Things to do in Livingston Manor, a Catskills town

A two-hour driving from NYC, Livingston Manor is a small Catskills town in NY state – and when I mean small, it is small: the population is around 1200 people. Surrounding by mountains and nature, it is a rural area featuring great restaurants, local products, and even breweries, plus amazing accommodation options. Last week, we spend three nights in the area and now I’m gonna tell you everything we did there. It is another great getaway!

Where to stay

We stayed at Antrim Streamside – and what a wonderful escape, I must say! This property features 4 cabins (some of them host up to 2 people, some host up to 3) and two houses (one of the houses hosts up to 8 people). The Antrim Streamside area has 250 acres with chairs, a barbecue area, and a charming bridge. Plus, there are hiking trails and, of course, a lot of nature and fresh air – you will feel in the woods, but with a lot of comforts! It is beautiful and relaxing, perfect for couples, friends, or families! The property also offers coffee, tea, yogurt, fruits, and granola as a complimentary breakfast. Plus, all the accommodations are equipped with a full kitchen (coffee maker, microwave, oven, refrigerator, toaster, blender), bath, Wi-fi, heating, air conditioning. Our cabin (The Pond) had a king bed plus a couch. Another great thing is that the check-in is contactless – you will receive a code to have access to the gate’s property and your cabin or house door. We enjoyed our stay and we would definitely come back – I had the chance to visit the River House and it was so cozy! Remember: Antrim Streamside is also a great place for events like weddings!

Use code FOL10 for 10% OFF on your reservation!

Transportation

We rented a car through Getaround. After Thiago and I discovered this app, we’ve been using it a lot! Think of Getaround as an Airbnb for cars. You register through the app and then you can search for cars near you. Everything is through the app – including unlocking the car. No stress, no bureaucracy, no lines, and no paperwork. We love!

• Get U$20 off on your first rental.

Things to do 

For me, a trip to Upstate without hiking is not complete! There are so many hiking options, trust me: it doesn’t matter the town you are visiting, I’m sure there is a hiking trail nearby. As we were staying at Antrim Streamside, we took the opportunity to follow one of the hiking paths available. They are moderate and we spend one hour on average walking and exploring. But there are more hiking trails in Livingston Manor and you know, they are a Google search away from you!

Restaurants

The Arnold House Tavern

This is a tavern inside The Arnold House, which is a hotel in the area. Here you can expect a pub menu, with burgers, fries, fish & chips, nachos, and other options, plus beers and cocktails! Prices for the main dishes range from $15 to $32. I got the mussels and it was so good! The sauce was full of flavor. The place has a casual atmosphere.

Main Street Farm

I love grocery shopping. When I travel abroad, one of the things I always do is visiting a supermarket to buy unique products. When I travel here, especially in NY State, I love to buy local and farm products. Main Street Farm is the place for this kind of shopping! Founded in 2010, this market has direct relationships with local and small-scale, sustainable family farms. You can buy cheese, sauces, drinks, meats, candles, honey, and so many other products. They also have food options, like sandwiches and salads – we actually bought some food for takeout one day!

​The Katskeeler

This restaurant was featured in almost all the posts about things to do in Livingston Manor, but, unfortunately, it was closed for the season. I was sad because the sitting area is so cute and looks so cozy! Maybe next time! But, we were able to order for takeout! They offer wood-fired pizzas and crafted cocktails. The pizza is delicious!

 

Ver essa foto no Instagram

 

Uma publicação compartilhada por The Kaatskeller (@thekaatskeller)

The Debruce Restaurant

We had a fine dining experience during our time in Livingston Manor too! The restaurant at The Debruce (which is a hotel) offers a tasting menu, available on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday for $175 per person – the club room menu is available Sunday through Friday for $100 per person. The tasting menu has 11 courses, with appetizers, main, and desserts. They use farm local products and everything is so fresh! Our tasting had a lot of seafood and fish, everything was so tasty and we were surprised with each course, because of the flavors and the combination of the ingredients. Thiago and I just love eating and sometimes we like to give ourselves unique experiences like this one. Also, we had the opportunity to explore the hotel surroundings and it is so stunning!

Warm Bread | fermented potato, koji

Beetroot | fromage blanc, egg yolk

Hamachi | riesling, daikon, bergamot

Arctic Char | sea samphire, cilantro, chive

Mussel | stinging nettle, morel, anchovy

Pear | Malt, salsify, onion flower

Lobster | Wild greens, caviar

Tourtiere | foie gras, black truffle

Meyer Lemon

Tea | foraged tree bark, mignardises

More things to do

Here are some recommendations that I couldn’t check, but I had them on my list and they are well rated!

• Van Smokey Smokehouse & Meat Shop – this place offers naturally smoked jerky, amazing sauces & cocktail mixers.
• Catskill Brewery – for beer loves – and they have a beer garden during the Spring/Summer season!
• Northern Farmhouse Pasta – New York’s First Pasta Shop to use 100% NY grown Wheat. Established in 2011 as a small family-owned artisan pasta shop, they craft various dried & fresh pasta, along with a signature ravioli, using NY organic flour, local cheese, and produce from surrounding farms. They have a restaurant as well and reservations are encouraged!

I hope you guys liked this post! Do you have more suggestions on things to do in the area? 

Laura Peruchi

Content creator and journalist in New York City. Here, I share lifestyle, beauty, NYC tips, thoughts, and the struggles about living in the most amazing city in the world! I’m not gonna pretend to be another person: I’m a Brazilian immigrant and I think this is my soul, it is part of who I am. I hope you enjoy my content! Follow me on Instagram!