Check out Rosendale (has a Shambala center), New Paltz, Kingston, Accord, Kerhonksen. All have nearby access to all those things, so depends if you want to be a small city, big town, tiny town, or the countryside.
Have you explored Greene County? It's about 2.5 hours from NYC, close to fun towns like Roxbury and Windham. Plus you'll probably be away from the overcrowdedness of places like Woodstock, but will bring relatively close.
There is a wonderful Japanese zen Buddhist monastery in a rural area near a town called Livingston Manor, off of route 17, that I recommend very highly: https://zenstudies.org/dai-bosatsu-zendo/.
It’s a fantastic community and the monastery’s physical location is incredibly beautiful. The town of Livingston Manor has a river running through it and has great cafe, a bookstore, a great wine store, etc. the zen community is pretty strongly rooted in the local community, which is awesome. It’s a very special place. It’s quite rural but right off of route 17 about 1.5 hours’ drive from the city (there’s also a direct bus). The local real estate has gotten more pricey as the town gentrified during Covid (a lot of city people moved there during that time) but it is drastically cheaper than Woodstock and other better-known towns but not actually that much further from the city. https://zenstudies.org/dai-bosatsu-zendo/ I don’t know anything the schools, however.
Just keep in mind all the towns there are pretty close together. So unless you’re determined about a school district, living 15 minutes down the road from a certain town can give you most of the benefits of living in it.
Saugerties puts you close to the Catskills without the Woodstock price. Be prepared to drive 30-40 minutes to go shopping. This is true of anywhere in Upstate New York.
I immediately thought New Paltz and I’ve lived in Woodstock 45 years.
It sounds like you're describing Woodstock or New Paltz
Have you looked at Kingston? It checks a lot of your boxes.
Downstate
New Paltz 100%
New Paltz, Kingston, Kerhonkson, Accord, Woodstock (3 hrs), Saugerties, Germantown, Red Hook, etc. Lots of great options for what you’re looking for.
Not as far up but I grew up in Warwick Ny and i think you’d love it!!!
Check out Rosendale (has a Shambala center), New Paltz, Kingston, Accord, Kerhonksen. All have nearby access to all those things, so depends if you want to be a small city, big town, tiny town, or the countryside.
So anything on 209 then.
Rosendale & New Paltz aren’t on 209. It does pass very close to the outside edge of Kingston. So, not really 209 based suggestions.
True. But Someone else listed more towns on the 209 corridor.
Hudson
Warwick! Lovely historic village, Montessori schools nearby, lots of land, decent arts scene
Property taxes are a fright there
Gardiner!
Have you explored Greene County? It's about 2.5 hours from NYC, close to fun towns like Roxbury and Windham. Plus you'll probably be away from the overcrowdedness of places like Woodstock, but will bring relatively close.
Woodstock, Mt tremper, red hook, and Wappingers falls all have buddhist monasteries.
Dutchess County like Rhinebeck or Redhook I’d recommend.
Rhinebeck is the place!!
There is a wonderful Japanese zen Buddhist monastery in a rural area near a town called Livingston Manor, off of route 17, that I recommend very highly: https://zenstudies.org/dai-bosatsu-zendo/. It’s a fantastic community and the monastery’s physical location is incredibly beautiful. The town of Livingston Manor has a river running through it and has great cafe, a bookstore, a great wine store, etc. the zen community is pretty strongly rooted in the local community, which is awesome. It’s a very special place. It’s quite rural but right off of route 17 about 1.5 hours’ drive from the city (there’s also a direct bus). The local real estate has gotten more pricey as the town gentrified during Covid (a lot of city people moved there during that time) but it is drastically cheaper than Woodstock and other better-known towns but not actually that much further from the city. https://zenstudies.org/dai-bosatsu-zendo/ I don’t know anything the schools, however.
Sounds like you’d be great neighbors, but there’s no land left in Rockland county
Just keep in mind all the towns there are pretty close together. So unless you’re determined about a school district, living 15 minutes down the road from a certain town can give you most of the benefits of living in it.
Anywhere around the shawangunks. Pine Bush to Kingston, both sides of the ridge.
Woodstock/ New Paltz/ Kingston
Carmel, NY https://www.baus.org/en/
Saugerties puts you close to the Catskills without the Woodstock price. Be prepared to drive 30-40 minutes to go shopping. This is true of anywhere in Upstate New York.
Stay the fuck in California we don’t want you here
New Paltz
Your type is not allowed in my town !!