Honestly?

Given that it's 2 hrs from NYC, if it's actually in the State of NY I would no choice but to sell it and buy a lot more land somewhere I like with the proceeds.

Otherwise, I would live on it. Except for the fact that it's smaller than I want, it's the property o' my dreams ...

Hell, I might even live on it in NY if it were in a sufficiently un-NY-like community.

You could lease bits of it out for camping and such.

I was going to ditto the sell/buy elsewhere, but I seem to remember someone telling me that NY is actually quite pretty and has lots of wildlife. They go duck hunting in boats that float really slowly down wide rivers with lots of hardwoods on either side. Really lovely in the fall. And there are deer and bears. Probably moose too.

Yes, any land purchased by me will be chosen primarily because of the amount of harvestable meat walking around on it. Sorry, vegans.

NY state is very beautiful, once you're out of the cities. People can even think sensibly out there, but like many states with large cities, the cities get the attention (and the tax dollars) to the detriment of the rural and suburban areas.

I'm not sure it's a detriment. Where the money goes....the scum follow. :biggrin:

LJ, it sounds like you have a specific situation you are facing, not a hypthetical one at all. If it were ME in your position, I would lease an easement for a telecommunications/microwave tower on the highest point. 40 years would be a good lease for me, steady income for the rest of my life. Maybe put a COLA or step increases built into the lease, ask a lawyer to draw it up. Then deed the entire parcel to The Nature Conservancy, take a nice tax writeoff (the Conservancy has great lawyers too), and sit back and enjoy the fireworks when the developers find out :D

oo. i like the way you think.