Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

New York City never runs out of surprises, and some of the best ones are hidden in plain sight. Dennett Place in Carroll Gardens is just such a hidden surprise. The fun-sized block near the Gowanus Canal is lined with equally diminutive townhouses, each with a miniature “hobbit door.” Though the neighborhood has changed, the block still has the look of a quaint European alleyway and the charm of a tight-knit community–though no one seems to know what the half-pint doors are for. The homes here don’t change hands often, but a pair of multi-family townhouses at 14 and 16 Dennett Place is on the market for the first time in 100 years, asking $3.2 million for both.

Six units, endless potential, this way

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

Wow with a capital-W. This home, listed for $7,250,000, on Long Island’s Moriches Bay is set on 15 acres filled with themed gardens like a manicured rose garden, sculpture garden, an entire koi pond paradise, and even a tunnel of vines. It has over 850 feet of water frontage, along with a bayside esplanade and private dock, a deck with a solarium, a rooftop viewing area, huge pool, a gazebo, and a guest house with a second pool. Another wow factor is that the home was transformed into this stylish estate over 25 years by fashion industry icon Rose Marie Bravo, who’s credited with turning Burberry into an international luxury brand.

See it all right here

Listing photos by David Coppola for Heather Croner Real Estate Sotheby’s International Realty

B-52s lead singer Kate Pierson and her wife, artist Monica Coleman, bought this 6.5-acre Catskills property in the early 2000s, turning it into a retro “love shack.” With a total of 10 guest accommodations, the motel called Kate’s Lazy Meadow is just outside Woodstock, New York. It was, coincidentally, built in 1952, and Pierson and Coleman outfitted the cabins with mid-century furnishings, bright colors, and loads of kitschy decor–all of which is included in the $2,200,000 sale.

See it all right here

Listing photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

It’s hard to believe this waterfront villa is in New York City, however, it is not in the Mediterranean but rather in Queens. Located in a gated community in Beechhurst, a waterfront neighborhood in the northeastern section of the borough, the seven-bedroom home has a Florida room, wine cellar, 20-foot mahogany foyer, and a 3-4 car garage. Out back, there’s a huge covered outdoor kitchen, a large pool with a hot tub, a dock for a 60-foot boat, and amazing views of the Throgs Neck Bridge. It’s on the market for $5,950,000.

Take a tour

Listing photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

The vision of award-winning design studio LOT-EK, this Midtown West penthouse is truly unique. The main living area was transformed from the building’s former mechanical room, and it’s topped off by a bedroom suite created from a 20-foot shipping container. The whole industrial-style interior features concrete walls and exposed steel pipes and beams, and it’s all surrounded by a lush wrap-around terrace overlooking the Empire State Building. Located at 31 West 31st Street, it’s on the market for the first time since it was built in 1996, and it’s asking $995,000.

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In Weston, Connecticut, about an hour-and-a-half drive from NYC, you can buy this amazingly converted church for $865,000, the price of a very tiny one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. Built in 1890, the former Swedish church has been transformed into a quirky yet beautiful single-family home, complete with stained-glass windows, cathedral ceilings, and wooden ceilings beams. At 2,382 square feet, it has three bedrooms, plus a lovely rear patio.

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Photo by Ravi Capeles

This unusual home in Stamford, Connecticut is thought to be the only private residence in the Tri-State area with its own private indoor hockey rink. It even comes with a Zamboni, heated team benches, lighted scoreboard, and locker rooms–and it’s hosted players from the Rangers. Listed for $7,690,000, the 18,000 square feet home sits on 13 acres and also comes with two guest houses, a pool, and a small lake.

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Photos courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

The visuals speak for themselves at this super funky upstate home in Rhinebeck. From the outside, its semi-circular shape and odd window placement read very futuristic. But inside, the home is positively prehistoric-looking, with cave-like vaulted ceilings, stone floors, and tree-branch railings. Listed for $1,195,000, the 11-acre property includes the two-bedroom home, a guest house, animal shelters, fruit orchard, and vegetable garden.

Lots more to see

Photos by Tyler Sands/Sand Media House for Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

First spotted by Curbed, this funky home in Greenport, Long Island was built in 1930 as the town’s laundry and has since been converted into this very cool live-work loft. Listed for $1.3 million, the 4,400-square-foot building has an exposed greenhouse-inspired roof and big, open rooms full of original woodwork and pops of lime green. Also included in the sale is an adjacent cottage that could be used as a guest house or additional workspace.

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All photos by Michael Bowman Photography

The great thing about this house in Litchfield, Connecticut is that it can satisfy two ends of the design spectrum (h/t Curbed). For mid-century-modern lovers, its six-part A-frame design and geometric interiors check the boxes, while its country setting and wood-filled rooms will please a more rustic sensibility. Listed for $835,000, the four-bedroom home sits on 15 acres and boasts three stone fireplaces, multiple outdoor decks, and exposed redwood beams throughout that frame incredible double-height views.

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