Getting Away

It's no easy feat to make it to the White House, but the Hampton's alternative is available to anybody willing to stomach the cost of renting or buying it. 20 Union Street, a three-story Victorian mansion built in 1796, was considered the "Summer White House" for President Chester A. Arthur (he also owned a townhouse in Murray Hill). Since the former president vacationed there, it has been throughly renovated into a modern, luxurious Hamptons pad. The six-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom home is up for both sale and rent, asking $14.2 million or $480,000 per year. (The price to rent between Memorial and Labor Day is $390,000.)
Take the presidential tour

August 21, 2016

Bivouac offers free off-grid camping on a secret NYC rooftop

While urban camping might sound like an oxymoron, there are some surprising options for roughing it in the city. Take for example Bivouac, a pop-up campsite on rotating, secret rooftops where you can wake up surrounded by Brooklyn's terraces or admiring Central Park from above--free of charge. Created by artist Thomas Stevenson, the site consists of six waterproof canvas tents with wooden frames and one-inch wool felt flooring for comfort and insulation. There's no electricity or internet to help guests disconnect from daily life, so all you have to do is book your stay in advance through Thomas (the "park ranger") and bring along a sleeping bag and food to share in a communal dinner.
Learn more about the rooftop camping project

August 18, 2016

Stay in this demure off-grid cabin in the middle of the Catskills

This Catskills cabin is "glamping" at its finest—you're not quite roughing it, but you're still sleeping in the middle of the wilderness. The property, located on 20 acres that also holds a farm house, woods, meadow and two small ponds, is available for $120/night through Airbnb. The owners built this cabin to be totally off-grid: it's powered by solar lights, there's a composting toilet and a rain-water sink. It's a perfect escape for New Yorkers who'd like to unplug and unwind in the middle of nowhere.
Check out the property

August 9, 2016

Fire Island: Culture, Sand Dunes and Real Estate

By 6sqft

For New Yorkers looking for a break from the city’s summer pollution and noise, Fire Island has much to offer. Accessible via the Long Island Railway and Fire Island Ferries, the narrow strip of land running along Long Island’s south shore is one of the region’s few vacation spots that city residents can reach without a […]

August 5, 2016

Vacation at a Glass Cabin in the Woods of Upstate New York for $300/Night

This is a rural retreat like no other. Known as the Sixteen Doors House and designed by the firm Incorporated Architecture & Design, this is a modern cabin made practically transparent by the placement of sixteen doors and windows. Luckily, it's surrounded by six acres of forest in the foothills of the Berkshires so privacy is a non-issue. 6sqft profiled the design project back in 2014; now it's being offered as a vacation rental through Airbnb. For $300 a night, you can have your own tranquil experience at the Sixteen Doors House.
See inside

August 3, 2016

Take a Staycation at This Restored Bungalow in Rockaway Beach

You don't have to leave town if you're looking for a late summer getaway. You could just rent this restored Rockaway Beach bungalow, available on Airbnb for $130 a night. The two-bedroom pad, which the hosts call a "classic old bungalow," fits five guests. Lots of windows and a double-height ceiling mean the space has a lofty vibe, but mostly it's a charming and cozy place to shack up in New York City's surf town.
Take a look around

Getting Away

August 1, 2016

Rent This Retro 50’s Trailer on a Catskills Farm for $125/Night

Just 90 miles north of the city is Outlier Inn, a 12-acre Catskills farm complete with a recording studio, greenhouse with seasonal produce for sale, pond, and plenty of furry friends (sheep, goats, alpaca, bunnies). 6sqft previously featured some of the funky properties up for rent here this summer-- a geodesic dome, 127-square-foot tiny house, and a 1930s farmhouse with its own yoga studio. The latest offering on the scenic property is this 1953 Spartenette Trailer, which remarkably can sleep four people. In addition to its space age-like metal shape, this vehicle has all the retro touches you'd expect, from teal leather banquets to vintage appliances, and it's available for $125 night on Airbnb.
See more of the trailer and the grounds

Getting Away

July 17, 2016

Stay in a Funky 1930s Catskills Farmhouse (Yoga Room Included) for $125/Night

By Michelle Cohen

Just in case a tiny cabin with an outdoor kitchen, a geodesic dome, or a 1950s trailer aren't your thing, you can still enjoy an unconventional country getaway at a Woodbridge, NY farmhouse where a suite of colorful upstairs rooms awaits. Part of a fascinating property 90 miles from New York City known as the Outlier Inn, the farmhouse, available on Airbnb, includes three bedrooms (available by room for $125 per night, or you can rent the entire apartment) and a yoga room. You'll also find sheep, goats, alpaca, bunnies and other sweater-bearing critters whose furry coats (with no harm done besides a haircut) get spun into winter accessories in an on-site fiber-arts workshop space, a full-service recording studio, a greenhouse with seasonal produce for sale and a pond on the 12-acre property, plus a nearby lake, hiking trails and park.
Check out the rooms in this just-right farmhouse

Getting Away

July 13, 2016

127-Square-Foot Tiny House in the Catskills Fits Three for $125/Night

By Diane Pham

Jump on the tiny house bandwagon for few nights with this teensy 7' x 18' cabin up in the Catskills. In addition to boasting that cool reclaimed/rustic/cabin porn aesthetic, this little guy is also located on a charming 12-acre farm that comes complete with goats, bunnies, sheep, chickens, a fire pit, and a swimming pond. On top of all of that, at just $125/night, you could invite another two guests to get cozy with you—yes, believe it or not, there is more than one bed sardined into this home!
See more here

Getting Away

POLL: Would You Drop $2,000 to ‘Glamp’ in a Yurt on a NYC Terrace?

We're all for glamping here at 6sqft, though we typically reserve these outdoor adventures for places like the Catskills. But the W Hotel chain is hoping to capitalize on the trend and bring it to their Lexington Avenue location. A press release from the company announces their Outdoor Glamping Suite, part of the 17th floor Extreme Wow Suite, which makes nods to camping with "a 12-foot yurt bedecked in a kaleidoscope of fabrics and textures, glowing lanterns, rattan hanging chairs and a fire pit that lights up with a flip of a switch." The W teamed up with interior design company Laurel & Wolf to create the experience, which is going for a whopping $2,000 a night.
Would you spend that for a night of glamping in NYC?

July 11, 2016

Camp Out in a Sioux Tipi on a Woodstock Waterfall for $168/Night

Forget the hassle of pitching a flimsy tent, and camp out in an authentic, 18-foot Sioux Tipi. Located along a waterfall on the Sawkill Creek in Woodstock, this tipi was handmade and painted by artists at the Nomadics Tipi Makers and features a cozy stone fireplace right in its center, as well as another one outside near the river. Intrigued? It's up for rent for $168/night on Airbnb.
Find out more about the camping rental

July 8, 2016

Go Glamping in a Geodesic Dome on a Catskills Farm for $350/Night

Looking for an upstate weekend getaway, but don't want to deal with the mosquitoes and unpredictable weather that often go with traditional camping? This geodesic dome in the Catskills promises to be an "incredible glamping space," and its funky design and foodie-focused community only sweeten the deal. Available on Airbnb for $350/night, the dome is located on a farm in Sullivan County. It has wooden floors and screened-in windows, but you'll need to BYObed if you have more than two guests. There's also outdoor double hot showers, a sink, and a clawfoot tub, as well as a full outdoor kitchen with a grill, fridge, sink, and fire pit.
Get the full experience

June 24, 2016

One of Only Three East Coast Joseph Eichler Homes Is Selling for $490K

By Michelle Cohen

The listing says this undeniably out-of-the-ordinary home at 130 Grotke Road in a wooded Rockland County, NY community is "Not for everyone except you!" Which means Eichler fans and modern house lovers will want to take note: This could be your chance to scoop up a modern classic for half the price of its California counterparts. 6sqft previously featured the rare trio of East Coast Eichlers and the story of their rise to popularity during the dawn of the American suburban heyday—and plans to expand to the East Coast starting with three homes in the quiet community of Chestnut Ridge. Inevitably weather conditions and other factors led to a decision to return the focus to the West, but those three homes have not only endured—they have encouraged a community of modern architecture lovers to grow around them. One of those three homes—a four-plus-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot 1962 slate grey beauty—is now on the market for $489,900.
Tour this unique modernist gem

May 22, 2016

CWB Architects Build a Modern Asian-Inspired Beach House in Southampton

Back in 2004, a client with a taste for traveling approached CWB Architects to design a beach house with a distinctly Asian flavor, styled after houses he’d seen in Thailand and Japan. The result is this stunning, appropriately-dubbed 'Thai Style Southampton' home, which stands on stilts above a wetland. In addition to verandas, pointed gable roofs and Mahogany interiors, the charming home features a splendid view out to the Atlantic Ocean.
Learn more about this stunning Thai-home

May 12, 2016

Gardener’s Majestic Hudson River Home Is Surrounded by Edible Gardens

This beautiful Hudson River estate is not only a stunning gateway with sweeping views and luscious gardens, but it's also a gardener's home with significant historic, cultural and ecological value. The estate, which is comprised of many buildings, once served as a farm, a gentleman’s club, a nursing home and a camp before Janice Parker Landscape Architects turned it into a nature-lovers retreat. In addition to featuring expansive views of the Hudson River and being surrounded by a rolling forest and farms, the estate delves deeper into the realm of Eden with its lush carpets of creeping thymus, blooming perennials and a full assortment of edible plants.
Learn more about this majestic home

November 24, 2015

Inside a Manhattan Couple’s Modern Woodland Escape Designed by Resolution: 4 Architecture

A city couple commissioned Resolution: 4 Architecture to come up with a site-specific home for escaping their busy Manhattan lives on the weekend. Located on a sloped wooded terrain in Kent, not too far from the city, the beautiful Lakeside House combines wooden interiors, classic furniture items and privileged views onto the mirrored waters of the Sagamore Lake. Although bright and airy inside, the modern dwelling is grounded and strong and relates to its site through the use of natural materials.
Learn more about this traditionally modern home

September 23, 2015

Modern ‘House on the Hill’ Sits in an Open Meadow Miles Away From Any City

The owners of the "House on the Hill" in upstate New York are a couple of NYC-based art collectors who for the past twenty-five years have spent their weekends in an old farmhouse in Columbia County. In love with the sweeping views and the near-untouched landscape that greeted them every time they made the trip up, they decided they wanted to build an eco-friendly passive house in the middle of a forest clearing nearby. With the idea of living a simpler and more efficient life in mind, they asked Gates Merkulova Architects to build them a shelter designed with materials that would age as gracefully as they hoped to with time.
Learn more about this modern retirement home

September 18, 2015

Grandiose Castle Hotel & Spa in Tarrytown Helps You Relax and Restore Medieval-Style

By Rebecca Paul

Located at 400 Benedict Avenue in Tarrytown, NY, a short thirty minutes north of Manhattan, Castle Hotel & Spa sits atop one of the highest points in Westchester County. This majestic palace (h/t FEH) overlooks the Hudson River and quaint suburbs below. The Castle is over 100 years old and a visit will easily whisk you away to America's enchanted Gilded Age.
Learn more about the historic property

September 15, 2015

There’s a Secret Bathhouse Modeled After Ancient Greco-Roman and Ottoman Traditions in Tribeca

By Rebecca Paul

We don't always have enough free time to escape NYC as often as we'd like (or need). However, when we find ourselves desperate for some immediate R and R there are a few gems of tranquility hidden inside the walls of this concrete jungle. One breathtaking example is AIRE's Ancient Bath House located right in Tribeca behind a very unassuming cast iron storefront (we didn't know it existed either!). This sexy newcomer offers guests access to a suite of amenities including pools of hot, warm, cold and ice water; jet and salt baths; and a steamy hammam.
Have a look inside the incredible space ahead

August 27, 2015

Ultra Minimal Long Island Home Blurs the Lines Between Indoor and Outdoor

If you're going to live in the middle of nature in Amagansett, a hamlet on the south shore of Long Island, you want to be reminded of the beautiful outdoors as much as possible. That seems to be the inspiration behind this home built by the architecture firm Levenbetts, who designed this property for a couple and their teenage children. It's been dubbed the 36SML House and was designed as three connected wings—a wing for the couple, another wing for their kids, and yet another one for guests. A driveway cuts through the middle of the home, and there's a roof deck (with amphitheater seating!) on top. Each wing of the house also creates separate courtyard spaces to accommodate parking space, a vegetable garden, and a play area with a swimming pool. Thoroughly impressed by the exterior?
Now check out the interior

August 24, 2015

Preston Scott Cohen Builds a Brilliant Upstate Home from an Old Dutch Barn

To create the beautiful Goodman House, architect Preston Scott Cohen had to transport, restore and re-assemble a Dutch barn frame at a new location in Pine Plains, NY. The structure affords an unpolished but warm atmosphere with open-plan interiors wrapped in an industrial skin. The space was crafted to follow the client's desire for an "excessively lit space" with an "undivided interior," and as such, the home uses an ample number of slide-up screens and roll-down glass doors to make way for an open abode with a modern aesthetic.
Learn more about this contemporary barn-home

August 21, 2015

An Incredible Private Hideaway Asks $12.75 Million in the Adirondacks

The listing calls this "a private hideaway for those who seek the finest craftsmanship and location." For sure, the house at 553 Hawk Ridge Road, nicknamed Camp Big Rock, is pretty special. It's located on 30 sprawling acres near Saranac Lake, up in the Adirondacks. The modern house, designed by the architect Shope Reno Wharton, was even impressive enough to land on the cover of Architectural Digest. And there is so much more than the home: the grounds include a boathouse, beach cabin, guest house, barn, gym cabin, caretaker's cabin and tennis court. There's no "roughing it" here. This is the luxurious day camp of your dreams.
See more

August 19, 2015

A Gorgeous Upstate Getaway Dubbed the Mission House Is Asking $1.4 Million