The Upstate Brooklyn
And here we thought Portland was the new Brooklyn! It turns out that an upstate town called Rosendale is the new Brooklyn. “This depressed former cement manufacturing town of 6,400 has lately had a steady influx of creative freelancers with 917, 718 and 646 area-code cellphones,” writes the New York Times this morning. “Some hop…
And here we thought Portland was the new Brooklyn! It turns out that an upstate town called Rosendale is the new Brooklyn. “This depressed former cement manufacturing town of 6,400 has lately had a steady influx of creative freelancers with 917, 718 and 646 area-code cellphones,” writes the New York Times this morning. “Some hop on the bus for the hour-and-forty-five-minute ride to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, others telecommute, and many have traded in their office jobs for less psychically demanding ones in landscaping or food service while they pursue their music or art on the side.” If you’ve ever driven through Rosendale’s main street, though, it’s not hard to see why it’s been attracting Williamsburg types, especially at a time when the urban woodsman look is sweeping Kings County. The average house price of $201,797 clearly doesn’t hurt either.
90 Miles Upstate, a Brooklyn Feel [NY Times]
Photo by emptyhighway
Remember the movie Fletch? Dr. Rosenpenis? That’s what Rosendale is like.
The only problem about moving upstate is that you have to live upstate.
Pigeon, perhaps if I had read your rules, I would’ve lasted longer up there. I broke #s 2, 8 and 10 big time.
“4) Do not drive an expensive car” —
someone drove down our dead end road over wkend upstate with some mercedes that other half says start at $200k..
(I wouldn’t have a clue myself as whether a mercedes or honda) —And we are not in one of upscale towns/areas by any stretch.
Dear MGLT: For what it’s worth, I have lived in Rosendale for six years, and the Rosendale I moved to (from the East Village, where I lived in during periods of the 80s, 90s and “aughties,” and during which time I hung out often in a steadily changing Williamsburg) is remarkably different from the Rosendale I live in now. I hung out here 10 years ago and it was yet another place entirely, then. Hang out here some weekend. You’ll see what I’m talking about. And it’s nothing like New Paltz, which despite being only 10 minutes away has a completely different feel – much more affluent, and also filled with suburban college students. In any case, I’m so happy I could make you laugh today.
I think very different history and economy, development. Poughkeepsie area old manufacturing then major suburban development in 60’s because with/IBM.
Northhampton has 5 colleges in close vicinity — 22000 students.
How to act when you’re upstate:
1) Smile and nod at everyone who crosses your path
2) Speak slowly and liltingly
3) Don’t listen to your ipod in public
4) Do not drive an expensive car
5) Keep your car stereo at a low volume
6) Women: keep jewelry to a minumum
7) Men: do not wear jewelry
8) Avoid swearing
9) Do not say “yo”
10) Do not say “oy”
Disagree, Petebklyn. Northampton, MA is a decent sized city and Smith is a very comparable college. And it’s vibrant, artsy, diverse and affordable. I think if anything has stopped that kind of growth in Poughkeepsie, it’s the train to Manhattan, maybe.
We have a spot in Phoenicia, which is not too far from Rosendale. There are Brooklynites en masse there as well. A weekend morning at Sweet Sue’s, the local cafe, looks like any average day in the borough.