Waterfront Beach House - Amazing Water Views, Natural & Calm, Wineries & Farms

Let's start with the positives -- views of Long Island Sound from the upstairs balcony and living spaces are gorgeous (downstairs views are impaired by foliage that has completely overgrown the fence). The house is also well-supplied with kitchen items. No complaints there. Beyond that, it's tough to know where to begin.

Inside, the house presented a generally unkempt appearance. Our impression was that the owners built an attached addition and haphazardly stuffed their unwanted furniture, clothing, towels, toys, etc. into every nook and cranny of this non-favored side of the property.

Appearances aside, renters have a right to expect minimum comforts. Such as pillows. There were pillow shams galore, but only two pillows in the entire house. Only one of those pillows was in a pillowcase on a bed. We had to dig to find a second pillow, and dig further to find a pillowcase for it. The rest of us had to use worn out shams, for which the owner made no apology. To the contrary, her response was "shams are pillows."

Top sheets are also a reasonable expectation. There were none. Sleepers had to make do with a fitted bed sheet and a duvet cover. The tight 3-hour turn around between check-out and check-in provides little comfort that duvet covers (and pillow sham cases for that matter) could have been cleaned in that limited time. Quite simply, yuck.

We don't need matching towels, although that would be nice. Unstained towels are a must, however. Couldn't find them here. Nor was there soap for the upstairs shower (although soap was promised), or a toaster or hair dryer (also promised). Towel racks that don't fall off the wall when a towel is placed on them and rods that don't come apart when curtains are drawn (Master BR) also are reasonably expected. A little preventive care could have kept these issues from occurring.

A heavy rain Saturday morning brought with it major leaks in the skylight and sliding glass door upstairs. The skylight frame showed evidence of prior leaks. Luckily, we were home at the time and were able to use a 10-gallon pot to catch the skylight leak, and bath towels to absorb the door leak.

The biggest issue was soundproofing between the two units, or, rather, the complete lack of it. We heard every note of every song and every word of every conversation in the unit next door. No doubt they heard us, too. Minimal added expense in the design and construction process would have lessened this intrusion.

Disappointing overall.

We absolutely loved staying here. We traveled from the Midwest to be close to our family in the area shortly after having a baby. Our family of 5 found the house to have ample space plus room for guests. The second living space with tv and table tennis on the lower level was great for the kids. We practically lived on the deck which was nicely refinished and painted. We used the grill most nights and watched the most amazing sunsets. I cannot say enough good things about the location and the view.

The neighborhood is quiet and the small beach (much bigger during low tide) was perfect. We felt like we had our own private beach.

We found the house in good condition. It felt cozy and lived in, but also well maintained. The kitchen is big, bright, and has a great table and island for a crowd. There is a skylight that opens. We barely used the air conditioning during the day because the breeze and airflow were so good.

If I had to make any suggestions it would be to add a dehumidifier on the lower level and add a dresser to the bed rooms so guests can unpack a little easier. We stayed for 3 weeks so may have had more clothes and baby items than most people would bring.

My kids' scooters got lots of use on the dead end street but the neighborhood is pretty hilly with some narrow streets so we didn't use our bikes at all. We could have left those at home.

There is a lot to do in a short distance from the house. We went berry picking (close to the wineries) and the farms along the way to offer so much during the summer; Splish Splash water park; the quaint village of Greenport had something for everyone. Don't miss the tour of the fire boat there. We would have liked to take the ferry from Orient but had such a good time relaxing at home that we didn't get a chance.

Lastly, Shay and his family are very friendly and attentive to the home. We hope to return!

My family and I stayed with another family here on a quick escape from the city. We had a really nice time. The house is set up perfectly for kids. My kids were excited to find plenty of toys to play with and everything felt really child friendly. The bunk beds and extra beds in the kid room were a nice bonus. We had a really nice beach day on the beach, which is about a 5 minute walk from the house. The view from the house is really spectacular, you almost feel like you are on a boat. We spent a lot of time just looking out onto the Long Island Sound. The working fireplace was perfect. The owner, Shay, was super friendly and easy to work with. I would highly recommend this house. One of our friends had an early morning flight out of LGA and was able to make it back to the city really quickly. Although you feel really far away from the hustle and bustle of New York City, you aren't too far out.

This house was exactly what we wanted and as described. Beautiful views of the water and other ample space for everyone to spread out. We came in with our two kids and in-laws and everyone had space to move around and lots of room to play and hang out.

The owners were fantastic and super helpful and we can't wait to come back for another visit.

We had a fantastic time at this stunning home on the Sound! While the majority of our days were spent exploring the nearby wineries and beaches, when we were home, we were very relaxed and comfortable. The view off the balcony is simply breathtaking, and especially enjoyable in the morning with a nice cup of coffee. The house was exceptionally clean, welcoming, and spacious. I would highly recommend staying here!