When you think about the ultra-wealthy purchasing their own private islands, you probably imagine a tropical locale tucked miles and miles away from civilization. But there are two private islands that recently hit the real estate market for $13 million as a package deal and that are located a mere half hour from Manhattan, and just ten minutes by boat from famous NYC suburb New Rochelle.
Pea Island and Columbia Island are just 0.2 nautical miles apart from one another, dotting New Rochelle's Long Island Sound. Contrary to what you might assume from their names, Pea Island is actually the larger of the two, spanning almost five acres of natural, scenic land according to the property's real estate listing, while Columbia Island spans about two acres (depending on the tide). This makes a little more sense when you realize that Columbia Island was once upon a time called Little Pea Island, until its name was changed when it was purchased by CBS in 1939, due to the fact that it's location was ideal for a New York area transmitter.
Now, Pea Island is in its more or less natural state, while Columbia Island is home to a totally self-sustaining "off the grid" residence with four bedrooms and two bathrooms across 5,625 square feet. The home is powered by two large solar panels on the roof, and the surrounding seawater is the home's water supply thanks to an advanced reverse osmosis desalination system.
And from the looks of it, it doesn't seem like the residents of the sustainable Columbia Island house are sacrificing too much in the way of comfort in the name of environmental consciousness. You can see what I mean by taking a look at the house at 1 Columbia Island, New Rochelle, New York in the video tour below, courtesy of Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty:
