Inside New York’s hidden Tiny Home community, where residents get the chance to live a realistic fairytale

A developer who was inspired to create the first-ever tiny home communities in New York state has revealed how he turned real-life “fairytale” homes into reality to “make the world a more beautiful place.”

Bruno Schickel found inspiration for his developments from a rather unlikely source: the children’s book ‘Miss Rumphius’, by Barbara Cooneywhich tells the story of a sweet young girl, Alice Rumphius, who longed to bring more beauty into the world by filling it with flowers.

As he read it to his daughters, something about the book’s message struck a chord with Schickel, who tells Realtor.com® that he soon began looking for his own unique way to leave a positive mark on the planet.

His solution? A village of small houses where friendliness and beauty permeate every property – and residents are encouraged to bring their own fairytales to life.

“I had a ‘Eureka’ moment when I read this story about a girl who lives an adventurous life, returns to the coast of Maine, orders a bushel of lupine seeds and scatters them everywhere to make the world a more beautiful place,” he recalls. “That’s what I wanted to do with my communities.”

Schickel, the founder of Schickel Construction Co.used that vision to create his first tiny house community, Boiceville Cottageswhich started with just a few small structures and is now home to more than 140 small houses.

“In 1996, I started my first tiny house community, Boiceville Cottages, inspired by that book,” he adds. “They are very, very fairytale houses that I designed and my construction company built.”

Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes in Brooktondale, NY, Schickel’s colorful collection of storybook homes can all be rented for 12 months at a time, with prices starting at $1,695 for a “studio” home. They go up to $2,395 per month for a two-bedroom gatehouse with a private office.

The community is designed to give residents a sense of privacy while offering them the opportunity to connect with neighbors. The buildings are also sustainably designed.

“Bruno designed a compact yet livable blueprint to create a more minimalist and sustainable living space,” according to the website. “He also incorporated modern elements into the cottages to give the community a fresh and youthful fairytale charm, while still using natural materials to create a cottage community that is design-oriented, but also efficient and sustainable for tenants.

“The cottage apartments are staged in a pinwheel trio to ensure residents’ privacy while still providing a sense of neighborhood essential to the community. Bruno built the Meeting House in 2012 to serve as the community’s common space where residents can gather, cook, exercise and host events.”

About twenty years after founding his first successful tiny home community, which continues to thrive today, Schickel set his sights on opening a new project – this time in Burdett, NY.

“In 2014, I explored and constructed a piece of land near a lake La Bourgade on Seneca‘ he says. ‘I’ve always wanted a European-designed village.’

The community initially opened with 41 small homes, but has since expanded to include more structures.

“There are now 60 rental properties,” Schickel adds. “When I completed the project there were 41, but I was able to acquire more land and build 19 more homes.”

The tiny house community overlooking Seneca Lake offers a range of rental options, from a 6,000-square-foot, one-bedroom home for $1,695 per month to a two-bedroom home with 1,000 square feet of space for $1,995 per month.

Schickel says the cottages appeal to every demographic and age group, including people who work from home, retirees and younger families just starting out.

“The average stay at this location is four to five years because of the incredible lake views,” he explains. “They don’t tend to attract people with more than one child.”

Residents love the sense of community Schickel has created, including the impressive array of amenities that encourage people to come together and spend time with their neighbors.

“These communities are designed for people to interact with their neighbors,” he says. “They naturally create a sense of community, which makes for an easy way to socialize.

“You might run into someone at the dog park, picking up the mail, or at the Meeting House. The residents also organize meetings themselves, including wine parties and cooking lessons.’

On a plot of 19 hectares, the houses are spread over 7 hectares, surrounded by pristine forests.

“We are really in the country and very remote,” Schickel says. “The homes are built in clusters of three, so in addition to this neighborhood you also have direct neighbors. All driveways are private. Everything is designed in a curve to soften the slope, making it very safe to walk around.”

La Bourgade uses public water, and Schickel says he installed the community’s septic system.

“We take care of all the snow removal,” he says. “We just ask residents to clear their sidewalks and encourage them to do their own gardening if they wish. The property is beautifully landscaped and there are fruit trees in the courtyards which are doing phenomenally well.”

Schickel also developed Freeville Cottagesa 12-home rental community in Freeville, NY. He says he has future plans to open a village of 40 to 50 homes in Interlaken.

“I look for places without zoning,” he says. “People absolutely love the houses.”