Connecticut

Not only is Great Island in Darien, CT, the largest private island to be offered for sale on the East Coast, but before it was listed in 2016 for $175 million, this iconic property hadn't been offered for sale or changed hands for more than a century. Purchased in the early 1900s by baking powder tycoon William Ziegler, the estate that lies just 50 miles north of New York City has remained in the family ever since. It's asking $120 million this time around.
Have a look at this unusual island property

May 25, 2018

For $5M, own the private Potato Island with a 90-minute commute to NYC

Own your very own private island that feels like it’s a million miles away, or at least off the coast of Maine, but is actually off the shore of Connecticut for only $4.9 million (h/t Mansion Global). With the not-at-all charming name of Potato Island, named for a group of potato-looking boulders near the shore (you say potato, we say po-tentially change that name!), this private island is part of the Thimble Islands, an archipelago of small islands, 23 of which are inhabitable, in the Long Island Sound in and around the harbor of Stony Creek in the southeast corner of Branford, Connecticut.
Get a look at island life

May 24, 2018

A restored 1920s Arts and Crafts log bungalow is asking $2M in Stamford, CT

Originally built in 1904, “Orient Lodge” is a restored Arts and Crafts compound on Saw Mill Pond that looks like it belongs on an Adirondack lake. The original 40-acre lot housed a saw and grist mill, dating from 1825. Legend has it that the owner cut down chestnut trees on the site to build the house. The lot has since been reduced to just over two acres but it still has an estate feel and is now up for sale asking $1,950,000 (h/t CIRCA). Not only will that get you the three-story main house--which has been fittingly outfitted with historic Asian features--but a detached two-car garage with deck, a separate cottage, and the original landscaping.
Tour the whole property

May 11, 2018

Tour mid century-modern icons from Philip Johnson, Marcel Breuer, Frank Lloyd Wright, and more

From May 15-18, the Iconic Houses Network will hold its bi-annual international conference in New Canaan, Connecticut and the surrounding area. This year’s conference, titled “Modernism on the East Coast – Philip Johnson and the Harvard Five,” will highlight the work of the famous five Harvard architects--Philip Johnson, John M. Johansen, Marcel Breuer, Landis Gores, and Eliot Noyes--who “stirred up an experimental modernist movement in the sleepy New England town.” There will be a number of different events, but perhaps most exciting is the slew of tours of modernist icons such as Johnson's Glass House, Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonia community,
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New RPA report calls for combining LIRR, NJ Transit and Metro-North into one rail network

A map showing T-REX’s new crosstown connections, via RPA

April 18, 2018

New RPA report calls for combining LIRR, NJ Transit and Metro-North into one rail network

When NYC's three commuter railroads--the Long Island Railroad, New Jersey Transit, and Metro-North--were built more than a century ago when the metropolitan area was less than half its current size. Today, the systems are crumbling, both in their physical infrastructure and politics. The latest suggestion for how to fix the issues comes from a new Regional Plan Association report that wants to take advantage of the fact that these railroads "share an amalgamation of rail lines" and thereby create one integrated regional rail network. Dubbed T-REX, short for Trans-Regional Express, the 30-year, $71.4 billion proposal would add 60 new train stations and more than 200 miles of new tracks.
We break it down

April 3, 2018

15 art museums outside NYC worth the trip

New York City is filled with amazing art so why go any further? Because there are some spectacular museums with extraordinary collections set in nearby locales that demand attention. Art can be appreciated for the work itself but taken within its context and history, it can be so much more. 6sqft found a variety of incredibly interesting art destinations in the tri-state area that are worth a trip. Perhaps when planning your next staycation or day-trip, choose one of these museums to set your itinerary.
Check out our list of the top 15

Events & Things To Do

April 2, 2018

Owners of Donald Trump’s former Connecticut mansion try to unload it again for $45M

It looks like it's not just owners within Trump-branded condo buildings who are struggling to sell their homes, but the owners of individual homes with connections to the President, too. In 1998, financier Robert Steinberg and his wife Suzanne paid $15 million for this 5.8-acre Greenwich, Connecticut estate on its own peninsula. It was previously owned by a then-Democratic Donald Trump and his wife Ivana, but when they divorced in 1991, she kept the mansion. Likely not realizing what was yet to come, the Steinbergs first listed the home in early January 2016 for $54 million, dropping the price to $45 million in May. But according to the Wall Street Journal, when Trump's campaign "started heating up," they took the listing down. Although the fire has only grown, they've now decided to try again.
Get a look around

March 30, 2018

Live in a classic mid-century modern home on three acres of land in New Canaan for $1.5M

Connecticut's picturesque New Canaan boasts glorious architectural juxtapositions of old and new, with super traditional center hall colonials alongside classic mid-century modern homes, all in a super posh, perfectly manicured, “country” setting. Located at 126 Chichester Road, this five-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot home asking $1,549,000 falls into the latter group. It was built by James Evans, a student of Louis Kahn’s when Kahn was president of Yale University's architecture department.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

Trump-branded building in Stamford, Connecticut wants to ditch the President’s name

Trump Parc Stamford via F.D. Rich Company

March 28, 2018

Trump-branded building in Stamford, Connecticut wants to ditch the President’s name

Stamford might be joining the ranks of Soho, the Upper West Side, Toronto, Queens and Panama. Some residents of the Trump Parc condominium in Connecticut want to remove President Donald Trump's name from their building and with new officers on its board, a vote for a name-change might be around the corner. According to the Stamford Advocate: “Some owners, in recent interviews, said a vote on the Trump name is now more likely as property values continue to decline and some owners and realtors say the name drags down prices.”
More details here

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March 27, 2018

The best stylish suburban staycations outside NYC

A staycation used to be a term people used when they were staying home and trying to make their non-vacation seem less pathetic when everyone else was hopping on a plane to an exciting locale. Now, the definition has broadened to not going far away. Thankfully, there are many staycation options to choose from in the New York City orbit - even if you limit the distance to the surrounding suburbs. Although a suburban staycation may not come to mind when you think “luxurious getaway,” not only are there amazing local options for gorgeous retreats but think of how relaxed you will be without all the headaches of travel. 6sqft found three luxurious suburban retreats less than an hour from Grand Central that can rival any five-star destination abroad. These inns are only “suburban” in their locale. Everything from their level of service to their design-forward decor will transport you far from your daily grind.
Start making your staycation plans

March 23, 2018

Brooklyn architect lists her modern Connecticut retreat for $650K

Lynn Gaffney, a LEED accredited and certified Passive House designer based in Brooklyn, is selling her 2,500-square-foot, three-bedroom Sharon, Connecticut weekend retreat named “The Bog” for $650,000. Gaffney has a lot of emotion attached to her home. “It's very personally designed. My husband was my client and my friend built this house.” She particularly loves the space between the garage and the house, “There’s a gateway where the two buildings almost touch and it creates the most wonderful courtyard. Conceptually, the idea was to build a metal shell toward the road and create an envelope for a private warm house based on the garden.” She describes the metal shell as a modern "interpretation of an agrarian shed."
Check it all out

February 23, 2018

Six-acre Connecticut estate asking $2.5M is drop-dead gorgeous, inside and out

Be prepared to swoon over this estate in Warren, Connecticut. 90 minutes outside of New York City, follow a long tree-lined private road to this six-acre hideaway. Inside and out, the 1950s property stuns, with interior design worthy of a magazine spread. And property amenities are plentiful, including wood-burning fireplaces in every room, an in-ground pool with its own cabana, a barn and lush landscaping. The property is now up for grabs asking $2.495 million.
Prepare to fall in love

Distinctive Homes

February 15, 2018

Mel Gibson’s former 75-acre Greenwich estate is back on the market for $22.5M

The marvelously enormous Greenwich, CT estate known as Old Mill Farm was owned by Mel Gibson for 15 years, during which it was known as Wayne Manor; The actor/director sold it for about $24 million in 2010, and it has been on and off the market ever since. The sprawling property, which includes a greenhouse, a pool, a box maze, stables, a log cabin, a spring-fed lake, a lighted tennis court–and a life-sized chess board--is back on the market asking $22.5 million, Curbed reports. The estate is anchored by a 15,800-square-foot, eight-bedroom Elizabethan Tudor, which is a marvel even on its own.
Get the grand tour

February 2, 2018

Richard Meier’s modernist Smith House in Connecticut lists for $14.5M

There's no shortage of stunning modern homes designed in Connecticut by prominent architects, from Philip Johnson to Marcel Breuer. Add Richard Meier to that list, an architect currently making a big mark here in New York with his first NYC skyscraper design. He was just 31 when he designed the Smith House in Darien, Connecticut, which hit the market last week for $14.5 million. The home--with stark white walls, a geometric design and expanses of glass--was built in 1967 right along the Long Island Sound waterfront.
See the striking interior

January 25, 2018

50 Cent’s Connecticut mansion gets a $13M price cut ahead of ‘Million Dollar Listing’ stint

50 Cent's lavish Connecticut mansion--which has undergone some pretty significant price chopping--is about to get its 15 minutes of fame. The New York Post reports that the house will soon be featured on Bravo’s "Million Dollar Listing." There's certainly a lot to show off on this 17-acre estate: the property boasts 19 bedrooms, 25 bathrooms, an indoor pool and hot tub, night club, indoor basketball court, multiple game rooms, a "green screen room," recording studio, gym, conference room and home theater. (And there are some 50 Cent-themed amenities to boot.) But it hasn't had any luck finding a buyer, with the price getting slashed from $18.5 million down to $4.995 million.
See the insane interior

December 6, 2017

Private island mansion with celebrity history and NYC views returns for $8.7M

Back in 2015, 6sqft covered this unusual property. The mansion at Tavern Island is, in fact, on a 2.7-acre private island off the coast of Connecticut. Even cooler is the island's history: The property's main house was built in the 1930s and was home to screenwriter Lillian Hellman when she was writing “The Little Foxes,” Mansion Global reports, and theater impresario Billy Rose owned the island in the 1960s and hosted lavish parties for the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Maureen O’Sullivan, and Barbara Streisand. In addition to these epic bragging rights, the new owner of the island will gain a six-bedroom English Colonial mansion dating to 1900, private beach, swimming pool, and a docking area and boat for access the mainland. According to property records, the current owners bought the island for $950,000 in 1981.
Tour this astounding island property

December 4, 2017

$4.35M Connecticut home Marcel Breuer designed for himself got a glass and steel addition

Marcel Breuer isn't just the architect behind the original Whitney Museum of Art--he's also known for his mid-century modern home designs. And now there's an incredible chance to buy the New Canaan, Connecticut home he actually designed for himself in 1951. The striking home has changed hands several times after Breuer's death, according to DesignBoom. But the current owner commissioned New York-based architect Toshiko Mori to extend the property. A steel and glass extension gives the property a modern edge, which also doubling its size to four bedrooms over 5,577 square feet. It's asking $4.35 million.
Get inside

October 30, 2017

For $1.7M, a mid-century masterpiece in Connecticut’s modernist enclave

New Canaan, Connecticut became the hot-spot of modern architecture in the 1940s and 1950s, when a group of architects known as the Harvard Five settled here and built nearly 100 modern homes. Of the surviving properties--20 were torn down over the years--this one still stands in impressive condition and is now on the market. The DeSilver House is a striking midcentury modern design by architects Harrison DeSilver and John Black Lee. From the exterior, floor-to-ceiling windows frame views of the nearly three-acre site, and the interior is chock full of preserved modern details. It's been offered through a private sale by the owner for $1.7 million.
You must see the interior

Distinctive Homes

August 31, 2017

Mod Connecticut home built for an original ‘Mad Men’ exec asks under $1M

Just an hour outside of NYC in Stamford, Connecticut, a mid-century modern gem is available for sale for the first time in 65+ years, and it's got some serious celeb history. The Post reports that the late Oscar-winning actress Luise Rainer and her husband, publisher Robert Knittel, bought a 6.64-acre site in 1950, "where they enjoyed weekend getaways in a 600-square-foot cottage." After just a couple years, though, they sold the property to Lester Rossin, one of the original Madison Avenue "Mad Men" advertising executives. He added a stunning modern home, which was designed to host his "lavish, Hollywood star-lit parties," according to the listing. Both this main home and Rainer's cottage have now hit the market for $995,000.
Take a look around

August 30, 2017

Katharine Hepburn’s former waterfront Connecticut estate sells for $11.5M

The Old Saybrook, Connecticut home where Katharine Hepburn lived until her death in 2003 has sold for $11.5 million, according to the Post. New York-based developer and builder Frank Sciame paid $6 million for the 3.4-acre waterfront estate in 2004, first listing it for $14.8 million in 2014. The 8,368-square-foot home, built in 1939, sits on 1.5 acres and overlooks a private pond and 220 feet of secluded Long Island Sound beachfront. It also has another claim to fame--in the 1930s and '40s, Howard Hughes would land his seaplane on the property's private dock.
Tour the whole property

August 29, 2017

For $1.85M, live in Mark Twain’s former Connecticut farmhouse

By Devin Gannon

Known as “Jean’s Farm,” the 18-acre Connecticut property that literary great Mark Twain bought for his daughter in 1909, is for sale for $1.85 million. Located in Redding, the estate at 325 Redding Road includes a farmhouse built in 1787, an antique barn and a studio. While it has been recently renovated, the sprawling estate maintains its rustic charms (h/t TODAY.com). Residents of the five-bedroom, three and a half bathroom home have access to lots of open space and greenery, as well as a heated gunite pool.
See the sprawling estate

August 25, 2017

Whitney museum architect Marcel Breuer designed this $1.6M modern stone home in Connecticut

Acclaimed modernist architect Marcel Breuer is perhaps best known in New York for designing the original Whitney Museum of Art, now home to the Met Breuer. But his work wasn't limited to iconic museums--he also designed homes, like this one in Orange, Connecticut. The 4,000-square-foot abode known as the Donald N. Clark House was built in the 1950s with stone, ceilings of wood, and open, airy patios. The owner has also filled the house, as well as the 5.5-acre property, with unique artwork and sculptures. And it could be yours for $1.6 million.
Take a look inside

August 14, 2017

$8M Mediterranean villa in Connecticut was built for composer Frank La Forge

This 1930s home built in the style of a Mediterranean villa for the prolific composer Frank LaForge is a detail-filled masterpiece in a storybook setting (h/t Circa). Renovated with care over the years, the result is a seamless blend of original details with modern style and comfort. The 11-room riverfront house in Darien, CT spans 8,220 square feet, with a gorgeous terrace surrounded by an oasis of dreamy landscaping and pond and river views. We wish it could be bought for a song, but it's asking $7.995 million.
Tour the rooms

August 9, 2017

Hamptons shore house combines the intimacy of the woods with the openness of the bay

By Devin Gannon

On a sloped plot of land in North Haven, a small village in the town of Southampton, sits a home covered in cedar, with woods on one side and a river on another. Designed by Leroy Street Studio, the Shore House sits at a spot where the forest opens onto the Peconic River. As Dezeen learned, the home, accessible through a path that winds through the forest, is perfect for big family parties or as a more private retreat. Its water side features large glass panels that open to a covered outdoor courtyard.
Find out more

July 26, 2017

Mid-century modern home built in 1966 with a Techbuilt core asks $979K in Connecticut