When I met Amy Stevens in Bryant Park to "interview" for her cabin, I was upfront about my desire for a peaceful escape. Despite my earnest intentions, Amy’s application process felt more Manhattan than Woodstock. Even after a face-to-face meeting and a thorough application process, she hesitated to move forward until I offered to pay three months' rent upfront.

Amy represents the recent swell of New York City types that have infiltrated Woodstock and the surrounding towns. Her cabin appears picturesque and quaint, but she is unyielding, fastidious, and without empathy. She is pushy and squeezes every possible dollar out of her tenants—from upping the cost of the rental (from $3,600 per month to $3,900 per month to $7,000 per month for July and August) to withholding my security deposit.