Located near the remote Ithaca-area village of Van Etten, NY, is a genuine, authentic, real live (or, mostly not) taxidermy factory for sale, asking $1.05 million. You don’t see a listing for a stuffed fauna foundry every day, but this one, it turns out, is enough to cover all the days. The 90-acre parcel in the heart of the state’s Finger Lakes region includes a 2,927-square-foot classic log-and-stone three-home with hillside views. Also on the property are a tiny cottage overlooking a two-acre pond, 20 acres of fenced pastures, 70 acres of hardwood forest, an orchard, a fenced garden, a pole barn with tack room and an outdoor arena, a garage, and a woodshed–plus a workshop and office (more about those later).

Now, about that wildlife

Image of Luann De Lesseps: Wikimedia Commons.

Back in 2017 6sqft reported on the growing trend that saw celebrities and the well-heeled-and-hip ditching the hamptons for upstate and Catskills getaways. “Real Housewives of New York” regular Luann De Lesseps must have just gotten the memo; she’s put her Sag Harbor house on the market for $6.25 million–and she’s asking $150,000 in rent for the place during August. The New York Post quotes a friend of the former countess: “She loves the Hamptons, and her house, but it’s time for a change. The Hamptons is changing, and she’s looking elsewhere to summer. She’s in love with the Catskills.”

Find out what she’s leaving behind

“Pretty Penny,” the elegant, former Nyack mansion of Helen Hayes, for 61 years, and Rosie O’Donnell, for four years, has hosted its share of celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier, Katharine Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Russell Crowe, and Madonna, to name a few. Just 22 miles from NYC, the 1858 wedding cake-style Italianate Victorian with stunning Hudson River views has hit the market for $4,750,000, after trying to sell for the past five years. In addition to the celebrity pedigree, a lucky new owner will also get 6,000 square feet dripping with period details, a 60-foot Olympic-style pool, and incredible landscaped grounds with terraced gardens, a koi pond, and more.

You don’t want to miss these interiors

Tom Brokaw image via Wikimedia Commmons.
Newscaster/household name Tom Brokaw has listed the 56-acre estate in Pound Ridge, NY that he and his wife, Meredith Auld, have owned for nearly 20 years, The Real Deal reports. The listing, asking $6.3 million, appeared on Tuesday according to property records. The family compound includes a 4,000-square-foot main house, a pool house and a caretaker’s cottage, all on a private five-acre lake.
Take a 56-acre tour

This beautiful 1854 stone and clapboard home once belonged to a Hudson River boat captain named Henry Dobbs. The home has charm and elegance from a bygone era. With a backyard where fairytales are inspired, the house has been painstakingly renovated throughout the years to maintain its historic integrity and beauty. Filled with original details, wood burning fireplaces, wide board floors, shiplap walls and more, the house at 63 Washington Spring Road, is asking $925,000.

Take a tour

Once a working farm, this Arts & Crafts home sits on a 2.2-acre property that abuts a deeded horse preserve in the Historic District of East Moriches, Long Island. Asking $1.2 million, the home blends vintage details like quality craftsmanship, wood and glass details, and a classic floor plan with modern amenities like a renovated gourmet kitchen, central air, and a new master bath. And the charm extends, too, with rolling gardens, a heated barn, and even a koi pond. 

Tour the whole property

The Lexington Hotel has a full and wonderful history filled with celebrities and hula dancing. At present, the most notable feature is their recently renovated $1,200/night Norma Jean Suite, named after Marilyn Monroe who briefly called the 600-square-foot suite home during her 22-month marriage to Joe DiMaggio, from January 1954-October 1955 (h/t NYP). This is also where she lived while filming “The Seven Year Itch”–and its iconic skirt-blowing scene!–just a few blocks away on 52nd and Lex.

See inside the suite where ‘everyone likes it hot’

The Sioux definitely knew what they were doing when it came to creating year-round homes tucked away in awe-inspiring nature. The Bellfire Teepee in the Meeker Hollow in Roxbury, NY, available via Airbnb for $145 a night, is a magical way to appreciate those micro-living skills from long ago while stargazing on a 10-acre property bordering miles of forest. The owners of this cozy escape, a pair of Brooklyn expat artists, chose the location “with privacy and tranquility in mind.” Their farmhouse is 500 feet away, so there’s no need to feel lost in the woods, but you’re nestled between a creek, maple trees and a wildflower field, just in case you actually want to feel lost in the woods.

See more of this magical getaway