Second Home Location

[quality time]

OK....so you've got a little extra money and you want to start looking for a weekend/vacation property. You want the property to be within about a two to three hour drive from central New Jersey, so you are focusing on PA and NY states. Ideally it will be in a rural area very close to good fly fishing as well as downhill skiing, and possibly located on a lake. What county would you start your search in, and why?

 

[Fly Ty R]

Why would I want to be 2-3 hours from central jersey? :dizzy:

3 hours from my house going north, I can't even get out of NJ. Going south, I'm into southern Virginia.

Give me a vacation home in Alaska!!! :cold:



If you're really interested, why not build one out in Potter County? Can't get much better than that in PA.

 

[AKSkim]

I would forget about Sullivan or Delaware Counties.

Soon as the word about the GOLD strike leaks out it will be a carnival up there.

Southern Virginia or even The Great Smoky Mountains is the place you otter-be.

 

[Shaq]

Bozeman, MT

 

[AKSkim]

Bozeman, MT

No. Spent two years there in Montana, -35 in the winter, way too cold for skiing.

July 4th, snow on the ground. Not good for golf.

Some really nice large rivers if your into the big water, need your own drift boat...

Maybe a nice place to visit every few years. Having to live or spend the summers there... I know I wouldn't have to give it much thought at all. NAWWwwww.....

 

[A Polinger]

I have a house in Northeast Pa, my in-laws and if i was to look for a place it would be North of the blue mountain. With in 10min I have a dozen or so trout streams and the ski resorts are within on hour.

AP

 

[tompg]

I would head toward the Margaretville, Big Indian, Phonecia, part of the Catskills. There is some sking over there, smaller crowds, lots of trout, and the scenery is just outrageoius.

Tom

 

[millrun]

Somewhere on the banks of the upper Delaware River system.

 

[Future Fanatic]

Somewhere on the banks of the upper Delaware River system.

The original post included the phrase "so you've got a little extra money..."

I guess, maybe, that phrase means different things to different people.
When I have a little extra money, I buy a new fly line.

 

[CR]

Interesting no one said Adirondacks, which is only 3 hours from northern NJ. With the fishing and winter sports activities up there, plus the hip little towns, I would think it a great place for a second home.

I own 6 acres in Delaware County, but I'm discovering that aside from fishing, there is really not much else to do up there. Especially for my wife and 3 year old. Was considering ditching that in favor of something up near Placid.

 

[AKSkim]

I own 6 acres in Delaware County, but I'm discovering that aside from fishing, there is really not much else to do up there.

Ever consider turning it into a paint ball park? or a gun range.. you never know you might get regular in form of a bazooka toting chipmunk showing up every weekend.

Better yet.. a nudist colony. You'd make a killing on selling guitars that would pay off that place and a good down payment on that water front home on Lake Placid.

Just a thought.

 

[CR]

Ever consider turning it into a paint ball park? or a gun range.. you never know you might get regular in form of a bazooka toting chipmunk showing up every weekend.

Better yet.. a nudist colony. You'd make a killing on selling guitars that would pay off that place and a good down payment on that water front home on Lake Placid.

Just a thought.

Unfortunately there are deed restrictions that prevent such operations. Otherwise, I'd start up the White Trash-O-Rama All Terrain Vehicle Park, since they buzz up and down my street day and night anyway.

 

[AKSkim]

CR

That ain't a problem...

You just have to get some really good speakers and mount them on the rear of your ATV, down load Wagner's Flight of the Valkyrie on your iPod and blear it when you ride.

Did I mention???

You will also need to mount an MG42 on the front of the ATV.

Let me tell you.. the see and hear you just once... and they will never return!

Your street will be as quite as a chipmunk (without the bazooka).

 

[CR]

Actually, you just gave me an idea! About two years ago, while standing in the center of my 6 acres, an irate hunter with a large gun walked right up to me screaming that I should not be walking there...on my property...during hunting season. It probably would not take much to fool this idiot into believing that the ATVs screaming by are really ducks and that he should try and shoot every one of them! That would solve two problems at the same time!

 

[NJDrew]

Actually, you just gave me an idea! About two years ago, while standing in the center of my 6 acres, an irate hunter with a large gun walked right up to me screaming that I should not be walking there...on my property...during hunting season. It probably would not take much to fool this idiot into believing that the ATVs screaming by are really ducks and that he should try and shoot every one of them! That would solve two problems at the same time!

Thats ridiculous, I hope you told him to get the **** off your land.

 

[AKSkim]

I hope you told him to get the **** off your land.

Hey Drew.. case you missed this part in his post...

"an irate hunter with a large gun walked right up to me screaming ..."

I never tried to moon walk before, but in that situation, I bet I could out do MJ.

 

[NJDrew]

Hey Drew.. case you missed this part in his post...

"an irate hunter with a large gun walked right up to me screaming ..."

I never tried to moon walk before, but in that situation, I bet I could out do MJ.

I bet you could out do the king of pop, but I dont think your dancing skills would charm an irrate hunter...

Call me young and stupid, but I would not stand for that. Gun or no gun.

 

[CR]

I was with my wife and newborn baby. The best way to look at that situation is: the law does not mean anything when one is dead!

I did, however, politely suggest to the guy that he should not be hunting on the property. And he did leave at that point. I'm sure not because I asked him to, but because the ruckus probably spooked off his quarry.

 

[AKSkim]

CR:

If that happens again and you ever need help, just let me know.

I still have some friends in high places.

 

[Mayfly]

I voted after reading the question but before reading the original post. Now that I've read it, I really don't have a good comparative answer because, although I know two of the counties listed reasonably well, I hardly know the others at all. Having said that I'd choose Sullivan over Delaware county.

Allan

 

[Andy B]

Allan:

Time to get new glasses or are you all hyped up over this coming week. I would have to say after reading your post a little of both (LOL).

Now to answer your question a second home for me would be in central PA. Plenty of great places to fish. Scenery is great and people and tiny little towns are even better. I love the Catskills, but at times hate the invation of tourist that are much needed to economically support the area. In Central PA you really do not have to deal with that much and like I said point in any direction and your off in great waters like the Loyal Sock, Big Pines, LeTort, Yellow Breeches, Slippery Rock, State College, Pens Creek, Fishing Creek and then the Poconos, Big & Little Bushkill, Mud Run, Tobyhanna and so on.

Andy Brasko

 

[trout48]

I personally would look in Monroe co you have more trout streams within a 1hr drive than you could possibly fish in a year. The native fishing is great as are the stocked areas.

 

[hatchman]

I personally would look in Monroe co you have more trout streams within a 1hr drive than you could possibly fish in a year. The native fishing is great as are the stocked areas.

I would pick any of the others over Monroe county.I have owned a few homes in Monroe county(both burglarized and robbed),Monroe county has become "Harlem West" along with the crime,giant box stores and traffic.My Fiance' is a native of Monroe county,and her brother in law has taught school there for over 25 years,and the guy wants to quit every day with the influx of low income people from the inner cities flocking up there on section 8 housing,and welfare and bringing the problems(that they create) with them. It does have some nice areas,but the Poconos passed its prime over 30 years ago.Pike county and Susquehanna county would be better choices.I would vote for Delaware county based on fishing and not that bad of a drive,but The
The Adirondacks would be hard to beat,but Kinda of a long drive to make every weekend.There's pluses and minuses to every choice you listed,and good people and bad everywhere, but White trash inbred goobers will rob your house just as fast as a crack head from Newark freshly transplanted to the Poconos.I know with $5 gas on the horizon,and diesel already there(Citgo station in Parksville $5.19 for Diesel) driving anywhere far can get a little expensive,but A nice Motorhome would be a good choice and you could spend your weekends and time off anywhere you want,and not have to worry about the house when your not there.I have thought about a second home in the Catskills or Delaware county,but I am thinking now more along the lines of a motor home.Now when I retire,Jackson Hole Wyoming is right up there on the top of my list!

 

[Catskill Mountain Man]

Ulster county holds the esopus and it's tribs. I picked it because it is the best wild trout fishing I have ever seen

 

[Stonefly]

Ulster is great and I have a friend with a house right on the river, but taxes are high, and prices are still good though.

Delaware cheap housing right now and taxes are n't to bad, schools on the other hand not the greatest. Pike County housing good taxes not bad, we haqd a weekend house on sunrise lake off 729 in Dingmans, great fishing on lake, but not to mucch as to trout in the immediate area, some small streams. Was up in north central PA a few years ago in St Mary, beautiful town, not like some parts of NCPA, great fishing.

 

[Kilgour Farms]

Why would you care about the schools? I assumed you are looking for a retreat not a residence.

 

[Twism]

I just wanna move west of Union County NJ. Im sick of having to drive an hour to fish the good streams in NJ. Put me somewhere in between the SBR and BFB and ill be happy.

 

[MR.MCR]

Im partial to Ulster co. as I spent alot of time up there when I was a youngster.

 

[Stonefly]

Why would you care about the schools? I assumed you are looking for a retreat not a residence.

With small kids, summer homes often turn into year round residences.

Delaware and Sullivan Counties have some of the lowest employment rates in NYS, especial sine Frontier Insurance folded, the were the largest employer in the area, besides government. Alot of their employees bailed out of the area, and home prices are still good right around that area of Rock Hill.

 

[ratmatt]

:smokelots:man i thought i could not spell....The "c" word...all wrong. i own a home there and it is nice...long ride....but when there it is what our fathers called the woods...........sorry to say it takes 4 hours to get some where good.............................the rat...........