Upstate Traveling

The thing you forget after a few years after transplanting from the city is that strange magic of driving around up here, with the small towns, shops, and destinations. The newness, the unfamilarity of not just place, but emotion as well - far removed from the urban grind -that stomach-churning feeling of small town America, with it's closed up buildings, convenience stores and rural landscape. It feels remote. Strange. New and Compelling. So, what got me thinking about this was on my drive up to see the house we are building for Peter Soronen, the dress designer (http://www.petersoronen.com/, for all you clothes horses). Up to 17 West, past Liberty, Livingston Manor, hopping off at Roscoe and crusing up 206 past Downsville, and up into the Catskill Park, with it's big peaks, valleys and little towns. As I mentioned, Peter is building a gothic Cottage, with steep roof pitches, rake details, and a mix of board and batton siding and clapboard. The house sits up on a hill, on 17 or so acres, about 5 minutes outside of Walton, NY. This is our first job as a builder in Walton. The house is framed up, and we are starting the tyvec, roofing and faccias.

Tucked pretty nicely up in the woods. That's James comin' down the driveway.

And a farm sitting between Peter's house and the town of Walton.

Pretty picturesque for a cloudy, rainy June day.

There you have it - one of the 4 new homes and 2 renovations we are building currently - really honestly, without even breaking much of a sweat.

‍