60 Alder Creek Road, Livingston Manor, NY 12758

It's rare to find 103 acres in one offering in the uber-scenic Beaverkill Valley, rarer still with a delightful cottage where you can make your home while pondering a build deeper into the property. The 1940s cottage harkens back to a simpler, more analog time, where your getaway feels altogether separate from the daily grind elsewhere (but with reliable WiFi), and where Alder Creek across the road provides the calming audio that lulls you to sleep after a day out hiking area trails or paddle boarding on nearby Big Pond. The primary building lot (out of 5 total) is the heart of the property. A picturesque pond sits in the foreground, and beyond it is an exceptional Catskills view, including a wide open meadow and totally unspoiled vistas of folding hills. The lot already has a drilled well, nearby utilities and an existing driveway. There is a charming stone building with wood stove, a fire pit area, and sites for a barn and guest house, so a buyer can build with the view in mind. A second lot has its own building envelope, accessible by a deeded drive from Alder Creek Road or by extending the current drive, and offers a quieter setting still. The remaining lots are wooded: one runs uphill to the edge of the state park, and one borders the road beside the cottage and includes part of a pastoral field. The land is as private as it is beautiful. Trails wind through the woods and connect with the wider trail BMC trail system that runs through the Beaverkill Valley, so a morning walk can become a full day out without ever touching a road. The cottage sits on its own 1.1-acre lot with a garden at the gate, and it harkens back to a simpler, more analog time, with reliable WiFi as the one concession to the present. Alder Creek runs across the road and lulls you to sleep after a day of hiking or paddle boarding on nearby Big Pond. The mud room is generous enough for four seasons of gear, and the kitchen's deep farmhouse sink, painted wainscoting and open shelves suit the country setting, with a substantial fridge, electric stove and cupboards for everyday practicality. Two bedrooms and a retro-styled bath with a clawfoot tub are downstairs, off the long living and dining room, and the third bedroom upstairs has been given over to extra beds for the owners' children and their friends. A sunny deck is the natural gathering place from morning coffee to after-dinner conversation, and the level lawn under high tree canopy offers plenty of shade for a nap. The Beaverkill Valley is perhaps best known as a Mecca for fly fishing enthusiasts, with the renowned Wulff School just down the road. Canoe, kayak or paddle board at nearby Big Pond, and when it's time for a great meal, a brewery afternoon or some retail therapy, Livingston Manor is a pretty 20 minute drive.