Why the Catskills ?

By Greg Madden

Growing up in New England, I had heard of the Catskills, but only in the ads on television. Advertisements for ski resorts or for the Catskill Game Farm and the embodiment of the “I Love NY campaign.”

Born in Waterbury, CT and schooled in Boston, MA, I thought I had it all going for me by just living in New England, but as the sands slipped through the hourglass and upon further review, I may not have had all the facts straight and maybe it was more than facts afterall. Could it be ?

New England, after all, was like living in our own country but still enjoying the benefits of being part of the great United States of America and we didn’t have to mingle with “those” NEW YORKERS!! (sorry, read on—I’ve changed my tune).

Those from the Nutmeg and the Bay States, both of which border our Empire State, were told by others that New Yorkers were a loud and unruly bunch. Come to find out those from “the City” think similarly of Bostonians too, especially the sports teams and their fans.

So one weekend some 10 years ago I was invited to attend a spiritual retreat in these very same Catskills, a place in the states I had traveled to before. I left Connecticut, traveled across the state line and made my way up to a resort in Hunter, NY. While floating along the Interstate going north the then budding trees turned into the Hudson Valley and the gentle rolling hills exploded into steep mountains … the Catskill Mountains, purple mountains majesty indeed!

The highway morphed into a windy road that climbed up along streams and river beds called kills (WHAT?!!)

What is a kill, you query? This question is asked hundreds of times each day in the Catskills or is that Kaatskills? It’s maybe our most important body of water question. So according to Wikipedia a kill is a “body of water, most commonly a creek, but also a tidal inlet, river, strait, or arm of the sea. The term is derived from the Middle Dutch kille, meaning ‘riverbed’ or ‘water channel.’ It is found in areas of Dutch influence in the Netherlands’ former North American colony of New Netherland, primarily the Hudson and Delaware Valleys.”

There was also the majestic Kaaterskill Falls that flows unceasingly yet slows traffic to a crawl as you cross in front of it. Soon after reaching the mountaintop, one will soon notice that many more groups have melted into these mountains over time than have the Dutch who had flocked to New York from the Netherlands and settled there. At the turn of the century, brutally hot summer temperatures in the Big Apple had most people looking for a way to cool off, and it was learned that refuge could be taken in the higher altitudes, oftentimes a difference of 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Not to mention the temperature-reducing crystal clear lakes, ponds, streams, rivers and yes, even kills.

For those with the means to do so, second homes became a thing in the Catskills. That meant that many of the things that were enjoyed in Manhattan and the boroughs must also be available here as well. Soon decadent hotels and lavish inns popped up, along with restaurants and retail establishments to support these folks.

Next, transportation was needed to bring the folks with parasols and top hats to the coolness of a summer breeze. So the railroad came to town to bring the needed supplies, along with the workers, servants to help serve our visiting aristocrats.

Times have certainly changed, as the invention of air travel took our annual visitors to other stops and places of intrigue around our nation or foreign destinations.

The mountaintop economy suffered. Establishments closed or burned down and many dwellings were abandoned or went into disrepair.

Over time, more people settled here as different industries took off and “upstate” became the place to play in New York with outdoor recreational activities leading the charge. So this became a great region to settle and raise a family while working and living in your own vacationland.

The Dutch were joined by others who came to America to settle in Manhattan and the Big City. There are big pockets of differing cultures spread all across our region, each finding a way to live harmoniously.

During the recent pandemic many folks and families flocked to the Catskills to escape the crowded cities and keep themselves and their loved one safe where a priority was space and clean air … and lots of it. With multiple opportunities to work from home, a move upstate was a perfect solution in this health crisis and many started to share with others that going back to the city might not be to their liking.

Another exciting development for families is that students who went off to college or work in the big cities started coming home. Previously, they had not returned to their Catskill roots for most of their adult lives, only to come home when they were needed to take care of their aging parents. These mountain top kids are now choosing to return home earlier and create families and homes of their own. Also, those who have traveled here to visit or vacation are staying and moving here full time.

So again I ask … why here in the Catskills?

The reasons could be many of the topics we’ve brought up already, but there must be more than that, right?

Other areas have reasonable commuting locations, or incredible outdoor recreation, or work-from-home jobs, or fresh air and natural beauty to witness, fresh food and farms, incredible hamlets filled with amazing stores and tasty restaurants, the vibe of Woodstock, or even the cultural and historical events that happened here. So why here?

I spent the past month asking myself, and others, why they thought living in the Catskills was the right choice for them.

After meditating on this question, my answer was simple. It is our community and the community spirit that makes the difference. Many who hold a wish to enjoy all aspects of their lives. Catskills people are living their authentic and full lives. No more traffic jams and smog and if needed quick trips to the hustle and bustle of the big city are only a few hours away and the retreat home is the prize. We can have both. We can have everything.

Never in a million years did I believe I would live here. Like many, it was a nice place to visit but New England was my home, it always had been. I always thought I would retire as the morning radio host on a Burlington, VT radio station, a place I loved and where I had met many friends as a TV broadcaster of Vermont Catamount Sports teams on local and regional broadcasts.

On my way to that destination, well, honestly, the Catskills happened. I began coming to spiritual retreats in Hunter at the Xenia Resort and later helped the owners who migrated from Ukraine to open a wellness center there. They and those who attend their retreats are still family to me in a homey environment. In my efforts to market that wellness location, I met a visionary pharmacist and scientist from Tannersville who believes we can do better with healthcare and I was asked to join his management team, and later our team helped him open America’s first nonprofit community pharmacy.

Community has always been important to me, but since my college days, I have been a tumbleweed going where the breezes of change took me. I was a rudderless boat, without anchor. The Catskills have changed all that for me. One could argue that my decision to put down roots to attach myself to a wellness center and open my own massage and healing practice was all that I needed to do to join a community. But I know it was much more than that.

I was welcomed by everyone and in turn welcomed them into my life. As a man of spirit, I know that we are all souls meant to treat each other with love and respect. When we do this and help others, we help ourselves and together we create harmony in our communities The Catskill Mountains are the previous and next generation of just how #CommunityMatters.

Like those before me, I am home now and soon others will have what we’re having too. Then they will take their turn at sharing their story as we all have done. Let me finish by asking you now, “Why the Catskills for you?” We who have settled here, know you have an answer.

Greg Madden is the Development Manager at Wellness Rx Pharmacy where he also practices ancient healing modalities like Tui-Na Medical Massage and BioPhoton Light Therapy. Find our more at IlluminatingWellness.care.

WellnessRx, Pharmacy for the Public Good is America’s first nonprofit Community Pharmacy and Wellness Center in Tannersville, NY (WellnessRxLLC.com) and in Phoenicia, NY (PharmacyforthePublicGood.org), both located on Main Street.