Gorgeous sunny retreat high above a river and a wondrous rail trail

This very unique space overlooks the Indian River and the magical D&H rail trail. Hike, bike and ski through meadows, wetlands and woods for nine miles. Sip coffee in the morning light on the balcony or share a meal with friends while the sun sets behind the bridge. Warm up by the fire pit along the river on a cold, clear night. High-speed fiber-optic wifi and workspaces throughout make working remotely in this quiet, peaceful space a joy.

This second floor apartment is in the historic West Pawlet post office building. Super clean, with high ceilings and nine huge windows, the space feel expansive and loft-like while the golden antique wood floors and lath and plaster walls imbue the space with history, character and warmth.

The building is on a slope, so the western-facing kitchen and balcony rise up high over the garden, river and trail. The views are breathtaking. Sunlight pours into the kitchen and onto the balcony throughout the afternoon.

Inside:
-2 bedrooms, each with very comfy queen beds and linens.
-The bathroom has a small, pretty shower and a beautiful floor of blue-green slate from a local quarry.
-The kitchen is fully equipped with everything you'll need for a great meal. It has a large fridge, a spacious walk-in pantry, and a reverse osmosis water filtration system.
-Many workspace options.
-Flexible dining arrangements. All the furniture legs have felt to protect the floors and make everything easy to move around. The little tables throughout, including one on the wall in the toy room, can be moved around as needed to accommodate friends.
-The bedroom adjacent to kitchen has a round, wooden table that can double as a workspace or dining table. Overhead, antique cabinet doors swing open to create a pass-through for food as well as extra natural light and breeze for a bright and airy workspace.
-The toy room is filled with games and toys for all ages.

Outside:
Step right out of the pantry onto the soaring balcony to sip coffee in the quiet morning light while looking out over the garden, river and trail. Later in the day, work in the sunny afternoon breeze. At dusk, after a long walk or a dip in the river, sit on the balcony and share local hard cider and artisanal cheese with friends as the sun sets over the trail bridge.
-The rail trail is 100 feet or so to the left as you walk out the front door. Walk over the bridge into the woods and past some old farm buildings and suddenly the trail will open wide up into a dream about meadows, wetlands, woods, mountain silhouettes, a big sky, and wildlife everywhere. It is truly magical all year round. In any weather, you might meet a friendly neighbor or visitor who has come to bike, hike, ski and even horseback-ride on this glorious trail.
-The back garden is by the river. It is so pretty and has been an absolute joy to work on and spend time in.
-The river bank has a slate platform where you can hang out, fish, embark on a river walk, and dunk into the water. Bring down the fire pit on a crisp night as long as you have experience with fire protocol.

The community:
-West Pawlet is a small, economically diverse rural village. The villagers are from all walks of of life: people in the trades to designers, corporate professionals, grape growers, professors, digital nomads, writers, artisanal brewers and cheesemakers, musicians and some who are struggling but cared for by the community.

The retail activity in West Pawlet is the iconic post office. For anything other than mailing a letter or picking up a package, the country roads will take you to Pawlet, Dorset, and Manchester (7, 10 and 16 miles respectively), as well as Rupert, Salem, Wells, Poultney, and Middletown Springs, all lovely towns with something or another that will make you really happy, whether it be gourmet comfort food, bakeries, local artisanal cheeses, meats, farmer’s markets and farm stands, festivals, concerts, art museums and exhibitions, crafts, boutique home good stores and apothecaries, community theater and more. Granville is 3 miles down the road for the essentials as well as a great diner, an ice cream stand, and the Slate Town Brewery which brews up some seriously exotic ales, stouts and ciders and makes great pizzas, salads, and burgers. Farther out in the Granville countryside is Hicks Orchard which cultivates and grows the best apple and berry varieties ever. They also produce cider, artisanal hard cider, and fresh hot donuts. Saratoga, Middlebury, Glens Falls, and Burlington have a plethora of great restaurants, boutiques, excellent museums, food coops and great grocery stores.

There are several ski resorts within an hour of West Pawlet. Bromley is right on the outskirts of Manchester.

NYC and Boston are each around a 4 hour drive. You will definitely need a car while visiting or living here as well as experience driving in snow, but you can catch a train in Fort Edward if you are commuting regularly to NYC and need a break from driving.