Fairfield offers peaceful living close to nature and highways
Tucked between the Interstate 90 corridor and the vast wilderness of the Adirondacks, Fairfield is a rural town in Upstate New York. “It has beautiful views and relatively low property taxes. It’s pretty accessible to the highways,” says Kimberly Defaria, a licensed real estate salesperson at River Hills Properties, who has sold multiple homes in the town. “It’s just nice, peaceful countryside living.” Fields and farms make up the landscape, with very little development in town. State highways lead to larger villages for shopping and dining, and the major regional city of Utica is not far away via I-90. With its location on the edge of Adirondack Park, residents are within quick reach of outdoor recreation like hiking, fishing and snowmobiling.
Vintage homes on spacious properties in rural New York
Ranch-style homes, farmhouses and Colonial Revivals are common in Fairfield, often on spacious lots reaching 5 to 10 acres. The town center has a small village-style area, where homes are closer together. Throughout the rest of the community, the properties are spread out on country roads that meander across gently rolling hills, with lots of greenery on either side. Buyers can find vintage homes from the 1850s to the early 1900s here, while mid-to-late-20th-century houses are also typical. Because of the rural location, many properties rely on wells and septic systems. Prices typically range from $150,000 to $370,000. The town’s CAP Index Crime Score of 1 out of 10 is lower than the national average of 4.
Outdoor clubs and public lands support year-round activity
Outdoor activity is abundant in and around Fairfield. Upstate ATV is a rider’s club that develops and maintains trails in the area and hosts rides throughout the year. When the weather turns colder, residents can break out the snowmobile and ride on any of the several trails through the town. Nearby Steuben Hill State Forest is a 1,000-acre natural area open for hunting, primitive camping and hiking. There are no designated trails, but old skid trails for timber harvesting offer spots for a walk through the forest. Ferris Lake Wild Forest is an expansive site in the Adirondacks with 15 miles of hiking trails, nearly 120 miles of snowmobile trails and multiple lakes for boating and fishing.
Nearby towns offer groceries, big-box stores and dining
Fairfield has no shopping or dining, but nearby towns and villages offer all the essentials. “People can go to Little Falls , Herkimer or Dolgeville. There are a lot of little county highways,” Defaria says. “Within 15 to 30 minutes, they’ll be wherever they want to be.” Herkimer is about 11 miles away and has a Hannaford for groceries, plus big-box stores like Walmart and Lowe’s. Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner is a popular spot for breakfast and lunch. The diner once held the record for the world’s largest omelet when staff created a 2,500-square-foot dish in 2010. The omelet was assembled in a rectangle and dyed green to resemble a pool table. Nearby Little Falls has a Price Chopper supermarket and a mix of locally owned restaurants serving Italian, American and pub fare.
College and career training at West Canada Valley Schools
West Canada Valley Elementary School serves the area and receives a C-minus from Niche. West Canada Valley Junior/Senior High School earns a C-plus. The schools share one campus on state Route 28, about 5 miles from town. High school students can enroll in career programs at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES, including criminal justice, health science and manufacturing. The high school also offers six Advanced Placement courses and dual credit classes through Herkimer College.
Multiple highways connect to surrounding towns and cities
State routes 28 and 29 pass through town, connecting to nearby communities like Middleville, Herkimer and Dolgeville. Interstate 90 is also nearby, providing an east-west highway across New York. Utica is about 21 miles away via Newport Road. The closest hospital is in Little Falls, about 8 miles away.
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Written By
Matthew Atkins
