When I first moved to Millerton, I complained to a friend that it was too “bougie,” ‘cause I had a fantasy of living in a yurt in Greene or Sullivan county. Ever the optimist, he commented, “Yeah, but you can probably get better coffee in Millerton.”

A year ago when Back in the Kitchen opened just down the road in Amenia, I was super excited to find they served better coffee and everything else. Opened by Claire Houlihan and Peggy McEnroe, Back in the Kitchen’s scones and baked goods are amazing. They often have creamy vegan soups (coconut milk is the secret), great sandwiches, and make an exceptional bacon, egg and cheese. It’s basically the perfect cafe to stop in for a coffee, grab food to go, or sit and talk with a friend, and satisfy’s a former city-dweller’s foodie needs.

Back in the Kitchen
3312 Main Street, Amenia, NY; 845.789.1444
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday – Saturday 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Closed Wednesday

Yes indeed, you read it right.  This adorable home sits on 20 lovely acres of land is $120,000.   It needs some work, and it’s difficult to know for sure how much as the photos are not terribly forthcoming with that information, but still.  For $120,000, you could have enough left over to turn this house into truly special with not a whole-lot of overhead.

This house is located about 6 miles from the Metro North commuter train station in Amenia, which is a bit of stretch on foot, but not too hard on a bike.  Plus, part of the route from the train station to this house lies on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, which wends its way from Chatham down through Dutchess County to Wassaic (check this trail map if you decide to check it out; some of it is still in development and not open to the public yet).

Amenia is not a big town.  It’s definitely rural and enveloped by farm land.  But there is a playhouse, TriArts at Sharon Playhouse, and there are plenty of places to enjoy the outdoors, such as Beekman Park and Wassaic Multiple Use Area, run by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.  There’s also an indoor swimming pool at the Maplebrook School that has a winter swim schedule.

We think this house has the potential to be a worthy investment either as a primary home or a second home and sportsman’s retreat (there’s a hunting cabin on the property).  The house itself is fairly large, and the listing boasts that it has a new kitchen and bath, but it needs some love and attention.  According to the real estate agent, the house is a short sale, but she is still waiting to get the “approved” short sale price from the bank.

Be warned, the taxes are bit on the steep side, but this is definitely worth investigating if you’re interested in ditching your car and moving to the country.

54 Tower Hill Road, Amenia (Prudential Serls Prime Property) GMAP
Asking Price: $120,000
Beds: 4
Baths: 1
Square Feet: 2,258
Year Built: 1965
Land: 20 acres
Taxes: $7146
Features: Hunting cabin on property