Upstate

Off-the-grid, A-frame huts are all the rage in the Catskills. Last week, we wrote about Bjarke Ingels' triangular prefab "inspired by the Catskills." Now, another appearance makes the news as the Eastwind Hotel reopens June 1st. Just two hours north of New York City, Eastwind was originally built in the 1920s as a bunkhouse for hunters, fly fishermen, and outdoor enthusiasts. The hotel reopens in a few weeks with 19 rooms and three A-frame, glamping huts nestled in the woods.
Get a look around

May 22, 2018

Go off the grid in a Catskills shipping container for $165 per night

Photo via Contanium listing on Airbnb Just think if it as a Vipp Shelter for the rest of us. This woodsy take on the tiny dwelling, "Contanium," available through Airbnb and situated in Saugerties, NY, is actually a shipping container, so you get to experience the trifecta of tiny house, off-the-grid living and inhabiting a shipping container, all at once. Offerings at this particular shipping container cabin sound almost like the amenities menu at a trendy Downtown condo: There's a wood stove, sofa bed, kitchenette, writing desk, record player, patio, fire ring, yoga platform, hot tub and hammock. The off-the-grid part means the power is solar, there's a composting toilet and gravity-feed water.
What you'll find within

May 17, 2018

Bjarke Ingels reveals off-grid tiny house in the Catskills

Bjarke Ingels is everywhere. Literally. Three weeks ago, we wrote about his new design for 2 Penn Plaza. Two weeks ago, we wrote about his amazing XI sales gallery experience with the stage designer Es Devlin. Last week, it was his new role as Chief Architect at WeWork. And now, BIG has just announced Bjarke built an off-the-grid triangular tiny house in the Catskills with designer and interior architect Soren Rose. (Does this rockstarchitect ever sleep?) Bjarke Ingels Group shared with 6sqft this exclusive set of photos of the mini modern abode, which blends the A-frame architecture of the upstate area with a Nordic aesthetic.
Lots more details and renderings ahead

New RPA report calls for combining LIRR, NJ Transit and Metro-North into one rail network

A map showing T-REX’s new crosstown connections, via RPA

April 18, 2018

New RPA report calls for combining LIRR, NJ Transit and Metro-North into one rail network

By Dana Schulz

When NYC's three commuter railroads--the Long Island Railroad, New Jersey Transit, and Metro-North--were built more than a century ago when the metropolitan area was less than half its current size. Today, the systems are crumbling, both in their physical infrastructure and politics. The latest suggestion for how to fix the issues comes from a new Regional Plan Association report that wants to take advantage of the fact that these railroads "share an amalgamation of rail lines" and thereby create one integrated regional rail network. Dubbed T-REX, short for Trans-Regional Express, the 30-year, $71.4 billion proposal would add 60 new train stations and more than 200 miles of new tracks.
We break it down

April 12, 2018

For just $3M, you can own this entire upstate island

On a few rare occasions 6sqft has featured amazing private islands, some storied, some small–and generally for sale. Most of us dream of living on their own private island at least occasionally, and these amazing listings give us a room-by-room tour and waterfront view. Somewhere between the tiny and the impossibly grand, Whiskey Island looks an awful lot like the average private island fantasy. You can buy the 3.10 acre dream; or, if you haven't got $2.95 million, you can rent the dream on a weekly basis for family getaways or events.
More dreamy photos this way

April 3, 2018

15 art museums outside NYC worth the trip

New York City is filled with amazing art so why go any further? Because there are some spectacular museums with extraordinary collections set in nearby locales that demand attention. Art can be appreciated for the work itself but taken within its context and history, it can be so much more. 6sqft found a variety of incredibly interesting art destinations in the tri-state area that are worth a trip. Perhaps when planning your next staycation or day-trip, choose one of these museums to set your itinerary.
Check out our list of the top 15

Events & Things To Do

March 27, 2018

The best stylish suburban staycations outside NYC

A staycation used to be a term people used when they were staying home and trying to make their non-vacation seem less pathetic when everyone else was hopping on a plane to an exciting locale. Now, the definition has broadened to not going far away. Thankfully, there are many staycation options to choose from in the New York City orbit - even if you limit the distance to the surrounding suburbs. Although a suburban staycation may not come to mind when you think “luxurious getaway,” not only are there amazing local options for gorgeous retreats but think of how relaxed you will be without all the headaches of travel. 6sqft found three luxurious suburban retreats less than an hour from Grand Central that can rival any five-star destination abroad. These inns are only “suburban” in their locale. Everything from their level of service to their design-forward decor will transport you far from your daily grind.
Start making your staycation plans

February 8, 2018

For $1.6M, a historic upstate church-turned-music venue can be your personal house of worship

This historic 19th century building was once home to a German Lutheran church--and now it's the site of a super-cool live music venue and recording studio in upstate New York. Located in the charming town of Hudson, at 21 North 6th Street, the space now offers a buyer some unique opportunities. At an ask of $1.59 million, the listing says, "with certificate of occupancy allowing for both commercial and residential use, this remarkable property can also be reimagined and adapted for any number of commercial uses like a concert hall or an event space, a live and work space for artists, or a phenomenal private residence." One thing's for sure, the bones of this former house of worship--including everything from a spiral staircase to stained glass--are unbeatable.
Look around

Snedens Landing house that may have been George Washington’s office sells for $1.6M

George Washington image: Wikimedia Commons.

January 4, 2018

Snedens Landing house that may have been George Washington’s office sells for $1.6M

Located in the in the under-the-radar Rockland County celebrity enclave of Snedens Landing, this 18th century stone house, home of landscape designer and photographer Judy Tompkins for 60 years until she passed away at age 90 last May is rumored to have served as George Washington's office when his men were guarding the ferry service from the cliffs of the Palisades. 6sqft previously noted the home's rich history, beautiful interiors, and gorgeous perennial gardens created and tended by Tomkins, when the property hit the market last summer for $1.6 million. Now, the New York Post reports that the home has sold for its full asking price.
Check out the beautiful gardens

Off New York’s coast, ‘Just Room Enough Island’ fits only one house and a tree

‘Just Room Enough Island’ photo via Wikipedia

December 27, 2017

Off New York’s coast, ‘Just Room Enough Island’ fits only one house and a tree

By Devin Gannon

An island located in the Saint Lawrence River between Canada and the United States takes the meaning of a privacy to a whole new, but tiny, level. Adorably and accurately called "Just Room Enough Island," the speck of land is considered the world's smallest inhabited island. The site, also known as Hub Island, was purchased in the 1950s by a wealthy family, the Sizelands, who were looking to build a vacation home. It contains a single house, a tree shrubs and chairs that are placed right on the cozy island's edge (h/t Atlas Obscura).
See the tiny retreat

Architecture And Design

December 8, 2017

Escape to this extraordinary mini-castle overlooking Lake George for $395/night

The Airbnb listing for this unique retreat with the Adirondack Mountains and lakes as a backdrop offers a castle to match your fairy tale. Located in Bolton Landing, New York, Highlands Castle, the larger, grander fairytale venue next door, was featured by 6sqft in 2015 when it was listed for sale for $12.8 million. The entire property is the work of one John Lavender, who built the magical castles a mere 30-some years ago complete with knights, turrets, life-size lion statues and secret passageways to make good on a promise he'd made to his three-year-old son a decade prior that he’d build him a castle. The same #1 dad is offering the mini-castle on the property as an unforgettable mountain-country escape.
Tour the mini-masterpiece

November 27, 2017

Built into a stone ledge, this historic Hudson Valley church is a live-work fairytale

This unusual property has an enchanted background even before you see it: Situated in the Hudson Valley between the towns of New Paltz and Kingston, built into a stone ledge above the Wallkill River at the mouth of the Sturgeon Pool, this former church made of hand-cut stone dates from the 19th century. With an industrial past behind it, the 7,000 square-foot building is now used as a multi-level living and working space, with a three-story tower, balconies, an indoor fire pit and three bedrooms within, surrounded by lush gardens, water views and an outdoor grill. It's also for sale, asking $799,000.
Explore this amazing live-work building

November 17, 2017

$5.2M Queen Anne Victorian in Nyack comes with its own Hudson River pier

By Devin Gannon

A six-bedroom Queen Anne Victorian in Upper Nyack has hit the market for $5.2 million (h/t Curbed). Although the 1887 residence, known as the Bennett-Deyrup House, underwent a major $4 million renovation 10 years ago, many of its historic details--like embossed "lincrusta" ceilings and walls, stained glass windows and tile glass--remain. Just a quick, 30-minutes outside New York City, the home sits on the Hudson River and includes its own rocky beach and stoned pier.
Take a tour

Rosie O’Donnell lists sprawling five-property Nyack estate for $11M

Photo of Rosie O’Donnell courtesy of David Shankbone on Wikimedia

November 9, 2017

Rosie O’Donnell lists sprawling five-property Nyack estate for $11M

By Annie Doge

After recently snagging an $8 million triplex penthouse in Midtown East this summer, Rosie O’Donnell is now selling her massive estate in South Nyack, New York for $10.79 million. The sprawling, gated 2.4-acre compound overlooks the Hudson River and includes five separate properties, which are also available for individual sale (h/t New York Post). The main residence for sale, Rosie’s primary home, is located at 1 Gesner Avenue, currently on the market separately for $5.3 million. Built in 1906, the seven-room Dutch Colonial features two master bedrooms, fireplaces and incredible river views.
See it here

November 7, 2017

$17M Dutchess County ‘castle’ once belonged to Andrew Carnegie

Built in 1927 for Andrew Carnegie's daughter, the 34,000-square-foot estate in Millbrook, NY known as Migdale Castle was modeled after Carnegie's Skibo Castle in Scotland. Beginning in 2002, the home's current owners spent four years renovating its four floors, the 100 acres it occupies, and another 100-acre adjacent plot, giving new life to one of Dutchess County's most distinguished estates. Migdale first hit the market for $25 million, making it the county's most expensive listing, but a recent $8.1 million price chop resulted in the current $16.9 million ask.
READ MORE

November 6, 2017

Frank Lloyd Wright’s mushroom-shaped house in Westchester asks $1.5M

All around the Sol Friedman House at 11 Orchard Brook Drive in Pleasantville, New York, country roads wind through forests and meadows and the homes–three designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself, the rest approved by Wright and built by noted architects of his choosing–that make up Westchester's 1947 Usonian community of 50 houses blend perfectly into the landscape. None can be seen from the nearby highway that makes the Usonia Historic District a mere 50 minute commute to Manhattan. Documented by architectural photographers and featured in numerous publications, the Friedman house is indeed an extraordinary masterpiece, one of the three designed by the master architect–and it can now be yours for $1.5 million (h/t Curbed). The home's overlapping circular masonry design brings structure and nature together in one of Wright's celebrated signature styles–one which would be seen before long in the design of Manhattan's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
More great photos, this way

October 23, 2017

J.P. Morgan’s 120-year-old ‘Great Camp Uncas’ in the Adirondacks finally sells

A new owner has claimed the stately Great Camp Uncas compound, nestled among the Adirondack forest and lakefront. The secluded property was built in 1895 by Brooklynite William West Durant, credited with perfecting the style of the Adirondack Great Camps of the Gilded Age. This particular camp—at 1,500 acres—was impressive enough for financier J.P. Morgan to purchase it in 1897. It was used as a vacation home for him and his family the next 50 years. Since then the property has traded hands several times, and a parcel of it last hit the market in 2015 for $3.25 million. An unsuccessful sales run caused a price drop, in 2016, to $2.7 million. According to the brokerage firm Franklin Ruttan, one lucky owner has snapped it up.
Learn more about the camp's history

October 11, 2017

Asking $325/night, this secluded Catskills treehouse may be one of the coolest vacation escapes ever

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

By Dana Schulz

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

September 5, 2017

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