Germantown’s quiet, natural atmosphere attracts artists and commuters
Germantown is a quiet Hudson Valley town of 2,000 residents, and it’s that tranquility and scenery that has long shaped its appeal. “In Germantown, and throughout the whole county, you can see the Catskill Mountains if you’re at an elevation,” says Rachel Levine, a licensed real estate salesperson with Patricia A. Hinkein Realty and a member of the Columbia County Economic Development Corporation. “It’s like a quiet, peaceful place where you have your privacy.” Germantown derives its name from Palatine German refugees who, at the invitation of landlord Robert Livingston the Elder, settled along the Hudson frontier in the 1710s. Since then, Germantown has become a haven for big-city commuters and artists, many of them inspired by the town’s river access and mountain views. “We’ll have buyers from California who just know Hudson and they know Rhinebeck, and so they look in the middle and it’s Germantown,” Levine says. “We’re equally located between the Amtrak stations at Rhinecliff and Hudson, and so that makes it convenient for people for commuting.”
Local parks offer Hudson River access, canine play and birdwatching
Over the centuries, Germantown has retained its rich natural scenery. “There was an apple blossom festival here in the 1800s,” Levine says. “30,000 people would come here.” Today, residents visit Ernest R. Lasher Memorial Park to launch their boats on the Hudson, gaze upon the Catskills or watch passing Amtrak trains. Palatine Park’s dog park and nature walk draw visitors from Germantown and beyond. “I’ll sometimes see people there from an hour away,” Levine says. “People will be driving to Kingston or back home and stop with their dog.” The park also includes a playground, baseball fields, soccer fields where youth teams practice and Fourth of July fireworks. Just outside town, the Keep Conservation Foundation Preserve offers trails through boggy terrain where birds come to nest.
Varied housing styles occupy spacious lots and winding roads
The town’s housing stock reflects Germantown’s evolution from an 18th-century farming settlement into a residential exurb. Classic farmhouses and barns, as well as ranch-style and Victorian styles, are popular. Most single-story and split-level homes on acre-sized lots go for $410,000 to $850,000. Farmhouses and contemporary-style properties occupying parcels as large as 60 acres have sold for $1,200,000 to $4,500,000. “About 30% of the homeowners are second homeowners, and a lot of people are from New York City,” Levine says. Other families have been in Germantown for generations and still sell farm goods to local restaurants. Germantown offers spread-out living, with much of the town consisting of woodlands, farm fields and country roads dotted with the occasional residence. Sidewalks are rare along Germantown’s winding, semi-rural streets. The town has a CAP Index Crime Score of 1 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
Germantown is home to established businesses and newer artistic venues
A handful of small businesses cover everyday needs. “You have all your conveniences with an old-fashioned, little main street,” Levine says. Otto’s Market, founded in 1927, is a popular spot for fruits, vegetables and meals to go. “It was a charming, old market, but people bought it and modernized it,” Levine says. “They make really delicious pizza. Everyone goes there for coffee and egg sandwiches.” Valley Harvest Ice Cream & Grill sells burgers, wraps and ice cream from a stand. Some businesses are housed in historic buildings. “You have a Rockefeller-built hotel from the 1850s. They have a restaurant called Universal Café,” Levine says. “The menu is mostly farm to table and everything is really delicious.” Residents shop for groceries at Dollar General or at the Germantown Deli and C-Store, which also serves pizza. On Saturdays from May to October, the Germantown Farmers Market offers local produce, flowers and baked goods at Palatine Park. Artists from diverse fields operate small businesses in town, including Mary MacGill’s jewelry store, Michael Robbins Furniture and the Mendes Wood DM gallery. “They’re gallerists whose main gallery is in Sao Paulo, and they have an artists’ residency here in town,” Levine says.
High schoolers can engage in diverse activities and community service
Students attend the Germantown Central School for their K-12 education. Within that building, Germantown Elementary School serves grades K-6, while Germantown Junior/Senior High School serves 7-12. Both schools receive C-plus ratings from Niche. High schoolers can engage themselves through extracurriculars as diverse as archery and drama, plus community service opportunities like raising money for youth athletics and organizing field trips to nearby historical sites.
Germantown offers easy access to transit hubs
Germantown is within a 15-mile drive from the Columbia County seat of Hudson and the larger town of Rhinebeck. Albany and its international airport are a 40-mile drive to the north. Nearby Rhinecliff and Hudson’s Amtrak stations offer 2-hour-long train rides to New York Penn Station, while Hudson also offers a MetroNorth train link to Albany within 25 minutes.
![Jacob Adelhoch]()
Written By
Jacob Adelhoch
