Virginia Smith’s Hudson Valley Barn

(folk guitar music)

(rooster crowing)

[Virginia] We bought this hill about 11 years ago.

We've been renting a carriage house in Tivoli,

and we've been there for eight years.

But then we had our son, and it was pretty small for that,

so we started looking for a barn.

But we didn't want to start from scratch in converting one.

So our friends saw this and said,

We've seen this place and we really think

it's what you're after.

So we came up and loved it upon first sight.

We bought it and have loved it ever since.

(egg cracks)

I'm from a very small town which I,

of course, couldn't wait to leave.

But I think that, that sense of sort of community

is one that appeals to me here.

I mean, I don't think ever in any of my apartments

in New York City, I've really known my neighbor.

I mean, if you were really feeling friendly,

you might say, Hi, on the elevator,

but I've never had a neighborhood relationship.

And here, we know our neighbors, we watch

out for each other.

I bring them eggs, they bring me rhubarb or whatever.

And it's just a real sense of community,

which certainly appeals to me.

It's funny, we've moved around so much in the city.

And Patrick and I laughed, we've lived

in at least 10 apartments together, if not more.

We both feel that this is really our home.

And that the New York is just sort

of a more transient sort of thing.

But this place, when we walk in the door,

on Fridays, we're like, Okay, now we're home.

It's that sort of feeling.

Yeah, I love it, love it.

(folk guitar music)