Something old, something new...in the Poconos!

Ah the Poconos. For some that conjures visions of champagne shaped tubs, for others Dirty Dancing (though that was really the Catskills), or as an English friend of mine called it, the coconuts?!  If you're unfamiliar, the Poconos are a mountainous region, about an hour and a half from NYC, in northeastern Pennsylvania that borders the Delaware River. It's filled with hiking trails,  ski "resorts", waterfalls, antique shops, and great inexpensive house rentals, hotels, and restaurants. A super cheap fun and close weekend getaway. Okay, okay, I'm a little partial, having grown up near there and having purchased a three bedroom little house in the mountains two years ago (which by the by, I'm thinking of selling if anyone is interested. Just don't get out there enough with the shop here in Brooklyn. That said, loooove hosting friends and family there.) This past MLK weekend six girlfriends and I spent a weekend dining, hiking and antiquing.  Here are a few of our great finds for a weekend: After the jump...

Discounted ABC's

I'm making a concerted effort to "take advantage" of the city. (Note I am not calling this a resolution, though I notably started yesterday. Way too weighty a noun. More like a suggestion....) Today's field trip was to the Bronx ABC Carpet & Home Warehouse Outlet. The main store in Union Square is beautifully curated/decorated and a bit overwhelming, and more importantly to me, out of reach expensive.  Lovely to look, nothing to buy, I sigh.  So was I rewarded in my trek to the Bronx? I wasn't in the market for anything in particular. My only purchase was an oblong Indian fabric pillow cover, $20, which Oscar already approves of (see pic below). Everything in the warehouse is a little worse for the wear, damaged, scratched, worn, but in some cases super discounted. The decorative items are largely not worth the 10-50% discount when you're talking tears, stains and chips.  But, if you're looking for a larger piece, rug, dresser, dining table or bed, I'd definitely recommend a visit. Oh, that incense they were burning; I was totally transported to the  Cottage Emporium in New Delhi...with about a 400% mark up of course!  More pictures after the jump.