How many water coolers, cocktail parties, and backyard barbecues have you been to where someone has exclaimed, usually in a flourish of histrionic frustration, that they wish they had their own island? Well, guess what? You can. In fact, if you’ve really saved your nickels and dimes, you can have several of them!
They’re called the Thimble Islands, and they are perched right on Long Island Sound, not even five miles from the town of Branford, CT. And here may be the best news of all: Thanks to a recent price cut, you could have seven — count ’em, seven — island lots for a cool $50 million, more than a one-third discount for the previous asking price of $78 million [at press time, one had just sold for $888,000, so hurry and pick up your island today!] For that price, the Realtor will even throw in some onshore property.
But what if you’re overextended on your Visa card and can afford only one private island? Well, Rogers Island, the largest of the archipelago, can be had for a mere $35 million. It includes a 13,000 sq. ft., 10-bedroom manor house set on eight acres. The plot also has a pool, tennis court, greenhouse, golf green, and guesthouse.
The other six islands include tracts featuring Victorian-style homes, private beaches, and remote floating docks — all just 15 miles from New Haven and two hours from either NYC or Boston (once you get to the mainland).
While Branford-based real estate developer Sal Marottoli admits that the logistics of living surrounded by seawater can be complicated, there are also certain virtues.
“Being in the Thimble Island community is really special,” Marottoli says. “You get to enjoy a very different kind of lifestyle — one that slows your pace down a bit.”
For more information, visit www.thimbleportfolio.com.
