Upstate

If you're looking for an escape, it doesn't get much better than this modern treehouse, nestled among the natural surroundings of the Catskills. This is the work of the UK-based designer Antony Gibbons, who believes the angular lines and pronounced geometry of the structure enhance the organic nature of this forested locale, just outside of Woodstock, New York. Despite the modern aesthetic, the facade is made of cedar from the surrounding Catskills Valley and the interior is lined in a reclaimed pine, in so that the modest home "still blends into the surroundings with its timber materials," Gibbons has said. If you're swooning over the space--and wondering what it's like to live among the trees--it's now available as a vacation home through Airbnb, asking $325 per night.
Imagine your upstate vacation

October 6, 2017

For $3.75M, escape to the Mediterranean waterfront right in Westchester

This home looks better suited for Europe or California, but it's located just north of Manhattan in the Westchester suburb of Mamaroneck. The Spanish Mediterranean manse was built in 1926 and is situated on a half-acre of land right along the water. Stunning views from the waterfront lawn and private dock look out toward Larchmont Harbor, the Long Island Sound, and the distant Manhattan skyline. Inside, it's like an escape to a European or Hollywood retreat--take your pick--with incredible details that include Spanish tile floors imported from Seville.
Time to go inside

Distinctive Homes

October 3, 2017

Single-room treehouse in an Upstate forest was constructed by its owners for just $20K

Located within the forest of the Catskills town of Barryville is the Half-Tree House, designed by the Manhattan firm JacobsChang. This remote 60 acres of land, about two hours outside of New York, is a second-growth forest in a steep, isolated area with no vehicular access, no piped water, and no electricity. The firm designed this 360-square-foot cabin on a $20,000 budget for the clients, who also decided to construct the structure entirely by themselves with only weekend assistance. JacobsChang made building on the difficult site easier by lifting the structure above the ground and bringing in support from the surrounding trees. It was an apparent success, with a compact and modern cabin sitting gracefully within its surroundings.
The interior is simple yet stunning

October 1, 2017

$895K upstate home has stained glass from Brooklyn Navy Yard and an archway from Jackie O’s estate

This is only one of a few estates still standing in the historic district of the upstate New York town of Tappan, and it's on the market for $895,000 (h/t CIRCA). Built in 1835, the Victorian home boasts everything from 10-foot ceilings, five fireplaces, wood floors, stained glass made at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and a grand archway in the dining room from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' estate. It's currently configured as a two-family home, but some TLC and elbow grease could turn this back into an impressive and stately single-family showpiece.
Check out the stained glass

September 19, 2017

The best day trips this fall, from cemetery tours to historic mansions to corn mazes

These pretty-much-perfect months are a great time to escape the city, and with so many fun, scenic, and informative offerings nearby, you can go for the day and not have to worry about spending money on lodging. To help plan your autumn itinerary, 6sqft has put together a list of the best day trips outside of New York. From touring the Rockefeller estate in Tarrytown to a lantern-lit cemetery tour in Sleepy Hollow, we've got you history buffs covered. And for those looking for some more traditional fall fun, there's fall foliage at Bear Mountain's Oktoberfest, apple and pumpkin picking in New Jersey, and artistically carved jack o' lanterns on Long Island.
Click here for 6sqft's full list of fall day trips

September 11, 2017

David Rockefeller’s 75-acre Westchester estate asks $22M

Some call it the end of an era of understated wealth. David Rockefeller, philanthropist, art collector and former CEO of Chase Manhattan bank–and the last surviving grandson of oil baron John D. Rockefeller–died in March at the age of 101. His properties have been up for sale since then, including his legendary art collection featuring works by Matisse, Cezanne, Gauguin, Seurat, and Picasso that headed for auction at Christie’s, his Upper East Side townhouse with an ask of $33 million and a retreat in Maine asking $19 million. The billionaire’s treasured Westchester estate, Hudson Pines, has just been listed at $22 million. Only 45 minutes from New York City, the property, which was home to the aforementioned art collection as well as the owner's antique carriage collection and his collection of 250,000 beetle specimens–Rockefeller was an avid entomologist–seems a world away from the bustle of daily life.
Find out more about this magical estate

September 11, 2017

Live in an octagon-shaped, Victorian style home in Westchester for $40,000 a month

The listing goes right ahead and calls this "one of the most visually unique homes in the world," and it'd be hard to argue with that. This is known as the Armour–Stiner House, or the Carmer Octagon House, a unique octagon-shaped and domed Victorian style home located in Irvington, a town of Westchester County. It was built in 1860 by financier Paul J. Armour, enlarged between 1872 and 1876, and is now the only known residence constructed in the eight-sided, domed colonnaded shape of a classic Roman Temple. The current owner, Joseph Pell Lombardi, a preservation architect with his own firm, has listed it for rent asking a hefty $40,000 a month.
See the breathtaking interior

Queens official wants Trump State Park renamed to honor Charlottesville victim

Photo via Wikimedia

September 7, 2017

Queens official wants Trump State Park renamed to honor Charlottesville victim

By Devin Gannon

Assembly Member Nily Rozic, a Democrat who represents Queens, is expected to introduce a bill that would change the name of a state park named after President Donald Trump. Rozic’s bill would rename the park to honor Heather Heyer, the woman killed last month by a white supremacist in Charlottesville. As BuzzFeed first reported, a similar push was made in both houses of the state legislature and from local members of Congress in 2015 and 2016. Trump donated the 436 acres of land to New York State in 2006 on the condition his name be “prominently displayed.”
Find out more

Policy

Photos © Deborah DeGraffenreid

September 5, 2017

Hudson Valley ‘Sleeve House’ surrounded by 15 acres of rolling meadows asks $2.1M

A notable and unique contemporary home, plopped right in the middle of a Hudson Valley meadow, is up for grabs asking $2.1 million. It's known as the "Sleeve House" and was designed by architect Adam Dayem between 2014 and 2017. Two hours north of New York City, surrounded by the Catskill and Taconic mountains, this home was conceived as two elongated volumes, with the smaller "sleeved" into the larger. The effort created several distinct private and public spaces that all showcase the natural surroundings. The entire home, in fact, is situated on a concrete base along a sloping terrain, perfectly in view of the mountain ranges.
Don't miss this tour

Distinctive Homes

August 31, 2017

Simple geometry connects Janson Goldstein’s sleek Hudson guesthouse with its hillside locale

Nestled within a four-acre hillside property just outside the upstate town of Hudson, this striking guesthouse and pool were built to complement an existing contemporary home. The work is by the design firm Janson Goldstein, who placed the 950-square-foot structure smack dab in the middle of a new meadow. The building is simple, clean and modern, clad in wooden slats, but the locale makes this a visually stunning addition to the property.
Tour the site

Architecture And Design

August 28, 2017

19th century Hudson River estate built for an Astor gets a price cut to $20M

This incredible 290-acre estate was built in 1851 for Franklin Hughes Delano (whose great-nephew was Franklin Delano Roosevelt) and Laura Eugenia Astor (granddaughter of John Jacob Astor, known as the nation’s first multi-millionaire). The property was listed last summer for $22 million by its current owners, the investor Martin Sosnoff and his wife Toni. Now it's just gotten a price cut to $20 million. That will get you a 17,000-square-foot mansion with 28 rooms, 10 full bathrooms, 18-foot coffered ceilings and 16 fireplaces, along with rolling, green hills, a guesthouse, gardener’s cottage, equestrian center, and pool house. After 133 years in Astor and Delano ownership, the property--known as Atalanta--is looking for its next buyer.
Go inside the lavish home

August 16, 2017

For $1.6M, a 1780s stone house in the Palisades that may have been George Washington’s office

This 18th century stone house, located in the upscale area of the Palisades known as Snedens Landing, was under the care of the landscape designer and photographer Judy Tompkins for some 60 years until she passed away at age 90 this May. But long before, it's rumored the property served as George Washington's office when his men were guarding the ferry service from the cliffs of the Palisades. With a rich history, beautiful interiors, and gorgeous perennial gardens tended to by Tomkins, it's a special offering in a town right outside New York City. And it's now asking $1.6 million.
Tour the gardens

August 15, 2017

Own two waterfalls, 60 acres of land, and a cabin upstate for $925K

It's safe to say this is a home on a property unlike any other. This cabin is located at the base of the Delphi Falls Waterfalls, outside the upstate town of Cazenovia. The property encompasses 60 total acres, with 65-foot and 52-foot falls as well as one mile of creek frontage. The same family has owned it since 1961, and just listed the whole shebang for $925,000. (The main home, with land easements, is also available for $699,000.) As broker Michael Franklin puts it, buying this would be "like owning your own state park." We agree—this is the property for a New Yorker looking for an escape from just about everything to a completely nature-packed retreat.
You've got to take the tour

August 3, 2017

Crumbling castle in Westchester County with a storied past seeks $3.7M

Built in 1927 by David T. Abercrombie, Elda Castle, as it was known, was named after the first letter of each of his four children's names (h/t Curbed). Abercrombie was the founder of Abercrombie and Fitch, which was originally a purveyor of high-end hunting and safari gear. The vision of his wife, Lucy Abbott Cate—the project's architect—was the driving force behind the 4,337-square-foot steel-girded estate of granite and local fieldstone at 249 Croton Dam Road that once had 25 rooms, arched doorways, a tower accessed by a winding spiral staircase of cast iron and too many courtyards and patios to count. The fascinating home sits on 49.5 acres in the Westchester County town of New Castle (though it has an Ossining postal address). It's in need of total renovation, and if the internet is to be believed, whoever buys this romantically overgrown estate currently asking $3.69 million may have quite an adventure on their hands.
Find out more about this storied estate

July 28, 2017

18th-century farmhouse filled with wood and antiques asks just $379K upstate

You're stepping back in time with this upstate New York property, a colonial farmhouse sitting on three woodsy acres outside the town of Slingerlands (h/t CIRCA). Since its construction way back in the 1780s, it's been lovingly cared for and restored, right down to the Rumford fireplace and wide-plank wood floors. The interior, in fact, is seemingly lined floor-to-ceiling in wood, while the land outside is rife with trees alongside a pond and barn. And of course, it all costs less than a one-bedroom Manhattan condo, asking $379,000.
Explore the property

July 27, 2017

Live in the French Country-style home where Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe married for $1.7M

By Annie Doge

Although the marriage between Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe didn’t last long, the home where the two held their 1956 wedding certainly stood the test of time. The charming French Country-style home at 122 East Ridge Road in Waccabuc, New York has hit the market for $1.675 million (h/t LLYNC). Sitting on over four acres of land, the home features four bedrooms and five bathrooms. The sprawling pad features a pool and pool house, as well as scenic views of Lake Waccabuc. Last year, the Miller and Monroe's former NYC pad just off Sutton Place at 444 East 57th Street, hit the market at an asking price of $6.75 million.
See inside

July 14, 2017

Nature informs modern design in this $6M upstate retreat with Scandinavian and Korean influences

This unusual property at 156 Duell Hollow Road known as Hammersley Ridge is the culmination of the desires of the current homeowner to find the perfect spot to live, and the vision of the home’s architect, Anik Pearson, of integrating Scandinavian and Korean design principles into its unique surroundings (h/t Mansion Global). In the hamlet of Wingdale, NY about a 90 minute commute from Manhattan, the 5,000 square-foot home sits just below a mountaintop overlooking a nature conservancy, which means your stunning vistas across the valley floor won't be spoiled by any new neighbors.
See more of this amazing mountain retreat

July 13, 2017

10 artsy daycation escapes from NYC to visit this summer

By Lori Zimmer

For some of us, the idea of a summer vacation is a fantastical memory from childhood, now seeming a far cry from demanding jobs and lack of PTO. But the same cultural rejuvenation can be yours—if only for a day. Whether by bus, train or if you want to get fancy and rent a car, an art-filled daycation could be just what you need this summer to get that vacation glow. From Jackson Pollock's Hamptons studio and Dia Beacon's minimalist art collection to the Rockefeller family's historic mansion Kykuit and the Gilded Age ruins of Bannerman Castle, we've rounded up 10 artsy day trips that are just a stone's throw from NYC.
All the best escape here

July 3, 2017

Escape to a Bali retreat that’s no further than the Hudson Valley

If you're looking to get out of town but you're uninspired by the usual country inns, historic schoolhouses, and rustic log cabins, this unusual Hudson Valley vacation property could be just the tranquil escape for you (and up to nine of your closest friends). The Hudson Valley Bali House Retreat in Rosendale, New York combines a country setting with details that were inspired by vacations in Bali and Thailand. Built using materials imported from Indonesia, this exotic compound makes visitors forget they're only about 90 minutes from Midtown.
More this way

July 1, 2017

$3.85M waterfront estate designed by McKim, Mead & White is just 30 minutes outside NYC

Renowned architecture firm McKim, Mead & White hardly ever disappoints--they are, after all, the firm behind the original Penn Station--and this Westchester property now for sale lives up to the firm's reputation. Located at 10 Sheldrake Road in the town of New Rochelle, this waterfront estate is known as "Four Chimneys" and was built in 1938. The exterior is a graceful brick, Georgian architecture surrounded by 1.65 acres of landscaping. On the interior, a renovation included converting the ballroom into a gym, installing an infinity pool on the edge of Sheldrake Lake, and building an indoor half-court for basketball. (Don't worry, there are some lavish and historic interior details that remain on display, too.) To live 30 minutes outside of Manhattan on this impressive estate will cost $3.85 million.
You have to see the interior

June 21, 2017

Haunted Gothic mansion is a $2M fixer-upper in Westchester County

Just an hour north of Manhattan along the Hudson River in Irvington, New York sits Strawberry Hill Manor. The Gothic Revival mansion was built in 1850, and if its brooding gables and turrets and crumbling interiors weren't spooky enough, there's the fact that the original owner, John Thomas, was standing and admiring his new home when the pitchfork he was holding was struck by lightning, killing him. But if this haunted tale and the fact that the 13,000-square-foot residence is quite the fixer-upper don't deter you, Curbed tells us that the Manor is for sale for $1,995,000.
Get a look around

June 21, 2017

Modern Catskills treehouse uses angular geometry to connect with nature

It might seem contradictory that hard, angular lines and pronounced geometry could enhance the organic nature of this forested Woodstock, NY location, but UK-based designer Antony Gibbons managed to pull the juxtaposition off seamlessly with his Inhabit Treehouse. Gibbons told Inhabitat that the small family home "still blends into the surroundings with its timber materials,” which includes cedar from the surrounding Catskills Valley for the facade and a reclaimed pine interior, where he used the sharp angles to frame out views of the nearby mountains and lake.
See it all right here

June 13, 2017

For just $515K, an 1890s upstate church renovated into a unique single-family home

A full and careful renovation has transformed this historic, 1890s church upstate into a single-family residence. When we say unique, we mean it--details like large stained glass windows, arched doorways, wood floors and exposed brick all hint at the church’s previous life. A stunning main room with soaring ceilings--the former sanctuary--is just waiting for a designer to transform it into an incredible living space. Located in Philmont, New York, a small town about two-and-a-half hours outside of New York City, this house-of-worship turned home is asking a modest $515,000.
You have to see the interior

June 12, 2017

Own a 12-acre Adirondacks summer camp from the 1880s for $4.25M

The Hedges of Blue Mountain Lake is a family camp compound in the Adirondacks dating to the 1880s. The 12+ acre site, with its 1,600 feet of waterfront land, private beach, two docks, tennis court, and 21 buildings, recently hit the market for $4.25 million, as first spotted by the Wall Street Journal. Though the summer season is already well underway, the income-generating property is offered furnished, so the new owners could get some vacation rentals going in no time.
Tour the whole property here

June 9, 2017

You can own two Westchester homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright students

It's rare to own a home in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, but here's two just outside of NYC in Westchester County. Brownstoner showcased the homes, both designed with Wright’s "Usonian" ideals in mind--affordable homes integrated skillfully with the landscape. The first, in Pleasantville, is known originally as the Silson house and was designed in 1951 by architect Kaneji Domoto, a Wright student. It's located within the actual Wright-planned community now known as the Usonia Historic District and asking $1.2 million. The second is a home designed by architect David Henken, another Wright disciple. Located in Dobb’s Ferry, with the same seamless connection to nature, it is listed for $1.049 million.
See photos of both properties

June 2, 2017

Historic Bronxville Queen Anne home asks $4.2M