Second homes: Not far from New York, but worlds apart
— -- Connecticut's Litchfield County is nothing like New York City — and that is why it has become a popular second-home destination.
"Ninety percent of my business is second homes, almost all to people from New York and New Jersey," says veteran real estate agent David Bain of Bain Real Estate. "You cannot drive anywhere else within two hours of New York and find anything like this."
Full of New England charm, Litchfield County has small towns and very little large-scale development. The main attraction is natural beauty; National Geographic Traveler magazine named it one of the nation's best places for a scenic drive. "Litchfield Hills has 16 vineyards, 29 state parks and forests, 17 nature centers and two rivers for canoeing and fly fishing," says Janet Serra, director of the Northwest Connecticut Visitors Bureau.
Long home to writers and artists, Litchfield is teeming with cultural offerings. Two nationally known dance companies, Pilobolus and MOMIX, are based here, plus a chamber music center, summer stock theater, music festivals, several museums and numerous antique and art galleries. There are even a number of cooking schools.
Litchfield borders Massachusetts and New York. Bain says the most popular second-home region is the county's mountainous northwest, where the Berkshire hills include the famous Appalachian Trail hiking route. There are also waterfront homes on 10 large lakes there.
In the 13 hill towns, about 640 residences are on the market, most of them single-family homes. Two-thirds are less than $1 million and start at about $200,000, and the average price is just over $1 million, driven by a handful of expensive estates.
Lakefront property is the priciest, and the other premium is on privacy: Homes on less-traveled and dead-end roads are more desirable.
A look at three Litchfield County neighborhoods
• Kent: Most buyers come for pastoral homes in remote settings, but a minority like to be in town, and Kent has one of the best village centers. "It's a tiny town, just 3,200 people, but has so much. There are seven restaurants, half a dozen art galleries, great boutiques and retail shops," says real estate agent David Bain. Kent is home to the county's annual jazz and film festivals, and the only high-end private golf club, Bulls' Bridge. Homes begin around $300,000 but climb quickly, and many on larger lots surrounding the village are in the seven figures.
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