Town of the Week: Rosendale

  |  August 1, 2011

via Wikipedia

Oh, what isn’t the new Brooklyn? Last year the Times pronounced the curb appeal-heavy Rosendale a refuge for artsy Brooklynites; a few years before that, Brooklyn had migrated across the river to Tivoli according to that same publication. Meanwhile, NY Mag decided Rosendale was the new Woodstock, which, of course, we believe is Saugerties.

To me, as a lover of Brooklyn, but one who can’t afford a house in my neighborhood of choice, the comparison bodes well for a town. I like art movies and fancy coffee and other yuppie amenities (hate me if you must). And I like Rosendale. I like it’s real downtown which is neither depressing (some vacancies but not too many) nor gentrified to the point of alienation (which would also be depressing). NY Mag is right that it attracts nouveau hippies, wellness-loving folks who do massage and get acupuncture and shop for organic groceries down the road at the High Falls Food Co-op. Again, none of these things would dissuade me from buying here. There’s supposedly a nice swimming hole close to town (haven’t been), also something I desire in a country pad. And I think the combination of Pickle Festival and Women’s Artist Book Residencies sums the place up.

About Rosendale real estate… Most of the houses I saw for sale had a Mary Collins sign in front of them. Of the 45 houses for sale at the time of this writing, the most expensive was $799,000, and the cheapest–a fixer-upper right along the road–was $136,000. There are many cheaper places to buy–this place has a premium because it’s so far east and has some cache as a hipster zone–but it’s a stand-out town. It’s on my list!

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