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Weekender: Wurtsboro, NY

Weekender: Wurtsboro, NY published on

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Little known fact: Ms. Reclaimed Home from straight outta Brooklyn spent a few years of her childhood in Wurtsboro, NY. My parents did the country/city thing for awhile. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Early 70’s Wurtsboro had all of the small town ingredients that scares the bejesus out of me today…hunter’s driving around with rifles and dead deer attached to their hoods, pregnant teens, drunk drivers and nutty conservatives. My mother’s BFF (no longer on this plane), an antiques dealer and psychic, moved up from Brooklyn first. By the time we arrived she had managed to befriend the one black family and one gay couple in town, so my informative years weren’t too parochial.Continue reading Weekender: Wurtsboro, NY

Suburban Pioneers?

Suburban Pioneers? published on

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Our $385k house

Hey, don’t look at me. I didn’t say it. The NY Post did. As if this is news all of the sudden that starving artists are leaving NYC for more affordable digs upstate.

“Meet the suburban pioneers – folks who’ve migrated to edgy, diverse towns in the Hudson Valley where you can nab a house for less than $350,000.” Pioneers? People lived here before we did. I hate that word “pioneer”! Edgy? Who wrote this? Someone living in the mid west? I’ll give you this….Beacon is edgier than…umm…..Marine Park.Continue reading Suburban Pioneers?

Weekender: Windham, NY

Weekender: Windham, NY published on 3 Comments on Weekender: Windham, NY

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Like many of the other upper Catskill towns, Windham is strikingly beautiful. It’s all about the mountains. What sets Windham apart from Phoenicia or Athens is that it’s SERIOUSLY all about the mountains. Dude.

This is ski country. And Windham Mountain is not just for serious skiers. Awkward klutzes like myself can enjoy ice skating, snow tubing or snow boarding. Not that I’m not on my ass half the time doing those things, it’s just not as torturous as skiing. Anyway, in 2006, new owners, Windham Mountain Partners, invested over $5 million for new chair lifts, trails, the ice skating center and a restaurant.Continue reading Weekender: Windham, NY

Kate Pierson’s Inn: Rocket Through the Wilderness

Kate Pierson’s Inn: Rocket Through the Wilderness published on 6 Comments on Kate Pierson’s Inn: Rocket Through the Wilderness

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First of all, who doesn’t love The B-52’s and their sense of style? Kate Pierson (the redhead) is the proprietor of the Lazy Meadow Motel located in Mt Tremper, NY. Let’s just say if a motel could be a rock star, Lazy Meadow would be Kate Pierson.

The 1950’s cabins are situated on 9 acres fronted by the Esopus Creek. Decor is mid century modern/retro/50’s kitsch. Each suite has a different theme. There are two vintage airstream trailers which look even cooler than the cabins. Kate had design help from her friends William Stewart Design and tile artists Phillip Maberry and Scott Walker, original owners of, yes, The Love Shack.

Here’s my “pet” peeve: An animal rights activist, Kate has set aside (only) one room that is pet friendly. For an additional $25 per night, you can bring little Stinky, who must be under 25 pounds. As the mommy of 2 large dogs, I call that sizest!

You’re what? Tin roof….rust!

Attack of the Dome Homes

Attack of the Dome Homes published on 2 Comments on Attack of the Dome Homes

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An old article on Hudson Valley Magazine lead me to singer Peggy Atwood’s site about her monolithic dome in the Catskills. She decided to have it built after nearly losing a house to a tornado in Tennessee and another near miss Upstate due to a forest fire.

Granted, all dome homes are awesome, but when I came across the Solaleya website, I knew I had discovered my latest obsession. These homes, which have the added plus of totally looking like a spaceship, actually rotate with the sun. Need I say more? THE HOUSE ROTATES WITH THE SUN!

Solaleya homes are made with FSC wood and are insulated with cork. They are earthquake and hurricane resistant and can be equipped with solar panels. Unless I’m reading the brochure wrong, prices don’t seem to be insane. For $64k, you can get a 420 square foot “guest room”. $ 834k will buy you a 6307 square foot home with 25 foot ceilings. Of course, options and land not included.

Although I’d love to see one of these under my Hannukah menorah this season, I still can’t overlook the fact that, as green as this is, it is still new construction.

Monolithic
Earth Shelter
Dome Home

Weekender: Tivoli, NY

Weekender: Tivoli, NY published on 5 Comments on Weekender: Tivoli, NY

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I love Tivoli! Much like High Falls, this is a tiny town bursting at the seams with great restaurants and a tremendous cultural scene. How did Tivoli, in northern Dutchess, become so hip?

Well, it’s a college town. Home to Bard College located in the hamlet of Annandale on Hudson, Tivoli caters to both young hipsters and weekenders alike.

Main Street is about 2 blocks long. Within those 2 blocks, there is the friggen awesome vegetarian Luna 61 (closed for winter), 4 star Santa Fe and Osaka Sushi to name a few restaurants.

The Tivoli Artist’s Coop and Kaatsbaan Dance Center rival any NYC establishments. Ok, well, maybe not, like, Lincoln Center, but you get the drift.

Tivoli is close to Rhinebeck, Red Hook and less about 16 miles from Hudson. There are plenty of historic sites, antique shops and hikes in the surrounding area.

Downers:

Amtrak to Rhinecliff will get you close enough, but you need a car or taxi to get to Tivoli.

Because the town is so small, not many homes are for sale and those that are, aren’t as inexpensive as Kingston or Athens.

Tivoli.org
Hearty Roots Farm

Hudson Valley Materials Exchange Needs Your Help

Hudson Valley Materials Exchange Needs Your Help published on

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Hudson Valley Materials Exchange, a not for profit environmental organization, is being evicted. The building surplus and craft supplies warehouse located at Stewart Airport is getting the boot due to airport expansion. Although personally, I’m happy to travel a traffic free 10 minute drive from Beacon to Jet Blue when I visit my folks in Florida, I hate to see them being displaced. They are a great asset to homeowners and artisans in the area.

The Exchange will be closed for the winter and they’re currently looking for volunteers to help with everything from sorting and packing to renovations to getting the word out (hey, I just did that while sitting on my ass!). You can also dig into your pockets and make a donation. They’ve set up PayPal so you can donate online.

We hope to see them back in action soon!

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Weekender: Narrowsburg

Weekender: Narrowsburg published on 1 Comment on Weekender: Narrowsburg

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Narrowsburg is quaint. That’s an understatement. I just want to put it in my pocket and take it home with me, it so cute.

Apart from being adorable, the town has alot going for it. Two and a half hours from the city, it sits on the Delaware River between the Catskills and the Poconos. This area has a different feel from the rest of Upstate. For one, the Upper Delaware is a narrow, windy river, unlike the Hudson. The town is surrounded by hills, forests and lakes, which makes it more cozy than the vast upper Catskills.

It has already been discovered by weekenders, but the party ain’t over yet. Home prices are still very much affordable. What could be better? Weekender amenities at affordable prices?

In the town, you have the obligatory fine wine shop, coffee house, art galleries and antiques shops to keep the city folk happy. Outdoor activities: canoeing and kayaking (of course), hiking (of course) and eagle watching.

The bad news:

You need a car. Trains go as far as Port Jervis and buses to Monticello, both a half hour away.

Taxes are high, but then again, no more shocking than other parts of upstate. They are lower in neighboring Pennsylvania, and you can just hop over the puddle to get there.

If you decide to take a drive this weekend, check out the Valley Artists Holiday Sale.

Need a vacation rental in the area? Check out my friend’s farmhouse!

NY Times Article
River Reporter
Narrowsburg Chamber


Narrowsburg Realtors

Narrowsburg Realtors published on

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$175k: 6BR, 1/2 acre

Instead of doing individual listings this week, I want to point you to few real estate sites. The reason being, all of the listings I came up with belonged to one agent and they don’t even have alot of info on their site!

I was really impressed Catskill 4 Sale which features a handy MLS and real estate blog by a gay friendly buyer’s agent.

Eagle Valley Realty seems to have the corner on the market. You can search by price, which starts at under $100k.

Catskills 4 Sale is an informative site from a broker who apparently enjoys fishing. Most of his listings are already sold.

Hudson Historic Preservation

Hudson Historic Preservation published on

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Copied and pasted this from my inbox. How lazy am I?

The Hudson River Heritage has been asked by the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to help bring people out for a very important meeting that will ask residents to provide input for the State’s 2007-2011
Historic Preservation Plan.

The goal is to identify how to incorporate historic preservation into cost-effective environmentally-friendly community improvement and economic development activities, such as the redevelopment of existing resources, energy,conservation and smart growth initiatives.

A Mid-Hudson Valley meeting will be held in Kingston on November 15, 2007, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, 2nd Floor
Common Council Chamber, 420 Broadway.

OPRHP is planning a second set of meetings to be held in New York City, Cold Spring Harbor, Ithaca, Waterford, and Yonkers, to be announced soon.

NYS Preservation Planning

Historic Green Restoration

Historic Green Restoration published on 5 Comments on Historic Green Restoration

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Jean over at I Love Upstate hooked me up with Howard Hall Farm. I had never heard of them, but what a great find!

My husband doesn’t realize how easy he has it with our tiny home renovations! In 2005, Nora and Reggie purchased the 1780’s stone house overlooking the Hudson in Athens, NY on a whim. The home was in terrible disrepair due to years of neglect.

Howard Hall Farm is not just a restoration project. The Federal style home has become a vehicle for educating people on sustainable restoration techniques. Classes and workshops are taught on site (Really….are they just trying to get people to help work on their house?) and a TV may be in the works.

And for anyone doubting living through their own renovations, here’s a positive take on things from Reggie… “We sometimes struggle with the amount of work, living among the dirt and workers, chaos and squalor, but imagine someday we will too be past this phase with a beautiful restoration to show for it, and another slice of important Hudson river history preserved for posterity.”

Weekender: Athens, NY

Weekender: Athens, NY published on 3 Comments on Weekender: Athens, NY

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In my humble opinion, in New York State, the farther north you go, the more breathtakingly beautiful it gets. The mountains are bigger, the leaves are more colorful, the towns are more quaint. Obviously, it’s a longer drive from the city, but then again, the homes are less expensive!

Athens is one of those very quaint towns located in Greene County. If you’re unfamiliar with Greene County, surely you’ve heard of Hunter Mountain Ski Area. Athens sits between the Hudson River and the foothills of the Catskills. It just just a swim across the water to the overpriced Village of Hudson.

The architecture is varied and droolworthy. Here you’ll find examples of Victorian, Georgian and Federal styles at affordable prices.

The village, like much of upstate New York, is slowly seeing a resurgence. You can see it in a cultural center here and a yoga center there. The Stewart House, a fully restored 1883 landmark, is open for dinners and Sunday brunch. The B&B period rooms are tastefully decorated…even the Meryl Streep, where she “died” in Iron Weed.

It’s worth checking out the nearby towns of Coxackie and Catskill . Between the river and the mountains, you won’t have any trouble finding outdoor activities.

Fun Halloween Trivia fact: Part of the 2005 remake of War of the Worlds was filmed in Athens.

Greene County Tourism
Greene County Chamber of Commerce
Greene County Historical Society

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