New York, Delaware County, Walton, USA

At the very end of a quiet country road, where the pavement gives way to meadow and forest, a farmhouse sits on a small rise on more than 35 acres of rolling land where Catskill Mountain views rise in the distance. It's everything a country home, connected to the beautiful land around it and filled with light, laughter, and a deep peace should be. If you've been looking for a property where you can slow your pace, we offer you this one. Here, paths wind through woods that feel like a state park. A stream runs alongside the property, and the water drawn from its spring is cold and sweet. Two covered porches, one for each floor, invite an investment in time spent on a rocking chair in the fresh air. If you'd like some sun, a 15 x 24 south-facing deck catches rays all day - musing or working there comes with a view of a lily pond with the mountains beyond. Inside, the layout is warm and feels unhurried. The house was originally built in 1890. It has been modernized, but the exposed beams, the tin ceiling over the dining room, and the two staircases (a formal one at the entry and an informal one rising from the kitchen) offer comforting character. A double-sided fireplace provides ambiance for both the kitchen and the living room, while a Vermont Castings wood stove heats half the house on its own (the boiler stays off while the fire does the work). At the top of the formal staircase is an unexpected open lofted space. Used as a family room, it is filled with light from a host of windows, including a fan-shaped stained-glass window at the roof peak. This special space is ready for reading, painting, or simply sitting still. The upstairs also has two bedrooms that share a lovely, large bath. There's also space for hobbies and storage; two modern outbuildings offer room for a workshop, studio, or storage. At dawn, when you're the first one up to see the sun rise and bring mist on the meadow, or on a winter evening, with the stove glowing, snow settling on the pond, and the mountains gone quiet, life here feels wonderfully simple. Beyond the property lines, the western Catskills have the same unhurried spirit. The village of Walton sits along the West Branch of the Delaware River, its main street lined with old brick storefronts and the historic 1914 Walton Theater, which screens films and hosts concerts. The seasons here fill themselves: residents canoe and fish on the Delaware, hike at Bear Spring Mountain, enjoy the scenic drive along the Cannonsville Reservoir and the farm stands, local cideries, and skiing at Plattekill Mountain in winter. Each August, the Delaware County Fair brings the whole region together for an old-fashioned celebration of livestock shows, 4-H exhibits, and midway rides. When you're ready to return to Metropolis, New York City is about 2.5 to 3 hours away.