This summer everyone in New York State has an inside=bad, outside=good mindset. Maybe you're a hiker, or a mountain biker and with the absence of the obligatory parties and events that would normally distract you from your hobby you've been able to do more of what you love this spring and summer. Great! You probably already consciously or unconsciously understand the healing power of time in a forest. Maybe you're not into those things, and you find yourself doing a whole lot of swiping right now! If you find yourself at the bottom of a Pinterest pit you might want to consider doing something you've never done before - Shinrin Yoku.

The Japanese art of forest bathing, or Shinrin Yoku, was developed in the 1980's as a therapy to combat the downsides

Welcome to Chateau DeVue

The Penthouse In The Catskills

Who doesn’t remember the scene in Pretty Woman where Vivian (Julia Roberts) and Edward (Richard Gere), discuss his penchant for penthouses, despite his great fear of heights? When Vivian asks why he’s rented the penthouse when he’s too afraid to enjoy the view, Edward answers, “Because it’s the best.”

 Welcome to Chateau DeVue, a rapturous mountain retreat set high on the peaks of the beautiful Catskills - it’s “the best”; the ultimate in luxury, with views to match the extravagance of the property.

Chateau DeVue is the combination of two distinct properties, that together, offer a unique weekend escape. Located in Lexington, which, although not a

The Catskills Has TONS Of Space For Business... Right?

Space…it seems like there’s plenty of it here in the Mid-Hudson Valley/Catskills region. We’ve got thousands of acres of protected land, unspoiled vistas, and long winding roads with only occasional dwellings. Compared to New York City and the greater metropolitan area, we have space on parade. But, when it comes to retail space in the village that’s the region’s totem, space is…sparse.

If you’ve been waiting to start a business or wishing you could move your current business to a better location, good news - 2,360 square feet of commercial space has just become available in Woodstock; Lotus Fine Art and Design at 33 Rock City Road is on the market. 

33 Rock City

The Perfect Jumping Off Spot

Part of the fun of living in Ulster County is learning about and benefiting from the diverse backgrounds of your neighbors. Some lucky folks you meet have lived here all their lives, some are testing the waters by spending their weekends and holidays here – seeing if Hudson Valley living is for them, and some have come here with a real purpose. The latter was the case with the current owners of 1309 Sawkill Road in Woodstock; they came for the music. 1309 Sawkill is just a few miles down the road from Levon Helm Studios, and they came to play. This family of musicians spent years playing at the legendary Barn as well as taking advantage of every opportunity their home’s location offered up.

Nearby

Picture this...

You wake up to a crisp winter morning, there’s fresh snow on the ground and a big blue sky, outside your window are snow-capped mountains, one of which is a ski resort. It’s early, and while you sip a cup of coffee in front of a sleek modern gas fireplace with plush carpet beneath your feet, you watch as the resort’s first arrivals unload their equipment from their cars, trudging unsteadily in their ungainly ski boots up to the lodge to buy their lift tickets. What a slog! Some of them probably started their day hours ago, shoveling snow off the car they left parked on their city block, loading up outside their apartment building, and driving up to the mountains. Your car is parked underground in a heated garage, waiting for

Find a community choir in the Catskills and Mid-Hudson Valley so you can sing it with a group!

There are all kinds of studies about how singing is good for your body and emotional health. There are also studies about how singing in a group has added benefits. If you've ever sung in a choir you probably get it without having to read any of those studies. Making music with other people can be a delight, a transcendent experience, and/or a worthy intellectual challenge. Also, if you're one of those people who wants somewhere to go a couple nights out of the week that doesn't involve eating, a choir might be just the thing. The local community choirs in the Hudson Valley and Catskills don't always do a great job of publicizing themselves, sometimes

One of the best things about being a Real Estate agent is that it's part of my job to know what's going on in the towns and villages that I serve. I love that. Not only do I dig being "in the know", but I love having a reason to perk up and take notice when people's dreams come true. In the past few months I've seen a lot of dreams come to fruition in the form of new businesses; I want to share them with you. Try them out! See what you think! Opening can be hard and every new customer can make a difference.

Here's my list of new spots to check out in January:

Hickory Hill Market in Windham

It might seem odd to start with a gas station, but everyone in Windham is loving the Hickory Hill Market. They have gas and the other little

Say, "Slippers, begone!", with our list of 10 Catskill events in January 2020 - they'll get you out of the house and keep you out of a funk.

There's only one way to avoid the "Cabin Fever" of February and March that we all dread in the North East - get out of your cabin! Get out! Go somewhere! I know, I know, so many of the temptations to leave home have disappeared. Want some yummy take out? You can probably get it delivered. Want to watch a movie? Gone are the days of Blockbuster and even Red Box (I miss them). Want to catch up with a friend? Skype them, whatsapp them, or facetime+facebook two different buddies on two different devices. All this seems great, until you begin to feel the walls close in and it's 10 pm on Saturday night and you

Whether you're in the Catskills/Mid-Hudson Valley region for the weekend, or live here year-round, if there's snow on the ground, it's likely that someone in your crew wants to go sledding. Here's our list of favorite hills in Kingston, Rhinebeck, Saugerties, Woodstock, and New Paltz that are open for everyone to join in the fun. Go ahead, indulge in some sledding in the Catskills and Hudson Valley.

Every time the snow falls and a blanket of fluffy white goodness coats the ground, in Ulster and Dutchess Counties, we're ready for fun! There’s a certain magic in the air that you have to take advantage of; sledding is a swell way to do it - it's safer than some other winter sports, easy to do, and substantially more convenient too! Don't have a

Not One, But Two Mid-Hudson Valley Lofts

When someone says “Hudson Valley Real Estate” what comes to mind?

Stone colonials? Farmhouses? Stream-side woodland cabins? Perhaps a mix of all of these. But it’s unlikely that the first image that pops into a home shoppers mind when they hear “Hudson Valley Real Estate”, is a loft. Most of us associate lofts with big-city living and even bigger city price tags. However, this week, not one but two lofts came on the local market via Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty. They both have all the standards of a loft: wide-open spaces, industrial style, exposed architectural elements, and a well-considered design aesthetic. Both these lofts are condominiums, and as such require less homeowner maintenance than