Just Listed in the Poconos: Lakeside Contemporary in Lackawaxen

Woods, a boat dock, a lake you can go boating and fishing on, even a lawn billiard table — what more could you want in a second home? How about a first-class year-round resort community with many amenities and a year-round calendar of activities? That also comes with this handsome contemporary house at 357 Falling Waters Blvd., Lackawaxen, PA 18435 / Photography by Stephanie Matolyak, Davis R. Chant Realtors

Generally speaking, the northern Poconos — the upper reaches of Pike County and all of Wayne County — are considered the province of New Yorkers seeking cool second homes that won’t break the bank.

And sure enough, the agent marketing this Lackawaxen lakeside contemporary house for sale touts its convenience to New York.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider it as well. Especially when you learn everything that comes with it and what’s around it.

Let’s start with the house itself. Designed by Berwyn-based Peter Zimmerman Architects, it comes with loads of indoor and outdoor space for relaxation, recreation and entertaining, starting with its open-plan main floor.

Living room

A short hallway leads from the foyer to this spacious living room with a soaring, skylit cathedral ceiling and a full-height wall of windows overlooking Westcolang Lake. And check out its fireplace! That beauty looks like it has an antique mantel that was incorporated into this house. If that’s the case, it got restored to where it looks better than new.

Dining room

Like many Poconos contemporaries, this house mixes elements of modern and traditional style. That mix continues into the dining room that flows off the living room thanks to its farmhouse furniture and Moderne chandelier.

Kitchen

And it goes on into the kitchen, which has plenty of traditional cabinetry and modern appliances. Across the foyer from the kitchen is a huge walk-in pantry.

Primary bedroom

This house’s layout offers one-floor living. The primary bedroom is located just past that pantry; its fireplace shares its chimney with the one in the living room.

Primary bathroom

Its en-suite bathroom can also be accessed from the pantry. The other three bedrooms and a hall bath are located beyond the living and dining rooms.

A door from the pantry leads to the attached two-car garage, which also has workshop space.

Exterior rear

Deck

Two sets of sliding glass doors lead from the living room to the deck facing the lake.

Family room

Stairs lead from the living room to a family room on the loft balcony. Next to the family room is a finished attic bonus room that can be fitted to suit your needs. Doors in the bonus room lead to unfinished storage space on either side.

Lower rear patio

Now on to the outside. In addition to the deck, you will find an outdoor patio on the level below it.

Lawn billiard table

And next to the garage you will find a lawn billiard table that should please your inner pool shark.

Boat dock

And stairs lead down to the lake from the rear terraces. There you will find this private boat dock.

This, however, only barely scratches the surface of what this Lackawaxen lakeside contemporary house has to offer. That’s because it sits in one of the best year-round resort communities in the Poconos, Masthope Mountain Community.

Begun in the mid-1970s, Masthope is one of the Poconos’ newer planned resort communities. It also makes the most of its mountainous site. Here you will find Ski Big Bear, one of the better Poconos ski resorts, and a mountaintop clubhouse with a restaurant called The Summit that gets high marks not only for its setting but also for the quality of its food.  Both of these and the tiki bar next to The Summit are open to the public, but as a member of Masthope’s homeowners association, you enjoy access to Big Bear included in your annual dues.

Masthope’s other amenities are only available to members.  These include a beach on Westcolang Lake, a cafe, the other facilities and meeting spaces in the mountaintop clubhouse, a fitness center and a miniature golf course. Masthope also maintains stables where residents can reserve one of about 20 horses for trail riding, pony rides for the kids and other equestrian activities.

The community also has sports courts, fitness courses, playgrounds, two outdoor swimming pools, a lakeside clubhouse and its own secluded riverside park on the Delaware. A stream with rapids and a pond flows from the lake to the river.

There’s also a market that carries most of the things you might need from day to day.

And if you want a change of pace from all this, it’s a short drive from here to Hawley and Lake Wallenpaupack. And just a short distance from these sits Honesdale, Wayne County’s surprisingly cool county seat, filled with quirky local shops as well as a vintage hotel with a great wine bar.

All of this, I would submit, is worth the additional hour you will spend getting to this Lackawaxen lakeside contemporary house for sale from Philadelphia. And if you’re one of those fortunate enough to work from home all the time, you could make this your first home instead. Or you could use it when you wanted to and rent it to vacationers the rest of the time.

So many options, so many choices. One of those choices should be a no-brainer.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 5, counting the attic bonus room as a bedroom

BATHS: 2

SQUARE FEET: 3,371

SALE PRICE: $789,000

OTHER STUFF: A $2,100 annual homeowners association fee covers maintenance and operation of and gives you access to all the community amenities in Masthope.

357 Falling Waters Blvd., Lackawaxen, PA 18435 [Stephanie Matolyak | Davis R. Chant Realtors]

Updated July 24th, 11:28 a.m., to credit the architect.