6 refreshing houses in Connecticut coastal towns
Featuring a restored Queen Anne Victorian in Fairfield and wraparound deck in Madison
Branford
Belden Island is part of the Thimble archipelago in Branford's Stony Creek harbor. The property includes a circa-1912, fully furnished four-bedroom house with original hardwood floors and wainscoting, stone fireplace and country kitchen with butler's pantry.
The island is irrigated, solar-powered and walled in native pink granite, and includes 2 acres of shellfish beds, a big lawn, trees and a dock; the mainland is seven minutes by regular ferry. $2,750,000. Kiara Rusconi, William Raveis Real Estate/ Luxury Portfolio International, (860) 573-3382.
Fairfield
This restored Queen Anne Victorian in Stratfield Village is a 10 minute drive from Seaside Beach and 30 minutes from New Haven. The 1907 five-bedroom house has rich period details, including two ornate fireplaces, a parlor, dining and living rooms and award-winning chef's kitchen with copper and slate counters, tin ceiling and floor-to-ceiling oak cabinetry accessed by a library ladder.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Outside are a wraparound porch, lawns, trees, and perennial, vegetable and herb gardens. $1,195,000. Pam Foarde, William Raveis Real Estate/ Luxury Portfolio International, (203) 257-9110.
Madison
The wraparound deck and many of the rooms of this waterfront home offer generous ocean views. Built in 1900 and entirely rebuilt in 2021, the five-bedroom house features a shake-clad exterior, mansard roof, coffered ceilings, chef's kitchen, walk-in pantry, formal dining room and living room with oversize windows and fireplace.
The grassy lot is steps from a sandy beach, five minutes from the town center and two hours from Manhattan. $5,250,000. Loretta Walz, Coldwell Banker Realty, (203) 619-4029.
Guilford
Leetes Island's Pelatiah Leete House sits on a hill overlooking Shell Beach lagoon. Built circa 1710 and on the National Register of Historic Places, the restored American chestnut post-and-beam, two-bedroom saltbox has four fireplaces, original wood floors and built-ins; modern kitchen and bathroom with soaker tub; living, dining and family rooms; library; attic; and attached garage.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The property is landscaped with lawns, hedges, flower beds, gravel paths and a stone patio. $975,000. Carol Mancini, William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty, (203) 710-6405.
Groton
This 1928 cedar-shingled beach house on Groton Long Point's boardwalk is steps from sand and sea. The updated four-bedroom home features wood paneling, floors and cabinets; oversize windows; open main floor including dining and living areas, wood-burning stone fireplace, and gourmet kitchen with eat-in island; and primary suite with sunroom-office.
Outside are an ocean-facing covered deck, patio and landscaped yard; Mystic is a 20-minute drive and Boston about two hours. $2,750,000. Katie O'Leary, Gay Tyler Gallagher Real Estate, (860) 961-4357.
Norwalk
The river and harbor are just blocks from this 1982 condominium in South Norwalk. The renovated two-story, two-bedroom loft has an open layout, double-height ceilings, wood floors, a wood-burning stove with brick surround, a spiral staircase, a chef's kitchen, a primary-suite bath with terrazzo walls and slate floor, an office and an in-unit laundry.
Dining, shopping and the train are walking distance; ocean beaches are eight minutes' drive and midtown Manhattan is an hour. $550,000. Max Dober, Keller Williams Prestige Properties, (203) 767-2486.
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
-
The Nutcracker: English National Ballet's reboot restores 'festive sparkle'
The Week Recommends Long-overdue revamp of Tchaikovsky's ballet is 'fun, cohesive and astoundingly pretty'
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdown
Speed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - December 18, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - thoughts and prayers, pound of flesh, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Alan Cumming's 6 favorite works with resilient characters
Feature The award-winning stage and screen actor recommends works by Douglas Stuart, Alasdair Gray, and more
By The Week US Published
-
6 historical homes in Greek Revival style
Feature Featuring a participant in Azalea Festival Garden Tour in North Carolina and a home listed on the National Register of Historic Places in New York
By The Week Staff Published
-
The best books about money and business
The Week Recommends Featuring works by Michael Morris, Alan Edwards, Andrew Leigh and others.
By The Week UK Published
-
A motorbike ride in the mountains of Vietnam
The Week Recommends The landscapes of Hà Giang are incredibly varied but breathtaking
By The Week UK Published
-
Nightbitch: Amy Adams satire is 'less wild' than it sounds
Talking Point Character of Mother starts turning into a dog in dark comedy
By The Week UK Published
-
Electric Dreams: a 'nerd's nirvana' at Tate Modern
The Week Recommends 'Poignant' show explores 20th-century arts' relationship with technology
By The Week UK Published
-
Joya Chatterji shares her favourite books
The Week Recommends The historian chooses works by Thomas Hardy, George Eliot and Peter Carey
By The Week UK Published
-
Ballet Shoes: 'magnificent' show 'never puts a foot wrong'
The Week Recommends Stage adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's much-loved children's novel is a Christmas treat
By The Week UK Published