Ghent offers a strong arts community in the Hudson Valley countryside
Ghent is a mostly rural community spread out across the Hudson Valley countryside, and creative strongholds like Art Omi and the Ghent Playhouse help it maintain a thriving arts scene. “There are a lot of artists who have moved up into Columbia County and the Ghent area,” says Christine Hinz, an associate real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Village Green who lives nearby. “It feels very agricultural there. When you drive by, you'll pass farms with horses and cattle and sheep. You'll see llamas and little makeshift stands outside of homes with flowers and honey and that kind of thing. I love that about it.” Located about 10 miles from Hudson, Ghent’s properties typically have multiple acres, and the small farms throughout the area make it easy to find locally sourced food at local markets.
Art Omi and the Ghent Playhouse anchor the creative scene
The creative arts are a huge part of life in Ghent, and much of it centers around Art Omi, an arts center and sculpture garden with over 60 artworks on display. “That’s the first place you go when you have guests visiting in Ghent,” Hinz says. “You can bring your dogs if they're on a leash. Everybody uses it in the winter — you'll catch people snowshoeing.” The pieces are “pretty modern and cutting-edge,” according to Hinz, and the installations are regularly replaced with new work. The space also hosts residencies for architects, musicians and visual artists, as well as art camps and workshops for kids. The over 50-acre Siegel-Kline Kill Conservation Area is another place where residents can get outside; the park has walking paths through a meadow leading to the Kline Kill, a trout-stocked stream. The Town of Ghent Recreation Area is popular with kids for its playground, baseball field and basketball court. Residents can audition for community theater productions at the Ghent Playhouse, which presents five productions each year. The Mac-Haydn Theatre puts on musical productions, and PS21 hosts performance art.
Colonial and custom farmhouses amid a pastoral landscape
Rolling hills with pastures, farmland and woods dominate the landscape here, which is crossed by narrow country roads. Most homes have colonial architecture, and ranch-style, Cape Cod and custom houses are also available. Properties typically have at least an acre of land, but some can have up to 160 acres. Homes in Ghent’s town center has a more small-town feel, with homes close together along sidewalk-lined streets. Hinz says that Ghent “tends to appeal to a higher price point buyer just because the land tends to have more acreage. It's the first place I look if someone’s looking for an estate home, they mention acreage or they're looking for that classic farmhouse.” Most homes cost between $260,000 and $760,000, though historic farm properties and custom homes can range from $900,000 to $2.6 million.
The Chatham Central School District serves the area
Most kids attend the Chatham Central School District, which earns an overall rating of B from Niche. They can start at the C-plus-rated Mary E. Dardess Elementary and then go to the B-rated Chatham Middle. Chatham High earns a B-plus, and the girls’ softball team here won the state championship in 2025. The A-minus-rated Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School is a private option that teaches pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
A popular bakery, locally focused markets and a scenic winery
Bartlett House, a locally owned bakery and cafe, is one of the few businesses in Ghent’s town center. “They do great bread and pastries,” Hinz says. “It's kind of a hopping place. It's in an old railroad hotel from the 1870s.” Farther down Route 66, Hudson Chatham Winery offers wine tastings and shared plates at their scenic farmhouse. For groceries, Chatham Provisions provides pantry staples and prepared foods, and the Liberty Farm Store sells organic produce and meat from their farm. Chatham has a walkable downtown with more restaurants and stores, including grocery stores like Price Chopper and Chatham Real Food Market Co-op.
Routes to Hudson, Albany and New York City
State Route 66 leads about 10 miles to Hudson, where Columbia Memorial Health is the nearest hospital. Columbia County Public Transit has a bus route between Chatham and Hudson that stops throughout the community. The Taconic State Parkway leads roughly 123 miles to New York City, and commuters can also get there by taking the Amtrak train in Hudson, a ride that lasts about two hours. Albany is roughly 30 miles north, and Albany International Airport is a 38-mile drive. Houses of worship in Ghent include Hudson Valley Mennonite Church and Ghent Reformed Church.
The Columbia County Fairgrounds hosts regular events
The Ghent Band, which is made up of roughly 40 local musicians, has been a fixture in the community since 1899, playing at parades and events like the Columbia County Fair, which takes place each September at the Columbia County Fairgrounds. The multi-day event includes agricultural exhibits, carnival rides and a demolition derby. The fairgrounds host other events throughout the year, including the Taconic Antiques Fair and the Hudson Berkshire Wine & Food Festival.
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Written By
Annie Franklin
