You just cannot be stressed out in this space.

Working in Catskills real estate often leads me to like-minded buyers. Having moved upstate from Greenpoint just five years ago, it's not uncommon to find myself on showings spending half the time talking about the house we're checking out and half the time answering questions about how I made the move. 

This has gotten me interested in telling the stories of others who have made the leap. Whether you are thinking about buying a weekend house or making the move full-time, here's some inspiration.

i n t r o d u c i n g : Andrea Lanzetti, Bodies & Plants, Livingston Manor, NY

Last weekend I was thrilled to be among the first students to experience the new Bodies & Plants studio, located on Main Street in Livingston Manor, NY. Myself and a loyal following of other Pilates enthusiasts had been practicing with Andrea for over a year in mat classes hosted in a gallery space in town, as well as on the floating Pilates deck on their 20-acre property. 

The new studio offers not only new classes and equipment but also embodies what many of us are looking for when we venture upstate - unplugging, feeling calmness and peace, clarity.

But let me backup. I met Andrea and her husband and co-founder, Andrew Marshall, in 2017. The goal of opening a pilates studio upstate was top of mind during our first conversations, but they were very much in the beginning stages of their home search. 

What impressed me about Andrea and Andrew as buyers was their perseverance. We had two heartbreaks before we made the classic saying, "third time's a charm" a reality.

Fast forward to today, Andrea is living the dream of having built a fluid Brooklyn/Catskills lifestyle and career.

What brought you to NYC?
I moved to New York City to pursue my dance career. I had always known I wanted to live and dance in NYC and I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to do so. Though it was a struggle at times living on an artists salary and running from rehearsal to rehearsal all hours of the day/night, I wouldn’t change my NYC experience for anything. In addition to the dance career I had there, I became certified to teach Pilates and fell in love with teaching the method.

What year did you move to the city?
2010

What neighborhood(s) did you live in?
I’ve lived in a bunch of Brooklyn neighborhoods. The first neighborhood I lived in was Kensington. When I first moved to Brooklyn I stayed with my brother and slept on his couch for about a month while I looked for jobs, took dance classes, and went to auditions! Then I ended up living in Bushwick for a few years. I eventually moved to Crown Heights where I lived for the majority of my time in the city. 

What was it that made you look for a house upstate?
I started losing inspiration. When I was new to the city and even for years afterwards, I was pushed by the constant energy and drive that surrounded city life. I found inspiration and satisfaction in the constant struggle that enclosed each day. I was pretty young when I first moved there and apparently had tons of energy! As I got a little older, I started looking for creative inspiration outside the city. My husband, Andrew, and I began taking short trips up to the Catskills and immediately fell in love with it. I became fascinated with nature and grew a (mild) obsession with collecting plants. I wanted my apartment to feel like I was outdoors. Our apartment even had a small backyard but it just wasn’t quite the same as being upstate. Many of the dance projects I had been working on were becoming long distance processes where rehearsals were scheduled as weekend residencies outside of the city rather than set weekly rehearsals in the city. Plus, my teaching schedule was pretty flexible. All of this gave me more freedom and once I noticed I was spending my days wishing I were in the Catskills rather than in Brooklyn, it became clear that I was ready to move on.

Do you have any advice for current homebuyers on the hunt?
Be patient and don’t force something that doesn’t feel right. You’re going to find the right house!

What was your first home maintenance project?
Our first home project was installing a trench in our backyard. Our basement was prone to some mild flooding because of a large hill in the yard that rain water ran down. Since we installed the trench to collect this water we haven’t had any more flooding.

What are the challenges of having a business upstate?
The biggest challenge of having a business upstate is the winter months. It can be pretty slow in the winter. If you can plan for that during the summer months and work as much as possible, it makes the winters a bit more manageable. 

What are the benefits of having a business upstate?
One of the benefits to having a business upstate is how often you are meeting new clients/customers. There are always people visiting the area and friends of friends visiting, so there is always a new face to meet. Word of mouth is one of the best marketing tools up here! But at the same time, you begin to form some pretty incredible relationships with your consistent, loyal clients who stick it out with you all year long.

What is your favorite thing about your new studio?
So far, my favorite thing about my new studio is watching people move together in this beautiful space that is surrounded by plants! I love watching how at ease and peaceful everyone looks even during challenging exercises, and I really think that the plants help with that calming factor. You just cannot be stressed out in this space.

What is your connection to the city now that you’ve made the move?
I commute into the city once a week to teach a bunch of private clients. I see these clients at the studio I worked at long before I made the move upstate. Some of these clients have been with me since the beginning of my teaching career. When I first moved upstate, I was traveling into the city twice a week and just recently cut back to once a week. It’s actually nice to be there somewhat frequently as I can hit up my favorite coffee shops and lunch spots. Though by the end of the day I’m usually over-stimulated and ready to head back to my quiet home in the mountains underneath the massive starlit sky.

Interested in booking a class? Check out Bodies & Plants classes here.
Inspired to start your own house hunt? Drop me a line here.

//Photography by Andrew Marshall//