Town of the Week: Goshen

  |  April 2, 2012

The town of Goshen, located in Orange County, has had its struggles. It was hit hard during Irene last year, and the Orange County Government Center, already leaky and troubled, suffered even more damage as the rains and wind pelted the county seat. Nonetheless, Goshen thrives and even managed to make its way onto Hudson Valley Magazine’s Best Places to Live in the Hudson Valley.

Located about 55 miles north of NYC, Goshen is an old town, settled in 1714. The area is known as an historical epicenter of harness racing in the United States, and the Goshen Historic Track is the oldest continuously operating harness race track in North America. Goshen is also the home of the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame.

The village of Goshen is home to a number of historic buildings, including the aforementioned County Center, the village hall, and the town hall, which used to be a school where Noah Webster (yes, the dictionary Webster) taught.

Walkable and picturesque, the village is rife with shops, restaurants, and some architectural eye-candy (think old churches and the like). There are also plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities. For the cycling enthusiasts, NYS Bicycle Route 17 runs from Westfield through the southern part of of the village. Every summer around the Fourth of July, Goshen hosts the Great American Weekend, a huge festival in Church Park that includes arts and crafts booths, food tents, rides, children’s activities, music, and, of course, harness racing.

We found the Goshen real estate market to be fairly reasonable, but the high-end housing market consists mostly of McMansions. The best, most interesting houses, we found, were right around the $200,000 range.

Town of Goshen website.

Village of Goshen website.

About Kandy Harris

Kandy is a writer and musician/music teacher living in Saugerties, NY.

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