What's not to love about Rosendale? If you've ever visited this small upstate Hudson Valley town, you'll realize that living in Rosendale isn't just about settling on a location; it's a way of life. There's always new and exciting things going on in this small community and most are done with such passion and vigor that you can't help but feel inspired and touched by this town's culture and ideals. This rural community of just under 6,000 residents may be on the smaller side, but they have a big voice - and people have traveled near and far to hear what Rosendale's community members have to say. Here, there's a passion to learn, to grow and to experience nature as it was intended. There's a forward thinking progressivism that many other towns can only hope to strive to attain and a responsibility to preserve this way of life as well as the land on which the town sits. There's plenty of reasons to live in Rosendale, and it seems that the list continues to grow longer with every passing year. Are you thinking of checking out Rosendale, and experiencing first-hand its awesome community vibe? There's plenty of reasons why you should get yourself to Rosendale now, but we'll just start with 9 Reasons to Live In & Love Rosendale NY 1: Rosendale's Culture & Forward Thinking Community Values Rosendale is a town that prides itself on providing quality leisure activities, educational programs and great resources to benefit its residents' minds, bodies and health. Providing educational and cultural learning experiences that promote forward thinking and the betterment of the community and their shared values, Rosendale offers its residents much more than many other towns often provide. For example, the Rosendale Theatre is a symbol of residents' dedication to preserving history and enhancing their community through film, music, performing arts, diversity and more. In 2010, the Rosendale Theatre Collective was able to purchase the theatre on Main Street and since then, this non-profit has been expanding their programming and events to extend a range of culturally or environmentally significant indie films, lectures and so much more. When you step into the Rosendale Theatre, you're coming to open your mind and learn. The Rosendale Theater is still currently only streaming online while they seek to keep patrons and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, but plan to reopen to enjoy and share curated art and culture with Rosendale residents as soon as possible. 2: Rosendale's Iconic ( Yet Largely Unknown) Claim to Fame Did you know that Rosendale's claim to fame was staked long before you may have started recently hearing about this small upstate town? Due to its increasing popularity amongst Brooklynites moving away from the city, more and more people are learning that Rosendale has connections to some of the most prominent American landmarks in the whole entire country. In the 19th century, a naturally occurring form of cement was discovered from mining deposits of dolostone rock right here in Rosendale and was aptly named Rosendale Cement (and actually, the same naturally occurring cement found in other areas of the state or country are still classified and referred to as 'Rosendale' cement) This natural cement was found to be more durable than any other of its kind, which piqued interest around the world and as such, became highly sought after for construction usage. This Rosendale cement ended up on some of the country's greatest and most iconic places, including the Brooklyn Bridge, Erie Canal, the Capitol Building and as the base of the Statue of Liberty If you're interested in learning more about Rosendale cement and the history that surrounds it, you can find it at the original cement plants that have been preserved in the Snyder Estate Natural Historic District, located just outside the village on Route 213 in Rosendale. Interested in Rosendale homes? See our active Rosendale, NY real estate listings page. HD photo galleries, maps, and more Rosendale Homes For Sale 3: The Rosendale Train Trestle and Expansion of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail If participating in beautiful outdoor activities is your passion, Rosendale aims to indulge you, and the town seems to continually be adding new ways to do so. In 2013, the former railroad trestle that soars high above the center of the town was reopened as a public pedestrian walkway, allowing you to take in the sights of Rosendale like never before with a bird's eye view. The Rosendale Trestle was originally constructed by the Wallkill Valley Railroad to connect the original rail line from New Paltz to Kingston. When the trestle opened in 1872, it was the highest bridge span in the United States, rising 150 feet over the Rondout Creek. The rail line closed in 1977, after many years of safety concerns, and remained vacant after a few unsuccessful attempts to turn the trestle into a bungee-jumping platform. Since being reopened in 2013 as an extension of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, hundreds of residents and visitors get to enjoy the striking views of Rosendale and Joppenbergh Mountain as they traverse the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail from New Paltz. Since the completion of trails in the Williams Lake Project, the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail now spans continually from New Paltz, through the new Williams Lake and terminates at the end of the line in Kingston, following its historic path once ran by trains so many years ago. 4: The Soon-to-Be, Brand New Williams Lake Resort & Spa We love Rosendale as it is now, but we have to admit that the town's future is looking even brighter with the current development of a new Resort & Spa at the old Williams Lake Hotel, that, when completed, will give a boost to the town, just as Mohonk Mountain House and the Mohonk Preserve have for neighboring town of New Paltz. This new resort could soon make Rosendale a destination in itself, rivaling the local tourist heavyweights of New Paltz and Woodstock. The Williams Lake Project strives to revive the once thriving Williams Lake Hotel that had operated for over 80 years by the Williams family, off of Binnewater Road in Rosendale. The new Williams Lake Project will take 800 acres of land surrounding three Rosendale lakes and develop a new community complete with a 130 room hotel with 94 LEED certified lodge rooms, 22 lakefront hotel suites, 14 cabins, a 17,000 square foot spa, 89 townhouses and 65 single family homes. The goal of owners and developers is to maintain a focus on outdoor education and conservation, with nearly ⅔ of the land being conserved for wildlife, such as the numerous bats that inhabit the abandoned mines nearby. The resort and spa itself is being developed around the public Wallkill Valley Rail Trail that stretches from New Paltz to Kingston and will also include miles more of trails throughout the community. Not only will this project bring in more revenue for the town in the long run, it also aims to bring in local companies and workers to complete the project, creating new jobs for Hudson Valley community members right now. Leave it to Rosendale to find ways to further preserve and grow their culture and environmental ideals, all while benefiting their current community members. More information on the status of the Williams Lake Project can be found at their website. 5: Restaurants & Cafes Full of Personality Don't drive down Main Street Rosendale and expect to find mundane fast food chains common to many other towns; simply put, that is not what this community-based city is about. Instead, Rosendale prides itself on having awesome cuisine, lots more vegan and vegetarian options than you'll find in other places and charmingly cozy and unique restaurants that will make you feel at home. The short stretch of Main Street itself is filled with plenty of great dining options - such as the 1850 House Inn & Tavern; a 10 guest room B&B with tavern and outdoor deck for creekside dining that is also a popular venue for small weddings and events that dates all the way back to 1850, as the name suggests. Here you'll find some modern spins on traditional pub style food with a New England flair. Other Main Street restaurants include the Rosendale Cafe: a real favorite among locals for their vegetarian dishes and for their eclectic atmosphere, full schedule of musical performances and regular 'Singer-Songwriter Tuesdays' that showcase local musicians and all of their talent. The Big Cheese, as the name would give away, is part marketplace for exquisite imported and local cheeses, part supplier of Mediterranean dishes, kombucha teas and many more hard to find delicacies for you to eat in or take out. If Mediterranean food is your cuisine of choice, Rosendale gives you more dining options at The Garden House, where they specialize in Arabic and Mediterranean cuisines and wood-fired pizza (located just off Main Street on Hardenburg Lane). If you're craving something sweet, The Alternative Baker has you covered with many gluten free options, including their specialty lemon cakes. For residents looking to pick up groceries to make their own homemade dinner, it's gotten much easier with the opening of MyTown Marketplace, the local supermarket on Route 32, making it no longer necessary for people to drive into New Paltz, Kingston or Stone Ridge to do their food shopping. If you come to Rosendale hungry, chances are, you'll be leaving happy. 6: Fertile Farming in the Rondout Valley Okay, time for a little history and geography refresher... The 'cradle of humanity' is thought to have been located in ancient Mesopotamia in an area called the fertile crescent, where the great Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and the Nile River came together. Why was this area thought to be the birthplace of humanity? Because these great and powerful rivers made for the most fertile lands for resources to create civilizations. So why are we giving you a history lesson here? Well, we think that Rosendale's natu
