Cozy Shabby Chic Plum Island Cottage Just 75 Steps To Basin Beach!
About the property
- Cottage760 sqft
- Bedrooms2
- Sleeps5
- Bathrooms1
- Half Baths0
- Minimum Stay7 - 8 nights
1 1/2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath, Just 75 Steps To The Beach
Sea La Vie is a charming 1900 fisherman's cottage on the north side of Plum Island, immersed in white oyster shells, boasting two decks for your grilling and entertaining pleasure. The cottage is comfortable, fully stocked, and includes TV, DVD, cable, WiFi, propane stove, towels, linens, and an end of stay cleaning service. The first floor of the cottage has a kitchen/small dining area, living room, play room, full bath and 1/2 bedroom with a single bed. The second floor has a large open bedroom with 1 full bed and 2 single beds. There is a wonderful patio in the backyard with a big table and 6 cushioned chairs for al fresco dining and sunsets (or small tables and stools inside for those rare rainy days). Best of all, the cottage is only 75 steps to the beach!
Plum Island has lots to offer... a New England barrier island with 10 square miles of untapped natural beauty, speckled with vacation cottages and its very own lighthouse! The south side of the island boasts the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, with miles of beaches, walking trails, and reservation land great for viewing all kinds of wildlife including birds, butterflies, deer, and owls. It is also home to the endangered piping plovers who nest in the refuge each year. There is also paddle boarding in the basin and harbor and fishing cruises leave from the island each day.
A short bike ride or drive over the bridge is the postcard-pretty New England seaport town of Newburyport, with its stately Federalist-style homes, lively downtown, and sunset cruises. Its downtown is filled with small arts and crafts shops with nautical and New England themes, and great restaurants. As you walk along the brick sidewalks, you'll see historic mansions, gardens, and old mill buildings converted into shops. There are very popular catamaran cruises from the harbor and summer concerts and events are often held at the park along the Merrimack River. You will also find many family-friendly festivals in downtown Newburyport during both summer and fall.
Plum Island and Newburyport are just 45 minutes north of Boston, and centrally located for touring quaint North Shore towns, southern New Hampshire and Maine.
***Please note, the stovetop works but the oven does not. Stairs to the second floor are steep.***
Owner
Gretchen Moxcey
- Response rate:
- 100%
- Response time:
- within one hour
- Speaks:
- english
- Calendar last updated:
- May 21, 2018
About Gretchen Moxcey
A native New Englander, passionate about island life, our family has summered here for many years.
Why Gretchen Moxcey chose Plum Island
This is an outstanding property because of its close proximity to the beach. Its location is tucked away off the main road, great for walking, biking and children.
Amenities
- Air Conditioning
- Satellite or Cable
- Kids Welcome
- Heater
- Internet
- No Smoking
- Parking
- Pets Welcome
- TV
Bedrooms
- 2 Bedrooms, Sleeps 5
- Bedroom 12 double
- Bedroom 21 twin/ single
Bathrooms
- 1 Bathroom
- Bathroom 1toilet, shower
Location Type
- Beach ViewJust 75 steps to a private beach!
- Ocean View
- Water View
Meals
- Guests provide their own meals
General
- Air ConditioningThere is a window unit in the upstairs only.
- Hair Dryer
- Heating
- Internet
- Linens Provided
- Living Room
- Parking4 cars max
- Towels Provided
- Wood StoveIt's a actually a propane stove!
Kitchen
- Coffee Maker
- Dishes & Utensils
- Kitchen
- Microwave
- Oven
- Refrigerator
- Stove
- Toaster
Dining
- DiningDining room table for 4; 2 independent breakfast nooks serve 4 more; plus outdoor dining for 6.
- Dining Area
Entertainment
- Books
- DVD Player
- Games
- Satellite / Cable
- Stereo
- Television
- Video Library
Outside
- Deck / Patio2 amazing decks for entertaining - one in front, one in back
- Lawn / Garden
- Outdoor Grill
Suitability
- wheelchair inaccessible
Attractions
- churches
- cinemas
- festivals
- health/beauty spa
- library
- marina
- museums
- playground
- restaurants
- theme parks
Leisure Activities
- photography
- antiquing
- bird watching
- boating
- miniature golf
- outlet shopping
- paddle boating
- beachcombing
- scenic drives
- shelling
- shopping
- sight seeing
- walking
- whale watching
- wildlife viewing
Local Services & Businesses
- ATM/bank
- fitness center
- groceries
- hospital
- laundromat
- massage therapist
- medical services
Sports & Adventure Activities
- roller blading
- cycling
- fishing
- golf
- hiking
- jet skiing
- kayaking
- mountain biking
- paragliding
- pier fishing
- deepsea fishing
- sailing
- scuba diving or snorkeling
- snorkeling
- snorkeling/diving
- sound/bay fishing
- surfing
- swimming
- tennis
- wind-surfing
13 Reviews
Latest reviews
Peaceful and relaxing
Perfect place to get away!
We are glad you had a relaxing stay at Sea la Vie cottage. Hope to see you again soon!
A good location, well provisioned, nice clean place
REAL close to both the basin and ocean beaches. Clean LITTLE place in a quiet neighborhood with a lot of owner-residents and lots of dogs. Well provisioned cottage, with comfortable beds and good quality linens and towels. We found the 1/2 bedroom with a single bed impossible to sleep in, - real bright and noisy because it's basically an alcove in the living room. ...might work great for nap-time if you have a little one.
Karen, thank you for your feedback, we are so glad you enjoyed your stay! Many thanks, Gretchen
Quaint
House is very beachy, I'm sorry we didn't have a beach view but it is very close to a nice beach. Neighbors are awesome. Overall well worth the visit. Buy groceries since you cant eat anywhere without a wait and high prices.
So glad you enjoyed your visit to Sea la Vie cottage! We look forward to your next stay.
Many thanks,
Gretchen
Cozy and quiet
We enjoyed our stay,eating out at the local restaurants,we found a variety of wonderful meals.
The cottage was so well supplied with dishes and cooking equipment.Beds were comfortable and attractive bedding.
Thanks Gretchen we will be back.
So glad you enjoyed your stay. Looking forward to having you back in a few months!
Many thanks,
Gretchen
Lovely Escape to the Beach
We stayed at Sea La Vie for the entire month of December and had a wonderful time. The cottage is absolutely adorable and just what a beach cottage should be. Forget cookie-cutter stays at motels where you could be Anywhere, USA - at Sea La Vie, it never for a moment escapes your attention that you are at the beach! We were very comfortable during our stay and had everything we could possibly have wanted. The owner was prompt with her responses to all of our questions and was a pleasure to work with.
Two things to note, which probably won't affect most travelers:
1. The road that the cottage is on is very narrow. We were in a minivan pulling a UHaul trailer and while we were able to negotiate the road and fit into the driveway, it was a bit nerve-wracking. I imagine most in-season vistors won't be pulling a trailer, though, so definitely not a big deal.
2. The stairs to get to the bedroom upstairs are not traditional stairs. They're more like the stairs/ladder that drops from the ceiling to access an attic, but permanent and sturdier. However, it was a problem for my mother and father who visited us, as they are both older and on the larger side, and unable to climb the stairs (they manage normal stairs just fine). Probably not a big deal for most visitors, but it could be a problem for older people and/or people of size. Also, my dog was scared of them and refused to go up the entire time we were there.
Despite these two minor issues, we absolutely loved our stay at Sea La Vie and would definitely recommend it to anyone! For a winter stay, the propane stove alone kept the cottage warm enough on all but one or two days when it was in single digits (then the space heater picked up the slack). Walking the beach is still fun in the winter! Downtown Newburyport is just beautiful any time of year, but is especially lovely decorated for Christmas! I would love to stay during the summer sometime, as it really is just a short walk to beaches on both sides of the island.
Thank you for your feedback and for staying at Sea la Vie! December is always one of the most charming months of the year with snowy drifts and brisk walks on the beach.
We are definitely in a private little neighborhood, and the road can be tricky to navigate! Similarly, with a 1900 cottage, the steps to the upstairs can be a challenge. Thank you for embracing all that makes Sea la Vie such a special cottage! We hope to see you again soon!
Best,
Gretchen
Great relaxing winter stay!
I had a great time at the cottage. Gretchen is great to correspond with. Cottage has everything you need. Great location on the island as you can get to both sides of the beach quickly. Flat screen tv with hdmi ports and wifi great for streaming. AC and Heaters available. All you need to bring is food. Stairs to upstairs are steep for elderly and dogs but there is a bed downstairs so wasn't a problem.