Town of the Week: Andes

  |  May 28, 2013
photo from AndesNY website

photo from AndesNY website

Many have written in to extol the virtues of this town of 1,300, high in the Western Catskills. Andes is well-stocked with charm, with glorious houses along the main drag: impressive Italianates, grand Queen Annes. It’s surrounded by farms, and feels marvelously far away from it all, though one wonders what sustains the place besides agriculture and tourism — or is that enough? The town prides itself on its history — its past as a throbbing hub of saw and grist mills, its proliferation of sheep and dairy farmers — but also on its connection to the rest of New York State, and to the present. “Though we are tucked away in the remote foothills of the western Catskill Mountains,” they write, “there’s nothing frozen in amber about us.”

For tourists, there’s plenty to please if you’re looking for fresh air and quiet, plus an afternoon of shopping: art galleries, antique shops, a café and a country store. The heartbeat of the town comes from the Andes Hotel, an inn and restaurant that serves both seasonal fare and free popcorn: it ain’t fancy here, but it’s extremely comfortable. This is not even a one stoplight town. It’s a one blinking yellow light town, which is a big part of it’s draw. Will your cell phone work here? Probably not. Can you find some wifi? Probably yes. Could you find relaxation here? Heck yeah.

On the jump: a map of Andes.andes_NY-map

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