Stephentown has country scenery within commuting distance of Albany
Just past the sign that welcomes people to Stephentown — and proclaims the community to be the “only Stephentown on Earth” — the wooded landscape opens into cornfields and meadows with a view of distant mountains. “It’s more of a country, laid-back neighborhood where you can still have chicken and horses,” says Lenny Brown, a Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services and one of the top-selling agents in Stephentown. Despite Stephentown’s rural setting, it’s not isolated thanks to its location bordering Massachusetts and the two highways that intersect in the town. Residents live within 30 miles of Albany and several cities in Western Massachusetts.
Houses come with spacious properties and mountain views
Colonial Revivals and Cape Cod-style houses are scattered among Stephentown’s hills and valleys, many offering views of the surrounding mountains. Hundreds of homes, including cattle farms and A-frame cabins, come with at least 10 acres. Local laws mean homeowners can usually make changes to their properties, such as building additions, without regulatory headaches, Brown says. Houses typically sell between $190,000 and $590,000, but homes with dozens of acres have sold between $840,000 and $1.1 million.
The CAP Index Crime Score is 1 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
Berlin Middle/High School kids fish, shoot and perform Shakespeare
Berlin Central School District consists of Berlin Elementary School and Berlin Middle/High School, both of which get C-plus grades from Niche. Berlin Middle/High’s extracurriculars include Berlin Sport Fishing Club and Clay Target Trap Club, as well as the National Shakespeare Competition. Students who join the drama-focused club compete against students at other schools by performing memorized monologues and sonnets written by William Shakespeare. Teens can advance to the regional level in Albany and, potentially, the national competition in New York City.
Hiking the Corkscrew Rail Trail and fishing Kinderhook Creek
Hikers and cyclists can take the Corkscrew Rail Trail through the countryside, following a twisting section of an old railroad line. Along the 3-plus-mile route, people may see wild turkey strut out of the woods and onto the trail or pass by pastures of Highland cattle. Benches sit alongside flower gardens in Veteran’s Memorial Park, where the Veterans of Stephentown hold an annual Veterans Day ceremony. The state stocks Kinderhook Creek with trout, and anglers without access to waterfront property can head about 10 miles to Kinderhook Creek Preserve for public fishing access.
Locals shop for produce, beef from area farms
A few businesses clustered around the intersection of two highways form the community’s town center. Diners at Tex-Mex restaurant Norte Azul Cantina can sometimes watch live music from outdoor tables. The supermarket in nearby New Lebanon closed years ago, but Brown says Dollar General and farmers markets have filled the void. For example, Woodlife Farm Market in New Lebanon carries seasonal fruits and vegetables grown on the property. In Stephentown, Gardner’s Ice Cream & Coffee Shoppe sells locally raised beef. “We have a lot of younger people who have moved back into town and started doing organic vegetables and grass-fed beef,” Brown says. “The old stuff that made our towns unique, they’re trying to bring that back.”
Events held at the creamery and Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department
An annual celebration is held at Four Fat Fowl, which was a shuttered elementary school until a husband and wife turned it into a creamery. In August, Four Fat Fowl invites the community to the property, where bands play, beers and ciders are poured and cheese samples wait to be snatched up. The Stephentown Volunteer Fire Department is known for hosting car shows, corned beef dinners and other fundraisers.
Highways connections to Massachusetts, Vermont, New York City
New York state Routes 22 and 43 pass through Stephentown, aiding travel across New York and New England. Locals can reach New York City or Boston in 150 miles, and the Green Mountains of Vermont are about 35 miles away. It’s 15 miles to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the largest nearby city and home to Berkshire Medical Center. Travelers fly directly to roughly 20 destinations from Albany International Airport, 30 miles away.
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Written By
Alex Soderstrom
