Town Guide #13: Bovina

Welcome to another special edition of our HUTS Town Guide Series. Today we’ll be talking all things Bovina with real estate agent and local, Douglas Clarke. Spending summers as a kid in Ireland Douglas quickly fell in love with the rolling hills of the Catskills prompting his passion for real estate in the area.

Photo by Christian Harder 

Where to eat:

Douglas’s Picks: Brushland Eating House is set in the center of the bucolic Main St and offers farm to table fare. They also offer two apartments above which can be found on AirBNB. The restaurant is doing safe pick-up with a varying menu but has been centered around Southern-style BBQ as of late. Russell’s General, also along Main St. and under the tudorship of Sohail & Sarah of Brushland, offers breakfast sandwiches in a General Store atmosphere with a wild array of products from Fish Sauce to Malden Salt to Crisps from the UK. Antonio Mora from Quality Meats fame is holding down the kitchen at the general store (aka Magpies on Pink Street) with his partner in crime Maggie Mc Dowell. 

Photo by Leslie Hill 

What to do outside: 

Douglas’s Picks: Depending on the time of year, there are numerous activities to undertake in Bovina. In summer months (and pre-covid) there are field dinners, bonfires, secret swim holes and vast acreage of NYS land to explore. Actress Brook Alderson constructed a 9 hole miniature golf course that tells the story of Rip Van Winkle in 9 holes called Putt Putt Van Winkle. There is also a Farmer’s Market behind the creamery where you can find locally grown and made goods. This happens on a Thursday right before safe pick up at Brushland. People have started bringing cocktails to safely socialize outside and taking in the mountain views along the Western Branch of the Delaware River. In winter months you can enjoy snow tubing and skiing at Plattekill Mountain…just over the mountain from Bovina. 

HUTS Tip: Be sure to make reservations well in advance for any skiing or snowboarding trips you are planning this season! Due to Covid-19 the resorts are taking necessary precautions such as limiting patrons and taking reservations only but they are booking up fast! 

Photo by Dan Mayers 

What to do inside: 

Douglas’s Picks: Russell’s Store is normally a hub for all social activity. Plans are made, people exchange contact information and find out what is happening during the weekends. There are numerous farm stands to visit, open studios of artists who have reclaimed old barns for their artistic pursuits. 

HUTS Picks: Check out Clementine Vintage in nearby Andes, one of our favorite vintage shops in the area and worth the trip! 

Photo by Brushland 

Where to stay: 

Douglas’s Picks: There is a wonderful mix of homes and semi off-grid cabins available on AirBNB. Stay above Brushland, The Dry Town Tavern Inn or the quintessential Bovina experience of the Mountain Brook Inn. Or head to 5333 Co Hwy 6, Bovina, NY which offers 8 motel suites. You have to walk across a footbridge to access the motel and restaurant. 

Featured Land Listing: 

Douglas’s Pick: I have sold every land listing I had, inventory is very low! Some sold in as little as 3 days in recent months. I post new listings on my Instagram @CatskillsRealtorFieldNotes and on my website. But keep an eye out on my website for some upcoming ones!
HUTS Pick: For something more immediate this open meadow is the perfect build site, just outside the hamlet of Bovina. At the end of a private town-maintained road, the 2.64 acre parcel has plenty of charm with a stone wall and tree-lined perimeter. With a successful percolation test and under its belt and approved DEP engineered septic plans the property is ready to go! For more details on this listing click here!