Forget a house or a condo — if you've ever dreamed of leaving the city in favor of a more isolated environment, then this is for you. In New Haven, Connecticut, you can buy your very own private island that comes complete with a gorgeous 2,038 square-foot home.
Belden Island is a one-acre piece of land in the middle of Long Island Sound that is part of an archipelago called the Thimble Islands. For the generous price of $1,295,000, you can own the entire island, which comes with a fully-furnished, four-bedroom "storybook" house, an irrigated grass lawn, a sandy beach, and two acres of deeded shellfish beds that can be rented out to oyster harvesters.
The island also has its own private dock that is serviced by a ferry that operates from Stoney Creek. A short boat ride is all it takes to get you to the nearby Amtrak and Metro-North train station.
Margaret Muir, the listing agent, gave a description of the area to Realtor.com that makes it all the more appealing. "The mainland town or village is called Stony Creek, and it is a charming fairy-tale location, to begin with," she said. "Then you leave the shore and you head out into the Thimble Islands, and each one is different, but they all have a common history."
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According to PrivateIslandsOnline.com, Connecticut has long been an active market for private island real estate. Along with Belden Island, there are five other private islands currently on sale across the state; but Muir is adamant that Belden Island possesses a charm like no other.
"It’s a seasonal house as it is. At the end of the season, you would drain the pipes and close it up, and look forward to the next spring," Muir said. “The house itself looks like it’s out of a storybook," she added. "It’s really very charming and sweet. You feel like you’re stepping back in time."
The price of Belden Island is nearly five times the current average price of a home in Connecticut, which means it will definitely appeal more to a wealthy clientele...but the average Joes can always dream!
"You have an occasional boat going by or someone paddling by in a canoe or kayak at a distance, but it's so serene and it's so special. It's part of the life there—You’re not rushing to get through the meal and get things cleaned up to get somewhere. You’re taking things at a slower pace, and I think there’s something to be said for that."
