Upstate

In Westchester, an 1860s barn was converted to a mid-century estate for $1.25M

All listing photos courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

January 14, 2020

In Westchester, an 1860s barn was converted to a mid-century estate for $1.25M

Located in Pound Ridge, a quaint town in northeastern Westchester just an hour's drive from NYC, this sprawling estate set on nearly six acres is asking $1,250,000 (h/t Curbed). The New York Times wrote of Pound Ridge's "wooded slopes, streams and lakes and 19th-century stone walls," all of which create a "bucolic feel" that this home at 39 Old Snake Hill Road also embodies. Originally an 1860s barn, the listing tells us that the property was converted by Vito Fosella, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, into a charming mid-century residence "ideal for weekend or year-round living."
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Distinctive Homes

$1.3M upstate house is a Modernist vision by Frank Lloyd Wright’s colleagues

All images by Ren Nickson, courtesy of Sothebys International Realty.

January 10, 2020

$1.3M upstate house is a Modernist vision by Frank Lloyd Wright’s colleagues

By Michelle Cohen

According to the listing, this unique home in the remote upstate town of Canaan, NY was built by "two prominent colleagues of Frank Lloyd Wright," who employed stonework techniques used at Taliesin West, Usonian design, and a high peaked roof to make this stunning modern house "a paean to nature." Situated on 17 acres at 121 Top of Dean Hill Road, the property, asking $1.3 million, includes an equally fabulous guest house with a 3.5-car garage, woodland paths, and perennial gardens.
Tour this unusual Upstate home

With a $300M proposal, the Erie Canal could become a reinvented upstate attraction

Renderings courtesy of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office

January 6, 2020

With a $300M proposal, the Erie Canal could become a reinvented upstate attraction

By Alexandra Alexa

This is what a renewed Erie Canal could look like in the years to come. Gov. Andrew Cuomo revealed a $300 million proposal on Monday to revamp the 19th-century waterway that was started by Gov. DeWitt Clinton in 1817. The multi-phase plan originates in research conducted by the "Reimagine the Canals" task force assembled by Cuomo last May. The first phase will begin later this year and comprises two parts: a $100 million economic development fund to invest in communities along the canal and $65 million toward preventing ice jams and flooding in the Schenectady area. The remaining $135 million will be allocated based on recommendations made in the task force’s report.
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Architecture And Design

Bruce Willis sells 22-acre Westchester estate at a $5M discount

Photo credit: Robert Lowell courtesy of Douglas Elliman

December 27, 2019

Bruce Willis sells 22-acre Westchester estate at a $5M discount

By Annie Doge

After nearly a year on the market, Bruce Willis has finally unloaded his 22-acre Westchester estate, reports the Wall Street Journal. The actor and his wife, Emma Heming Willis, first listed the property in January for $12.95 million but dropped the price to $9.4 million in August. The couple said they were selling since they planned to move back to the west coast, and they must have been quite eager, as they ultimately let it go for $7.66 million, a 41 percent discount and a big loss from the $12 million they bought it for in 2014.
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Enjoy a ‘Victorian Christmas’ at Westchester’s Octagon House

All photos courtesy of the Armour–Stiner House

November 18, 2019

Enjoy a ‘Victorian Christmas’ at Westchester’s Octagon House

By Dana Schulz

Not only is Westchester's Octagon House the stuff that Instagram dreams are made of, but it is the world’s only eight-sided, fully-domed Victorian home. This holiday season, the Armour–Stiner House, as it's officially known, will open its doors at night for a special event that invites guests to tour the restored 1872 house while it's full of seasonal decorations. There will also be hot refreshments served and "dramatic interpretations of Washington Irving's 'Old Christmas.'"
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This $950K Westchester home is part schoolhouse, part general store, part carriage house

Listing images by James Patrick Cooper; courtesy of Compass

November 5, 2019

This $950K Westchester home is part schoolhouse, part general store, part carriage house

By Alexandra Alexa

You wouldn’t be able to tell from looking at this unassuming Tarrytown home that it’s actually a mash-up of historical structures, though the remaining steeple provides a little clue about its past. The current kitchen and dining area was once a carriage house, the living room once served as the town’s general store and post office, and the parlor room was a one-room schoolhouse in the 1700s. The three structures were fused together in 1900 to create what is now 13 Heritage Hill Road. Spanning nearly 2,500 square feet, the three-bedroom residence is on the market for $950,000.
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This $6M Norman Jaffe-designed waterfront home is a classic sculpture with views of the Hudson

Photo credit: Alon Koppel courtesy of Heather Croner Real Estate/Sotheby’s International Realty.

October 25, 2019

This $6M Norman Jaffe-designed waterfront home is a classic sculpture with views of the Hudson

By Michelle Cohen

Known for the "romantic modernist" residential architecture of so many iconic angular beach houses in the Hamptons, Norman Jaffe was a prolific architect who designed more than 600 projects during his 35-year career. Jaffe, who died in 1993, used passive solar design and lots of glass and wood in his striking waterfront homes. Built in 1993, the 12,980-square-foot residence at 1981 Broadway, asking $5.9 million, diverges a bit from his usual style. Set high on a bluff over the Hudson River surrounded by 20 acres of waterfront land in Ulster County, New York, the home's design refers to classic Greek architecture along with Jaffe's usual attention to natural light and shadow.
Tour this unforgettable waterfront home

For $3.4M, this Dobbs Ferry Colonial has a terraced garden with a stone pool and grape arbor

Images courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence.

October 23, 2019

For $3.4M, this Dobbs Ferry Colonial has a terraced garden with a stone pool and grape arbor

By Michelle Cohen

Even in the Westchester County village of Dobbs Ferry, NY, the 4.2 acre Cricket Hill estate seems a world removed from modern life 20 miles away in New York City. The 6,000-square-foot stone and shingle country house is both characterful and updated for modern living, but the enchanted grounds, including a terraced walled garden, free-form pool and grape arbor, appear unaltered by time.
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Distinctive Homes

This upstate farmhouse comes with 30+ acres and an abundant fruit orchard for just under $700K

Listing images courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

October 21, 2019

This upstate farmhouse comes with 30+ acres and an abundant fruit orchard for just under $700K

By Alexandra Alexa

The deed for this 30+ acre Greek Revival farmhouse and apple orchard at 340 Route 9H in Claverack (a hamlet with views of the Catskills located about five miles from Hudson) has only changed hands three times since it was built in 1842. If you’re looking for a place to grow some roots—and apples—this retreat has plenty to offer. Also known as Miletus Farm, the sprawling property includes a 2,200 square foot home, several outbuildings, a tennis court, and a garage, in addition to the idyllic orchards, which also grow peaches and apricots. The property was on the market last fall for $999,000 and is now listed for a reduced $699,000 with the option of including a three-bedroom caretaker’s house into the sale for a total of $899,000.
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Distinctive Homes

9 tiny upstate houses you can rent this fall

All photos courtesy of Glamping Hub

October 18, 2019

9 tiny upstate houses you can rent this fall

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

As the leaves turn and the cool weather creeps back, it's not hard to start daydreaming about a quiet weekend escape in a cozy vacation rental. And what better way to experience nature than in a tiny house? From a wood cabin in the Adirondacks to a modern retreat on a Catskills farm, we've rounded up nine tiny glamping spots that inspire big, lofty plans of how best to lay low and enjoy all the autumn glory upstate.
Check them all out

Getting Away

This Catskills community was designed by a real-life cowboy

All photos courtesy of The Chapin Estate

October 4, 2019

This Catskills community was designed by a real-life cowboy

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

The Chapin Estate is a 2,500-acre gated residential preserve in the Catskills, a 90-minute drive from midtown Manhattan. And if its rustic-yet-elegant style seems striking to you, that's likely because its founder, a real-life former rodeo star, was inspired by historic Adirondack Great Camps. Rather than “amenitizing” nature, Steve Dubrovsky designed around freshwater lakes and forests and left the site "wild." There is a lake club for fishing and swimming, a gym, two pickleball courts, a tennis court, and a half basketball court. There is also Crestwood Mountain Farms, a working horse and cattle facility for all its residents to enjoy. Plus, the homes themselves were constructed using lumber from the site. Ahead, take a tour of the Chapin Estate and hear from Dubrovsky about his background and vision.
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Neighborhood Tours

For $3M, this 125-acre upstate farm has a barn and a log cabin pool house

All listing photos courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

October 2, 2019

For $3M, this 125-acre upstate farm has a barn and a log cabin pool house

By Dana Schulz

Two hours north of the city in the Dutchess County town of Wassaic, you can own an entire 125-acre farm for the price of a three-bedroom Manhattan condo. Known as Avalon Farm, the $2,950,000 property has a nearly 3,000-square-foot contemporary main house, along with a fully functional barn, an in-ground pool and adjacent log cabin pool house, tennis court, and its own stream. It's definitely secluded, but the farm is a quick drive to downtown Amenia, which is full of restaurants, antique shops, and even a drive-in movie theater.
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Distinctive Homes

This spring, you can spend the night in an off-grid Mars habitat upstate

All renderings via AI SpaceFactory, © Plomp

September 4, 2019

This spring, you can spend the night in an off-grid Mars habitat upstate

By Dana Schulz

If you're intrigued by all the talk of living on Mars but don't actually want to depart planet Earth, you can have a shot at semi-extraterrestrial living this spring. AI SpaceFactory, the architects behind NASA's Mars habitat MARSHA, are bringing a "Mars habitat designed for off-grid living on Earth" to a site an hour-and-a-half north of NYC along the Hudson River (h/t Curbed). For a donation as low as $175, you'll be able to spend the night in the TERA cabin and get "a glimpse into the future of sustainable life on and beyond our planet," according to a press release.
More details and views

For $1.95M, this 66-acre upstate farm comes with a rustic party barn and a private swimming hole

Listing images courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

September 4, 2019

For $1.95M, this 66-acre upstate farm comes with a rustic party barn and a private swimming hole

By Alexandra Alexa

Situated on 66 pastoral acres in the heart of Millbrook hunt country, this farm compound at 921 Duell Road in Stanfordville has everything you’d look for in an upstate retreat: a rustic party barn, a 12-stall barn, and a good old-fashioned swimming hole. The Colonial-era farmhouse dates back to 1790 and boasts many original details, including wide-plank floors, handcrafted cabinetry, and artisanal stonework. Lovely in its own right, it would also be the perfect candidate for a more modern renovation. Located just under two hours from NYC, the property is now seeking $1.95 million.
Explore the entire compound

Distinctive Homes

Hudson River views abound at this six-acre Garrison estate, designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright disciple

Listing images courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

September 3, 2019

Hudson River views abound at this six-acre Garrison estate, designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright disciple

By Alexandra Alexa

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s disciple Edgar Tafel—who earned his chops working on some of Wright’s most famous properties, including Fallingwater—this nearly 4,000-square-foot residence in Garrison is beautifully sited on six acres and comes with sweeping views of the Hudson River. Mid-century modern details prevail inside while the “zen-like” landscape design includes a free-form pool and whirlpool hot tub nestled among sculpted rock outcroppings. The Putnam County property is now on the market for a cool $3.55 million.
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Distinctive Homes

Lavish Tudor estate on the grounds of the Westchester Country Club seeks $8M

Listing images courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

August 28, 2019

Lavish Tudor estate on the grounds of the Westchester Country Club seeks $8M

By Alexandra Alexa

This 11,570-square-foot estate is set on two acres within the grounds of the Westchester Country Club, overlooking the Club’s South Golf Course. Built in 1929 in the Cotswold Tudor Revival style, the stately residence has a long list of features to match its $7.995 million asking price, including a stunning pool and pool house, a wine cellar and tasting room, a golf simulator (to perfect your chops before you hit the course), and more.
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Distinctive Homes

Last available home in upstate ‘eco community’ Hudson Woods asks $1.18M

Image credit: Deborah De Graffenreid for Hudson Woods.

August 22, 2019

Last available home in upstate ‘eco community’ Hudson Woods asks $1.18M

By Michelle Cohen

The last house in the Hudson Woods modern development is for sale. The $1.18 million home was, like its neighbors in the 131-acre Hudson Valley community, designed by Lang Architecture with a modern aesthetic, quality craftsmanship and premium finishes. The 26-family community was constructed in a scenic corner of the Catskills characterized by wooded rolling hills and a large river; it's a two-hour drive from New York City.
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Sandra Lee and Governor Cuomo chop $300K off their country home in Westchester

Photo of Andrew Cuomo via Wikimedia; Photo of Sandra Lee via Wikimedia; Listing photos courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

August 22, 2019

Sandra Lee and Governor Cuomo chop $300K off their country home in Westchester

By Annie Doge

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his longtime girlfriend, cookbook author and TV chef Sandra Lee, are selling their four-bedroom country home in Westchester. Lee, who recently denied rumors that the couple had split, told the New York Times that they no longer need the large house because the governor's three daughters are now adults. The four-bedroom home in Mount Kisco sits on a tranquil three acres, which include a pond and gazebo. The pair originally listed the home at the end of May for $2 million, but it's now received a price chop to $1,699,000, according to lohud.
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You can buy this house on a private island upstate for $850K, but you can only get there by boat

Images courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

August 20, 2019

You can buy this house on a private island upstate for $850K, but you can only get there by boat

By Michelle Cohen

Though we've all probably dreamed at some point of owning a private island–and they're more common than you may think–the serene and very private Willow Island on Putnam Lake in Patterson, N.Y., on the market for $850,000, is less out of reach than some others. On the one hand, it's accessible only by boat. On the other, it's less than 60 miles north of New York City in Putnam County. There's a private driveway and garage on the mainland and multiple docks on the property. The lake is "non-motorized," but the island comes with a solar-powered boat.
See the whole island and go inside

August 19, 2019

Clean lines highlight this $810K Usonia home in Westchester by a Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice

By Michelle Cohen

The Usonia community in Pleasantville, NY, was created as a tribute to legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright to celebrate his "Usonian" home ideal–design that would integrate with a home's natural surroundings and live and grow with its inhabitants. The site plan, road system, and a handful of homes in the community were designed by Wright himself, but most of its houses were created by his associates and admirers, David Henken and Aaron Resnick. Henken designed the three-bedroom home at 6 Usonia Road in 1950. In true Wright style, this mid-century modern property, known as the Anderson House, is surrounded by greenery, with floor to ceiling windows and a wraparound deck. The house is now on the market for $810,000.
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August 19, 2019

$400K cozy upstate A-frame puts a modern angle on a lakeside cottage retreat

By Michelle Cohen

This understated-yet-cool custom-crafted retreat, on the market for $395,000, isn't your average lakeside cottage. Built in 1965, the A-frame house at 39 Shore Road in the Columbia County hamlet of Ancram, N.Y. marries thorough modern renovations (central air, radiant heat, generator, washer/dryer, thermopane windows) and considered design for a completely unique hideaway.
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Distinctive Homes

August 16, 2019

This $4M upstate Zen retreat is on a private island in the Hudson River

By Michelle Cohen

Located in the sleepy hamlet of New Hamburg in Dutchess County, separated from the banks of the Hudson River by a mere footbridge, this unique property asking $3.995 million is called Rabbit Island. And if you're into privacy and water views with an easy commute to anywhere, you'll want to hop on it. This pretty package includes a 4,427-square-foot house surrounded by decks and tranquil gardens, and it's a four-minute walk from the New Hamburg train station.
Zen-like tranquility, this way

Distinctive Homes

This $1.25M modernist house in Ossining was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s firm

Photos by Pedro Sousa of Jump Visual, courtesy of Compass

August 14, 2019

This $1.25M modernist house in Ossining was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s firm

By Michelle Cohen

It's pretty easy to guess that this mid-century modern-style home in Ossining, N.Y. was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. But the lakeside home at 17 Twin Ridges Road has a connection to the famed architect that goes beyond homage: It was designed by Wright's firm, Taliesin Associated Architects, based on the blueprints of Life Magazine’s 1997 American Dream Home.
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Distinctive Homes

Bruce Willis’ 22-acre Westchester estate gets a price chop, now asking $9.4M

Photo of Bruce Willis via Gage Skidmore on Flickr; listing photo: Robert Lowell courtesy of Douglas Elliman

August 1, 2019

Bruce Willis’ 22-acre Westchester estate gets a price chop, now asking $9.4M

By Michelle Cohen

Bruce Willis put his massive 22-acre Westchester estate on the market back in January for $12.95 million, with plans to head back to the West Coast. The "Die Hard" actor's Bedford Corners property just got a hefty discount, now asking $9.39 million, the New York Post reports. In 2014, Willis and wife Emma Heming paid $12 million for the estate, which includes a shingle-style home, antique house, and two renovated guest cottages. As 6sqft reported last January, Willis sold his co-op at 271 Central Park West for $17.75 million after buying it for around the same price in 2015.
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Steven Holl’s geometrically fabulous Catskills ‘Y House’ asks $1.6M

Image credit: Alon Koppel for Sotheby’s International Realty.

July 31, 2019

Steven Holl’s geometrically fabulous Catskills ‘Y House’ asks $1.6M

By Michelle Cohen

Designed by renowned architect Steven Holl, this modern retreat in Middleburgh, NY says yes from the minute you see it. Holl's bright sunset red "Y House," perched atop a hill in the Catskills, extends two arms ending in balconies, ready to embrace daily sunlight throughout the three-bedroom residence. One of Holl's most accomplished works, the house is an organic presence on a 33-acre site blessed with gorgeous views, a pond and a boat house. Asking $1.6 million, the property is less than three hours from NYC.
See more of this modern mountain retreat, this way

July 24, 2019

Asking $525K, this historic Connecticut church conversion is the perfect creative sanctuary

By Michelle Cohen

Located a tiny village in Canaan, CT–it’s the second smallest in the state–this former church in a historic district is currently home to a prominent artist and architectural designer. And we can see why it might be the perfect creative recharging space. There’s even a reading nook in the bell tower. Built in roughly 1900, the two-bedroom single-family home at 24 Beebe Hill Road is on the market for $525,000.
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July 2, 2019

Storied Westchester Skinny House seeks a buyer with a big heart and $275K

By Michelle Cohen

It's easy to see that the little red house at 175 Grand Street in Mamaroneck, NY, is no ordinary home just by looking: At a mere 10 feet wide, the Skinny House stands out for its size alone. As 6sqft previously reported, this unique dwelling, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has quite a tale to tell. The little house on a 12.5-foot lot was built in 1932 by Nathan T. Seely, one of New York’s first African American builders. Its story is one of ingenuity and skill, and it provided for its creator during hard times. In need of a new chapter and some real TLC, the house is on the market–for only the second time since its construction–for $275,000.
Get the skinny on this diminutive dwelling

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