Do you remember the video I posted a few months ago featuring some of my neighbors in the City of Newburgh* who had joined forces (and finances) to buy and restore a house? Inspiring stuff—and the house is now on the market.
* By the way, when I say “City of Newburgh”, that’s to the distinguish the place I live from the adjoining Town of Newburgh. They’re very different places (with separate governments and everything); the former being the older, historic, urban riverfront city where I make my home, and the latter being a much more recently developed suburban town.
Evan and I have a good deal of affection for this house. Before we bought our place (nearly six years ago!), we looked at 17 Courtney twice with our realtor and really considered making an offer on it. Ultimately it was just too much house for us—it needed a lot of work—but those visits also served as an introduction to the part of Newburgh that would ultimately become our home: Washington Heights, usually just referred to by locals as “the Heights”. (And yes, our little Manhattan apartment is also in a neighborhood called Washington Heights. Confusing, I know! It’s just a coincidence.)
I realize I’m biased, but I’m gonna just put this out there: The nicest neighborhood in the City of Newburgh is the Heights. Guys, we have great neighbors. Some of them are lifelong Newburghers and others—like us—are more recent transplants from New York City or other Hudson Valley towns, but in all we’re a group of people who truly care about Newburgh and love living here. That little pocket of houses on the east side of Liberty Street is particularly special given its proximity to the river (this is my view!), and every day I feel lucky that Evan and I bought such a great house on a great block.
But back to 17 Courtney! I know major renovation work isn’t for everyone, and as I mentioned, the amount of work that this house needed (new electric, new plumbing, new kitchen and bathrooms, total renovation of the woodwork, walls and floors—everything imaginable, really) was just too much for Evan and I. The fact that this work has already been done is HUGE…especially for Newburgh. I did a walk-through a few weeks ago, and I was GOBSMACKED. I wish I had photos of how the house looked six years ago so you could see the difference—it’s stunning. So much love has been put into this house, and I really, really hope it winds up becoming a home very soon. It’s been sitting vacant for a number of years now, and given that 17 Courtney overlooks our garden, I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the house and wishing someone would come and take care of it.
The first floor has an extra-wide entry hall (that wainscoting is embossed leather!), a massive living room and dining room, a walk-through butler’s pantry, a huge kitchen that opens into the garden, and a bathroom. With the exception of the light fixtures and radiators, everything you see in these photos is original to the house. (Isn’t it incredible that something can be 120 years old and still look this good?)
Oh, and the wood fireplace in the living room? It has dragons carved into it. Yeah, that’s right. DRAGONS!!
The second floor (three huge bedrooms/two bathrooms) is just insanely beautiful. When Evan and I looked at this house six years ago, there was paneling everywhere—even on the doors!—and the floors were covered wall to wall with linoleum tiles. Seeing the original pine plank floors uncovered and restored makes me get teary-eyed. I’m just so glad that this awesome house was saved, and that it’s in my little neighborhood.
17 COURTNEY AVE, NEWBURGH NY:
Total Rooms: 7 / Bedrooms: 3 / Full Baths: 3 / Sq. Ft.: 2470 / Built: 1890
$225,000
To see even more photos (including the kitchen and bathrooms!) and get additional details, visit broker Chris Hanson’s website, Historic Newburgh Homes. If you can’t get enough of the Heights of Newburgh, this amazing house is also in my neighborhood.
I love Newburgh! I love 17 Courtney. And I love my neighbors.
89 Comments
wow wow wow! your neighbors are amazing
Why is it so cheap??
That’s actually mid-range for the area. The house is in Newburgh, which is about 60 miles north of NYC.
that’s gorgeous! i shudder to think what it would cost in san francisco. i’ll be a lowly renter forever.
Well yeah, it would cost about 9 billion dollars if it were in NYC! Amazing what 60 miles will do to regional home prices…
I can’t believe that 60 miles make such a difference!
I wish we could afford a house 60 miles from where I live (Nuremberg, Germany). But this house is a lot cheaper than the ones 60 miles outside of Nuremberg. Plus, you’d never find such a gem here. And, well, it’s still a little difference to live 60 miles from NYC or 60 miles from Nuremberg 😉
If I was allowed to live in the US I’d move to Newburgh without hesitating one split of a second…
That’s always my first thought when I see an incredible house like this!
I dream of owning a victorian like this one in SF, but it’s just such a pipe dream. So many of them have been gutted and badly remodeled. If I owned this home, I wouldn’t let a single bit of paint anywhere near that beautiful dark wood.
Those floors are also incredible.
Haha, you know if Evan and I had actually bought that house six years ago we’d have covered all of that amazing woodwork with white paint, right? It’s for the best that we didn’t buy it, because even I would’ve felt guilty doing that!! 😀
me! me! me! I want it! and also, if our adjoining treehouse plan is to go forward, the house behind yours is the only way to go. Alas, the current impossibility. sigh.
A treehouse with connecting bridges from our second-floor windows, of course.
That house is so beautiful, I want it so much it hurts. I live in a tiny one bed flat in London that I can’t even really afford. That price wouldn’t even buy you a tiny one bed flat in the crappest neighbourhood here. Wah.
Wow totally gorgeous. Can we come be your new neighbors? Sheesh.
O.M.G.
I hate writing things like O.M.G. but I literally have no words. I’m flabbergasted. That home would easily go for a million + in Toronto. Easily. It’s just stunning.
I think I seriously need to consider moving to Newburgh when I’m finished here in Delhi. Now, if only getting a work visa wasn’t so darned difficult…..
(With homes like those, the proximity to NYC, and the cost – I’m seriously baffled as to why more New Yorkers opt to live in the city? Is it a “status” or convenience thing? I guess it’s a lifestyle thing…)
I wouldn’t say it’s status, really, but yes—it is definitely about (a) convenience, and (b) lifestyle. Probably both in equal amounts.
The convenience factor isn’t likely to change (no matter what, you still have to take a ferry across the river and then a commuter train into Manhattan—that can be tough if you work late hours, hence the reason Evan and I rented a little city apartment after 5 years of commuting), but the lifestyle factor is changing bit by bit every year. There’s SO much more cool stuff going on in Newburgh now than 10 years ago! It’s a city in transition, to be sure, but it’s getting there.
A lot of New Yorkers just don’t know about Newburgh, though. They might hear about it on the news every now and then when there’s a story about a gang raid (or something other negative thing), but the west side of the Hudson River has always taken a back seat to the east side—loads of people commute to NYC from Westchester County, for example.
Newburgh isn’t for everyone, but for people willing to contribute to the rebuilding (and the inevitable roadblocks along the way) of what was once a booming city, it’s a real gem.
Wow, the light is amazing! I love the crisp white front.
Wow, what a fun project that must have been to restore! Those floors are perfect
Gaaah! How amazingly gorgeous. I hope it sells soon and that you get nice neighbors.
Oh my, I’m staring especially at the price tag. Where I come from, that amount of money would give you a total of about 40-50 sqm (430-540 sqf). It is a beautiful house that just takes my breath away.
Haha, I caught one mistake already. 225000 in euro, not dollars, so even fewer squaremeters. Please for the love of god, someone just grab it already.
Hi Nina, do you happen to live in Helsinki? 🙂 Just decided to keep on renting, because I could get only around 60 square meters for 300 000 euros in my neighborhood… Owning a house or a flat is never going to happen with my salary!
Aaargh! I want to move to Newburgh with my family! The house is just gorgeous!
Yes, indeed. Helsingian here 🙂
Oh, my!!!
I am totally in love and indeed totally affordable compared to my tiny one bedroom appartment in Paris. I might really think about immigrating to the US!
Thanks for sharing
What an incredible refurb! It’s so nice to see a beautiful old house being rescued, if only I could buy it!
(Oh, & how much do I want that pantry!!)
The pantry is awesome. When we first looked at the house years ago, it was one of the main things we were obsessing over! There’s also a really great little built-in dresser in a hall closet upstairs.
Wow…stunning! We have similar architecture and inexpensive
prices in Pittsburgh. Nothing compares to a beautiful old home. Whoever gets their hands on that house is lucky!
I hear Newburgh compared to Pittsburgh all the time, Jennie! Both manufacturing cities that were once booming—and have seen better days. Fortunately there are historical regulations in place in Newburgh that have prevented further demolition like we saw during the “urban renewal” programs in the ’60s and ’70s, so the majority of the city is still historically intact.
I wish there were ordinances in place here, though fortunately most of the city has stayed intact regardless. It seems to be on the upswing with younger people buying and renovating homes (including myself!). I’ve actually been to Newburgh a few times (had a friend that was a Marine and was stationed up there). It’s SUCH a beautiful area, I can’t believe people aren’t snatching up houses right and left!
Wow. Wow. Wow! Newburgh sounds a lot like of our old neighborhood where neighbors are more than just people living in close proximity—more like a community of rehabbers, really good people, and great stewards. Such a beautiful house and neighborhood… I can’t see that place lasting on the market long… $225,000? A steal!
That’s actually on the mid-high side for Newburgh, so I think it’ll be a while before it sells, actually. It’s going to take exactly the right buyer coming in—it’s not that I think it’s overpriced (it’s not!), but with the real estate market being as bad as it is in this country, places like Newburgh have taken a really big hit. There are a lot of houses on the market, and while most of them haven’t been renovated (many are totally dilapidated), there are plenty that are much cheaper. Beyond the renovation, though, what this house has going for it is the neighborhood! Fingers crossed that the right person finds it and falls in love. 🙂
absolutely gorgeous!! if only the commute weren’t two hours to manhattan . . .
WOW. That is absolutely gorgeous! I love seeing these old houses renovated in a way that preserves as much of the original, historic character as possible, and this is a wonderful example of that!
Love, love, love it! (And the price tag floors me–I don’t think you could find anything that amazing for that cheap an hour outside of DC!)
Just to add in that you can see the Hudson River from two bedrooms in this house! One from the front bedroom, and the other view is from the back bedroom that has a little balcony. If you think these pictures are gorgeous, you really should see it for yourself!
You’d also have a pretty awesome view of my backyard from that back bedroom. 😀
Yes I’ll admit it was cool to see your backyard in real life and not on the blog 😀 (cheesy moment) Remember the link I sent you of the original photos of what it first looked like? Maybe you forgot. They are some original photos.
Yes, I still have the link to the photos, but I don’t have permission to post them here.
I really wish I could find the before-before pictures I took six years ago—it was quite a bit different from what you saw, since the “renovation” that took place when the house last sold hadn’t happened yet. I can’t remember which computer/hard drive they’re on!
Those floors are gorgeous!
behold, my perfect home! Husband and I live in Manhattan, and want a place upstate too. But it could only be a weekend place. Our jobs are in the city and commuting for hours on a train is just not an option =(.
If only I could scoop this house up and drop it in Brooklyn or Queens!
“If only I could scoop this house up and drop it in Brooklyn or Queens!”
That is a fantasy that crosses my mind constantly, believe me!! I love Newburgh, don’t get me wrong, but the commute did start to wear on us after 5 years. (Even though it’s a pretty nice commute, thanks to the river—and the reliability of Metro-North.)
See, the trick is to also have a super-cheap studio apartment in upper Manhattan. You can hop on the GWB and be in Newburgh in an hour!!
OMG. Gorgeous. This reminds me of Pittsburgh. When we first moved to Pittsburgh, I was so surprised at how much history was still intact. Plus, housing prices are SO inexpensive here. PLUS we have some cool pro sports teams! All the more reason to live here permanently.
Since the housing market has pretty much bottomed out (I think the market is on its way to slowly go up again), we’re thinking about a house now. And I hope it’ll look something like this one on 17 Courtney. 🙂
If I were in NY, I would nab that house.
Someone, take it before I force my fiance to find a job somewhere in NY.
Yeah, I definitely think Newburgh and Pittsburgh are kindred ‘burgh spirits!!
Wow – so beautiful, it gives me butterflies in the old stomach! My husband and I have looked at and considered houses in Newburgh – there are so many amazing possibilities there. The commute is still a bit daunting for us, though. Regardless, this is an incredible and inspiring group project! I hope it attracts some awesome new neighbors for you!
Argh…I would love love love to buy this house. Even at the mid-high Newburgh price point, it is much much much nicer than a lot of the other houses in that range. Sigh. I second the loving Newburgh sentiment! While we’ll have to stew in the Flats, I’m so excited about the future Newburgh brewery and the new tea shop, LiberTea.
Hi Sherry! (I need to email you—sorry, life has been nutso lately.) And c’mon, you’re not “stewing in the flats”—your house is going to be amazing, and so, so, so worth all of agony when it’s finished. And besides, you have fewer hills to contend with in the winter. 😉
(The brewery! I know! I am so excited!!)
mid-range? Ugh, I need to move!! We bought a fixer upper for that price.. this is my ideal dream home.. Kudos!! I hope it sells quickly
If I could I’d be back (lived in NY for a year and loved it) and buying in a heartbeat. Houses in West London as beautiful as that cost umpteen times that!!!!!
Love your blog by the way!
Is there a tradition or reasoning behind leaving trim original wood on the ground floor of a house but painting it white on the upper floors? I seem to see this a lot. But I’m so matchy-matchy, I’d kill me for it to not be the same throughout the house. hehe
wow, I meant it’d kill me, not I’d kill me.
Yes, that’s common in a lot of houses of this era. The lower floors are where you’d have company, and nicer woods were used and coated with shellac to let the grain show. The upper floors were generally bedrooms, though, and therefore not seen by visitors—thus, cheaper and less attractive woods were used…and painted. Of course the paint could be stripped, but it’s unlikely that the woods would match. The same goes for the floors. The fancy strip-oak finish flooring is only on the first floor, while the second floor has pine (that’s why the boards on the second floor run perpendicular to the first floor, too).
I’m going to be the total opposite of you on this, as I choose the Simple Human trash can and the Lumix camera, and I really love the look of white trim, no ifs ands or buts. I wouldn’t buy a house with wood trim! Am I terrible or what?
Oh, I’m with you on the white trim! I could never live with this much dark wood. Like I said, we’d have painted it all white in a second. 😉
Wow. It’s so beautiful. And only $225,000? Boooooooo……. that’s the sound of me weeping here in San Francisco in my ridiculously overpriced apartment.
And that, Tara, is the story of why we left Brooklyn. 😉
I have to completely agree with you on that one Anna, the Heights is the best neighborhood in Newburgh. Maybe I’m a little biased because I lived in the Heights for most of my life (Bayview, Carson & Courtney) but it’s such a great little community. I’m hoping one day I can buy a house and move back. I actually have an old map of the Heights while it was still in the planning stages, very cool. I love Newburgh like family lol, I just want it to get it’s sh*t together already. Hopefully with residents and businesses committed to Newburgh’s renewal she’ll shine again 🙂
Hmmm, just pondering whether my job would agree to me working from home, and not to mention long distance, with them based in Dublin Ireland and me based in Newburgh NY… 🙂
I can’t see what the problem would be 😀
Oh, those floors! Oh, that staircase! Just…oh! And for 225? I’m no expert but that seems like a steal! Good for them!
Fantastically gorgeous house! And the price sure sounds like a steal to me — in my So. GA area, that would get you a “McMansion” in a newly developed subdivision with tiny trees and faux character. Gimme Newburgh any time!
Now to figure out how to develop the skills to earn enough to get a job in your area and qualify for that lovely home . . . .
Gorgeous house. And what a great deal. I live in Vancouver where the real estate market is out of control at the moment. Newburgh sounds like a cool place to live.
The transformation is so impressive, considering the amount of work that was involved. Especially the second floor. It would be fun to have adjoining back yards with you. Sigh!
What a lovely house! Would move right in…Our neighborhood is called The Heights too, different City though 😉
We had a butlers pantry in our first rental apartment after moving to the US. It was totally neglected and nobody had used it in years. I brought it back to life. I want one again…
Like a few other non-americans, I too gasped at the price. That is INSANE! We paid double that (at today’s exchange rates, more than double at the exchange rates at the time we bought our place) for this:
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-wa-perth-105123425 Which is a 3 x1 (ignore that ‘second bathroom’ advertised. It’s not) and so very much smaller than that place! And far, far more basic.
I guess we’re super close to the city, but it ain’t new york city. And I can promise that our little pocket has a bit of a skeezy reputation (we chose our house rather than the one next door also for sale partly on the basis that ours came with window bars…). And mortgage repayments aren’t tax deductible here, either.
Wow. I need to move out of Los Angeles. HOW CUTE IS THIS?! Thank you for sharing!
Wow! $225K would buy you….nothing where I live. Ha ha! Well, maybe a corner store.
Newburgh seems like an amazing small city – it’s great to see people in the neighbourhood take so much care in restoring such a nice old house. To be honest, though, I can’t imagine a 60 mile commute each day (and I’ve lived in various suburbs – Mississauga and Bucks County, PA – up until last year). It might be because I’m still fairly young, I guess.
Well, it doesn’t get any easier when you’re older, believe me. 😉 Doing that kind of commute via mass transit isn’t actually that bad. You’d be surprised how nice it can be to have time to just read, look at scenery, and nap a little. We did it every day for five years, and now we have an extra place to take the edge off when we need it, but even without the apartment—it’s worth it.
The biggest problem with the commute is not so much the time, but how much it cost. Many people from the city don’t realize how expensive Metro-North can be so they’re usually in for a shock.
Metro-North is very reliable (especially on the Hudson Line – rarely hear about major problems) compared to the LIRR, the views of the hudson and mountains are just amazing etc.
The monthly ticket from Beacon to GCT now is $404..yikes! It’s only going to get more expensive in the coming years with fare hikes every year or every other year.
What Newburgh desperately needs is much more GOOD paying jobs you can live on so people wouldn’t have to commute to Manhattan, Northern NJ, Westchester County. With the easy access off I-84 and I-87 this shouldn’t really be a problem though..only if NY was more business friendly.
Thanks for sharing! My mom has worked on a lot of the Habitat houses in the neighborhood. I’m drooling.
And yes- the brewery! Libertea! Bric-a-brac!
Love Newburgh.
Oh, swoon! I have a recurring dream of fixing up a sweet old Victorian in West Philly just like this. Alas, I have no home renovation experience and I would likely make a giant mess of it. But I can dream…
I read regularly but hardly ever post a comment. but this one..?! it really moved me to tears, I’m sure I don’t need to explain…thank you so much for sharing!
So beautiful! The natural light is just gorgeous. I hope it becomes someone’s home soon, too.
Wow. The place is amazing and I’d take it in a heartbeat… at that price and within hitting distance of NYC. So beautiful.
I tagged this in my Google Reader as Victorian, Row home, LOVE
This house is beautiful – love it, if only the husband would consider a move from New Zealand to Newburgh xx
holy crap. $225k? for all that? someone better buy that, and soon!
Lots more where that came from, joolz!
OK, my husband and I have had Newburgh and this house on the brain ever since this posted. Since half of my work is in Manhattan and half is up at Bard College (I’ve been driving round trip every other day this summer) this is more than tempting. We’re up in Red Hook for Summerscape for the next 2 weeks and we’re coming on an afternoon off to check it all out. One question: what are the schools like?
I don’t have kids, so I don’t really feel equipped to answer that question in a meaningful way. I’m sorry!
Holy moly, no wonder they’re advertising US homes here in Australia. We live 100km (60miles) from the CBD and a home like that in this location would easily cost close to the $1M mark….probably more. We’re looking to buy our first home in a year or two and even the most modest digs will set up back $400,000+
my grandma and aunt and uncle live in Marlboro- neighbors! 🙂
Great blog!
Anna-
Thank you SO MUCH for featuring this project , and to everyone for all the wonderful comments..We can’t wait until we have a new neighbor!
We love you, too, Anna..You have singlehandedly done so much for Newburgh with your blog!!
Be the change you want to see in the world ;)–Gandhi
Oh myyyyyy. I’ve been a long-term “gorger” on your blog (you know — don’t check it for a while, then come back and read it for an hour+ at a sitting).
My husband and I live in a rental apt in Philadelphia (where all our work stuff is!) and we have been looking for ages for a place where we can go to get out of the city, in a small town or the woods somewhere. Never imagined something this beautiful could be in our price range AND within our 3-hour drive limit.
I contacted Chris the real estate agent!!@!@*(@!! (Can you feel my excitement?)
Even if it is not to be… this house is incredible and that video of your neighbors nearly made me cry. What an amazing story. You are a lucky lady to live in such a place!
How is it possible that something this beautiful is going for only 225K? Clearly I live in the wrong place. You can’t even get a stacked townhouse condo (you know the kind, where one house is the main floor and basement, and the other house is the second floor and third floor) for that kind of money here (I live in Ottawa, yes the capital, but still, not exactly New York or Paris).
i covet this house. my hubby and i were looking into newburgh a few years ago and ended up settling in woodhaven queens. every so often i check your blog and do some searches in newburgh just for kicks. now i’m going to cry myself to sleep. this house is unbelievable for that price. just wow…
robin
I love Newburgh, too!!! The Heights is a wonderful place to live. Newburgh has so much to offer that people do not even realize. There are great places to visit on Liberty Street in the flats. It is wonderful to see all the businesses open from Broadway almost all the way into the Heights. Thanks for taking the time to show people that we do have positive things happening in Newburgh!!!!
ugh….this house is so gorgeous. i just came back to look. and salivate.
i know i’m late looking at this but i’m so in love with this house. I check on Trulia, it shows OFF MARKET ?
is that mean it was sold. I wish we can move to NEWBURG. I love beautiful old home & small quaint neighborhood. Thank you Anna for sharing your blog.
Khanh, yes, the house has since sold and we have new neighbors! 🙂 There are LOTS of other great houses in Newburgh, though!
I was born and raised in Newburgh (the town, but we don’t really consider them two separate areas) In fact, you live across the street from my best friend (I have even seen my car in one of your pictures!) Anyway, I go to school in Washington DC and I always planned on moving home. But then I met my boyfriend and he grew up down here. We always talk about where we are going to live and it is so hard to convince him to move back to Newburgh, even though I would kill for one of the houses right on the bluff, or over on Grand St or Montgomery St! glad you love my town! Love your blog!
Oh, what a funny coincidence! When did you live here? My stepfather has lived in Newburgh for 60+ years, and he’s always made the distinction between City/Town (he grew up in the City, and now lives in the Town). For me, the distinction is important because the government is completely separate, and the needs and interests of the City of Newburgh are unique and absolutely different from the Town of Newburgh.