Hoosick Falls offers small-town life with deep roots
When Anna Mary Robertson Moses sold her artwork in the 1930s, she wasn’t looking for fame. She didn’t even begin painting until her 70s, after arthritis made needlework too painful. But when collector Louis Caldor passed through Hoosick Falls and saw her pastoral scenes displayed in a drugstore window, he was struck by their innocent depictions of rural life. In a few years, the longtime resident became the renowned folk artist Grandma Moses, whose work evokes a communal warmth still present in Hoosick Falls. “People come here for the quality of life for their families,” says resident Rick Tinkham, a broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Blake, Realtors. “You can walk down the street and see 50 people you know in 20 minutes. On a Friday night, people walk home from downtown and don’t worry about anything.”
Historic homes with vintage charm dominate the market
Most homes in Hoosick Falls are historic. It’s more likely to see a restored 1800s Victorian on the market than a midcentury ranch-style home. Farmhouses and Colonial Revivals are also common. Older homes bring vintage charm, and many properties have unique features like wrap-around porches, gabled roofs, bay windows and decorative trim. For under $100,000, homebuyers can find a property needing significant repairs. Move-in-ready homes or those needing minimal updates can cost $130,000 to $390,000. Price variation has more to do with condition than size or style.
Downtown cafés, pubs and shops fill historic buildings
Hoosick Falls’s quaint village center houses local businesses in restored early 20th-century buildings. “Instead of Starbucks, we have Iron Coffee,” Tinkham says. The café, where beans are roasted in-house daily, has a rustic vibe, with exposed beams and house plants inside. Nearby, Bistro 42 offers an upscale dining experience, serving authentic French cuisine by the Hoosic River. Sand Bar & Restaurant has a menu full of pub grub and beer. Its sand volleyball courts host leagues throughout the year. The spot also holds trivia, karaoke, open mic nights and the ever-popular Hoosick Falls Dart League, which has continued for decades. For grocery shopping, downtown’s Hoosick Provisions general store covers the essentials, and there’s a Tops Friendly Markets and a Dollar General to the west.
Concerts, camps and caroling bring neighbors together
Wood Park, located downtown, is a green space with mature trees and a gazebo. It hosts many community gatherings, including the Hoosick Falls Summer Concert Series. “Kids roll down the big hill while their parents watch the band,” Tinkham says. “Over half the town is at this event. Two-thirds of them probably leave their cars unlocked, and some have probably left their keys in the car.” Around the holidays, locals flock to Wood Park’s gazebo for the tree lighting. A band plays carols, the Christmas tree is illuminated and Santa visits. “A few years ago, Santa was pulling in on a tractor, but just as he started pulling in, it started snowing,” Tinkham says. “It was a cold night with all this wind, and everyone started singing 'Here Comes Santa Claus.' It was like a Hallmark movie.”
Recreational facilities are along Main Street and Griffin Avenue. These include an outdoor pool, baseball and softball diamonds, tennis courts, a playground, a trail and the Reynolds/Gilchrest Multi-Purpose building, which has a skating rink and is used for events, like a kids’ summer camp. The nearby Hoosick Falls Country Club offers a private 9-hole course, the Town of Hoosick Community Center provides a safe place for kids to go after school and the Cheney Library hosts various clubs. The nearly 900-acre Tibbitts State Forest is about 5 miles south and offers hiking, cross-country skiing, fishing and hunting opportunities.
Restoration project brings historic music venue back to life
A local nonprofit is working to restore Wood Block, a three-story 1870s brick building whose ballrooms once entertained employees of Walter A. Wood Mowing and Reaping Company, a farm machinery producer that formerly backed the town’s economy. The project will transform the space into a gallery and a performing arts center. “It was one of the best music venues here at the turn of the century,” Tinkham says. “They’re preserving history instead of putting in apartments.” For now, folks can listen to live music at Unihog, a hole-in-the-wall by the train tracks with a hometown atmosphere.
Students zoned for Hoosick Falls Central School District
The Hoosick Falls Central School District serves this community. Hoosick Falls Elementary gets a C from Niche, and Hoosick Falls Middle is not graded. Hoosick Falls High gets a C-plus and offers on- and off-campus alternative programs that result in a New York State Regents Diploma or an equivalent.
Albany and Schenectady are within commuting distance
The Rensselaer County Bus Service runs a bus through Hoosick Falls that leads throughout the county. New York state Route 22 also travels through the community. Albany, with Albany International Airport, is about 30 miles away, and Schenectady is about 45 miles away. Southwestern Vermont Medical Center is about 10 miles east, across the state line, and Samaritan Hospital is about 25 miles west in Troy.
Flood walls mitigate risk from Hoosic River
While the Hoosic River runs through, the village has concrete flood walls to help prevent floods.
![Adreanna DeMarino]()
Written By
Adreanna DeMarino
