North stars
Twin Farms, North Brooklyn real estate surge, Hoseki, Rodeo, best Hudson Valley restaurants, Salsa Salsa Dance Studio, MORE
GETAWAYS • Vermont
Fire on the mountain
After a warm greeting at the Twin Farms gate, we were escorted down windy dirt roads to Meadow Cottage. The requested golf cart was already parked in the driveway. An untimely broken ankle had diverted our joint 50th birthday celebration from Italy to Vermont, but we were already feeling good about our last-minute change of plans. The resort opened in 1993 and has since expanded — as have rates, which start around $3000 for a midweek summer night (all-inclusive, except for the spa). Worth it? We’d find out.
Inside our Moroccan-designed cottage — a vibrant mix of tiles and textures with a pre-stacked fireplace — we cracked a bottle of Champagne, filled to-go cups, and grabbed the local crackers and the Twin Farms-branded Plymouth Cheddar. Welcome to Vermont.
Balancing the crutches on the back seat of the cart, we cruised around to get a lay of the land, the fullness of peak summer in Northern New England everywhere around us. The Twin Farms property is a perfect mix of the manicured and the natural. We knew we wouldn't be hiking any of the trails, kayaking around the lake, or playing pickleball, but we had heard about the wooden Stave puzzles placed throughout the Main House. The handcrafted pieces were cut to induce maximum frustration. We were up to the challenge.
We took breakfast in-cottage on the screened porch, lunch on the back patio of the Main House (perfect shrimp atop a Caesar salad), one dinner at the more casual cocktail lounge Twiggs, and, on our last night, a nine-course tasting in the main dining room. Highlights from that final meal included a bright farm-fresh melon and stone fruit gazpacho, ricotta agnolotti in a green garlic sauce, and buttery cauliflower purée under stuffed pheasant.
Throughout our stay, every staff member engaged us with some version of “I do not believe we've met yet, my name is X.” There was pride readily apparent in their commitment to hospitality and the service they provided. While it wasn't the coast of Italy, Twin Farms was still something special. We’ll be back for a less hobbled visit — maybe even a lunchtime hike to one of the picnic spots on top of the mountain. –Jesse Kaplan
→ Twin Farms (Barnard, VT) • 452 Royalton Tpke.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Hamptons real estate prices continue to rise in second quarter • JetBlue expanding routes in New England • Kimpton’s new Dominican Republic hotel just opened in Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo • The French Riviera’s newest members club opens in Cannes.
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
North rising
There was a flurry of real estate activity in North Brooklyn last quarter, with 296 closed deals, up 68% from last year. The surge was in contrast to the other three borough quadrants, each of which saw a dip in sales. For the period, North Brooklyn accounted for 12.3% of Brooklyn sales, the highest in 13 years, per Elliman’s Q2 market report.
The median sales price in the region (which comprises Williamsburg and Greenpoint) rose 13% YoY to $1.44M, resulting in a 15% increase in average price per square foot, to $1178.
We’re jumping on the bandwagon this week with a three-pack of listings in the area’s neighborhoods. Each is newly constructed or renovated and features ample outdoor space. It’s high summer in North Brooklyn.
→ 144 Freeman St TH1B (Greenpoint) • 2BR/2.1BA, 2295 SF condo • Ask: $3.0M • garden duplex in boutique development with private garden • Days on market: 28 • Monthly common charges: $821, Monthly taxes : $1776 • Agent: Tom Le, Corcoran.
→ 18 Orient Ave (East Williamsburg) • 4BR/4.1BA, 2880 SF condo • Ask: $3.895M • gut-renovated with walk-through dressing area and two-level backyard • Days on market: 29 • Monthly taxes: $450 • Agent: Natanel Malkoukian, Reavis Partners.
→ 96 South 2nd St (Williamsburg) • 4BR/3.2BA, 3800 SF townhouse • Ask: $6.5M • newly renovated with full-floor primary and 4 outdoor spaces • Days on market: 9 • Monthly taxes: $654 • Agents: Sahar Ziv, Noam Gottlieb, & Shai Bernstein, Elliman.
REAL ESTATE LINKS: Crypto couple pays $9M for that 199 Chrystie penthouse we featured last month • A frankenmansion is coming to Gay St in the Village • Upper East Side rising: 1026 3rd Ave nears topping out, Delacorte closes in on completion at 250 East 83rd, 1522 1st Ave facade almost complete • First Gowanus rezoning project, 420 Carroll, now leasing luxury apartments.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
Sushi & salsa
MORGAN ADAMSON • executive chef • Hoseki
Neighborhood you live in: Park Slope
It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
I just finished service at Hoseki, the six-seat omakase counter inside Saks Fifth Avenue, where I’m the chef. Once I’ve wrapped up the fish, tucked in the oysters, and thoroughly scrubbed the sushi bar, I’m going to go straight home to Park Slope.
Where are you dining this weekend?
Tonight, I’ll have dinner at Stone Park Cafe in my neighborhood. It's a quaint spot with dark lighting, great steak and fries, and a small staff with the same few friendly faces. On Saturday, I’ll most likely be stopping at Bricolage, another Park Slope favorite, for a clarified milk punch cocktail made by Tyler Moschler. It’s a clear, very tasty drink with grated nutmeg on top. Also, it’s batched, so it’s in front of me in seconds — an important part of the equation.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I’ll most likely walk through Prospect Park. And depending on the time of year, I like stopping at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. I’ve also been taking dance lessons in my neighborhood at Salsa Salsa Dance Studio. It’s a really fun group. I love taking dance classes in New York, and salsa is a great way to interact with new people (without having to have too much conversation).
What was your last great vacation?
I have a small trip planned in Connecticut. It’s just going to be an Airbnb on a lake, a spot with very few people. And while I’m back home in Michigan, I’ll definitely be getting a tattoo from Trent at their studio in Kalamazoo, where I'm from. Trent is very talented and way cheaper than NYC. In Kalamazoo, I'll also be making a stop at Bell's Brewery (where it’s Oberon season).
BARS • First Round
Our first Rodeo
The Skinny: Rodeo is a new Crown Heights bar with drinks, snacks, and a dance floor (shared with its neighbor, Radio Shop, a record store and avowed “party place”).
The Vibe: An undone, Brooklyn-meets-Paris vibe with exposed brick, a scarlet bar, bistro chairs, and a chalkboard menu. Floor-to-ceiling windows give the space an airy feeling, and there’s plenty of seating, including a patio out front. The staff and crowd lean younger and largely consist of creative, tattooed Brooklynites who probably own record players.
The Food: Inventive, elevated bar food, like mortadella and cheddar toasties, addictive spiced peanuts, and a killer onion dip with potato chips and trout roe. If you have a post-Rodeo dinner reservation, you might want to cancel it; the snacks are exciting and substantial enough for a dinner date.
The Drinks: Beer, natural wine, and a daily cocktail. A recent hit: End of an Era, a smoky, Rodeo original drink made with mezcal, Aperol, lime juice, and Ancho Reyes Verde, a Poblano chili liqueur.
The Verdict: In a city flush with natural wine bars, Rodeo seeks its own distinct identity. It gets louder as it gets later, so show up early if you want a quiet moment with your book and a glass of orange. Come late if you want to share a spread of snacks, pop chilled bottles of natural wine, and dance the night away. –Phoebe Fry
→ Rodeo (Crown Heights) • 1134 President St.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Wildcards
Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra • The Opera House (Williamsburg) • Fri @ 8p • gold circle, $150 per
Braves v Mets • Playoff fever • Citi Field (Flushing) • Fri @ 710p, section 107, $80 per
The Japanese House • The Rooftop at Pier 17 (Seaport) • Sat @ 730p • Heineken silver zone, $117 per
CULTURE & LEISURE LINKS: US visitors drive Met attendance rebound • Good run: MSG unveils Billy Joel exhibition after final show • 7 essential art shows to see Out East • 3 days, 25 shows: Upstate Art Weekend recap • How the High Line changed NYC.
GETAWAYS • The Nines
Restaurants, Hudson Valley
The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best in NYC and surrounds. See also Nines: Restaurants, Catskills and Summer weekend, North. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@foundny.com.
Feast & Floret (Hudson), Italian-inspired from Fish & Game team