hudson valley

Great Gardens of the Hudson River Valley

Filed under: Estates, Green, Books, Architecture & Design

Winter may be fast approaching but verdant greenery abounds in Gardens of the Hudson Valley, a new photographic portrait of the region's lush private landscapes. The luxurious volume chronicles 25 gardens chosen to give "a sense of place and convey the romance of the landscape" abutting the majestic Hudson River in New York state. Photographers Steve Gross and Susan Daley selected gardens from Yonkers up the river to the town of Hudson, including famous formal estate gardens like Kykuit, Boscobel, the Vanderbilt Mansion, and Olana, along with smaller, more naturalistic plots that combine sweeping views and lush plantings. Each of the gardens tells a story about the people who made them, and collectively they evoke "the grace and grandeur of the Hudson River landscape" underscoring the central role the Hudson Valley played in the birth of an American garden tradition.

Tags: books, coffee table books, estates, garden, gardens, Hudson Valley, New York, photography, river, Vanderbilt Mansion

Ralph Lauren Films at Astor Courts

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Estates, Men's Style, Video

It seems Ralph Lauren recently took over Astor Courts in Rhinebeck, New York, designed by Stanford White in 1904 for John Jacob Astor IV, to film videos for his new fall collections. We recognized the beautiful Beaux-Arts treasure, inspired by Louis XIV's Grand Trianon at Versailles, which was originally part of the Astor family's Ferncliff estate; Astor Courts (also known as the "Astor Casino" or "Ferncliff Casino") was designed as a guest lodge and sporting pavilion. Over the summer Astor Courts was in the news as the setting for Chelsea Clinton's wedding, and is currently up for auction having previously been listed for sale at $12 million. The structure's stunning details including grand fireplaces, elaborate moldings, an indoor clay tennis court framed by Gothic arches and a white marble swimming pool surrounded by Corinthian columns make a perfect backdrop for Lauren's luxurious designs in cashmere, wool, leather and silk. A couple of scenes were also shot at The Elms in Newport. The video for his Fall 2010 Purple Label collection (above) shows a stylish fellow driving off from the Astor estate in a vintage Aston Martin DB6 for a rendezvous with a beautiful woman. We think Stanford White would have approved.

Tags: Aston Martin, Astor Courts, Beaux-Arts, cashmere, estates, Hudson River, Hudson River Valley, Hudson Valley, mens style, New York, Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Rhinebeck, Stanford White

Glenmere Opens As Luxury Hotel

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Glenmere, the Hudson Valley home of the Goelet family has opened as a small and sumptuous luxury hotel. The mansion has 19 rooms and suites ranging from $550 to $3,500 per night. It was originally built in 1911 as a 35-room Tuscan villa with a central open cortile, marbled column porticos and sweeping interior and exterior staircases. The home has undergone a renovation to restore its former glory and each room features antiques and art from a private collection. Most rooms have working fireplaces and some have terraces with views over Glenmere's 150 acres. Suites include the Penthouse, a two-bedroom suite designed for living with three fireplaces (including one in the master bath), a large living room, and butler's bar, the Goelet suite with three bedrooms and three fireplaces, the Ogden suite, with a private garden, and the Duchess Suite, with a balcony at the front of the mansion. All rooms have custom-designed Italian linens, marble baths with heated floors, and flat-screen TVs, DVD players, iPod docking stations and high speed internet access. The Supper Room is the intimate dining room for candlelit evenings in high style and the Frog's End Tavern has full bar service and serves light lunch fare and informal evening meals.

Tags: glenmere mansion, GlenmereMansion, hotel, hudson valley, HudsonValley

Pelton Crossing

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The town of Warwick, New York is another small town that is appealing to those spreading out from New York City. The quiet town in the Hudson Valley is the site of new developments designed to attract those on the escape path from urban life or willing to make a longer commute to New York or New Jersey. Pelton Crossing will be a collection of 47 luxury homes each on its own acre of land on a hillside in the Town of Warwick. Construction has just begun on the project. The development will have traditional-looking homes designed to blend in with the heritage of the town. Purchasers can choose from four different floor plans, the Sanford, the Pennings, the Hathorn and the Edenville, and each design has three exterior choices. The interiors offer Pella windows, hardwood floors, decorative columns and Viking appliances. The Sanford model shown here offers around 4500 square feet of space and starts from $979,000.

[via MidHudson News]

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Tags: housing development, hudson valley, luxury real estate, new york real estate, pelton crossing, PeltonCrossing, warwick