How to Spend a Great Weekend in Livingston Manor, Catskills

If you live in the NYC area and are planning to take some road trips this fall (which, let’s face it, it’s the main form of travel these days!), then I’m guessing the Catskills are on your list.

The problem is that at almost 6000 square miles, there is no shortage of cute towns and beautiful places to visit in the Catskills. So how do you figure out where to go?

That’s why I’m here. I’ve done the hard work for you. (Well maybe not so hard, because I always love exploring and sharing my finds with you!)

In this post, I’m sharing our weekend itinerary for Livingston Manor, a charming town in the Western Catskills full of chic shops, restaurants, and more.

Related: Looking for other great towns to visit in the Catskills? Then you’ll want to read this post.

Where We Stayed in Livingston Manor – Antrim Streamside

First things first. Let’s talk about accommodations because if you’re taking a road trip, you need somewhere to sleep!

When we went up for the weekend, we stayed at the Antrim Streamside Resort.

I am so glad I discovered this hotel! In fact, we loved it so much, I wrote an entire (unsponsored) post about staying at Antrim Streamside, because I wanted to share all of the details with you. Check out my post, Where to Stay in the Catskills during COVID-19 for a deep dive into the hotel.

What is worth noting about Antrim Streamside in Livingston Manor is that it’s the ideal place to stay during the COVID-19 pandemic because all of the accommodations are separate cabins and cottages. (And they are so cute and chic.)

There are also over 100 acres of property, some of which can be explored with private hiking trails, plus the beautiful, and swimmable, Willowemoc Creek which cuts through the property.

Rates start at $225 per night for a cabin that can accommodate 2-3 people.

While we loved our stay at Antrim Streamside, there are also a few cute options in the area on Airbnb. One in particular that I recommend is the Amber Lake Chalet, a 3 bed, 1 bath cabin with direct, private access to Amber Lake. If you inquire directly with the owner and provide the code ‘MerryOffer20’ they will provide a 20% discount on weekly stays or 15% off for weekend bookings!

Now onto the fun stuff – everything we ate, drank, and did during our weekend in Livingston Manor.

Our Weekend Itinerary for Livingston Manor

Friday Night Dinner

After checking in at Antrim Streamside, we had one goal in mind: find some good food for dinner. Thankfully, the adorable town of Livingston Manor is just a 5-minute ride from Antrim Streamside, where there are a few restaurants to choose from.

We opted for wood-fired pizza, salad, and wine at The Kaatskeller. The restaurant has a large and inviting outdoor seating area with picnic tables. It was easy for us to socially distance ourselves from other people and we felt safe and comfortable eating there. (I’m guessing when the colder weather comes, they will use heat lamps to maximize outdoor eating as late into the season as possible.)

One thing to note: the restaurant requires that you order your food in advance online, and select the ‘eat-in’ option if you want to eat there. (They also do take-out.)

You choose a timeslot when you order your food, and that serves as your reservation for a table. You can buy drinks and dessert on the premises from an adorable camper they’ve set up in the yard.

The other thing worth noting is the restaurant does not stay open late, at least by NYC standards. As of writing this post, their hours on Friday are 3p – 9p, and 12p – 8p on Saturday and Sunday. (Check the restaurant’s website for the latest info on COVID-19 protocols and hours.) 

Saturday Morning:

We started the day with a 45-minute hike that brought us to Beaver Lake Farm. The working livestock farm is affiliated with Antrim Streamside, and we scheduled a private farm tour ahead of time through the hotel.

We had a great morning learning all about the inner workings of Beaver Lake from the farm manager, Jessica Campbell. Plus, we got to meet a lot of animals!

If you’re game for a long morning hike, there are ample hiking trails in the area. You can also spend the morning flyfishing or bird watching.

Saturday Lunch:

We worked up quite an appetite with our morning hike and farm tour, so we were ready for more grub. We headed back to Livingston Manor to Main Street Farm, a charming market full of artisanal, local, and organic products. They also make delicious breakfast and lunch sandwiches.

You can take your sandwiches to go or eat on the back deck of Main Street Farm. However, the seating is really just one line of seats overlooking a stream which are not spread that far apart. If you are worried about COVID-19, I recommend getting your food to go.

Of course, the sandwiches weren’t enough for us (because a girl’s gotta eat!), so we also stopped at the very local and very German, Brandenburg Bakery for some goodies. (They even had a German radio station playing in the shop.)

I opted for the apple turnover which was delicious. We also bought a bag of chocolate chip cookies which my husband devoured within two days!

Saturday Afternoon Exploring:

For the afternoon, we hit the road (for 15 min, lol) to explore the nearby historic town, Roscoe. Roscoe is known as the home of American fly fishing but there’s actually a lot to do in this quintessential Catskills town besides fishing.

You can tour the Roscoe O&W Railway Museum, which includes vintage train-cars permanently parked across from the museum or window shop on Main Street. There are a couple of cute shops and believe it or not – a Pilates studio. (Who knew?)

Our main point of interest was the Prohibition Distillery. Founded in 2009, the distillery is located in a really cool, historic firehouse. They make gin, vodka, and bourbon whiskey. (Pro-tip: Buy a bottle of the Beaverkill Bourbon Cream. It’s dessert in a drink!)

Despite COVID-19, they are still offering tastings that are safe and take into account all COVID-19 safety protocols.

We were lucky enough to do a tasting with the co-founder and distiller, Brian Facquet, at the back of the distillery. The entire process felt safe for us because we were the only ones in the area during our tasting. Also, Brian Facquet wore all appropriate PPE and it almost felt like we were sitting outside, since two large garage doors were open on either side, creating a nice cross breeze.

We also decided to try one of their curated cocktails with some snacks. (Did I mention we like to eat?!) The distillery has set up a very nice outdoor seating area and they even have live music. The musicians play in an open barn across the street from the Distillery, so everything felt very safe.

Our next afternoon stop was the Catskill Brewery. I’m not a huge beer drinker but there are a lot of breweries in the Catskills (there’s even a Catskills Beverage Trail) and it was on our way back to Livingston Manor, so we stopped in for a pint.

Their tasting room is currently closed but you can buy a beer and snacks and sit outside. There is plenty of space so it was easy to socially distance ourselves from other groups.

Saturday Evening Dinner:

Time for more food! (Are you sensing a theme here?)

We headed back to Livingston Manor for some BBQ at the Smoke Joint. We did not need to make reservations or order our food online ahead of time. There is a window where you place your order and there are plenty of tables in their outdoor seating area.

We also enjoyed their cocktails in a bottle. I got the Pillow Talk. For food, we enjoyed the brisket, (wings for my husband), and sides like mac n cheese, corn, and coleslaw. Our friend who was with us does not eat red meat, so she opted for the fried chicken sandwich.

Sunday Morning Brunch & Shopping in Livingston Manor:

After another lovely morning hike on the Antrim Streamside property, we headed back to Livingston Manor for brunch and window shopping.

I absolutely loved the bespoke boutique, Nest (pictured above). It had such a cool vibe.

I also loved another home decor shop called Long Weekend. Both of these interior design stores were so well-curated, I wanted to buy everything!

Livingston Manor also has a farmer’s market every Sunday and it was chock full of fresh fruit, vegetables, and wildflowers. If we weren’t leaving that day, we would have stocked up on fresh produce to cook for dinner.

Sadly, after our morning of exploring, it was time for us to hit the road and head back to the city. While our stay was just a short 48 hours, we felt completely fulfilled and happy.

Are You Ready to Plan a Trip to Livingston Manor?

Now that you know all about Livingston Manor, are you ready to visit the Western Catskills? If so, I hope you find this guide helpful.

If you plan a trip, please let me know! And of course, you can reach out with any questions by adding them in the comments section below this post.

One thing’s for sure – I will definitely be heading back to Livingston Manor this fall. I can’t wait to see the Catskills when the leaves turn colors and nature puts on a dazzling show.

And who knows, maybe we’ll bump into each other!