Weekender Archives - Page 5 of 9

Muddy Cup Now In The Wine Biz

October 14, 2008 RH 4 Comments

Y’all know Muddy Cup, right? I know you upstaters do. Well, a new wine bar opened up in Beacon and it turns out the owner is the Muddy Cup guy, Jim Svetz (and probably partner Brian Woodward too, but, oops, didn’t get that info).

Photo: Angelika Rinnhofer for Maykr

So here’s my review:

The name is “Chill”. No. Just no.

The decor is comfy and relaxing. Dimly lit. Maybe it’s a bit “80’s lounge” but what would I know? I stopped going to bars after the 80’s so I have no idea what they look like now. Anyway, thumbs up.

The Drink. Well, they are new so I don’t want to rip them a new one just yet. But they call themselves a “wine bar”. They have a choice of maybe 5 reds and 5 whites to choose from by the glass and one sparkling wine. No bottles. No good wines. Not that I’m a connoisseur or anything, but if I’m going to a wine bar, it would be nice to try decent wines. Plus, why not have bottles of wine and champagne for groups celebrating events and such?

They have beer too. Bottles of Heineken, Corona, Coors and Bud. They have a small selection of microbrews including a blueberry beer. Again, they are new. Perhaps they’ll develop a better selection than Joe’s Irish Pub.

The Food. “Chill” offers panini and cheese plates. My friend ordered a panini from owner Jim and never got it. When she asked the bartender, he didn’t know what she was talking about. Granted, it was a busy Second Saturday and Jim isn’t part of the wait staff. He’s the owner and he was just schmoozing and helping out. So, it was funny. Well, it wasn’t my panini or my stomach, so I thought it was funny.

Can’t complain about the prices. I had a small bottle of sparkling wine that cost $7. I got 2 large glasses out of it. It was good enough to finish the whole bottle.

Artisan Wine Shop is located right across the street. I’m hoping there will be some kind of deal worked out here where they can get some decent wine. Owners Mai and Tim are my BFFs (I guess because I’m in there all the time). I’m gonna have to have a chat with them.

I’m going to be an NYC snob and say the place is like The Muddy Cup….for the masses. Hey, Muddy Cup is successful, so what do I know? My prediction is that you may see “Chill” popping up in Your Town, USA real soon.

PS: I have to say this….Both Muddy Cup and “Chill” have sponsored Obama events here in Beacon and they are on Team Blue. So, I really want to like them!

Native New Yorkers Surveyed

September 12, 2008 RH 7 Comments

**Archive. Originally posted October 26, 2007.

1993

I put a bunch of old friends to work for me so I can come up with a quickie post for today. This is a completely unscientific survey of native New Yorkers from all 5 boroughs. They are all close to my age (early 40’s).

These were the questions asked:

1. Best affordable neighborhood
2. Where would you live if you could afford any nabe?
3. Favorite restaurant
4. Old NYC or Gentrified?
5. Best weekend getaway
6. Best kept NYC secretContinue reading Native New Yorkers Surveyed

Open Air Art in Garrison

August 28, 2008 RH 1 Comment

Laying out the panels.

Non-profit arts organization, Collaborative Concepts is now in it’s third season at Saunders Farm in Garrison, NY. Approximately 50 artists will be participating in this year’s outdoor exhibit which opens this Saturday, August 30th at 10am. The show runs through October 31 and admission is free.

Among the artists are my buddy James Westwater with his Plywood Chateaux and my neighbor Gary Jacketti, so you know I’ll be there!

Hiking Trips For Dogs

August 28, 2008 RH

Hike With Your Dog offers camping trips for people and their furry companions. For $119 per person, you get an all inclusive 2 night trip. When I say all inclusive, I mean they provide the tents, sleeping bags and food. And even the poop bags!

They are located in Delaware, so many of the trips are in that area. There is a Catskill hike that covers Kaaterskill Falls and Minnewaska. If you want to go it alone, these folks have written the book on it. “Doggin’ America” guides list dog friendly and not so friendly hiking areas. Separate books include beaches, Poconos, The Berkshires and plenty more.

The trips usually includes 6-8 dogs.

Check out Katie the dog’s travelogue.

Hudson Armory

August 25, 2008 RH 3 Comments

My van was full of furniture for a week. I finally got up to Hudson Armory Art and Antiques to unload it on Saturday. The armory is owned and run by the Keegan family: Mom (Jean), Dad (Ed Sr) and Son (Ed Jr). They have an impressive selection of vendors with really decent pricing. A shame I didn’t have time to take pictures as the hubby was whining about needing something to eat after helping me unload.

Two Hudson dealers recommended I not go with the armory. They said it’s too far off the beaten path and I should stick to Warren Street. The other criticism was that the Keegans don’t try to sell the items because they’re not working on commission. Well, I gave them a chance anyway.

First of all, the monthly charge is $250 compared to the starting price of $600 plus commission at The Supermarket. Carousel came highly recommended, but has a waiting list. One dealer suggested The Coxsackie Antiques Center over the armory, saying it gets traffic from Hudson. I don’t get why something over the river, miles away would get more traffic than a shop around the corner. What am I missing?

What sold me on the armory is the space, number one. When we left, my husband said “I want to buy an armory.” Honey, say no more! I’m there! I also like the way my merch gels with everyone else’s. The items being sold aren’t stuffy expensive antiques. There’s an assortment of affordable eclectic offerings. A vintage phone booth for $450 was crying out to me to take it home for the brownstone hallway. “Add some coat hooks inside and make a little coat/brolly/mail closet.” It said. There was some decent vintage artwork for under $100. I saw architectural salvage as well as antique furnishings.

Hopefully next time I go, I’ll have the chance to shop and take pictures. And meet up with Hallie the Holy Hudson honey.

Weekender: Hudson

August 15, 2008 RH 5 Comments

Chances are you know more about Hudson than I do. That’s because I’ve only been there a handful of times. But that may be about to change. I took a trip up to Hudson yesterday with mom in tow, to seek out multi dealer antiques venues. I took a fancy to Armory Antiques so I may hook up with them.

The changes in Hudson since the last time I was there are so overwhelming, it’s difficult to convey in a single post. There’s a lot going on! The main shopping district on Warren Street can take a good few days to cover. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that many of the shops are antiques dealers. There are tons of art galleries and restaurants to keep you busy if you hate antiques.

Hudson is serviced by Amtrak and the town is completely walkable, so this can be a car free weekend destination. It’s within close proximity to Albany, The Berkshires and Upper Dutchess County. I’d give it a good 3 hours from NYC even though some like to say it’s only two.

I’ve been ignoring Hudson on this blog because I don’t think of it as being affordable. There are still some bargains to be had, but look into the real estate taxes before you leap. The homes around here are to die for!

Fun fact: The Wonder Years was filmed in Hudson.

Current cool Warren Street exhibit: Best in Show

Columbia Tourism, interactive guides

Hudson Listings

August 15, 2008 RH 2 Comments

$100k: Bank owned 4 family

What drew me to this house originally was the pink. But it looks like it’s been painted in Photoshop, no? Anyway, cool brick home for $100k. No interior shots leads me to believe this needs a tad TLC.

$345k: Detailed Victorian

The white exterior, perhaps vinyl siding isn’t thrilling me on this property. The interior shots tell another story though. Great detail and nice restoration work. Kudos to these folks!

$349,900: 4BR Arts and Crafts

All that woodwork! This home is solid looking and so sweet that I’m getting a tooth ache. I loouuve it!

$429,500: Former church

FYI, It’s my dream to convert a church. Also, barns, firehouses or any BIG OLD places. But back to the church….this one looks like a keeper! Who’s buying? I’ll do the work. And live there. All you need to do is put up the money. Not a bad deal, no?

Check Out Some Beacon Homes

August 14, 2008 RH

Photo by Bernie Kessler

I’m revisiting Beacon real estate this week because I keep hearing how dire the market is. The prices on these homes don’t seem particularly low, but it looks as if things have cooled off a bit in what was once red hot Beacon. The sellers would probably be asking at least $100k more if the bubble hadn’t burst. Whether they would get it or not is another thing.

There are definitely homes out there for under $200k in Beacon now. Plenty of them. I chose to look at the more interesting ones as the others didn’t do much for me. Get a load of some of these photos. You think city realtors can’t take pictures? These images are appalling, I tell ya. Simply appalling.

$349,500: 6 BR

Sorry the link doesn’t take you directly to the house. Not only can’t this broker take pictures, he is completely computer illiterate. I know because he’s the guy holding my license. He thinks his website looks good. Drives me nuts! Anyway, the house….3574 square foot Victorian on .31 acres. “Diamond in the rough” has some deets. The fact that someone took the time to strip the staircase and every single spindle has gotta be worth at least $200k. No, I’m serious. Really.

$389,000: 3 BR

Oh, how I’ve drooled over this house! It’s so friggen cute! Check out that 50’s breakfast nook! And the red couch. Bordello chic. Love it. Not so crazy about the location though. : (

$449k: 4 BR

Well, if you can’t afford the French chateau, here’s something that might do the trick for now. I love the crawlers and the fact that this house looks soooo haunted! 1900 square feet on 2 acres. It can be my Grey Gardens.

Land:It’s The Only Thing That Matters

July 31, 2008 RH 3 Comments

Our Marbletown country house was on seven acres connecting a neighbor’s property that we also had use of. Although I was completely miserable living in the woods, I’ve gotta say, it was nice to have trails in my own back yard. Open space is a happy thing and it’s disappearing quickly.

The following listings are upstate homes set on some acreage.

$249k: Claryville

Off the grid, baby! Solar powered cabin set on 30+ acres. Spring water, wood burning stove.

$259,900: High Falls

Location, location, location! This Lincoln log cabin is near High Falls. 1 BR, 1 Bath set on 10.2 acres. Best part of all, it looks like it needs work. You can relax AFTER the renovation!

$289,500: Dehli

3 BR cute-as-a-button farmhouse on 8 acres. Dehli is a good 3 hours from NYC, but it is breathtaking!

$300k: Stamford

Never been to Stamford, but those old photos sold me on this one! Just read the description: “Established in 1890 Rosemary Farm is part of the historical fabric of Delaware County. This wonderful farm is situated on 114 colorful acres, which includes pond, pine forest, wood lot, apple trees, meadows, trout stream, huge ancient maple trees, 7 bedroom farm house and 2 large barns.” And a tractor comes with the house! Now that’s a good realtor. Can we close by leaf peeping season?

Newburgh Homes Under $100k

July 17, 2008 RH 2 Comments

Don’t get excited. Not this home.

See that house above? Door Sixteen (straight outta Newburgh) posted it on her site. It’s on the market for $199k and she lives right across the street so she can help you with your decorating. Not that she offered. Anyway, seeing the listing peaked my interest in revisiting Newburgh. I was going to look into homes for under $200k, but alas, there were too many. So, I narrowed it down to under $100k.

Listing by price: descending order.

This building is located near the hospital and the front faces the river. It’s 3000 square feet in need of rehab and listed as a single family. There was once an extra apartment downstairs, but you would need to go the legalization route. $99.9k for a solid brick building near the river? Not bad.

Hold on…Is that a castle?! Built in 1850, it’s only 1000 square feet. It’s listing as having 6 rooms, but only 1 bedroom. No interior shots. It’s less than 1/2 acre. But it looks like a castle! And oh yeah, it’s $99k.

This looks sweet! Listing says “AS IS”, “WHERE IS”. At least they show interior photos! It’s in need of plumbing, electric and heat. Hmm, ok, maybe it’s not such a bargain. Gotta figure it will cost at least another $100k to rehab (and that’s DIY), so it’s a better bet to find a livable home for $200k. She sure is sweet though. $95k.

And the winner, coming in at $39.9k is this little cutie! This is a 3BR bank owned property with less than 1000 square feet. It’s in need of rehab. No duh. I don’t know what kind of neighborhood it’s in. I don’t know how bad the interior is. Who the f*ck cares? IT’S $39,900!!!! And it’s not a friggen double wide!

Housing Swaps

July 11, 2008 RH 3 Comments

I’ve seen the house swap ads on Craigs and I’ve often been tempted to participate. “Care for my 6 cats and 2 dogs!” mine would read. Or “Great brownstone. Under construction.” Well, it seems like a good option for people with habitable homes.

I would be a little nervous about trusting a Craigslist stranger, but there are swap websites that offer some peace of mind. Exchange Our Houses is one of them. For 45 € per year, you can have unlimited exchanges. Probably works out a tad better for the Europeans with their 6 weeks vacation and superior Euro.

The Home Exchange Blog has everything you’ve ever wanted to know about swaps.

Here are some nice looking Craigs listings:

East Hampton: Weekend/Week. Flexible dates and trade.

San Fransisco for Manhattan: August 20-24

Marseille, France for NYC: Sept-Dec

Oh man, this one looks good! 3 months in the south of France? Hel-lo! Eh, I’d probably get bored with all that free time in paradise anyway. Poo. More photos on her blog.

Rome for Brooklyn: July 17-28

“Hi, my name is Luigi……The apt is beautiful, as you can see in the pics, it’s white, silent, sunny, cozy, and it’s in the heart of Trastevere. A two-minute walk from lively Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. You’ll fall in love……Ciao, Luigi”

Oh Luigi, I think I AM in love!

Staycation, All I Ever Wanted

July 10, 2008 RH

A “staycation” for us means working on the house. Plus, since I work from home, I have no chance of getting away from it all. If we truly wanted to take a staycation, we would have to stay elsewhere. No home office. No repairs. No pets. No cleaning. Is that still a staycation?

I’m just dreaming because we’ve already squandered the vacation time, but perhaps you, my friend, are lucky enough to make use of my list of NYC getaways. Take me with you. Please.

Check this out: Summer special at The Star Hotel. A double room for $119, weekend rate! This Chelsea hotel has dorm rooms to apartment suites and every size in between. And my in-laws stayed with us because….?

Like to read? Then the Library Hotel is the place for you! They have a collection of over 6,000 books organized by the Dewey Decimal System. Before you say “Oh, that sounds terribly boring.” check out the Erotica Package.

And speaking of erotica, The Liberty Inn is a “by the hour” hotel. Originally called “The Hide A Way Motel” in the late 60’s, this meat packing district building has had many incarnations: speakeasy and go-go bar are just two. If you don’t have time for a lengthy staycation, $60 will get you 2 hours at this joint. It’s discreet and clean (not that I know first hand).

Judging from their website, The Pod caters to hip, young thangs. Each room, er pod, has an ipod docking station and Wifi access. Why experience real life when you can listen to music and surf the net in your hotel? The east 50’s location ain’t all that hip.

The Jane Hotel doesn’t have private bathrooms. The rooms are about 50 square feet and you may have to share the bath with SRO tenant holdouts. What’s so great about The Jane? The rooms start at under $100! Now, where in NYC can you find a room for that price? The West Village hotel has been updated but it does have a pretty compelling history.

Weekender: The Berkshires

June 26, 2008 RH 1 Comment

So, we did our little vacation romp in The Berkshires last weekend. I followed the advice of readers from a previous post and booked this place in Great Barrington. Actually, it was in Housatonic, which is outside of Great Barrington.

The town of Housatonic actually reminds me of Beacon. It has that whole ‘abandoned factory by the river with train tracks running through it’ kind of thing going on. Housatonic is fairly small, although there are a couple of galleries and restaurants as well as a convenience shop and liquor store. When we first arrived at the house I was pretty disappointed that it wasn’t a hidden country retreat. Definitely more of a suburban feel. But the area does have some glorious old homes, many of which are under renovation.

Great Barrington is pretty crunchy, as promised by my readers. Restaurant menus offer plenty of vegetarian options, there was a food coop in town and even a new age shop.

We only stayed for a few days (the in-laws are still there) so we didn’t get out all that much. The two restaurants we did get to try were both exceptional. We had a “4-birthdays” dinner at Xicohtencatl, a colorful Mexican restaurant just outside of town. Although the frozen margaritas didn’t live up to my mother in law’s first margarita experience (I got her drunk at some Tex-Mex joint in Park Slope about 15 years. She has never found a margarita that compares to her first time.) they were GOOD. As was the food and service.

Our second meal out was Siam Square on Main Street in Great Barrington. Again, excellent choice, even though it was a last minute decision once we discovered the Indian take out no longer existed.

There’s no shortage of outdoor activities in The Berkshires. We hiked up Monument Mountain twice with the dogs. Well, got to the peak only one day. It’s about an hour plus to the top and fairly strenuous (Although I should let you know that I haven’t worked out in months).

Our other great outdoor adventure was a kayak trip down the Housatonic. We rented from the Main Street outfitter, Adventure US. The very nice man who drove us to the water waited with us until the rain stopped. Unfortunately, it started again once we were in the middle of the river. We took shelter under a tree for about 15 minutes, but then decided to go on. The water was high and mighty because of the rains. I tried so hard to keep dry because it was pretty chilly that day. Then we hit the mini “rapids” and I got soaked. It was FUN though!!!! Better than kayaking on still water. Next I’ll have to try white water.

We visited The Clark Museum in Williamstown one day. They have a very impressive collection and if the spouse gets bored with the art as my husband tends to, send him outside to stroll around the grounds. The in-laws visited The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield the day we kayaked through the storm. The little one (3 years old) loved the place and the adults seemed quite satisfied as well. It’s kind of like The Met, Natural History and NY Aquarium rolled into one.

The one thing I didn’t get to do which was at the top of my list was to go antiquing. I just didn’t find the time. I suppose that says a lot about a place, when you can’t find time to do what you love most!

Related: Boston Globe article

Tourist much?

Weekender: Hot Fun in the Summertime

June 20, 2008 RH

It’s not too late to find that last minute weekend rental upstate! Or just take a day trip. Get out of the city! Enjoy! Life is short! Live a little! You get the point?

My husband took the day off work last Tuesday to spend time with his visiting family. We had it all figured out where we would take them. Go up the west side of the Hudson and hit Catskill Animal Sanctuary, then Opus 40. Swing down the east side to Millbrook Winery and Wing’s Castle. Stop for lunch at the Culinary Institute if we lasted that long. Someone (me) made the wise decision to check operating hours first. And guess what? Most of these places were closed on Tuesdays.

We thought we’d do a Brooklyn day, but our Astroland destination didn’t have summer weekday hours yet. You can’t go to Coney Island without riding the Cyclone. Brooklyn Museum was also closed.

The sister in law started bitching about America. The brother looked as if he was starting to get comfortable in the house. The 15 year old went upstairs to play computer games. We had to think fast. I said “Kayaking and swimming holes?!” And they went for it. Whew!

I would’ve thought renting 5 kayaks last minute would be a tough task. But Peak Performance in New Paltz came through for us. We drove up unexpected before they opened their doors and within 20 minutes they had us outfitted to go. There are a few places to put in, but we decided on the Rondout Creek in High Falls because we could go for a swim there as well.

It was a nice paddle, with some shady areas under trees. We turned around after about an hour because we left the sister in law on land with her 3 year old. She didn’t want to kayak, but she was itching for a swim. Just as we were about to enter the illegal swimming hole near the power plant we saw tons of people leaving. The cops were chasing them out. Strike two.

I’ll skip over the drive to our next destination and the hissy fits that ensued over our midday meal options.

We went to Split Rock at Minnewaska. There was a $9 fee per person to get in, but I think we were the only idiots who fell for that. Nobody else was wearing the bright yellow wristbands. Hey, it’s for a good cause! It supports the preserve! At least this is what we told the in-laws who were again bitching that you don’t have to pay to swim in Ireland. I don’t know what they were complaining about since we were the ones forking over the cash. After cries of “Is this all there is?” “It’s small for $9.” “The water is too cold.” a good time was had by all. I only wish I had brought the dogs like others had. At least they know how to enjoy themselves.

And finally Wednesday evening’s festivities got the thumbs up from everyone. The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival at Boscobel is not to be missed! Worth the drive or train ride up from the city! We go every year and are never disappointed. The performances are always top notch and unique. It’s never straight Shakespeare, always modernized, off center and very informal. I should say that this season’s “Cymbeline” was fairly straight Shakespeare, although it was well done. Past translations have included a western themed “As You Like It” and a space invaders “Mid Summer Night’s Dream”. I’m looking forward to seeing “The Twelfth Night” this summer.

As if a great performance under the stars isn’t enough, the highlight of Boscobel is the grounds. Central Park ain’t got nothing on this! Pack your picnic and enjoy your front row view of the Hudson before the show. And, um, leave the in-laws at home for a romantic evening.

Saturday in Beacon

June 6, 2008 RH

I usually miss all the fun in Beacon because I’m down in Brooklyn on weekends. But I’ll be around this Saturday and it’s a good weekend to be here. There’s actually some pretty good stuff going down. Dare I say it’s worth a trip visiting Beacon this Saturday?

Here’s an itinerary for you:

City Wide Yard Sale 9-4

Pick up maps to over 40 sales at the Beacon Municipal Center

Beacon Hat Parade 11:30-6

People make their own hats then march up Main Street. Think Mermaid Parade, not. Hat judging contest at 12:30. Live music in three different venues and a possibly lame or possibly ok street festival (never been).

Van Brunt Gallery Opening 6-9pm?

Shameless plug for 2 buddies of mine! James Westwater will be there with his Plywood Chateaux and Pete Iannarelli has an installation in the back room. Here’s my previous post on James and here’s what The Times had to say about him yesterday.

reclaimedhome.com

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