Wurtsboro and the Far Southeast

Pros: Convenient to the city, protected Basherkill area
Cons: More limited 'country' property, relatively expensive, particularly for larger acreages with privacy.

The closest area to New York City (about 1:15 from the GW Bridge), this region relates more to Orange County than the rest of Sullivan, with a number commuters to Middletown and further south. There is less 'country' property than in areas farther north, and some areas close to Wurtsboro have a more suburban feel. The hamlet of Wurtsboro offers a great opportunity for someone looking to renovate an 'in town home', convenient to the city but with quick access to the rural charms of Sullivan County. Yankee Lake and Masten Lake, northwest of Wurtsboro, are 'traditional' lake communities with more tightly spaced lakefront houses — but many lakefront homeowners accept that trade off for the quick access from the city.

Because of the proximity to Orange County, Sullivan's southeast can feel mkore development pressure from our southern neighbor, although that has largely abated for the time being due to the economic downturn. The areas southwest of Wurtsboro, north of Westbrookville, are very scenic with a rugged charm.

The Southwest: White Lake south to Barryville and Eldred

Pros: Good prices, relatively undeveloped, scenic Delaware River vistas, convenient to the Port Jervis train station, many lakes
Cons: Fewer services, less of a 'community' feeling

The area around Barryville and Eldred has become quite popular in the last few years. This area is less mountainous than areas further north, and is more forested than the open, rolling farmland in the central part of the county. The terrain results in a greater amount of property here that affords privacy in smaller acreage sizes and at more affordable prices. Large sections of this region are occupied by Boy Scout camps and other non-profit groups, reducing the amount of land available for sale or development. This area is home to the Forestburgh Playhouse summer stock theatre, but otherwise tends to have fewer cultural and community events. Population density here is relatively low, and as a result there are fewer services like supermarkets and shops. There is a Peck's Supermarket in Eldred, and the trendier River Market in Barryville is a popular stop for sandwiches, baked goods and essentials. The Carriage House is a popular bar and restaurant in Barryville. Residents of this area also relate to Narrowsburg, further north and Hawley, PA a few minutes west, for more services.

This is a great sportsman's area, and Route 97 along the river from Port Jervis north to Barryville is one of the most beautiful drives in the county. Homes with river views (when available) are can be very well priced, but generally have Route 97 between them and the river. There are a number of lovely lakes in this area, ranging from older style, denser (but quite affordable) lakes like Mohican, to newer lake areas like Lake Devenoge (one of my favorites), Timber Lake and York Lake.

The northern part of this region includes 3 of our most desired lakes — Black Lake, Swinging Bridge Reservoir and Toronto Reservoir. Black Lake is arguably the premier non-motorboat lake community in the county. Chapin Estate, our most expensive lake development, spans Toronto reservoir and Swinging Bridge reservoir (both motorboat lakes). Swinging Bridge is our largest lake, 1,100 acres, and has a range of less elaborate houses (not part of Chapin Estate) on its eastern shoreline at far more affordable prices.

The southwest includes two of our most unique second home communities' — the Merriewold Club and Black Forest Colony. Merriewold is unknown to most people in Sullivan County, discreetly tucked off of Route 42 south of Lake Joseph. Merriewold was founded in the early 1900's as a summer retreat for the well heeled from the city who didn't want to venture as far north as the Adirondacks. Notables such as Agnes DeMille and John Moody, founder of Moody's Investment Services, had their summer homes here. Today, Merriewold harkens back to an earlier time, keeping to a very Victorian lake retreat feel, with a boat club on the small non-motorboat lake, and houses that range from cabins to lakeside manors tucked into the woods. Few houses come on the market here, and they tend to be quite expensive.

Black Forest, on the other hand, tends to be very affordable for what you get. Black Forest was started in the 1930's by German immigrants (hence the name), and a number of the original houses have a gemutlichkeit faux-Alpine feel. The wonderful bonus about Black Forest is that the homeowners share 800 acres of land, mostly forest with some rivers and waterfalls. Its kind of like having your own private state park. Black Forest is also discretely tucked off of County Road 32 between Eldred and Glen Spey. Black Forest permits hunting, ATVing and snowmobiling (within guidelines) on the community land, so is a great option for hunters and sportspeople.

Ecce, a popular B&B perched on a ridge with dramatic views of the Delaware River, is located just north of Barryville. Click here for specific information about Barryville Real Estate.

The Traditional 'Catskills', Monticello, Liberty, Fallsburg and the East

Pros: Convenient to Route 17, good housing availability, lower prices, lake communities
Cons: Relatively dense, towns can be somewhat run down

This region was the 'heart of the Catskills' in its heyday, home to such famed resorts as Grossingers (near Liberty) and the Concord (near Monticello.) The development of the shuttered Concord has been started by Louis Capelli, the Westchester developer who was behind many of the large center city projects in White Plains and New Rochelle. The project, slated to have two hotels along with a racino (relocated from it's current Monticello location), has been stalled (as of early 2010) due to the tight commercial credit markets. No plans are currently afoot to redevelop Grossinger's, also owned by Capelli. The jewels of both hotels, their golf courses (including the famed Monster at the Concord), remain open, making this part of the county a magnet for serious golfers.

This region is home to the two largest villages in Sullivan County, Liberty to the north and Monticello, the county seat, to the south. Both were fabulous places in their heydey, and you can still see vestiges of grandeur in some of the large houses built by the Catskill elite in the early to mid part of the 20th century. But both villages have fallen on harder times, despite repeated efforts to bring them back. Liberty, in particular, has had a string of redevelopment plans that never quite took off. The eastern side of Liberty has some lovely residential areas with very affordable houses (with prices kept in check by the surprisingly high property taxes in the village). Just west of Liberty is Loomis Village, site of the old Loomis Sanitorium, an area featuring interesting late 19th and early 20th century architecture, much of which has been renovated by second homers.

Fallsburg Township starts north of Kiamesha Lake, and typically offers very affordable home options around South Fallsburg, Hurleyville, Loch Sheldrake and Woodbourne. But this area hasn't experienced the same renaissance as hamlets further west and north in Sullivan County. Much of Fallsburg, particularly south of Route 52, sadly, has a tired, run down feeling, with old bungalow colonies and hotels that haven't been spruced up in years. The northern parts of Fallsburg towards Neversink township and Grahamsville, though, have some very pretty roads and areas.

Just south of Monticello is the Monticello Motor Club, a private members-only race course for well-heeled exotic car owners. The Motor Club, opened in 2008, is the reason you see so many Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches zipping up Route 17 and getting off at the Monticello exit. (Trust me, they're probably not heading to the Racino to play the video slots.)

This region has the greatest concentration of lakes in the county, from Swan Lake and Loch Sheldrake in the north, to Sackett Lake and Lake Joseph (southwest of Monticello) to the lake areas around Rock Hill.

Swan Lake is home of the Swan Lake Hotel (formerly the Stevensville). The Swan Lake Hotel is now quite run down, and its ownership and future plans seem to be in perpetual limbo. An upscale lake development on the east side of the lake never took off. Presidential Estates, a development of clustered one story single family homes located at the eastern end of Swan Lake, tends to attract a snowbird clientele. Swan Lake is a beautul lake with a great location (convenient to Route 17 and not far from Jeffersonville), but just hasn't realized its potential.

Loch Sheldrake, east of Liberty, is one of our most affordable lakes, in terms of size of house and amount of property you get for your dollar. But the houses on Loch Sheldrake tend to be 70's era ranches, with a more suburban style, and the area around Loch Sheldrake, like many parts of Fallsburg Township, has a run down feel.

The largest concentration of lakes in the county is around Rock Hill. This area is very popular as a second home area because of its proximity to the city. Emerald Green, on Lake Louise Marie, is typically one of the most affordable lake areas in the county, particularly for buyers who want a larger, more substantial home. Emerald Green has great recreational facilities (swimming pool, community beach area, tennis and sport courts, a clubhouse), but has a more 'suburban' style, which is less desired by many younger buyers today who want a more rustic mountain lake feel. Three lakes here — Wanaksink Lake, Wolf Lake and Yankee Lake (close by in the southeast region) do have that more mountain lake feel, but typically at a higher cost.

West County and the River Townships

Pros: Small town country feel, beautiful vistas, Delaware River
Cons: Relatively high prices, few homes for sale, potential for gas drilling in areas close to Millennium pipeline

 

The west is the most pastoral area of the county, with farming rather than tourism the most prominent industry during the last century. This is where you tend to find farmhouses on acreage, or houses with panoramic views. The terrain is rolling hills sweeping down towards the Delaware River, but very few lakes. The towns in this region have a small town, country vibe, with Jeffersonville and the area around it being one of the most popular areas in the county for second home buyers. Prices here, however, reflect this pastoral popularity, with renovated farmhouses on larger acreage priced upwards of $600,000. A nice 3 or 4 bedroom house on a country road with a few acres and possibly a view starts at about $250,000. You can, however, find a nice house in one of the hamlets in the $150K range, or a small, older ranch house on a few country acres for about the same price.

The Delaware River is the crown jewel of this area, and prime riverfront properties can be among the most expensive in the county. A house in one of the river hamlets like Callicoon or Narrowsburg, however, offers convenience to the river without the high price tag of an actual riverfront house (and the wide open farmlands are just a short drive or bike ride away.)

West County has the most 'Norman Rockwell, small town America' feel of any area in the county, with farmers markets, country auctions, and pancake breakfasts throughout the summer. Narrowsburg is home of the Delaware Valley Opera, one of the only community opera companies in the country, as well as the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the outdoor performing arts venue built on the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival, is located in this part of county. Bethel Woods is also home to the Woodstock Museum. White Lake and Kauneonga Lake, at the eastern end of this region, have evolved as the county's happening restaurant and entertainment area, with a number of restaurants offering on-the-lake dining.

A challenge facing the far western part of Sullivan is the prospect of natural gas drilling in this area. Much of Sullivan County lies above the Marcellus Shale, one of the largest untapped natural gas finds in the lower 48. A number of natural gas exploration companies have set their sights on Sullivan County, particularly western areas in close proximity to the Millennium Pipeline that runs south from Long Eddy. While has drilling here is still far from a slam dunk, due to environmental and water use concerns, buyers looking in the western part of Sullivan need to be aware of this issue.

Click here for more specific information about Jeffersonville real estate or Callicoon Real Estate or Narrowsburg real estate.

North County - Livingston Manor, Roscoe, Lew Beach

Pros: Wild and scenic, convenient to the Catskill Park, relatively low prices
Cons: Distance from the city, some areas far from local services

The North is the among the most beautiful areas of the county, a relatively undiscovered (and unspoiled) gem. This area is home to some of the most reasonably priced property in the county (particularly the far northwest, in the Acidalia to Long Eddy area, which is beyond the magic 2 1/2 circle from NYC.) Its also home to some of the most expensive, particularly the upper Beaverkill Valley, where houses with pristine and protected views of the Catskill Park can fetch prices up to $2 million. Tennanah Lake, west of Roscoe, is a very pretty jewel of a motorboat lake, but properties here are seldom available and tend to be pricey. Just north of Tennanah is Lake Muskoday, one of our most affordable non-motorboat lakes. Nearby is the Tennanah Lake golf course, an 18 hole course with spectacular mountain views that is seldom busy.

North County is more mountainous and rugged, and is criss crossed by some of the most renowned trout fishing streams in the world - the Beaverkill, Neversink and Willowemoc. Actual riverfront property along these rivers is rarely available and quite expensive, but there are public fishing access points. While the area has traditionally attracted sportsmen and women for hunting and fishing, its natural charms and proximity to the Catskill Park has increased its popularity among active-lifestylers into a range of outdoor pursuits.

Livingston Manor has undergone a substantial transformation, and is home to a great independent bookstore, an outdoors outfitter, a bike shop, a few art galleries and the Catskill Arts Society, Roscoe is also a lovely spot, but a little more 'Orvis fly fishing' than 'mountain biking' in style.

This region generally has very low density, and a lot of acreage isn't developable (due to the Catskill Park and NYC Reservoirs), so houses here can be more difficult to find. There just aren't that many houses on the market at any given time, so if this is an area you want to be in, it can take time and patience.

I've written a page specifically about Livingston Manor Real Estate you may want to check out.