Reuse. Rehabilitate. Restore. Architectural salvage and repurposed pieces for the home.
We’re off to Stowe, Vermont for a (hopefully) relaxing weekend. Staying at this place, which looks quite nice. If you know of any summer festivities in that area, let us know! Flea markets? Thrift shops? Wonderful veg-friendly restaurants? Good dog hikes?
Happy Monday….MY BIRTHDAY!!!
Back in the Seventies, my mother’s friend went to one of those Poconos honeymoon resorts with her husband. They had a great time, yada, yada, returned the following year and caught themselves on an X rated video showing at the lodge.
This sounds like an urban legend, but I swear it was true, unless this woman was taking the piss out of my mom.
Anyway, it totally put me off the Poconos. Which is a shame because I would be all over that kitsch-n-tacky crap without the added expense of flying to Las Vegas.
Where else can you enjoy a champagne tower hot tub with your partner? Unless you put one in your house.
Hmm….
Anyway, Happy Valentine!
Keeping dry under the awning in Margaretville
There is life beyond Woodstock on Rt. 28. You’d want to have some appreciation of the country if you’re heading way upstate as the area is more relaxing than exciting. Is that my way of saying this city chick didn’t enjoy her recent visit? Not exactly, but……
You get what you pay for. In this instance, we stayed at a friend’s house for free. We had been there over 13 years ago and it was really lovely. The home belongs to a Brooklyn couple and she hasn’t been upstate in over 3 years due to health issues. When he told us he “didn’t get to clean this week” we thought nothing of it, having 6 cats that pee everywhere but the litterbox. Problem was, he hasn’t cleaned in about 3 years. Dust. Mold smell from basement. Mouse shit. Dead flies on glue strips.
Fine, we’ll just sleep there. Won’t cook. Except, Peekamoose, the closest good dinner restaurant was like 20 miles away in Big Indian and gourmet deli places, not so much. We ended up with deli from the local supermarket. Potato salad and such.
But it’s not all about food. We had planned on long hikes with the dogs and kayak trips and envisioned sitting on the deck overlooking the stream while enjoying a glass of wine.
It rained all weekend. Oh, we hiked. In the pouring rain. The first day we did what would’ve been an extremely pleasant hike at Dry Brook Ridge. The trail winds around a stream and leads to a waterfall. How wonderful on a hot day to be able to cool off in the stream! How horrid on a rainy day to drag your waterlogged legs and feet along the muddy trail.
I wanted an iphone picture by the beautiful waterfall, but that was the moment my dog jumped into the rushing water and I panicked and made my husband go save her.
The following day we hiked the Huckleberry Loop of Drybrook in the rain. The tall trees were pretty and it was a pleasant, slightly uphill walk. The trail would have been fairly easy for me, except I was huffing and puffing and experiencing vertigo from lack of sleep in the moldy house the night before. At least that’s what I think it was from. Perhaps it was late season allergies. Or maybe I’m just out of shape. Or I drank too much wine on the wet deck. Anyway, we only went an hour or so in.
The house was located between the towns of Margaretville and Andes. We hung around Margaretville for a bit and drove through Andes. Both places and Fleischmanns seemed slightly more depressed than the last time I was there. Oh, they were still charming for sure and had it going on, but there were some shuttered restaurants and shops, perhaps due to the economy. This is why I say that you really have to appreciate the natural beauty of the area. Don’t visit solely for the quaint villages or you could be in for a disappointment. There are also a lot of miles between towns, so be prepared to do some heavy driving. Or more driving than you’re used to if you’re from NYC.
Arkville is tiny little surprise of a town. If you blink, you’ll miss it, but the old railroad is a cool feature, as is the Bread and Breakfast diner in a caboose.
We decided to head home a day early. We stopped for lunch at Sweet Sue’s in Phoenicia. It was the best part of the trip. Sweet Sue’s is never a let down. They used to be a little restaurant known for their amazing breakfasts, but now they’ve expanded and seem to be the biggest draw in town (apart from the tubing). I had some kind of pistachio encrusted tofu dish and the husband had a tempeh reuben. We sat outside (The sun was out because we were on our way home) where the dogs were quite welcome.
So, here’s my summary….
Beyond Woodstock: Mt. Tremper, Phoenicia, Big Indian are beautiful with some things to do in bad weather. Beyond Big Indian is breathtakingly gorgeous, but be sure to have a rain plan.
The word that comes to mind when I look at this house is “Suh-weet”. For the past 7 years, the residence has been inhabited by former Park Slopers turned Kingstonites, Nancy and her family. She has a super cool blog called Oswegatchie about the house, the restoration and the Hudson Valley.
Open house this Sunday, August 2nd! I wish I was around to see it. I’ve always wanted to see the interiors of some of these fabulous Kingston Victorians. This home is located “Uptown” which is pretty much the business district. It’s within walking distance to restaurants, supermarkets, shops and the bus down to the city.
The single family house is listed for $409,500. It sits on 0.37 acres and has 6 bedrooms. Six bedrooms!
These are friends of Louise aka OTBKB, so they must be nice.
The Nevele was one of the last remaining Catskill resorts from a bygone era. Sadly, last month they closed their doors.
A NJ based investment group purchased the hotel in 1997 and turned it over 3 years later to another NJ company. $11 million was spent on improvements and it’s said that the place was hopping. The financial problems were likely from failed management and not lack of business.
Ellenville has lost some major employers in the past few years and this only adds to the economic woes of the downtrodden town.
By the way, Nevele is eleven backwards because it was originally owned by 11 brothers.
Please see: Borscht Belt. Then & Now.
I had four real estate shoots yesterday and all the properties were inhabited by tenants who just didn’t want me to be there. Some were still in bed at 10am. Some didn’t clear away their mess. One woman was downright rude. She later apologized. Nobody is happy that they have to move against their will.
What’s a photo gal to do when she doesn’t have much to work with? It’s a challenge. You have to see the beauty in the shit hole. Detail shots. Creative framing. Clever angles.
This super cool property is a retired railroad station. Now it houses a beauty salon and several small apartments. The tenants were around, the units weren’t clean. I got interior shots, but I like this one best.
This was a decent house with a separate cottage on a nice quiet street. One apartment was vacant and the other had meh decor. The realtor thought I wouldn’t be able to do anything with the cottage, but I thought those shots came out better than the house. When I opened the barn doors and saw that old VW, my heart skipped a beat. I’d buy that house just for the van!
What do you do with a bland new construction that’s cluttered floor to ceiling with kid’s toys and moving boxes? I got tired of moving things around by this point. It was the end of the day and I was like “Oh, so there’s a box in the shot.” This was the one piece of space with nothing but….space.
Previous real estate photos here, here and here.
All Flickr here.
Since I’ve been spending more time shooting houses than creating furniture or blog posts, I’ll just display some photos for ye. Perhaps I’ll single-handedly get more people to move up here and open some fabulous (vegetarian) restaurants and art movie houses, etc. Perhaps then I’ll think Beacon is as cool as everyone up here thinks it is and I won’t need to take refuge back in Brooklyn every weekend. Or perhaps pigs will fly out of my butt.
If you want the low down on moving up here or real estate or such, give me a shout. I’ll hook you up.
I shot this massive brick building during the week. It goes on forever! There are 4 decent sized apartments and a gallery space in the basement. Next door is a store front gallery/apartment duplex and a separate studio apartment upstairs. The $699,900 price lists it with 4 units, so they may have added the second building after.
All apartments are currently rented to people with great taste. Especially that “Pretty in Pink” apartment, which belongs to a friend of mine.
Isn’t she….? Funny thing is, I saw the DVD in her movie collection! Not that I was snooping. It was right out there. FYI, Richard “Furs” Butler lives in Cold Spring and I always see him wandering around Beacon. Like even more than I see Pete Seeger around.
This guy’s apartment was being eaten by books, but I love the doll fetish!
The basement gallery space was tres cool! There’s a separate entrance on the side that leads out to a deck overlooking the creek. You can have some kick ass parties down here, huh?
This extremely sweet 2BR Victorian is priced at $239k. I love the location. It’s verrrry walkable to Main Street and the train. The house is in good condition, currently owned by (what else?) an artist. Is anyone in Beacon NOT an artist? Oh yeah, me. And the hubby.
More here.
More on Flickr.
Jenny and David are moving back to the city.
The couple bought the Kripplebush Bed and Breakfast in Stone Ridge, NY nearly 10 years ago. They restored the home and made it their own. Jenny and David were married there (I was their wedding photographer), held concerts and had a baby.
Ideally, they would love to rent the house on a full time basis for $2500 per month, but they are open to vacation rentals. My husband and I stayed there long before we met Jenny and David, back when an older woman named Abby ran the Kripplebush B&B. It’s a charming old home on beautiful property, close to all of those awesome restaurants in the StoneFallsEndale area.
The 4 bedroom, 3 bath house sits on 1 acre including a creek, with another two acres across the street. I adore the restoration! They updated the house by enhancing the historic detail with a modern twist. The red kitchen cabinets! The tin ceiling! The colorful molding! There’s a music room AND a yoga studio. Now, I’m not a musician and I don’t really do yoga, but who cares? I want.
Mary Ellen Flemming at Westwood Metes and Bounds is the listing realtor. 845-687-0232
If you decide to rent the place and it’s too large for you, I might have some free weekends available. Please do not hesitate to ask. You pay, cook and clean in return for the pleasure of my company.
Last week I posted Mario’s Estate Sale. Due to weather and personal issues, they put the sale off until this Saturday. So, if you didn’t make it, you have a second chance!
Here’s some cut and paste…..”If you’re heading north for the weekend, Mario of those Mario and Reclaimed Home estate sales is holding a tag sale at his house in Beacon. He’s partnering up with Iron Fish Mark this time, who just closed his eclectic vintage/antiques shop on Main Street. They have tons of goodies filling up the 2 story garage space. And Mario always prices things to SELL! It’s at 69 Verplanck, this Saturday. Rain date is May 16.”
The Retro Arcade Museum opened up about a month ago on the west end of Beacon, NY’s Main Street. OMG, OMG, OMG, you have to go!! We’re talking completely cool arcade games from the 50’s-80’s.
Here’s how it works. It’s $10 per hour and then all the games are free. No quarters involved. Pinball machines from the 60’s and 70’s, back when they were good. Speed racing. Shooting games. Awesome.
But that’s not all folks! The digital juke box has every imaginable forgotten band of the 70’s. Oh yeah, other decades too, but I’m focusing on my own childhood. David Soul’s “Don’t Give Up On Us”! John Travolta’s “Let Her In”! Cher’s “Bang Bang”!
And there’s video too. You can put on old Lucy or Honeymooners episodes while playing. Or Chips or Starsky and Hutch. It’s pretty much like taking a step back in time.
We spoke to Fred, the owner while we were there. He’s originally from Canarsie, then Manhattan, and is now living in Hopewell Junction up here. He started collecting 6 years ago and already has a warehouse full of stuff, plus all the games in the shop. He restores them himself. I’m, like, totally jealous.
Retro Arcade can be rented out for parties. There’s a 50’s era kitchen in the back. It’s just too much fun! Forget DIA. Just go to the arcade!
Hudson River Market is currently looking for artists, photographers, crafters and all those creative types for a new market set to officially open in May, with a soft opening on April 25th. It will run every Saturday and it’s $100 for 4 weeks.
Check out Beacon Citizen for updates.
Louise Bourgeois’ Crouching Spider at DIA via Grufnik @ Flickr.
Ok, I have your whole Saturday agenda planned out for you. Here’s what you’re gonna do. You drive up here or take Metro North early in the morning. Hit my tag sale first (obviously). Then you’ll probably need some brunch. Stop by Home Spun Foods for some refueling. Or try Marlena’s for the best pierogies this side of the Ukraine.
The Beacon Pub Crawl takes place on Saturday, the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve never been, but I just saw some YouTube footage. I guess there’s no avoiding the assholes if you’re on Main Street. I think there’s also a goofy small town St. Pat’s parade too. Woo-hoo! The fun never ends in exciting Beacon!
Are you still with me? Then you’ll hit DIA, because you can’t come to Beacon without visiting DIA. It’s going to be a nice day, so after that, stroll by the river. You can do the rail trail or Long Dock or hang out by the riverside park.
And then, it’s what Second Saturday is all about….the art openings. Some start as early as 4pm, but it pretty much gets going between 6-9pm. Here’s a partial list:
Van Brunt has a group show going on, featuring his own work and works by Chris Albert, Kathy Feighery and others.
There’s an interesting looking show at 400 Square. Four women using “Alternative Processes in a Contemporary World”.
Floor One is exhibiting Photography by Georgi over on the east side of Main Street.
Fovea presents Expanding Visions, a multimedia slide show projection.
Go North Gallery remembers Audrey Chibbaro with their exhibit “The Sacred Balance of the Irreverent”. The retrospective celebrates the artist, who succumbed to cancer at age 45 last December.
Beacon Artist Union (BAU) has an exhibition of new work by Catherine Welshman.
Open Space presents Cut Out, a group show curated by Mike Perry.
More info @ Maykr, Beacon Citizen and Beacon Artists Community Association
$159k: Livingston Manor
Get ’em while the prices are low! There are short sales and foreclosures popping up everywhere. Although I don’t like the idea of being a vulture, a short sale actually saves the seller from from foreclosure, so maybe it’s good karma?
Here are some huge party/weekend homes you may not otherwise be able to afford. Of course, you can live in these places full time too!
House in above photo is zoned for commercial and residential in Sullivan County. Hello B&B! The 6 bedroom 4700 sq ft house was built in 1902.
$130k: Liberty
5 bedroom on 12+acres. This house needs work. The guy ran out of money and wants to unload it. I’m sure you can find friends to help out in exchange for a country retreat.
4 bedroom farmhouse on an acre with a barn.
$425,500: Putnam Valley
Dated 3000 sq ft contemporary on 8+ acres. Babbling brook on property. *Felix would’ve loved this! (*for Odd Couple fans only)
This question has come up a lot in Beacon. I’ve learned recently that people living here (mostly the newbies) don’t like to think of themselves as “Upstaters”. They think upstate is north of the Hudson Valley. Even my husband agrees, but what does he know? He’s from the other side of the Atlantic.
There is no right or wrong answer. It’s all about perception. Urban Dictionary lists Long Island as Upstate, stating “Face it! People from the city think anything other than NYC is Upstate!” That’s not true. Now, I’ve never been one to call Westchester Upstate, but personally, I’m convinced that anything north of that suburb is indeed Upstate.
What do you think?
‘Tis the season for leaf peeping! My guess is that this weekend and next will be prime. The leaves are looking beee-autiful already, so get your butts up to the country! But don’t take my word for it. Check out NY Fall Foliage for a peak report by region.
Do it the easy way. Just hop a ferry from the city. NY Waterway has a “Shades of Autumn” river cruise up the Hudson for $40. Circle Line does a fall foliage tour up to Bear Mountain for $45.
But of course if you have the time and bucks to get away from the city for the weekend, check yourself into a lovely B&B and live! Live like I never get to live! Do it for me.
If you’ve got a green/orange/red/yellow thumb, click on the photo link above for a planting guide so you don’t even have to leave your own backyard next year.