Upstate

Why Woodstock and Willow, you ask? If you’re asking, then you’ve probably never been. Woodstock’s charms have been widely disseminated throughout the land, but the wee hamlet of Willow, located just outside of Woodstock has charms all its own. The woodsy kind. Not a walkable, artsy, and famous village like Woodstock. Willow is for nature-lovers, looking to hide away. Woodstock and Willow do have one thing in common, though: Both are on an NYC bus route. The Trailways stops in the middle of Woodstock village, and it also picks up here in Willow hamlet. Would we suggest living in Woodstock and Willow without a car? Probably not. But the option to ride instead of drive is nothing to sneeze at for some trying to reduce their car usage. So, this week, we’ve handpicked properties in Woodstock and Willow, all convenient to public transportation.

Few things spark our fancy like the thought of a rambling farmhouse upstate. Luckily, such properties abound in the Brownstoner Upstate real estate listings, too many to post all at once, in fact. So we took the liberty of paring down the list to four of our favorites, ranging in price from $450,000 to $299,000, located in Columbia and Ulster Counties. Now, we understand that some of the handier among us prefer the fantasy of fixing up and refurbishing a farm house in the country. The reality of a project like that, however, is far more laborious and time-consuming than some want (suggested reading: Country Matters by Michael Korda). For those who like their farmhouses turn-key, this one’s for you.

That Friday afternoon drive to the country is long enough. Why add an extra hour along windy back roads at night just to get to your upstate abode’s driveway? We think you shouldn’t. Get home faster by sticking close to the main thoroughfares.

This week, we’ll be doing just exactly that by looking at some fabulous housing situated 10 minutes or less from the Taconic State Parkway, which runs east of the Hudson River, passing through both Dutchess and Columbia Counties.

Think Ranch-style homes are boring and lackluster? Think again. You never know when the most nondescript exterior is concealing a classy arrangement on the inside, maybe even a Mid-Century Modern gem in a plain brown wrapper. We’ve excavated a mother load of attractive traditional one-story and split level versions in Ulster, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties, ranging in price from $189,500 to $799,000. Continue to plumb the depths of all the Brownstoner Upstate listings here. Perhaps you’ll discover your own buried treasures.

This week, we pose the following question: Why be satisfied with just the house and some land? Why not look for a two-fer? Or a three-fer? Or a six-fer? That’s exactly what we’ve done this week on Brownstoner Upstate. We’ve scoured the listings in search of properties that come with a little something extra thrown in, like a guest house, or an extra apartment, or a barn or two. Our offerings hail from Woodstock, Kingston, Copake and Accord. Copake is located in Columbia County, east of the Hudson River. The rest are in Ulster County, west of the Hudson.