Beaverkill Lodge: Livingston Manor, NY

About The Property

You don’t have to be a fly fisher to live in the Beaverkill Valley — but spend a season within earshot of the river and among this trout-mad community, and you’ll probably want to become one. Even if you don’t succumb to the call of the river wild, you will be enchanted by this beautifully-executed custom four bedroom home set privately on nine acres in one of the most picturesque areas around.

This cedar shingle-sided home offers unique big picture details that elevate the experience: cherry floors, warm wood ceilings, built-ins and picture windows that pull the surrounding hill views right into the room. And smaller details, like a welcoming entry hall, super-handy mudroom and separate garage (used mostly for storage), ease the way for making the most of the Catskills lifestyle.

The heart of the home is its striking sunken living room which is anchored by a native fieldstone fireplace and is wrapped in windows, where tall trees frame sublime distant hill views. Step outside and onto a stone patio, the site of many an evening around the fire pit. A long bookcase separates the living room from the spacious dining area, and has a distinctly Frank Lloyd Wright vibe. It’s just one example of the exquisite millwork throughout the home.

The kitchen is bright and well-appointed, a Wolf gas range being the star, with a sunny breakfast nook and a walkout to a wonderful covered deck that enjoys that fabulous view.

The primary suite occupies its own wing on the second floor — sun-drenched bedroom, custom dressing room with built-in cabinetry, a private sitting room lined with books, and a spa bathroom with soaking tub, walk-in shower, and unlacquered brass fixtures throughout.

Two additional bedrooms are on the second floor, and they share a full bathroom, although one of the bedrooms opens onto it directly.

A ground-floor bedroom with an adjacent full bath and cherry pocket doors that close off the hallway can easily read as a private guest suite. The finished walk-out lower level handles everything else: media room, home office, rec room / gym or whatever strikes your fancy. There is also a full bathroom on this level.

The previous owners built this particularly good-looking separate garage to match the style of the house.

This area on the outskirts of Livingston Manor, which itself has emerged as a hot-to-trout town in recent years, is an enclave that is best known for its hallowed (private) stretches of the Beaverkill, and for the conservation-mindedness of its inhabitants. Vast stretches have easements that prevent further development, and the sweetener is that many properties come with the ability to join one (or more) of the area clubs and associations.

Membership in the Beaverkill Mountain Club, which is an option with the purchase of this property, offers access to a mile of blue-ribbon fly fishing on the Upper Beaverkill — among the most storied trout waters in the Northeast — plus 40+ miles of private trails for hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing, and a highly-regarded six-week summer day camp. There is even swimming in The Falls, a spectacular feature within walking distance of the house. Beaverkill Falls HOA membership adds another mile of private fishing (just follow the path from the house, no car required), a community swimming pond, and two tennis courts with what may be the most spectacular backdrop of any courts in the Catskills — untouched forested ridgelines on every side.