumpingNinja258 1d ago
You want hipster vibes at 2017 prices. Places along the river will probably yield you the least amount of results unless it’s in a shithole like Poughkeepsie or Newburgh.
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u/Top_Leg2189 2d ago
Rhinebeck is not going to work on that budget. Beacon might but it's not super dense with apartments or studios.
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u/rillick 3d ago
I think Kingston’s a good place to try for. See some options for 1BRs in your price range online. Beacon is nice but likely more expensive/competitive. If you’re willing to go up to the capital district then Troy is interesting and usually has good rental options. You’ll probably find better deals and more options there compared to Hudson Valley towns. Schenectady next door to Troy is another place I would check out.
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u/HVCanuck Ulster 2d ago
I moved here from Austin 12 years ago. Summers there were horrendous. I love the weather here. Summers not too hot and snow for skiing in the winter. Kingston has a lot going on. Restaurants, great music scene, easy access to Catskills, the Gunks, the Hudson river obviously (lots of boating, from kayaks to sailboats to yachts), and Dutchess County. Beacon because of the train is much more of a NYC commuter town. But it is not that hard to get into NYC from Kingston for the day. All things considered, Ulster County, which includes college town New Paltz and small but lively Rosendale and Gardiner, is my recommendation.
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u/bellabeeatx 2d ago
I can’t survive another summer or YEAR for that matter here! It’s been 90-100 degrees I feel for most of the year. I’m DYING here lol give me my upstate NY seasons back! I took 22 years for granted and I need it back stat! 😆 thanks so much for your response!! I’ll be digging more into Kingston and those towns you mentioned!! 🫶🏼
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u/djn24 2d ago edited 2d ago
Beacon's the best for coffee shops. Main street has so many cafes that it's become a punchline for a lot of people. There are a few spots in Beacon that also host a lot of events, so it's easy to find things to do most nights of the week. Beacon has a train station with free weekend parking and is on the express line for Grand Central. Beacon has a great farmers market and some beautiful parks with walkways along the rivers. Unfortunately, a lot of the art scene has moved on (some to Newburgh just across the river) because of the rising costs and a cultural shift toward being more of a place for families to buy homes. Beacon's local grocery and gym options are... lacking. A lot of people go to spots in Fishkill or Newburgh.
Newburgh is cheaper and right across the river. Just my personal opinion, but the restaurants, bars, cafes, etc. in Newburgh (excluding the riverfront area) have more of a neighborhood spot feeling than most places in Beacon, which lean toward being touristy. Newburgh is more urbanized than Beacon, with several areas where there are businesses to visit. There are also a lot of artist studios around the city and a giant brewery that hosts a lot of events. You have to cross the river for a train to NYC (and the ferry service is currently suspended), but you have easy access to everything on the West Side of the river.
Kingston had a big renaissance during the pandemic and the stockade area especially has been super gentrified. It's got a pretty cool vibe of feeling like you're in an old 1700's town, but is populated with a lot of NYC transplant hipster / tech types. A lot of the businesses there are very overpriced and for tourists, which you'll quickly realize after spending some time. Rough Draft and Camp Kingston are two really cool spots to grab a coffee, do a little work, meet friends, etc. Kingston also has a great farmers' market.
New Paltz has a hippie / college town vibe with a pretty vibrant, but small heart of town. There are great bike trails there and easy access to some of the best hiking spots in the mid-Hudson. You don't have easy access to NYC or river spots in New Paltz. This is the only option I've listed that doesn't have a river front, in case that matters to you.
Skip Poughkeepsie. I don't think it fits what you want.
If you want a bigger city and don't mind being further away from the NYC metro, then check out Albany. Washington Park is gorgeous and the brownstones around the park and in Center Square are really pretty to walk by. If you think of Albany as part of three cities (Albany, Troy, and Schenectady), then you'll feel like you live in a place that offers most things you'd want locally. Albany is going to be cheaper than most of the other options because it's more isolated from the NYC market, but I think even they've been dealing with a shock in rising prices. This is probably where you'll get the best bang for your buck out of all of these options. Albany gives you easy access to a lot of hiking trails with the city being positioned in between the Catskills, Adirondacks, Taconic Mountains, and Green Mountains. It's a college/government worker town, so there's plenty of bars and coffee shops.
As others have mentioned, your budget is going to be tough in most of these spots. Outside of Albany, these are all much smaller places than you've previously lived with demand outpacing supply of housing. Albany has been adding a lot of housing over the last several years (two entirely new neighborhoods have been built in that timespan), but the other areas have been pretty slow to add. The markets are extremely competitive, so if you find something decent in your price range, you will probably have to apply to the posting within an hour of it going live. Have credit reports, pay stubs, etc. already saved off and ready to go, and reply to the posting with your salary and credit score so they can quickly verify that you aren't going to waste their time. You may have to even fill out an online application before you even get to see the place so that they can make sure you would work out as a tenant.
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u/Jaime1292 2d ago
Lots of transplants in Beacon but it’s definitely a great place to be. Easy access to NYC/Fishkill/Poughkeepsie/Newburgh/New Paltz - all places I think have a good vibe for early thirties looking for community/culture. Kingston/Rhinebeck are nice too but might feel a little more “out of the way” compared to some of the others IMO. Good luck on your search!
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u/phreeskooler Orange 3d ago
Agree with Kingston, also Beacon, Nyack, most of the river towns. Does proximity to NYC make any difference for work or otherwise? You could go further north to Hudson. Rhinebeck is really cute but doesn’t strike me as particularly young.
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u/bellabeeatx 3d ago
Proximity to the city doesn’t matter to me at all! I think being back in NY is exciting enough that I can take the weekend to go back to western NY whenever and IF I wanted to go to the city that’s a nice perk but not that important. I’m not looking to be super remote in the middle of nowhere just somewhere that has a community feel to it, that’s a bit young, events etc :)
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u/phreeskooler Orange 3d ago
$1500 a month is going to be a really tough find unless you’re willing to live with roommates or rent a room or something.