Autumn in Hyde Park holds a special spot for us, because it was in the fall that we 1st found our home. We had been looking for almost 2 years, we had seen every possible home that was on the market and we were just starting to get a little discouraged. We had a particularly disastrous weekend in late August, when we received a call from a Hyde Parker, (whom we had confided in what we were looking for) & she said "I think I found something for you here in town. I don't know how many bedrooms or bathrooms it has and I don't know the price but Joe, the owner, had a lot of children, it's a big house and it's right across from The Vanderbilt Mansion."
Out of courtesy to Marie we called and made an appointment to see the house in Sept 1995 @ 5pm. Having seen one disaster after another that day, we mumbled and grumbled all the way to the house. I said, the 1st question we'll ask is how much are they asking for the house and my sister ( you'll be able to figure out who the older one is by this response) said" Now be nice when you say that!). We went through the house once and we looked at each other and said ..."let's go through it again" but we knew and while it had no charm, no architectural interest, it had a very comfortable flow, the number of rooms we needed, and the location doesn't get better then this. Most of what was needed was cosmetic work and we could add the details, which we have done. By mid-October we had agreed to the price and we went across to The Vanderbilt's and looked at that magnificent view and realized these were our new neighbors!
The house was built in 1964 and it looked liked time had stopped in 1968......wood-paneling throughout much of the home, florescent lights, gold-brocade carpeting on the staircase and in the hallway. Wait....it gets better......we have the pink bathroom, the blue bathroom and yes...the yellow bathroom. When you come, we have the "before" photo album to share with you. We had fleetingly thought of leaving the house exactly how we found it and call it "The Pink Cadillac" and play '50 & 60's music! Alas, saner heads prevailed, but we do have a miniature "Pink Cadillac" on our kitchen window sill!
So for each of the last 15 years, when that 1st smell of the fall leaves is in the air, we look around at our labor of love, think back to how it all started, go across and visit our neighbors and offer a toast to everyone who has helped us along the way, for this journey could never have been accomplished without them. What a fabulous time we have had!
