Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
You can buy a mini-village in upstate NY built from junk and found objects
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Feb 2, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Photo by Kevin Witte Productions
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Feb 2, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
At the foot of a mountain in the upstate New York town of Catskill, there is an uninhabited sculpture park of sorts, built entirely out of refuse.
This is b-Home Studio, as its owner and creator Matt Bua calls his 26-acre plot of land with more than 30 buildings constructed across the property, all made from refuse.
b-Home studio is closed to the public and Bua’s been constructing it in bursts of inspiration for almost 20 years. Now he's looking to sell.
Matt Bua has previously lived on this property, but currently resides in nearby Palenville.
Courtesy of Matt Bua
The interior of the cabin.
Photo by Kevin Witte Productions
“ I just wanted to try to build as many little dwellings as I could with my friends,” said Bua, an installation artist. He had one rule: Besides the fasteners, everything had to be made of found material.
Since buying the land for $33,000 in 2006, Bua and his periodic collaborators have constructed about 30 buildings there, including the “Tower of LP Power,” a two-story structure sided entirely in vinyl records; “Cicada House,” a bunker built of dirt bags; a pew-filled, Tudor-style church; and a Hobbit-like, wood stove-furnished cabin where Bua has previously lived. (Today he lives with his family in nearby Palenville.)
Matt Bua bought this land for $33,000 in 2006.
Courtesy of Matt Bua
After almost two decades of learning from and building on the land, though, Bua is ready to move on.
“It’s time to take the path of least resistance and surrender to the change, for good,” Bua said in a phone interview Thursday.
He’s added that also looking to financially lighten his load, noting that land taxes have been going up annually.
“The wild adventure called b-Home has served me so well,” he said. “It’s time to travel on."
An aerial view of the land.
Photo by Kevin Witte Productions
That's not to say the work there is done: “It will never be complete,” he said.
But Bua hopes to sell to someone who, in some way, will maintain and continue his little off-grid oasis.
“I think he’s just excited to move the energy,” said John Iconomou, the lead agent on b-Home’s listing, which is currently priced at $269,000. “I think it was just time for him to move on.”
Bua is open to all offers and “seeing what the universe wants to happen to this place,” he said.
Tagged
new york
arts
real estate
Hannah Frishberg
Hannah Frishberg covers New York City arts and culture. Got a tip? Email Hannah at [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Ever wish you could get paid to walk through a stranger’s house? ‘The Scout’ is for you.
A new film focuses on the strange career of a location scout in New York City.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Sep 26, 2026
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A massive MTA archive ended up in a Virginia warehouse. A Brooklyn man brought it home.
By
Hannah Frishberg
How a Harry Styles pop-up in the East Village led to a nearby bookstore owner's arrest
By
Sonia Rao
NYC’s creative workers are increasingly self-employed, report says
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .