Riverfront Victorian – 20 min to Windham

At the end of a cul-de-sac, beautifully situated on the Catskill Creek sits our secluded Queen Anne victorian house. Surrounded by wilderness and mountain views, the property enjoys 100 yards of private river access. There is a primitive outdoor shower, a woodfired pizza oven nestled in a vegetable garden, a rustic fire pit by the creek, and a small flock of chickens. Recharge, cook, sip wine by the fireplace, go tubing or swimming and look for eagles. In wintertime Windham is but 20 min away. We decided to call the house The Modern Victorian (#themodernvictorianproject), because although it is a Queen Anne, it is decorated beautifully and sustainably with a mix of mid-century modern and local antique finds. This makes for an inviting, less formal atmosphere. A Mediterranean inspired herb garden surrounds the house and the cottage. Nestled in the corner of a graveled terrace vegetable garden sits the wood fired pizza oven. The oven is capable of holding 800+ degrees. It is a joy to cook in and to sit by with a glass of wine and friends. Be sure to read how to use it in our house manual. Under the outdoor deck we built an area which we call The Creekside Lounge. It has lounge chairs, a primitive outdoor shower and is comfortably shaded during hot afternoons. It is a good pit stop between river and house. A small flock of bantam chickens patrol the property during the day, and retire to their on-site coop in the evenings. Their door is automated. Nothing to do but to enjoy them and feed them. The main floor is made for entertaining. Our kitchen – the natural place to gather – has plenty of space to cook up a storm using the local fresh market finds. Both the kitchen and the adjacent breakfast nook has ornate handmade detailing. From here, French stained glass doors opens up to the sunroom and the veranda, where the charcoal BBQ and dining al fresco awaits. The dining room combines with the living room, creating one great open space in which to enjoy after-dinner activities. Gather around the arched brick-lined gas fireplace with board games, books or music. There is an upright piano and a turntable complete with an essential collection of vinyl records to play. Or use Bluetooth and Spotify. In the summer, open up the French doors, lie down on the daybed and listen to the creek. The second floor holds the sleeping quarters. There is the sweeping master wing, complete with a king bed, turret, fireplace, terrace and bright master bath with jacuzzi, all overlooking the creek; the blue guest room with cathedral ceilings, wall of windows, king bed and soothing view of the towering old pine trees; the children’s room, comfortably arranged with a full size bunk bed/twin trundle roomy enough for 3-5 kids. There are also plenty of children’s books and toys here. From the children’s room one can access a storage room, currently used to stash toys. The guest room shares a full bath with the children’s room. By the creek you will find a stone fire pit, and axe and plenty of firewood. Use the pit responsibly. Nearby you will also find the river tubes. Adventure awaits both up and down river! Swimming, walking and tubing in the river is wonderful, but strictly at your own risk. The rocks can be slippery, and after rains the river rises and the currents become stronger. There are games such as badminton, volleyball, archery, corn holes, bean bags and soccer balls. The Modern Victorian is conveniently located near I-87 and the Taconic. Windham is 20 minutes away and Hunter another 15 from there. 25 minutes to Hudson and the Amtrak train, restaurants, and antiquing. 10 minutes to Catskill, quintessential town with boutiques and cinema. The whole house is accessible, except the basement and the attic. I am available via email and text should you have any concerns during your stay. The proximity to both skiing and to quaint small towns is really the best of two worlds - that is, should you grow tired of basking in the river (summer time) or sledding in the backyard (winter time). We love the bakery See & Be Kitchen (order online and pickup goods on Saturday morning), the proximity of good groceries at Hannaford, and all the fun antiquing in Leeds, Hudson and East Durham. Big cuts of aged meats for your BBQ can be picked up from T&C Products in Cairo. A car is a must to get around. The nearest train station is in Hudson, 25 min away. There are plenty of cab drivers at the station. Child proofing: There are two baby gates located in the closet in the children's room, for your use. No cabinets in the house are secured. Work on the house: some decorative interior door/window trim remains to be installed on the second floor. The living room exterior facade will receive final paint summer 2022. Rest assured no work is done on the house during your stay. Water: We are pleased to offer a water softener system that provides potable water to all taps and showers in the house, as the Catskills is known for its hard sulfurous water. The house is in an area without municipal water, and thus has its own well. Additionally, the kitchen has a reverse osmosis water filtration system, both by the sink and inside the refrigerator, for great tasting/smelling water. Because the water is treated to be soft, it may feel different when showering or taking a bath; some say it feels slippery. This is normal. In the spring and the fall, or after heavy rains, the water may have a sulphurous smell. This is also normal, and safe to use for cooking, showering and washing. Bugs: Nearly all windows have screens. Read up on ticks and how to protect yourself. We recommend treating clothing ahead of time with Permethrin (available online). Blinds: The bedrooms do not have blinds to allow for maximum enjoyment of the surrounding nature. EVs: There are local charging stations in Catskills and Hudson. Pets/Service animals: We keep the house and property pet-free. If you have a service animal, please reach out before booking. The main concerns are allergies (indoors), free-range chickens and wildlife (outdoors). Any service animal has to be leashed to protect chicken and wildlife. Entertainment: There is a 55 inch 4K Apple TV with Amazon Prime subscription, and a Playstation 4 with some games. Insects: The windows is equipped with screens. Read up on ticks and how to protect yourself. We recommend treating clothing ahead of time with Permethrin (Amazon). The free-range chickens help remove ticks too :) Swimming: Cooling off in the river is wonderful, but do remember that doing so is strictly at your own risk. We do not accept ANY liability. The rocks can be very slippery. Use hands and feet when climbing around on them. Make sure children wear floatation devices. Water shoes are a great idea for all to use. After rains the river rises and the currents become much stronger. Use your good judgement as to when to enter the river.