Former Brooklyn resident welcomes NYC transplants

I personally related to the front page article: “NYC makes move on upstate,” April 4. Eighteen years ago, my wife and I moved from Brooklyn to the Hudson Valley in what we now realize was a delayed reaction to 9/11. We wanted a new place to live that had space, quiet and natural beauty. What we discovered was a vibrant region and a fulfilling new life.

We were struck by the natural beauty of the valleys and plains, hills and mountains, and rivers and lakes. If we feel like taking to the woods or to the water, this region has us covered.

Because things happen on a smaller scale, we got involved in our community and made a difference. We helped to start a local charity, worked in a tutoring program, got involved in town government and served on several committees. Volunteer fire and ambulance squads and local organizations welcome new members. If like us, you’ve leaped from the city to the country, then you’ll find a world of things to learn and master that will challenge and fulfill you.

The Capital Region is a cultural mecca. We attend great performances by the Grammywinning Albany Symphony Orchestra and at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Schenectady’s Proctors Theater, the Times Union Center and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s EMPAC. At the University at Albany’s renowned Writers Institute, we hear readings by some of the world’s finest authors.

Welcome to the Hudson Valley, where there’s always a parking space, seldom a traffic jam and neighbors help neighbors.

Mark Berger Nassau