As  Hudson Valley residents we understand why so many from New York City escape to our neck of the woods.

The Hudson Valley is all about that fresh air feelin' with a hint of that small-town vibe that those who are confined to tiny, multimillion-dollar city apartments crave.

When the pandemic rolled in and all of New York, and the rest of the world for that matter, was shut down. We kind of expected our friends in the city to come up to visit, but are they getting too comfortable now.

Almost a year after the COVID-19 lockdown started, we're still seeing a surge in new residents in neighborhoods around the Hudson Valley. With data from the US Postal Service, The New York Post is reporting that "An estimated 5 percent of the city’s population, or more than 300,000 people, particularly those in higher-income zip codes, bum-rushed the ‘burbs last year."

Places like Realtor.Com and Zillow shared with The Post that places, like our Beacon in Dutchess County, "have seen an increase in home values between 35 and 45 percent" due to the "bum-rush."

One Hudson Valley sanitation worker told The Post:

Every day is like Christmas

when it comes to the uptick in garbage pickups.

Of course, when there are negatives to our new NYC neighbors, there are positives. In a world where small business is struggling, towns like Beacon, Kingston, Rhinebeck and Marlboro reap the benefits.

While it feels like we're the only ones dealing with an influx of visitors, small towns in New Jersey and Connecticut are also getting use to their new neighbors.

We can complain about it all we want, but the truth of the matter is that it's not going to change any time soon. So let's embrace our new neighbors and give them a big Hudson Valley welcome!

Photos: Treehouse in Hudson Valley Most Popular New York Airbnb

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