$528,440Average Value$283Average Price per Sq Ft6Homes For Sale
A neighborhood situated alongside its former location
The hamlet of Shokan sits alongside a massive body of water in upstate New York. It’s also the basin’s namesake, as the Ashokan Reservoir came into being more than a century ago; its waters flooded the original location of the neighborhood, the construction forcing Shokan to be relocated. In present day, it’s mostly encircled by the town of Olive and the population numbered just over 1,000 as of the 2020 census.
Homes are spread out through the area, with dense thickets of trees occupying much of the neighborhood and offering privacy between the properties. Shokan and the surrounding area are a popular site for second homes, those looking for an additional residence away from the city. “This is not a new phenomenon,” says Megan Brenn-White, the founder and CEO of the Upstate Curious Team. “This area has been a destination for a lot of people from New York City since the 19th century, when a lot of the housing stock was built. You have homes that were originally only three seasons, but were converted to four-season homes. The character adds like $200,000 or $300,000. It’s Instagrammable.”
The mountain and rolling hills covered in trees are a common theme of Shokan.
Quiet neighborhoods filled with trees can be found all around Shokan.
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Recreation on and around Ashokan Reservoir
The reservoir is the region’s most prominent feature, as 12-mile-long behemoth that supplies water to New York City. As such, prospective boaters or fishers in the Ashokan need a permit. A paved spillway road with a lookout splits the body of water in two, accommodating those on foot as well as bikers, and the reservoir is surrounded by paths. “There's super long trails and they're really beautiful,” Brenn-White says. “Some of them go through marshy areas where they have wooden pathways. ti's really, really pretty.” The Ashokan Rail Trail is another popular destination, spanning 11.5 miles around the reservoir, and the promenades around the edges also make for scenic lookouts.
Just east, the Onteora Lake Trailhead leads to paths that wind near the rectangular lake of the same name. Small watercraft are popular and launch off of Route 28, and it’s a common spot for anglers to snag bass and panfish. On the west side of Shokan, Grant Avery Park has baseball fields, pickleball courts and walking trails. The surrounding neighborhood of Olive puts on a commemorative “Olive Day” each September, and up Route 28 the Emil Brunel Sculpture Garden and Studio has pieces including figures inspired by Native American culture.
Take a ride or walk along the beautiful shores of the Ashokan Reservoir in Shokan.
Shokan is a very pet friendly community with tons of trails and nature.
Residents of Shokan can live in one of the quieted forested neighborhoods.
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Suburban homes within Shokan
Homes are woven through the landscape, branching off a few main roads in a spindly network of streets amid the trees. Typically, architecture in Shokan consists of ranch-style homes, but there are also some split-levels, farmhouses and Cape Cods scattered throughout the neighborhood as well. Prices often fall between around $350,000 and just over $500,000, but can vary. “There’s not so much distinction between one town or one area,” Brenn-White says, adding that views of the reservoir or mountains raise the price point. “What really does make a difference is the style of the home or if there’s a water feature.”
Shokan, like the surrounding neighborhood of Olive, is a popular site for residents to purchase a second home. “The second-home market would rather have a more weathered, cabin type of thing. They don’t care in the second-home market if there’s plazas and don’t care how far they are, generally, away from any particular road. What they’re really trying to do is get something that has the feel. Brenn-White also says that million-dollar homes set back from the road could sit next to a property priced under $500,000.
Quiet neighborhoods can be found all around Shokan.
Residents of Shokan can live in one of the quieted forested neighborhoods.
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Regional restaurants around Shokan
Along Route 28, LJ’s Restaurant and Private Caterers has only been open since December 2023, but locals count its sliders and soups among their favorite dishes there. Less than half a mile down the road, Fruition Chocolate Works prides itself on stocking items made of organic chocolate. “That’s award-winning, single-origin chocolate bars,” Brenn-White says. “You can go there and taste everything. It’s really fun and you can see a little bit into where they’re making it.”
Up Route 28, Bread Alone Bakery’s shelves are full of freshly-baked pastries and breads. “That was the original,” Brenn-White says, adding that the regional chain has sold its wares at the New York City Farmers Market. “They converted the original headquarters. It's stunning. It’s super beautiful – they have pizza, sandwiches and all the local products. That's something a lot of people love going to. A Hannaford location in West Hurley is only about 7 miles away, while more expansive shopping options, like Target, sit in Kingston around 16 miles east.
Bread Alone is a local favorite bakery in Shokan.
LJ's Restaurant is a local favorite of Shokan residents.
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Convenient access to Route 28
Route 28 carves its way through southern Shokan, somewhat following the arc of the reservoir’s shores as it passes in and out of the neighborhood. Route 28A splits off from the main road and runs on the southern side of the reservoir before coming back together with 28 on the east end, eventually making its way to Kingston about 14 miles east. Motorists access the New York State Thruway about 12 miles southeast of Shokan, and the highway runs around most of the state. “In Shokan, in my mind, it’s just much easier to get to Kingston,” Brenn-White says. “Once you're in Kingston, you're on 87, which gets you north-south.” Albany sits almost 70 miles north of the neighborhood, while New York City’s metropolis is 110 miles south.
Elementary education to the east in Woodstock
Woodstock Elementary School is situated about 8 miles northeast of Shokan, spanning kindergarten through third grade and receiving a B-plus from Niche. Education then crosses over into the Olive neighborhood, with the remaining three schools all located at the same place on Route 28. Reginald Bennett Elementary School is given a B-minus and Onteora Middle School garners a B-plus rating. Onteora High School scores an A-minus with Niche, and in 2023 its football team made the playoffs for the first time in about 30 years.
Reginald Bennett Elementary School has 237 students with a student-teacher ratio of 7 to 1.
Woodstock Elementary School has 149 students of which 65% of are at least proficient in reading.
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Written By
Adam Cheek
Photography Contributed By
Brendan Rogers
Video By
Tyler Newbold
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Joseph Cardinale,
an experienced agent in this area.
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On average, homes in Shokan, NY sell after 65 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Shokan, NY over the last 12 months is $525,000, up 22% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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