Great article in Today's NY Post about Albert Hammond, Jr., the guitarist for the Strokes, buying a Catskill Farms house near Eldred. The article segues into an interview with Chuck Petersheim, the developer/builder, who's had considerable success with the small, finely detailed reproduction farmhouses that have become his trademark.
There's a nice exterior photo of Albert's house in the article. But if you're a Strokes fan and want to go hunting for the house, you won't be able to find it. It's tucked way up in the woods and not visible from a public road.
Albert's comments in the article also sum up well the appeal of Sullivan to a younger, hipper group of famous folk looking for a quiet escape and not just a second home extension of the city scene. There hasn't been a huge migration here among this group, but it has been steady and noticeable over the last couple of years.
One interesting thing here — and possibly part of Sullivan's appeal — is that there isn't much public fuss over celebrities. (Well, not totally true. When Leo DiCaprio spent the weekend visiting a friend here, it created quite a stir!) There's a tacit understanding about privacy. The local papers don't cover them, or even tuck in a little tidbit about "Look who just moved to the neighborhood." The only time they're generally mentioned in print in conjunction with Sullivan County is in an article in the NYC press about Sullivan County or the Catskills that wants to add a little spice. I never pepper my blog with mentions of who just bought. (Leo didn't buy, by the way. He was just visiting.) I'm just mentioning Albert here because of the article in the Post.
Speaking as a lifetime local, I'm always gratified to see people finding peace, comfort and, most importantly, easy acceptance in our communities, no matter how big a "who" they are. There are places where "live and let live" do exist, and I'm glad to live and work in a place where, by and large, those "Protected by..." security signs are just for show, and an unlocked door or car is no cause for worry.
Celebrities among us probably do recognize that we whisper excitedly about seeing them in town, but they also know the great majority of us don't want to be a bother -- just a good neighbor, willing to lend some milk, a wrench or a few flower bulbs whenever they need them. It may sound corny, but this is what life really is like up here, so it's no wonder that more than nature and solitude attract people to the area. We represent a refreshingly real change from the superficiality of life in the spotlight. I hope we always will.
Posted by: Thinking Ahead | May 28, 2009 at 04:08 PM