Natural beauty and nationally recognized recreation hubs on Fishers Island
Fishers Island crests Long Island Sound a couple of miles off the coast of Connecticut, a spray of verdant tree canopy and cove-crinkled shoreline flecked with the stark white of dozens of sailboats. It’s natural for an island, often shrouded in morning mist, to generate some level of intrigue from outsiders, but the presence of some well-heeled families and a renowned golf club have exacerbated that effect here. To many who spend time on the island, however, its members-only offerings are almost an afterthought. “Fishers Island is so naturally beautiful. It’s totally wild around the airport – there are dirt roads to poke around on, but otherwise, it’s just huge areas of unspoiled terrain,” says Prish Pierce, a real estate agent at Shutters & Sails who specializes in the Fishers Island and New Haven markets. “Most people come here because they know somebody and stay because of the natural beauty. There are around 200 people there in the winter, and maybe 4,000 or 5,000 at the peak of summer.” Despite a shared Suffolk County address, Fishers Island is not the Hamptons – nor does it aspire to mirror the more commercial summering industry found at the forked tip of Long Island. Much of Fishers Island’s appeal lies in its settled, simpler luxuries; preserves pocketed with ponds and hiking trails, a small but well-loved community of local businesses and cultural institutions and the promise of privacy and stunning vistas from the low hills above the sound.
Private clubs and public recreation spaces across the island
The Fishers Island Club is one of the country’s best courses according to Golf Digest, and its members enjoy sweeping vistas of Long Island Sound from its elegant, 18-hole links-style course. A shoreline studded with private docks and larger marinas reveal the island as a haven for sailors. “The Fishers Island Yacht Club is focused on sailing as competition and as recreation. They’re very active, between teaching people to sail and having races twice a week,” Pierce notes. Other clubs and community groups offer indoor and outdoor recreation centers of their own, from Hay Harbor Club to the Fishers Island Community Center. As a rule, the many small private and residents-only beaches facing Long Island are sandy, while the shoreline closest to Connecticut tends toward tide-smoothed stones. The work of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum’s Land Trust and Fishers Island Conservancy is impossible to ignore; across the island, volunteers have weeded invasives and seeded native plants among other projects, helping to preserve the integrity of hundreds of acres of woods, water features, and grasslands for residents (and the local fauna) to enjoy.
Single-family homes from the island's east end to the west end
The private east end is the largest part of Fishers Island. Past the gatehouse, it unwinds in a sloping network of private roads lined by single-family homes, from winterized, stick-style cottages built in the prewar era to sprawling custom estates that might sport quaint shingle siding and gambrel roofs or the occasional sleeker, contemporary design. The west end tends to be more densely plotted, though its homes also favor the quaint New England styles that were popular at the turn of the 20th century and earlier. Tidy landscaping and shady trees are constants on both sides of the island, and many properties offer waterfront views of either small ponds or the sound. Lately, prices have ranged from around $2 million to $10 million, but the prevalence of private sales mean that costs are likely more variable. Fishers Island has a CAP Index crime score of 1 out of 10, much lower than the national average of 4.
Community events and the Henry L. Ferguson Museum
Independence Day weekend showcases Fishers Island’s robust network of organizational and family ties; bicycle parades and barbecues organized by groups like the Island Peoples Project are bookended by an evening fireworks display over West Harbor that the du Pont family has put on for more than 70 years. Though summer is the busiest time of year for social events, everything from fundraisers to holiday celebrations are organized by the island’s more constant cultural centers through every season. The Henry L. Ferguson Museum is a repository for artifacts that chronicle Fishers Island’s natural and human histories, but it regularly introduces rotating exhibitions and special education programming.
Seasonal and year-round businesses in the west end
Fishers Island’s small collection of boutique shops and restaurants are concentrated on its west end, with most opening only through the summer. Bicycles and strollers get parked near Food Arts Cafe or Topper’s Ice Cream depending on whether it’s time for a quick breakfast or a sweet treat. The Pequot Inn has long stopped renting rooms, rather serving dinner and boozy Fishers Island Lemonades on summer evenings; the local VFW is a year-round watering hole. Fishers Island Village Market remains open through the year, though it’s not unusual for islanders to load up the car at larger grocery chains in New London before ferrying over.
Ferrying and flying to the mainland and commuting to NYC
A 45-minute ferry ride to New London courtesy of the Fishers Island Ferry District is the most typical means of getting to the mainland. From New London, commuters might board an Amtrak train at the city’s station or drive a personal vehicle brought over on the ferry; New Haven, Hartford and Providence are all around 50 miles away, while New York City is about 130 miles away. Taking a charter plane out of Elizabeth Field airport is the only other way off the island, excluding a personal watercraft.
Fishers Island School’s small student body
From prekindergarten to graduation, kids attend Fishers Island School, which earns a B-minus from Niche. Total enrollment trends closer to 50 than 100 students, with a healthy percentage ferrying over from Connecticut each day.
Managing flood zones and accessing emergency services
Some low-lying waterfront areas and pockets around Fishers Island’s scattered ponds fall into flood zones, though dunes and bluffs along the shore typically keep flooding at bay. Storms sweeping through Long Island Sound can, however, disrupt ferry service. The island has its own fire department, EMS division and medical clinic, but for care beyond what’s available through the Island Health Project, the Sea Stretcher ambulance boat can cross the sound toward Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in around 20 minutes.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
