The house is located about 5 minutes from Lake Taghkanic state park, which has 2 beaches (one with a concession stand) and great hiking trails, one of which circles the lake for about six miles. Boating and kayaking can also be done on the lake.
15 minutes from the house is the city of Hudson, which has dozens of antique shops, bookstores, art galleries, cafes & restaurants, and a couple of movie theatres. Warren street is the highlight.
Also about 15 minutes away is Frederic Church's estate, Olana, which has beautiful views of the Hudson and the Catskills, gardens, and a museum of his home.
Also about 15 minutes away in Ghent, NY, is the Fields Sculpture Park at the OMI International Arts Center with internationally recognized contemporary sculpture thoughtfully curated over 100 acres of farmland.
About 20-25 minutes away are Red Hook and Tivoli, which both have local shops and restaurants, and are close to Bard College, where the Fisher Performing Arts Center is located. 25 minutes away is Rhinebeck (5 minutes past Red Hook on Route 9), which has excellent restaurants, shops, a farmer's market on Saturdays, as well as local artists, and an art house movie theatre.
Directly across the river are Catskill, and the Catskill mountains with incredible hiking trails, and Woodstock.
If you like classical music, Tanglewood, the summer venue for the Boston Symphony Orchestra is about 40 miles away. It is a favorite for the cheap lawn tickets to outdoor concerts on summer nights. Well worth the drive.