Located at the top of New York’s Columbia County, Chatham offers its residents a charming mix of community, culture, and quiet, rural living. Chatham’s borders span a little over 50 square miles, with the more densely populated Village of Chatham located near the town’s southern border.
Stone House Properties' New York office is located within the village; it’s one of our favorite places to live and work. Our agents are able to lend their extensive local knowledge to some of the most frequently asked questions about the area.
Is Chatham, NY a nice place to live?
Chatham is a wonderful place to live! The town was historically a farming community, and there are still plenty of homes with sprawling properties and gorgeous land views as a result. It’s the perfect place for anybody looking for a fair amount of privacy while still desiring an adorable downtown to explore.
The village of Chatham is full of independent retailers, restaurants, and arts venues. You’ll also find all of the essentials nearby like banks, grocery stores, a library and more–including your favorite real estate agency! With all of these businesses located downtown, you’ll find plenty of locals walking, dining, and conversing with each other on the main strip all year round. If community is what you seek, you’ll be able to find it easily in the village.
What is it like to live in Chatham?
Living in Chatham can look a lot of different ways. Homes range from quaint, cozy, historical homes to grand and more recently-built estates with breathtaking views.
Whether you seek a quiet and cute neighborhood–or to not see your neighbors at all–you can find a home within a convenient distance to downtown Chatham to enjoy the town’s unique charm. Seasonal offerings include a farmers market with locally-sourced goods, indoor and outdoor yoga classes, parades, festivals and more. The next major event of the year will be SummerFest, a family-friendly event with food and drink vendors, live music, free activities and more.
In the winter months, Chatham’s businesses go all-out for WinterFest, which has included cookie decorating contests, free showings of classic holiday films, ice skating, wine tasting and more in the past. Santa even stopped by with his friends to meet some local kids inside of our office last year!
Crandell Theatre and FilmColumbia
Film buffs who are looking to make Columbia County their home may already be familiar with the acclaimed FilmColumbia, a yearly 10-day long festival in October that plays the very best in both national and international film features. FilmColumbia is held at Crandell Theatre, a nonprofit cinema located right in downtown Chatham.
FilmColumbia screens films of all genres. In 2024, their festival featured ceremonies and live talks with some incredible guests: Ruth Reichl, James Schamus, Al Roker, Stephen Lang, Scott Cohen and Walton Goggins all appeared for various events over the week.
Currently, announcements about the 2025 festival are on hold as the theatre is closed for large-scale renovation and restoration. The Crandell has announced that they expect to be re-opened for fall 2025 with new seating, remodeled bathrooms, an expanded lobby with a cafe, and better AV equipment–all while retaining many of the Spanish Renaissance features that guests know and love.
As a Chatham local, you’ll be able to attend great events at the Crandell year-round upon their reopening. When not in festival mode, the theatre–which is the oldest and largest in the county–plays both mainstream and lesser-known films. The Crandell keeps families in mind with frequent showings of both old and new children’s films, or “Kid Flicks.” Even their “off-season” programming will feature artist talks, films with a live soundtrack, and more for artistically-minded locals to enjoy.
Things to do in Chatham NY
For a small town, there are plenty of ways to entertain yourself in Chatham year-round. Attending community-centered fairs and festivals every season and browsing the beautifully curated stores downtown is just the start.
In the greater area surrounding downtown, there are plenty of unique offerings for health and wellness, including: nature trails, yoga, dance and meditation classes, fitness centers, martial arts classes, and so much more.
For arts and culture enthusiasts, there are a number of venues in the area to explore: the Mac-Haydn Theatre, PS21 Center for Contemporary Performance, and Spencertown Academy Arts Center all offer different flavors of performing arts. There are also a number of studios around Chatham that feature outstanding work by local visual artists. You’ll find no shortage of ways to scratch your cultural itch when summer stock is in full swing.
With its long history in agriculture, the Chatham area has come home to some amazing breweries, cideries and wineries over the years. As a local to Columbia County, you could spend quite a bit of time going to and ranking your favorite of these taprooms. A personal favorite of our team’s is Greenhouse Cidery at the Chatham Berry Farm. At Greenhouse, you sit surrounded by lush flowers and greenery, and can enjoy great food, drinks and entertainment of all kinds–including live music, outdoor yoga, pop-up shops and more! Best of all, your dogs are welcome to join you on your excursion.
Best restaurants in Chatham
Eating your way around Chatham is sure to be a great pastime with all of our independently-owned restaurants! You won’t find many chain establishments within the Chatham border; instead, explore our many bistros, pubs, cafes and more.
One standout is Chatham Brewing, whose signature burger won the New York Beef Council’s eighth annual Best NY Burger competition. Our other favorites include Fiesta Cafe, which offers a crowd-pleasing blend of breakfast food and Mexican-inspired lunches, as well as Bimi’s–a cheese shop, restaurant & bar, and a great spot for coffee all in one.
Truly, there are too many great options to list, with many more still to come. For example, the cafe and bakery Fork N Whisk celebrated their opening last fall right next door to our office. It’s easy to find something new to explore when you make Chatham your home!
Chatham NY Real Estate
Are you looking to explore homes for sales in Chatham? Our team is happy to help you along your journey. Click here to see what’s currently on the market.
