Highland offers a laid-back country lifestyle
Lakes and small ponds spill across the landscape in Highland, a stretch of countryside in New York’s Sullivan County. The Delaware River and the Pennsylvania border run along the southern edge of the town, which is made up of cozy hamlets like Eldred, Yulan, Barryville and Highland Lake. Most of its 2,000 residents are second-home owners who come to Highland for the outdoor lifestyle and laid-back vibes. It’s important not to confuse this town with the hamlet of Highland in Ulster County, which is about 70 miles away and home to three times as many people.
The cost of owning a home in Highland
You’ll find plenty of midcentury ranch-style homes and cottages in Highland, but some farmhouses date to the 1800s. Log cabins and A-frames are common as well, especially around the lakes. Home prices range from the lower $100,000s for small cottages to the lower $900,000s for lakefront homes in gated communities like York Lake Estates. “Waterfront is always at higher price points,” says Elizabeth Bernitt, a licensed associate real estate broker with Century 21 Geba Realty who has 22 years of local experience. “But you can get lake access or river access pretty reasonably in these areas.”
Sullivan County property taxes are notably higher than the national average. Since properties with water access typically come with high price tags, those taxes can strain the monthly budget. “A lot of people are trying to do the short-term rentals so they can afford to have a second home,” Bernitt says.
Most people work in nearby towns like Monticello and Port Jervis
Highland is about two hours from New York City, so it’s a little too far for daily commutes. That’s one of the reasons why it’s such an enticing second-home destination. People who live here year-round usually work in Monticello, Port Jervis or Matamoras on the Pennsylvania side of the border. Top industries in these areas include:
- Transportation
- Logistics
- Retail
- Tourism and recreation
- Hospitality
All three towns are about half an hour away.
Internet, cell reception and utilities in Highland
Cell service can be spotty in this area because it’s surrounded by the Catskill Mountains. Internet connectivity is better, which is good news for people who work from home. Spectrum serves the area, but a lot of residents use EarthLink. You’ll probably need an account with New York State Electric & Gas for electricity and heating oil. Since this is a rural area, properties have wells and septic tanks instead of municipal water and sewer services.
Highland has the basics, but Port Jervis is 30 minutes away
“Highland is very outdoorsy . . . camping and things like that,” Bernitt says. “There are these cute little lake communities that people want to be in.” Campgrounds, bird-watching areas and raft outfitters line the riverbank, and some rafting companies offer canoe and kayak rentals. The hamlet of Barryville has several bars and restaurants where you can meet up with friends after a day on the water, and there are a couple of shops in Eldred, including Dollar General and Peck’s Market for groceries.
Most people head to Port Jervis when they’re looking for something livelier. Here’s a sampling of what the historic riverside city has to offer:
- Dining spots like The Erie Hotel, The Reserve and Fox N Hare Brewing Company
- Health care at Bon Secours Community Hospital
- NJ Transit rail service to nearby cities, including Philadelphia, New York and Atlantic City
Crossing the river from Port Jervis into Matamoras leads to retailers like Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walmart.
Kids attend schools in the Eldred Central School District
Students can attend schools in the Eldred Central School District, which has a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1. There are only two schools in the district. Mackenzie Elementary is about 10 minutes away in the Glen Spey hamlet of Lumberland, and Eldred Junior/Senior High serves students from grades 7 through 12 right in Eldred.
Flooding isn’t a concern in this river community
Most residents don’t have to worry about flooding, even if they live near a lake or the river. “The lakes aren’t known for that,” Bernitt says. “Parts of the river are, but the topography there is very high, so most people are above the river.”
