So, is it up? Or is it down? We’re talking about the real estate market here, folks. It’s been a handful of years since the infamous “bubble” burst — and the news has been mostly good here in the mid-Hudson Valley. In my hometown of Beacon, the median price for a single-family home was up more than 11 percent in 2015. Of course, not every municipality in Dutchess County fared quite so well: House prices were down by more than 17 percent in tony Rhinebeck, and tumbled more than 40 percent in the Village of Wappingers Falls. As our regular readers know, we’ve been reporting on the rebirth of Beacon for years now, and there are countless reasons why the city is such a hot community, including interesting — and affordable — housing stock, a Metro-North train stop, a prime location right off I-84, and its postcard-perfect placement between the river and its eponymous mountain.
Related: Are We Really the New Brooklyn?
Then there is Main Street. This long and charming road — which as recently as 15 years ago still had sections that were boarded up and deemed “dangerous” — is now chock full of interesting shops, trendy eateries, and art galleries.
One of the great businesses to set up shop in Beacon in recent years is More Good. Owner Jason Schuler is committed to running a different kind of business — one that not only makes money, but maintains a high level of social responsibility. To this end, the company pledges thousands of dollars a year to help make clean water accessible to everyone on the planet. It’s good stuff — and there’s also lots of good stuff to taste and sample in his Main Street shop. Best-known for its hand-crafted soda syrups, this funky space also sells 32 different blends of organic loose leaf tea, and more than 75 herbs and spices. Hudson Valley recently hung out at the shop for an afternoon while we shot some photos for our story on the rise of gourmet salts (click here to read it). A sweet (and salty) time was had by all.
Our real estate coverage starts here.
Olivia J. Abel
Editor in Chief
