Catskill Real Estate Regional Information

Sullivan County is just one of 4 primary counties (Sullivan, Ulster, Greene and Delaware) that make up the Catskills region of New York. Two additional northern counties, Schoharie and Otsego are also sometimes included in the regional designation as well.

The 4 primary counties vary tremendously, much like the 5 boroughs of New York City. When you're starting to look for real estate in the Catskills, it can be very helpful to become familiar with the 4 counties. Each offers very different attractions for the second home buyer.

Ulster County
Ulster is the closest Catskills County to New York City, with a straight shot up the Thruway. The southern end of Ulster County is considered part of the mid-Hudson Valley, with the Shawangunk Mountains near New Paltz offering dramatic vistas and world class rock climbing. Much of northern Ulster County is within the boundaries of Catskills Park, with great hiking and recreational activities. The country-cute village of Woodstock is located NW of Kingston.

Prices for Catskills real estate tend to be higher in Ulster than the other 3 counties. Because Ulster was settled before Sullivan or Delaware, so you can find houses here from the late 1700's to the early 1800's, such as classic stone manor houses, that generally aren't available in the later-settled counties. Stone Ridge, west of Kingston, has a wonderful collection of stone houses. Another hamlet here popular with second home owners is Phoenicia.

While Ulster offers proximity to the Catskill Park, downhill skiing at Belleayre and in nearby Greene County, and the Hudson River, the county has very few lakes, and country property within the boundaries of Catskill Park or near the New York City reservoirs can be hard to come by.

Sullivan County
Sullivan County, west of Ulster and south of Delaware, is the heart of the "traditional" Catskills, and was home to the famous Catskill resorts like Grossingers and the Concord. Sullivan overall offers more varied terrain than the other counties (see County Areas Overview). While Ulster and Greene appeal have more mountains, Sullivan has more water. Sullivan is the Catskills county you should focus on if you're looking for a lakefront home, or want easy access to lakes for recreation. (See Sullivan County lakefront property for more detailed information on the lakes here.) Sullivan also borders the Delaware River, for canoeing, rafting, kayaking and fishing. The "Big 3" fly fishing rivers, the Beaverkill, Neversink and Willowemoc, run through Sullivan County, making it one of the top fly fishing regions in the world.

The one thing Sullivan County lacks is good downhill skiing, with only 2 small hills best for learning. There is good skiing within an hour, however (see Skiing.) But Sullivan is, by far, the golf capital of the Catskills, with world class links at Grossingers and the Concord, plus a half dozen other appealing courses — all with reasonable greens fees and little difficulty getting tee times.

Delaware County
Delaware is the furthest primary Catskills county from New York city. 3 hamlets in the eastern part of the county — Margaretville, Andes and Delhi — have become quite popular with second home buyers, but they're beyond the magic three hour circle from New York City. Margaretville, in particular, is an attractive country town, with traditional farmhouses and charming older homes. But Margaretville's popularity has pushed up home prices, which now are on par with closer in areas.

One great attraction of the Margaretville-Andes area is that it offers the rural ambiance of western Sullivan or Delaware, but is closer to downhill skiing in Greene County. These areas are a good choice if you're looking for a country getaway but want to be relatively close to downhill skiing.

The northern and western areas of Delaware County (Hancock, Walton and further west) offer great property values, but don't offer the services like restaurants and markets that many second home buyers want.

Greene County
Greene County, north of Ulster, is the choice for second home buyers who want a 4 season getaway, with downhill skiing. Greene is the home of Windham and Hunter Mountains. Greene is the smallest and most mountainous of the primary Catskills counties, with development concentrated in the ski towns like Tannersville. This isn't the place to go for pastoral, rolling farmland. The north eastern part of the county is within commuting distance of Albany.

David Knudsen
845-887-5855
email: davidk@beechwoods.net