A Private Island 90 Minutes from New York City Lists for $4.9M

Privacy, sea views and a little bit of adventure are some of the hallmarks of the newly listed home on the private Potato Island.

Part of the Thimble Islands off the shore of Connecticut in the Long Island Sound, the private island was put up for sale earlier this month for $4.9 million. John Campbell of Christie’s International Real Estate has the listing.

The island gets its name from a group of boulders, dubbed "the potatoes," that were near the shore. Three of these boulders were appropriated to fill in the island.

The summer estate, which is accessible from April 1 to Nov. 1, has its own deep-water dock and a mooring for a sailboat just 50 yards from the island. It’s about a five-minute boat ride from the harbor in the village of Stony Creek, Connecticut, part of the bigger town of Branford, and about a 90-minute commute to Manhattan.

"It really feels like a getaway, but it’s not actually so far away," said Kathleen Coumou, executive director of Christie’s International Real Estate. "It’s nice to not have to travel so far but be on a remote private island."

Owners Richard and Katherine Kahan bought the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home in 1997 for $900,000. Since then, they’ve put in "multiples of that" for extensive renovations to both the main house and the grounds surrounding it, Mr. Kahan said.

"It was in terrible condition," he said. "There wasn’t a blade of grass on the island."

Now, 20 years later, the home has been completely rebuilt, and numerous trees and gardens, plus a swimming pool, have been added to the grounds. The home was built in 1912, Ms. Kahan said.

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"We love the design," she said. "We love how open it is to the outside and still so cozy on the inside."

The couple’s renovations include further opening up the inside space by removing walls and adding more windows. The living area has a fieldstone fireplace, and the kitchen has state-of-the-art appliances and a breakfast bar.

There are views from every room, and the master suite has vistas to both the east and the west. "We can see the sunrise and the moonrise," Mr. Kahan said. The master bathroom boasts white marble countertops, dual sinks, a steam shower and Jacuzzi tub, according to the listing.

The home has every amenity one would find in a New York City apartment, said the sellers, who are based there. On Potato Island, power primarily comes from solar panels, though there is a backup generator.

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Outside, there are plenty of places to take in views on the grounds, and Ms. Kahan said the family has enjoyed many hours sitting on the wraparound porch. There’s also a custom granite hot tub that wash and cut into the rocks—another place to relax and enjoy the water.

The Kahans said they are ready to downsize, but aren’t in a rush to leave, and the estate has been on-and-off the market for years, Mr. Kahan said. It was first listed by Christie’s in October 2014 for $7.35 million, according to the brokerage.

"It’s sort of an adventure to be out there," Ms. Kahan said. "Even though the town is only four or five minutes in our Boston Whaler."

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