Where Are The Catskills
About 90 miles north of NYC lies the Catskills, which includes towns like Woodstock, Windham, Hancock, and Phoenicia. The Catskills lie in the Hudson Valley region and seem to be nearly timeless in both popularity and resilience. Locals joke that the Catskills have had more comebacks than Tony Bennett. Indeed, every time its popularity wanes, suddenly you start hearing about the Catskills again. Extremely popular for the first time from the 1940s to the 1960s, and among the Jewish population in particular who called the area the Borscht Belt, it was “the” place to vacation in luxury. But these days, no matter what your taste or budget is, the Catskills is an ideal spot to explore, with the perfect itinerary.
What Are The Catskills
The Catskills are so named for the Catskill mountains, which were so named by the Dutch. The area is well known as the backdrop and setting for multiple films, and the inspiration for countless works of art. Additionally, the surrounding communities are filled with artists, writers, and musicians, and is a well-known place for standup comedians to gain experience and practice routines, as well. Lots of great antique shops, boutiques, and art galleries, plus excellent dining choices round out the Catskills experience. The Catskills contain Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan, and Ulster counties. Join us on a journey to review some Catskills real estate from both past and present.
Then and Now…
This abadoned house has been featured in many articles about the Catskills and its “haunting beauty” of decaying, abandoned buildings, from the heyday period in the mid-20th century. The structure still stands to this day and is available for curious individuals to check out via an unmarked trail. However, for those who’d prefer to focus on the present, we’ve found a home for sale that is (kind of) similar in design, currently on the market, pictured below.
This home is gorgeous and timeless. A true regal beauty. The house is listed at $829,000 and is located at 130 William Street in Catskill. It has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms and is very spacious. Built in circa 1820, this elegant manor has plenty of windows for lots of sunlight, high ceilings, and lovely hardwood floors throughout. Two fireplaces, a finished attic with studio and office, deck, basement, and covered porch can all be found on a double-size lot. There’s enough room for a pool or whatever suits you. This property has a cap rate of just over 3%, so it would make the perfect investment property, as well. In today’s hot market, if you’re interested, you better not wait! Find out more details here.
Above is another example of abandoned homes and buildings from nearly a decade ago, showing overgrowth and decline. Originally a hotel, the Catskill Lake Mansion House was the first summer resort in America. These days, it lies abandoned. The sad thing about these old decrepit buildings is that at one time, some of them were nice places to live and stay, as we’re sure this one was. In fact, the Catskills was host to many celebrities – then and now.
Then: Woody Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, and Joan Rivers – all did standup comedy and became celebrities in the Catskills long before the rest of the world caught up!
Now: Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz own a home in Ulster County.
This multifamily beauty is on the market at 190 Main Street in Catskill for $549,000 and a cap rate of 4.59% which is practically unheard of. What a fabulous investment this 2,532 ft² two-family home would truly be! Already separated into two apartments, this vintage 1900s-era house has been completely renovated and each spacious apartment has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The kitchens feature granite countertops, ceramic tile floors, and new Samsung appliances. Sliding glass doors exist at the rear for both units. Not to mention there’s enough space so you can build your own deck area if you like. This would be an awesome Airbnb or extra rental income in an area that is a timeless top destination. How exciting! It won’t last long, so check out the details here.
Another big draw is the Hudson Valley, where real estate is coveted and the market these days is always hot. The Catskills was given the new nickname “the Camptons” as a take-off on “the Hamptons” (parts of the Hudson Valley) due to the location’s soaring population. Ulster County and Greene County are both popular Hudson Valley destinations in the Catskills, but not all of Hudson Valley is considered to be in the Catskills.
The next property for sale is in Woodstock and truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you’ve been looking for something like this, here it is. A home and a business in the ideal location, listed at just $1,850,000 is 100 Tinker Street. This property gives you 4 Victorian-style circa 1884 buildings on 2 glorious acres, in a mixed-use zoned lot. Folks, we’re here to tell you, that this place has so much potential for the right entrepreneur it’s ridiculous.
First, the main house has 4 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms and is truly a grand beauty. The 2nd building is where the former owners had a funeral home as a business – but you can make it into your own creative business space. There’s a carriage house along with a barn that can be used for whatever you like. All four of these buildings have a second floor. That’s over 9,300 ft² of building space, in the heart of downtown Woodstock – one of the most visited and popular upstate NY locations. Find out the nitty-gritty here, you’ve got to see it to believe it.
We hope that through our coverage of the Catskills of New York; we got to provide a short respite from a chaotic world full of noise and problems. Now in the words of Dave Chappelle, go out there and be somebody!
