Olana Historic Site, via National Park Service website

May is such an action-packed month in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Farmers markets are opening up for the season, outdoor street festivals are ramping up (speaking of ramping up, we hope you were able to get to Ramp Fest in Hudson this year; we hear it was big fun), and spring-time family activities abound. Looking for something to do with the kids? Head over to Olana, the legendary home of Hudson River School painter Frederic Church. Every Thursday-Sunday from April to December, Olana offers “Olana on the Move with Backpacks”, which gives families the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the grounds. Every participant gets a backpack filled with maps, activities to do during your tour, and sketch paper in case you find yourself artistically inspired by Olana’s breathtaking surroundings. The program offers two themed tours and backpacks: “Exploration Today: Discover Olana”, or “View it Like an Artist”.

The tour is free, but it costs $5 to park. You can learn more about this program and others like it on Olana’s public programs page.

Looking for even more activities to do with the family? Check out Chronogram Magazine’s “May Kids and Family Listings” on their website, and bid your cabin fever a fond Good Riddance.

One of Olana’s majestic views of the Catskills, via Wikipedia

We love this beautiful circa-1847 ornate Colonial, right near the shores of the Hudson in Milton, with its plank wood floors and period detailing inside. If we lived here, we would take out the mustard-colored carpets, re-wallpaper/paint, and then figure out a way to remedy the wood paneling in some of the bedrooms. Regardless, all of the elements of a great house already exist. Nice views of the Hudson are always a bonus, and we absolutely adore the detached carriage house/garage.

more after the jump…

Beds: 4

Baths: 2

Square Feet: 2,414

Lot Size: .59 acres

Taxes: $9,954

119 Church Street, Milton (Summerset Realty) GMAP

flxBuffalo

This lovely image by fixBuffalo made it to our Flickr pool. Join us there, and show us your vision of upstate New York.

Admittedly, we had a bit of chuckle over the above photo of this cottage, located about a 5 minutes walk from Main Street in Phoenicia. What cottage? Where? Oh, THERE it is, peaking out from our the bushes. But we take no issue at all with how well it’s hidden considering its proximity to the road. Privacy is good. And although it’s less than 1,000 square feet, it would be great as an upstate, countrified pied a terre, since the Trailways stops right on Main Street in Phoenicia. You know what else is on Main Street in Phoenicia? Sweet Sue’s. One of our readers mentioned that they’re back as of May 10. Now if you’ll excuse us, we need to go get our pancake on.

more after the jump…

Beds: 2

Baths: 1

Square Feet: 967

Lot Size: .22 acres

Taxes: $2,229

86 Route 214, Phoenicia (Coldwell Banker) GMAP

In case you haven’t noticed, we now have real estate listings again. Hurray! If you haven’t yet checked them out, you should. We’re still trying to beef it up, but there are already some swell properties listed there, including rentals, like this swingin’ Rhinebeck mid-century modern. It’s been completely renovated, according to the listing, and it’s ready to rent for the short-term or a longer term from Labor Day to Memorial Day. We love that it’s near a pond with a fabulous fountain. If that’s not water enough for you, it also includes a heated in-ground pool. Other amenities: Brand-new kitchen, two fireplaces, flat screen TVs and WIFI. You might even be able to bring your furry companions. Interested? Check out the listing for contact information.

more after the jump…

Want to try out the City of Newburgh before buying? Here is a quaint light and airy studio apartment for rent in the City of Newburgh. Aren’t those ceilings gorgeous? And the fireplace has so many possibilities! The pictures and the listing say it all:

“Beautiful, private City of Newburgh studio apartment available immediately on quiet, clean block- one block from Washington’s Headquarters, City Hall, Orange County Community College, Caffe Macchiato, Newburgh Brewing Company, The Wherehouse, riverfront/ferry. One room studio with separate galley kitchen and full bath(tub/shower). Tin ceiling, new wood floors. Three large windows- with seasonal views of the river- and property gardens. Separate entrance in owner-occupied building, lighted secure off street parking. Includes, heat, hot water, electric, wifi. References and 1.5 months security required.”

More pretty photos and specs after the jump.

Craigslist Listing
Rent: $900.00 p/m
Size: 320ft²
Neighborhood: near Washington’s HQ
Distance to NYC: 55.8 mi, 1 hr 3 mins
Public Transportation: MetroNorth to Beacon, then take ferry across
Closest Roadways: 9W, I-87, I-84
More Newburgh Real Estate

We won’t go so far as to say that this is the perfect Hudson Riverfront Victorian, but it is pretty with lots of drool-worthy aspects: Ornate gingerbread detailing on the front porch, plank floorboards on the  second floor, mahogany trim, a little red barn, in-ground pool, and stunning views. The listing says it’s great for commuters because it’s five minutes from the Poughkeepsie train station. Maybe if you were taking a bullet train to get there. It’s actually more like 10 minutes away, but still, not too bad. Oh, and did we mention that it includes a one-bedroom apartment on the third floor?

more after the jump…

Beds: 4

Baths: 4

Square Feet: 3,633

Lot Size: 3.34 acres

Taxes: $11,840

29 Watson Avenue, Milton (Houlihan Lawrence) GMAP

Main Street, Milton, via Wikipedia

Just when we thought we had covered every Hudson River town there is, we remembered the hamlet of Milton, located in the Ulster County town of Marlborough. The first thing that struck us was the great old architecture in Milton, including the old West Line Railroad station. Once upon a time, the station served Milton as part of the West Shore Railroad, a passenger line that ran from Weehawken, New Jersey up north to the shores of the Hudson, all the way to Buffalo. The line was originally planned to run passengers from San Francisco to New York, but it never panned out. Still, we like to imagine how cool it would be if that passenger line existed today. We reckon it would have been quite a lengthy ride from one coast to the other, but a wonderful adventure, to be sure.

Former train station in Milton, via Wiki

Today, the grandeur of the 19th century can still be seen in buildings like the Milton post office and many of the structures along Main Street. Buttermilk Falls Inn, one of Milton’s finer gems, is a piece of Milton history in and of itself: Originally built in 1764, the inn is a popular spot for both luxurious spa getaways and weddings, and the main house is beautifully restored while still maintaining its original 18th century feel.

Milton Post Office, via Wikipedia

Milton is located along the west bank of the Hudson River, which, not surprisingly, makes it desirable real estate. Nevertheless, we managed to find some sweet properties that are shockingly affordable, including a few Victorians, a stately Federal-style (one of our featured properties this week, so stay tuned), Colonials, and cottages with the requisite stunning views. Along Main Street, you’ll find some places to get lunch, the public library, banks, and other businesses. A quick drive north takes you to the hamlet of Highland, and a journey of a few miles south will put you in the hamlet of Marlboro. Furthermore, Milton and the town of Marlborough are perfect places to roam if you’re looking for farmers markets. MeetMeinMarlborough.com even provides a farm trail map for your convenience and includes the local wineries. Handy! Chronogram Magazine’s January 2013 edition provides a nifty little Milton guide, as well. Check that out here on the Chronogram website.

Milton and Marlboro are often mentioned in the same breath, since they are both rural farming areas with quaint streets and houses. If we were forced to describe Milton and environs in one sentence, we would shamelessly rip off that one sentence from the Buttermilk Spa website: “A short drive from the city, a million miles away.” That sums things up nicely, we think.

The hamlet of Milton is located approximately 90 minutes from NYC.

Town of Marlborough Official Website

Meet Me in Marlborough

Ellen’s housboat in Long Island she plans to rent out when she’s upstate

Since we got our place upstate two years ago, we’ve met several people who have retired from working but who still live in the city during the week and keep a weekend place upstate.    We would like to think that if we didn’t have to be in the city for work, we would be upstate full-time.  But for some people, due to money or time or health or lifestyle reasons, the decision to retire upstate full-time isn’t an easy or simple one.   Our friend Ellen is currently trying to decide if she’s going to sell her houseboat in Long Island (pictured above) and move upstate full-time.  I talked to her about what factors are influencing her decision.

Kim: How long have you had your house upstate?

Ellen:  I’ve been here 13 years.

K:  What is your house finding story?

E:  My husband and I lived in Tribeca, but we liked coming up and we had friends here.  We usually stayed at Le Dutchess Anne Inn (now call the Four Corners  Country Inn) in  Mt. Tremper.  We would drive around sight seeing.  When we found this area we were enchanted.  We weren’t thinking about buying, but we ran into the guy who was retiring and he was building a huge house on the hill.   He asked if we were looking to buy a house, but we told him we liked the older homes.   He showed us this house and said “how about a place built in 1889?”  It was the perfect house.  Without being prepared or really looking to buy, we found our place.

K: How did you think a house upstate would fit into your life?

E:  We definitely thought it would be a retirement place.  We lived in the city and we though it would be a weekend place to start and a place for family and retirement.

K: If it was originally your intention to retire here full-time, what makes you doubt whether it is the right thing for you to do now or not?

E: Things happened.  My husband got sick.  We moved out of the city and bought a place in Long Island since his doctors were there.  We still came up here regularly, and we still had hopes to move up here permanently, but he passed away before we could really make it happen.  It’s still my desire to move up here full-time, but I have some reservations.

K: What are your reservations?

E: First, I’m alone – a single woman.  It doesn’t bother me living alone, but because we’re fairly remote and not close to hospital or facilities in case of emergency I worry about not having someone around if I need them.  My health situation might change, and the house is pretty far from emergency care.

K: Is having to drive everywhere a concern for you?  Especially as you get older?

E:  Yes, specifically night driving concerns me – even when I’m in Long Island – but especially upstate with the winding roads and no lights.  I had an accident in 2009 driving at night when the weather turned stormy and I couldn’t see the road.  Since then I haven’t driven at night and I wouldn’t unless I absolutely have to.

K: What about house upkeep?

E:  I find it easy to live here and keep up the house.  The lifestyle here is laid back and friendly.  My house is two stories, but the upstairs is closed off unless I have guests, so I use the main story.   It’s exactly the size of space I need.  There is more land than I need, but most of the maintenance is yard work, but that’s affordable to get someone to help me out with it.

K: You have someone who comes and does yardwork?

E:  Gary mows, he cuts down trees.  But he doesn’t rake leaves!

K:  What about friends and neighbors around?  Do you ever get lonely?

E:  I’ve made some good friends and many of them are full-time, not just weekenders, so during the week there are people I can hang out with and go shopping or whatever.  My other problem with retiring here full time is that I wouldn’t be close to my family – my daughter and granddaughters in Long Island.  Most people say I shouldn’t worry about that since they won’t be far away.  I think for a lot of people only seeing their children on holidays is pretty normal.

K: How does your family feel about you retiring up here rather than staying in Long Island?

E: They are a little concerned about me being upstate full time by myself, probably for the same reasons I am.  But they also understand that I really love it up here and this where I want to be.

K: Is there that one thing would help you make up your mind yes or no?

E:  Certainly the biggest factor in not being able to be here would be if something happened health-wise.   One other big thing that would make me feel more comfortable being here full time would be if we had cell service.  Obviously I have a land line at the house, but lack of cell coverage adds a feeling of isolation.

K:  Would there be something that would make you say yes, for certain you want to stay up here?

E: Since the reason I’m in Long Island is because that is where my daughter is, if my daughter for some reason picked up and left I wouldn’t have any reason to be there, so that would help me make a decision.  I would feel less torn.  If we weren’t so emotionally close, I wouldn’t give moving up here a second thought.

K: Is money a factor?  Can you afford to keep both places, or do you mainly want to settle into one place so you don’t have to do the trip back and forth anymore?

E: Money is definitely a factor because I’m living on a fixed income.  Money is one of the reasons I need to make a decision sooner rather than later.  My other issue is that my place in Long Island is a houseboat in Port Washington,  so it’s very unique and unconventional and I like living there.   It would be hard for me to part with it, which is also making it a hard decision.  To maybe solve the money issue though, I’m trying to rent it out using Airbnb.

K: We’ve been there.  It’s really nice!  It’s finally spring here, but having just gone through winter, does that affect your decision at all?

E:  If I was here full time I would definitely get a generator.  My biggest fear with winters is of losing electric as I did one time for four days which was horrible.  If I had I a generator then I would have electricity.  That’s my biggest anxiety.   I could be snowed in for days and I would be fine with my wood stove as long as I have electricity.

I’m a nature lover and I love the wildlife and the changing seasons.  It’s a very healing place.  I don’t ski anymore so that doesn’t affect me.  My family uses this place as a resort in the winter to go skiing.  They don’t come up as much anymore but when they do they have a good time.

K:  Any other factors affecting your decision?

E:  When my husband was alive, besides having full time jobs we bred Maine coon cats as show cats.  I don’t do this anymore but I still have a few cats here and I can’t have them in LI, so definitely part of my reason for wanting to be her is to be with the cats.

Thanks Ellen!  Readers do you have any tips for Ellen to help her make her decision, or do you have any stories – good or bad – about retiring to the country?

Now this is a lake house. Tons windows to bathe the interior in natural light, a huge deck to enjoy your view of Lake Mahopac, more than enough space in which to roam, a private dock, and a spacious open floor plan for…we don’t know…roller skating? Pick up basketball? Also includes a boat house and a separate lakefront parcel, according to the listing. Lot size is decent for the residential areas around the lake at nearly an acre. Nothing left to do but feast your eyes.

more on the jump…

Beds: 3

Baths: 2.5

Square Feet: 4,000

Lot Size: .78 acres

Taxes: $21,305

740 South Lake Blvd., Mahopac (RE/MAX Classic Realty) GMAP