In real estate, they say location is everything, and Tavern Island has it all. It's a three-and-a-half acre oasis off the coast of Rowayton, Connecticut, that's also within the New York City metro area, and it's now on the market for $10.9 million!
The property has had several brushes with celebrity: High-profile entertainers such as Barbra Streisand, Marilyn Monroe and Maureen O'Sullivan have attended parties on the property, when it was owned by Billy Rose. Diamonds might be a girl's best friend, but a little rest and relaxation on a private island within easy reach of Manhattan? That's priceless.
Christie's International Real Estate says the property features a 6,000-square-foot main house, a boat house, caretaker's house and a three-car garage. Add to that a 75-foot in-ground swimming pool next to the private beach, and the property is set up perfectly for de-stressing. This property is also a contender if views are important — it has 360-degree views of the nearby harbor and the waters beyond that. On a clear night, Manhattan's famous skyline looks like a jagged strip of lights that illuminate the horizon.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
The main house, an English Country Colonial, was built in 1900, and looks like it was plucked out of one of the dozens of historic districts that dot the Northeast and repotted on the island. It offers six bedrooms, four full baths, three half-bathrooms, plus touches that are almost necessities for historic homes, like exposed beams in the great room and fireplaces. Other features include stone tabletops and countertops in the modern kitchen, and updated bathrooms. Several areas — like the game room and dining room — open onto breezy terraces.
Close attention was paid to comfort on the grounds, too. Not only is there a deep docking pier, but two stone barriers keep the rougher waters at bay, too. And for nights with a nip in the air, a stone fire pit beckons.
