The Upstate Brooklyn
And here we thought Portland was the new Brooklyn! It turns out that an upstate town called Rosendale is the new Brooklyn. “This depressed former cement manufacturing town of 6,400 has lately had a steady influx of creative freelancers with 917, 718 and 646 area-code cellphones,” writes the New York Times this morning. “Some hop…
And here we thought Portland was the new Brooklyn! It turns out that an upstate town called Rosendale is the new Brooklyn. “This depressed former cement manufacturing town of 6,400 has lately had a steady influx of creative freelancers with 917, 718 and 646 area-code cellphones,” writes the New York Times this morning. “Some hop on the bus for the hour-and-forty-five-minute ride to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, others telecommute, and many have traded in their office jobs for less psychically demanding ones in landscaping or food service while they pursue their music or art on the side.” If you’ve ever driven through Rosendale’s main street, though, it’s not hard to see why it’s been attracting Williamsburg types, especially at a time when the urban woodsman look is sweeping Kings County. The average house price of $201,797 clearly doesn’t hurt either.
90 Miles Upstate, a Brooklyn Feel [NY Times]
Photo by emptyhighway
Oh please. Rosendale has been one of Ulster County’s hipper hang-outs for at least 20 years now. The NYT recycles stories like every other media outlet. Maybe they were tipped off by Arthur Sulzberger Jr. who has had a weekend home nearby for many years.
They have Mercury Rev and tacos with house-made chorizo? i’m jealous. Brooklyn sucks, it’s like Manhattan now.
“Maggie Gyllenhaal of Park Slope was recently spotted there having lunch.”
PROOF.
I’m amused by Mr. B’s description of the “urban woodsman” look. Yes, I guess that’s the look. Or was the look. Maybe the bears, or maybe Devendra Banhardt, were early revivalists, I don’t know. Anyway, it goes well with subway tile and electrified gas lights.
What are all the restaurants of Brooklyn going to do when Edison bulbs are phased out in three years? Will we buy our Edison bulbs on the black market? At the Brooklyn flea market? Maybe someone should start a factory in Rosendale.
We had a place near Rosendale back in the early oughts. It IS an awesome town, as is the entire area. There’s no lack of culture (including a $5 art cinema!), exceptional restaurants and the great outdoors. We loved our weekend place so much that we moved up there full time. Ok, so that was a mistake.
Perfect second home place. Year round…not for me.
But Hmmwhichneighborhood is right…Beacon is the next Brooklyn! Now, would someone please buy my Beacon house?? 🙂
Vassar college is too small of a college and poughkeepie too big to be considered college town material. There is cute area around the college though.
Upstate pretty much all shopping at malls and strip places…except for cutesy towns like woodstock, coldspring, rhinebeck,etc frequented and partly populated by more upscale NY-types. They don’t move or weekend upstate for urban experience.
great railtrail/bike path from rosendale to new paltz and further south to gardiner for those into that…Not paved but gravel so better for mountain bike or hybrid than a skinny tire race type bike.
Perfect description of Brooklyn, MM (as I’m sure you’re aware!)
You would think that since Vassar is there Poughkeepsie would be a little more hip, with better shopping and restaurants. Not the case, though. There are some great architectural bones going to wrack and ruin in the town center.