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Welcome to Escape From New York, in which I find new homes for New Yorkers priced out of their city.
In this installment we meet Rachel, an artist currently holing up in a two-bedroom in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She has two—count ’em, two— terraces and uses one bedroom as a studio.
After 20 years in the city, she still loves its cultural and culinary riches, and her apartment’s outdoor space. But she’s tired of “worrying I’ll get priced out of my neighborhood while already spending too much on rent.”
Her must-haves: Rural and near a quiet-but-still-hopping and culturally satisfying major city; close to an international airport.
Her deal breakers: Main roads are a no-go, as are any cities not on the coasts.
Her goal: “A magical balance of access and seclusion.” She wants several acres, some wooded and some landscaped. The look: “rustic meets Mid-Century Modern.” More from her wish list: three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and “old stone, exposed beams, with radiant heat flooring and central air with great light and a chef’s kitchen. I want space to work, space for guests, and space to start a family.” It also has to have a separate studio.
Her budget: up to $500,000, though less would be much preferred.
Rachel, for the first time, I’m stumped! I didn’t find a single house on the West Coast, and few that truly fit the bill on the East.
So I’ve decided to send you north, to the Catskills/Hudson Valley. It has easy access to NYC, plenty of small, slightly happening cities (Beacon, Hudson), and nature galore. Also: many artist friends for you. In your case, I suggest this tack: Pick the house, not the place.
realtor.com
411 Bovina Rd, Bovina Center, NY
Price: $425,000
So, yeah, the four-bedroom, two-bathroom, 2,400-square-foot house looks nice, but we decided to regale you with the view. Is 28.61 acres enough for you? Meanwhile, there’s a spring-fed pond, geothermal heat, central air (“you will applaud an average monthly expense of $185.00″), beamed ceilings (yes!), a large studio, and a “dining canopied gazebo.” You are, admittedly, pretty far out there into Delaware County once you hit Bovina, but there are more and more real estate refugees out that way. Some of them opened up an incredibly delicious restaurant/inn.
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realtor.com
31 Hussey Hill Rd, Ulster Park, NY
Price: $399,000
Maybe 28 acres weren’t enough for you. In that case, here are 42, which surround a renovated and expanded three-bedroom, four-bathroom, 2,224-square-foot Cape that seems to have pretty much everything you want, right down to the radiant heat flooring. Beamed ceilings! Awesome kitchen! Detached studio! Not enough? Try this: The bedrooms all have private balconies.
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realtor.com
175 Market Ln, Clinton Corners, NY
Price: $450,000
Here’s something a little closer to what you were asking for, acreage-wise: 2 nice acres. This three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 2,096-square-foot home has the chef’s kitchen you dreamed of, along with a separate studio above the two-car garage, central air, and—something you didn’t ask for but could be awesome for drawing your pals upstate to visit—a pool. Another upside: It’s on the east side of the Hudson, close to the Amtrak station. The whole place has a storybook quality, including beautiful woods.
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realtor.com
469 Farm Rd, Copake, NY
Price: $399,000
Yeah, it’s a little smaller than the others, but can you resist a former schoolhouse? This once was the Wilcox Schoohouse in 1902. It’s now a two-story, three-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom home on almost 3 acres. Another plus: “115′ frontage on the Roeliff Jansen Kill,a Class-A trout stream and the wildlife it attracts.” Copake, also on the east side of the river, has some nice lakes and waterfalls, and easy access to the oh-so-happening Hudson, NY.
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realtor.com
525 County Road 114, Cochecton, NY
Price: $299,000
Separate studio? Check. Rustic Mid-Century? Kinda. Beams? Not so much. How about this, though: “large covered balcony w/hot tub + fabulous long-range views?” If the 4 acres aren’t enough for you, you can buy an adjoining 11-acre parcel for $44,000. It has five bedrooms and three bathrooms. And it has Cochecton, a lovely little community in Sullivan County. You may not miss Greenpoint at all.
The post Escape From New York—Go to the Catskills appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.