The Mountains
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Kathleen Gates

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Drama: Broadway’s Very Best Right Next Door

Even the most avid of rusticators may occasionally experience a twinge of culture-craving. Fortunately, there’s a star-lit trail of theatrical hotspots tucked away right here in the mountains, and as a dedicated maven, I easily mapped out a high-drama road trip: Just follow me to the river, then into the woods… Who’s coming with me? teapot home | (above) Last season’s vibrant staging of The Tempest at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival Here, in a performance tent tucked alongside a golf clubhouse, you can alternate between an “age-blind” rendition of Romeo And Juliet (July 7-September 18) and…

Exploring

We Love: Farm To Fabled

It’s an embarrassment of riches when it comes to farm stands and their bounty available to us in this magical corner of the planet. Here are some of our favorites that just may be worth that little extra drive time to find. We promise. Potatoes (Columbia) Staron Farm 4 Merwin Road Valatie, NY 12184 518.392.2920 StaronFarm.com Since 1978, owner-operators Stanley and Donna Staron remain the largest spud growers in Columbia County and offer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares, a win-win that benefits both farmers (with funds in advance of the harvest) and consumers (with a steady supply of fresh food).…

Essentials

Extra! Extra!: News, With A View

Catskills’ Hotels Props In what can only be described as incredible, three new hotels in the Catskills earned spots among Travel + Leisure’s “100 Best New Hotels Worldwide,’ the magazine’s annual “It List.” The hotels—Hutton Brickyards in Kingston, Inness in Accord and Piaule Catskill (pictured above) in Catskill—are all upscale stays located on the west side of the Hudson River. Isn’t it time for a staycation? Stay Tuned: Through The Mill(brook) Proposed luxury resort Second Mountain still on life support.  |  By Richard Pérez-Feria After exiting from New York City’s NoMad and Eleven Madison Park—annually ranked among the top restaurants…

Essentials

The Picks: Ice Cream

(above) Arethusa Farms sample game is strong. SoCo Creamery Scoop Shop 5 Railroad Street Great Barrington 01230 413.644.9866 SoCoCreamery.com Known for its decadent hot fudge served all year round, SoCo dishes up other favorites too, such as espresso cookie loaded with bits of organic chocolate sandwich cookies. Scrumptious.  Cherries Ice Cream 4162 US-209 Stone Ridge, NY 12484 847.377.1153 CherriesIceCream.com Gingersnap & Marmalade in a spiced molasses ice cream? Yes, please! Cherries’ dairy’s sourced from local farms including Del’s Dairy Farm in Red Hook and Gillette Creamery in Gardiner, NY. High Lawn Farm 535 Summer Street Lee, MA 01238 413.281.7569…

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The Picks: Swimming

tire in the hole: (above) This irrestible tire swing is located in the former community swimming hole in Livingston Manor. Sadly, it’s now private property and swimming is no longer allowed. Happily, there are plenty of other options. Lake Garfield Beach 78 Tyringham Road Monterey, MA 01245 413.528.3831 Gain access to the public beach—from Tyringham Road. Lifeguards are on duty during the summer season. Lakeville Lake (also known as Lake Wononscopomuc) 36 Ethan Allen Street Lakeville, CT 06039 860.435.5186 Water activities abound here—beyond swimming and fishing, you can rent standing paddle boards, kayaks, canoes and row boats. Season stickers or day…

Life + Style

We Have Questions: Gary Shteyngart’s ‘Our Country Friends’ Captured The Pandemic Perfectly

I love a funny book and author Gary Shteyngart’s newest novel, Our Country Friends, is a very funny book. It’s also a super-fresh, moving tale that follows a pack of friends (and one self-important Hollywood actor) as they ride out the pandemic together with hilarity and hijinks. Even better: it was penned—and is set—in the Catskills. Shteyngart, best known for 2010’s Super Sad True Love Story, grew up summering in these parts—and it shows. Lucky for us, the satirist, who lives both here and in Manhattan, gamely agreed to answer our most pressing questions. Is your place in the Catskills…

Life + Style

The Gift: Sullivan County Feels A Single Bite’s Lasting Impact

Sullivan County is home to Sims and Kristen Foster, co-founders of non-profit A Single Bite. Three years past launch, they say their mission has been centered around community, education, feeding and empowering students and families about the food they eat, and where it comes from. “In 2019, we set out to establish an educational program for students and within the first quarter, our primary goal was reached,” says A Single Bite’s Executive Director, Audrey Garro. The organization now has educational programs in three different schools within Sullivan County where middle school students are engaged in nutritional education, agricultural and natural…

Essentials

The Weekend: 24 Hours In Kingston

Kingston is one of the first places I visited when I moved Upstate more than a decade ago. What struck me immediately was its history and old-world charm. Right now, it’s experiencing something of a renaissance marked by new luxury hotels, quaint cafés, high-end restaurants and sprawling resorts which have made it an ideal getaway anytime of the year.  Here’s how I spend an idyllic 24 hours on a Saturday in the Kingston I love. 10:15 a.m. I start my morning in Uptown Kingston at this indelibly charming place I discovered a few years ago called Rough Draft Bar &…

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The Weekend: This Former RHONY Standout Takes Us To The Berkshires

Saturday, 8:15 a.m. Morning Hike, Catamount Catamount Mountain Resort 78 Catamount Road, Hillsdale, NY Catamount Mountain Resort is literally where I grew up. From learning to ski here as a child, to teaching as an instructor through college—this is my hometown mountain and where I discovered my true love for the outdoors. And I’m still creating memories here. Catamount is among the best midsized ski areas on the East Coast, with the most varied terrain in southern New England. In the summer I love to hike there and have fun with my family and friends. These are the best days…

Life + Style

Big Picture: Vassar Is Major Character In HBO Max’s Hit ‘The Sex Lives Of College Girls’

As a pop culture maniac, I adore high- and decidedly low-brow television and films in equal measure. Whether it’s a train-wreck of a reality show escapism or a brilliantly written, heart-stopping thriller, I’m so in.  But as a long-time television writer and blogger—and now even writing my own TV scripts—I find myself paying attention to far more than just the storylines. I scan every scene, noticing the oddball stuff and the visual worlds Hollywood creates: the quirky extra sitting in a café; a lonely glimpse of a rural road; a picturesque university quad. Here’s the thing, many of these terrific…

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