Perhaps it’s time to ditch the term “man cave”. It’s certainly evocative imagery, but one that’s evolved beyond a man’s home getaway. Today’s man caves have become more of a Family Oasis. Gone are the days of a couple of old comfy chairs, a TV, and a separate fridge.
Today’s man caves could host weddings, or at least inspire some bar owners to upgrade their space enough to survive.
Here are three local spaces that would make you wonder why going out would even be worth your time.
Pat and Lisa Hickerson are the people who love to host. But they found their inspiration for their home’s Man Cave as guests in their favorite winter getaway over 200 miles away - the Lake Placid Lodge.
"Okay, how can we bring this home so we're not up there all the time?" Pat remembers thinking. Now, every aspect of their space evokes the rustic charm of the Adirondacks, all covered in 150-year-old recovered barnwood. Now, even when they’re home, they’re away.
However, the family history that they’ve included makes it much more than that.
There’s the “Jack’s Bar” sign that hung in his grandfather’s bar that now resides proudly in their own custom bar. His grandfather once had a fairly notable setup in his home - if you count having Babe Ruth and Joe Louis each stopping by to hang out there “notable”.
It’s a space that’s a true throwback to the speakeasy days with modern nuances, with an antique slot machine, pool table, five TVs, a library built with private arched reading nooks, comfy leather seating, and a flip-out bar window that converts the space into outdoor living as well.
Add in the color-changing LED lighting, smart pool, waterfalls, koi pond, and a variety of other outside features, you might never want to go back inside. But inside, Pat’s handcrafted indoor oasis is pretty good competition for whatever nature can throw at it.
Their Man Cave can handle up to 100 guests comfortably. During the summers, it can be even more, when it’s combined with their “estate-like backyard, spread across more than two secluded acres, giving it a private resort experience,” Pat says.
It certainly seems like the lush landscape of Wayne helped to round out the full Adirondack setting for the Hickersons.
What Mike has created alongside nature is simply breathtaking.