Upstater

The village of Hancock in Delaware County popped up on our Upstater radar after we solicited from you, our dear readers, your picks for the most under-appreciated towns in upstate New York. Most of the picks we’ve talked about dozens of times on this blog: Catskill, Rosendale, Callicoon, Livingston Manor, Stone Ridge, etc. But we knew nothing of Hancock, located in southwestern Delaware County, just shy of the Pennsylvania border. And, in the interest of full disclosure, we haven’t gotten there to visit in person yet. But boy do we want to now. We were so delighted by our virtual exploration of the village that we had to bump it up to the top of our Town of the Week queue.

If we were forced to pick one word to describe what we’ve seen of Hancock so far, it would be “scenic”. Everything about it seems to be so easy on the eyes. In fact, Hancock is situated along Route 17, which has been referred to as the “most scenic highway in the nation”. The village’s own tagline is “Gateway to the Upper Delaware”, and, indeed, Hancock sits at the convergence of the east and west branches of the Delaware River. Rumor has it, the fishing in Hancock is some of the best around. Because of its beauty and location amongst the Catskill Mountains as well as its proximity to the river, Hancock is populated with guest houses and inns like the Hancock House Hotel. There are also plenty of places to fill your belly in the village, campgrounds galore, golfing, and there’s even a performing arts camp for kids in Hancock.

The real estate market seems a little light right now in Hancock, but there’s still a decent variety available: Log cabins, cottages in the woods, lake-fronts, properties on plenty of land, etc. Prices are extremely reasonable, with most properties priced in the $100,000s. A 2.5 hour drive from Manhattan puts you in Hancock, even though it seems like a billion miles away. We’re excited to put Hancock on our itinerary of Places to Visit, and we think you should put it on yours, too.

Hancock is located approximately 2 hours, 19 minutes from NYC.

GMAP

Hancock Chamber of Commerce Website

About Kandy Harris

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

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