Rural living in Lorraine, a small town in NY’s North Country
Hay, corn and dairy farms dot the landscape of Lorraine, a rural community of about 1,000 people in New York's North Country. Lorraine's namesake hamlet is sometimes referred to as "The Huddle," according to Bilkey Moore, a member of the planning board who has spent most of the last 75 years in the town. This nickname originated in the 1800s and may refer to the small "huddle" of buildings near Lorraine Avenue in the center of town. Intersected by a creek, this area was once populated with a handful of mills and general stores, and it's now home to Lorraine's post office and only restaurant. The town center isn't much, but what Lorraine lacks in business, it makes up for with beautiful natural areas and swaths of state lands popular among snowmobilers and hunters. Plus, the Great Lakes Cheese manufacturing plant is just a few minutes away in Adams, and Syracuse is an hour drive south.
Year-round outdoor fun in state forests
Lorraine receives an average of 118 inches of snow annually, and sports like snowmobiling and skiing are in full swing during the winter months. Spanning over 9,000 acres, Winona State Forest is one chunk of state land bordering Lorraine with trails suitable for these activities and others, like four-wheeling and hunting. Nearby Tug Hill State Forest is another popular spot for outdoor recreation. "Four-wheeling, snowmobiling, hunting: that's what a lot of people come to the area for," Moore says. During the summer, Southwick Beach State Park has swimming on the shores of Lake Ontario about 15 miles west, and Adams Community Park has an accessible playground about 5 miles away.
Homes are spread out on wooded acres
Homes clustered around the center of town tend to sit within view of one another, each on about an acre of land. Other properties span multiple acres, with homes hidden away in the woods at the end of long, gravel driveways. Farmhouses and traditional houses built throughout the 19th century and early 20th century are common, as are ranch-style homes and log cabins built during the mid- to late-20th century. Some properties in this area are used as private hunting grounds with equipped cabins bordering state forest land. Houses usually sell between $170,000 and $350,000. Lorraine's CAP Index Crime Score is a 1, far below the national average of 4.
Small town conveniences include a post office and diner
Lorraine has a Methodist church, post office and fire department. The Lorraine Volunteer Fire Company helps put on events like the Christmas parade and barbecue chicken fundraising. In the same red farmhouse building as the post office, Keitha's Kafe serves breakfast platters and sandwiches in its cozy, wood-paneled dining room.
For errands, the neighboring community of Adams has a Tops Friendly Market and Dollar General. "It tends to be quiet. You commute for virtually everything," Moore says. Adams is also home to a Great Lakes Cheese manufacturing plant. Great Lakes Cheese is a major area employer and sponsors Adams' Cheddar Cheese Festival, an event that attracts thousands of people to the region over three days each August.
South Jefferson schools serve children
Students in Lorraine typically attend the South Jefferson School District, which earns an overall B-minus rating from Niche. Children may begin at Mannsville Manor Elementary School and Clark Middle School, which both earn C-plus ratings. South Jefferson High School has a B-minus and has student groups including Future Farmers of America, drama club and chess club.
Driving to nearby cities in upstate New York
Residents typically get around by car. Drivers merge onto Interstate 81, a few miles west, to get to Watertown in under 30 minutes and Syracuse in an hour. Watertown and Syracuse both have international airports and hospital systems.
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Written By
Faith Wakefield
