Rural vacation spot 50 miles from Albany, New York
Along the Massachusetts-Vermont border, Stamford, 50 miles from Albany, New York, is known for its proximity to shopping, dining and entertainment in nearby towns and cities and its rural atmosphere. “It’s in Vermont, number one, people want to live in Vermont,” says Sean Taylor, a real estate agent with Moresi Real Estate Partners, who has been working in the industry for 17 years. “It’s convenient also to New York and Boston. There are lots of people that own homes in Stamford that come from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. It’s not as expensive as living in Gore Mountain or New Hampshire.” Stamford is cut through by State Route 100, and surrounded by several hills, making the area both accessible and rural. Most shopping, dining and entertainment is in North Adams, Massachusetts, 5 miles away.
Vacation homes bordered by hillsides and mountains
Most Stamford residences are in a valley bordered by Houghton Mountain and surrounding hills. Cabins and houses with National, Colonial Revival and ranch-style architecture sit on large lots and farmland lining State Route 100, which passes through the valley. Farther out, smaller roadways branch off the main route, leading into the nearby hills, where homes can be found down long gravel or dirt roadways. Many houses are second homes and are used for weekend getaways and summer vacations. Housing prices range from $285,000 to $465,000. “Growth ebbs and flows. There’s not a whole lot of real estate that comes to Stamford,” says Taylor. “But when it does, it goes very quickly.” Due to many properties being at low elevations in the Stamford valley, flooding may occur after heavy rainfall.
Parks and recreation within and around Stamford
The 9-hole Stamford Valley Golf Course is a family-run course open to the public. The course has a lodge that can be rented for weddings and special events. Part of the Appalachian Scenic Trail cuts through the Houghton Mountain area and crosses paths with the Long Trail, a 272-mile trail following the Green Mountains and ending at the Canadian border. The trail is called the footpath in the wilderness and is known for its scenic views and terrain.
In the winter, ski resorts are popular destinations. Prospect Mountain, 18 miles away, has trails for various ski levels, snowmobile trails, and snowshoe trails. During the spring and summer, Mount Snow, 26 miles north, offers mountain biking. The resort’s ski lifts drop cyclists at trails made for downhill mountain biking with dirt jumps, ladders and other features.
Shopping and dining in North Adams
In the hills surrounding Stamford, the McKay’s Family Farm sells and leases horses and offers sleigh and wagon rides. They also host a baby animal day, where visitors can view baby goats, cows and other newborn farm animals. For produce, the farm has a farmstand offering goat milk lotion, apple sauce, eggs, honey, compost and other items. For more shopping and dining, residents head into North Adams. Along State Street in North Adams, Craft Food Barn is a converted Dairy Queen offering American diner food from a drive-thru window. Up the road, the Freight Yard Pub & Restaurant serves comfort food in a rustic setting, complete with a brick fireplace. Less than a mile from the pub is a Big Y World Class Market next to a Dollar General for groceries.
Residents use State Route 100 to reach nearby towns.
State Route 100 passes through Stamford, leading to North Adams, 10 minutes away, and Bennington, Vermont, 25 miles north. Many part-time residents come from surrounding states and usually travel one to two hours to reach the area. Albany, New York, is over an hour away along the Taconic Trail, and Hartford, Connecticut, is 103 miles south along Interstate 91.
Stamford has 19 miles of dirt road, which can become challenging to navigate during mud season between April and June, when the snow melts, causing water to mix with the thawing earth. “Once the winter thaw occurs, you get this ripple effect on the roads, called washboards. It’s useful. It keeps the speeders down. It’s mud season, it’s a rite of passage,” says Taylor. “The towns do a good job of keeping the roads clear and run graders over the dirt roads.”
The nearest hospital is the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, 22 miles away along US Route 7. The Albany International Airport is 52 miles away. Stamford has two churches for religious services, St. John Bosco Church and the Stamford Community Church.
Students attend elementary school in Stamford and have a choice of high schools
The Windham Southwest Supervisory Union oversees the area. For kindergarten through eighth grade, children may attend Stamford School, which gets a C-minus from Niche. High school students in Vermont have school choice and may enroll in any public high school. The nearest high school is Twin Valley Middle High School, which gets a C. High school students may apply for a career program at the Windham Regional Career Center, which offers classes in aviation, culinary arts, manufacturing and other career paths.
Events in North Adams
For nearly two weeks in May, ArtWeek Berkshire in North Adams celebrates creativity in the Berkshires. Artists, galleries and studios in the region put on painting demos, shows, performances, hands-on and behind-the-scenes experiences.
Along Mohawk Trail, the North Adams Farmers Market is open every Saturday from mid-May through October during the summer and fall. In the winter, the market is open on the first Saturday of every month from November to May. Vendors from Vermont and Massachusetts frequent the market, selling everything from wool to fermented beet tonic.
Written By
Isabella Pontecorvo
