This week’s Car-Free Country House is located in Cold Spring, Putnam County. We love that it’s on three acres, yet it’s only a few miles away from the village of Cold Spring (important stuff like the nearest pizza place is less than a mile away, and groceries are less than two miles away).

The house is a bargain, especially now. Back in November 2011, the house was on the market $219,900, and less than 10 days later, it was going for $199,900. Now it’s $169,900, so it seems that the owners are anxious to sell. From the photos, it looks like there might  be some cosmetic fixes and upgrades needed, but there’s a whirlpool bath, a wood-burning stove and exposed beams in the living room.

Property also includes an additional out-building. The MetroNorth train station is about 3 1/2 miles away, definitely close enough for getting there on a bike. This would make a fantastic second home in upstate New York if you’re looking for a dramatic contrast between a city environment and three secluded acres close to a great village right on the Hudson River.

Hm, what happened to Cold Spring in the 80s? I was looking for the upper crust of  Cold Spring real estate, but everything over $800,000 was built sometime in the Reagan Era. Maybe that’s what happened–the beginning of lowering taxes for the wealthy and allowing them to build more mansions up the Hudson.

Lots of them were cheesy, but I think this place is sleek enough to qualify for real estate porn. As usual, I love the little “artist’s cottage” more than the dramatic contemporary home. The place isn’t huge–three beds, less than 2,000 square feet. Stats on the jump.

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We’re posting this Cold Spring Victorian even though we don’t have any interior photos because it’s so pretty on the outside. Neat white trim, deep wrap-around porch, mountain views, elevated lot offering privacy and a convenient village location. What’s not to love? The fact that the realtor doesn’t offer any photos of the “library” or this home’s 4 bedrooms and 3 baths. If you’re not ready to commit, the house is also available for rent for $3550/month.

Stats on the jump. (more…)

This little Cold Spring house has nice curb appeal. I like the graceful porch and Victorian village exterior charm. It’s close enough to the train station to allow you to walk, so you could have village living with quasi-Brooklyn-level transportation ease. Oh, but with off-street parking.

The house is small, though, just two beds and one bath. The lot is fairly small too, so I’m not sure about the possibilities for expansion. There is, however, an outbuilding that could be used as a separate workspace. Maybe you can build a rope bridge and put a bathroom in there.

Stats on the jump. (more…)

Both 8 B Street and 10 B Street are currently for sale, but 8 has a dearth of interior pictures that makes me nervous. Number 10, on the other hand, has some potential. Porch, renovated kitchen, nice stone detailing, fireplace, and a great spot: walking distance to downtown, parks and the river. It has only one bathroom, definitely a minus, and just a teeny weeny city lot. Anyone looking to relocate permanently? Stats on the jump.

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This 1870 Cold Spring village home offers a nice combination of Main Street convenience and lush garden access. While it comes with just under an acre of land, the yard has a well-established garden and a working outdoor brick fireplace so you can pretend you’re Gwyneth Paltrow and make brick oven pizza for your spawn.

It’s pretty, too. I don’t see a ton of detail here and the ceilings look a bit low, but the house still offers those nice blue shutters and that deep porch and lots and lots of windows. There’s also a two car garage and a barn on the property. Stats on the jump. (more…)

coldspringliving.com

I admit that most of my experience with Cold Spring comes from admringi an adorable cluster of waterfront homes from the window of a passing train (yes, the Metro North does stop there). Still, I’ve poked around enough times, and read enough, that I feel like I can endorse the place. After all, Frommers calls it “the most visitor-friendly small town on the Hudson.” And, of course, several newspapers have called it, “a little slice of Brooklyn.” My god, Brooklyn really gets around.

I once called the place “shi-shi” to the objection of my friends who were considering moving there. It is expensive–at least the charming, historic parts–but not particularly fancy. (Average listing price as of writing this piece is over $700,000). Is that preferable to the opposite–affordable but snobby? Not sure. Anyway, it does have a real downtown, although filled mostly with antique shops and such (a nice rundown on this website, Cold Spring Living). Some cafes, a pizza joint, a couple of charming B&Bs…you get the picture. It’s quaint, but not too quaint. If you’ve looked or bought here, please send in your reviews!