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This... is Norwalk Connecticut. We are going to explore the stunning Norwalk CT waterfront, so you can decide which area is a fit for you

Hi, my name is Charlie Vinci. I am a Norwalk CT Realtor, and my realty team and I specialize in helping buyers understand what living in Norwalk CT entails and how to relocate to the area.

Today we will be exploring the Norwalk waterfront, answering your questions and showing you what this beautiful area has to offer. 

Table of Contents:

Introduction:

Today we are going to take a look at the Norwalk Waterfront Real Estate. I am guessing that you have seen some of my other videos, so you may know that I spent my childhood on the waters with my dad, studying the coastline and islands. It’s still one of my passions to this day. If you are thinking about buying a waterfront home, or are just curious, it can be challenging to know what the views are like, where the best places are, and what's nearby. Today, I am going to share some of what I have learned over the years, so you can decide which area is the best fit. Let’s go.

If you are new to the channel my name is Charlie Vinci and I am a Norwalk Realtor. My team has put together a Norwalk Waterfront Market Report that is updated hourly with all active, pending and sold properties, so you can find all Norwalk waterfront homes for sale.

Rowayton:

You will find the neighborhood of Rowayton to be charming and nautical, with smaller lots. The western side of the neighborhood hosts a small village area, with most of what you need on a daily basis including restaurants, wine shops, a hardware store and a post office. If you are interested in learning more about the entire neighborhood, rather than just the coastline, keep an eye out for a future neighborhood tour where I am planning to show you Rowayton in depth. 

As we move south of the village area, along the coast, you will see that some of the homes have a good sized beach in front of them, keep in mind that the google earth footage is at low tide. Smaller boats should have decent access to the docks here at most tides. 

As we come around the southern part of the Rowayton peninsula, you will see the private Wee Burn Club. The beach is beautiful here, and the club offers dining, an oceanfront pool and tennis courts. 

If you can live without the pool, tennis and restaurant, all Rowayton residents have access to Bayley Beach, which is adjacent to the Wee Burn Club and on the same stretch of beach. It offers a playground, restrooms, showers, a snack bar and barbecues. This is truly one of the favorite spots for Rowayton residents. 

And on the other side of Bailey Beach, you have the beautiful and private Roton Point Association, which offers a pool, dining, and tennis. If you are into Sailing, or want to be, this may be your spot because the club hosts weekend races and several regattas every year. The rock outcroppings make the views absolutely stunning from the calm beach. The stand out feature of this club is that you are a fractional owner and can buy or sell your membership which is limited to 400 members.

Do you see the beautiful crescent shaped beach to the left of the Roton Point Association. It’s mostly non-existent at high tide, but at mid and low tide, it’s another great option. There is no parking in the area, so it's primarily for residents that live nearby. 

Another Rowayton gem is Bell Island. As you can see, this small community is absolutely charming and it hosts its own private beach on the eastern side.

Just north of Bell Island, On the eastern side of the Rowayton neighborhood, you will notice several docks. This is an excellent location for a private dock that is accessible by a small boat at all tides. 

Views to the west are over the Five Mile River to the neighborhood of Tokeneke in Darien.

From the southern part of the Rowayton peninsula, you have sweeping views of the Long Island Sound. 

To the south east, you would likely see some of Norwalk's impressive island cluster. I’ll show you these in a moment. 

Wilson Cove & Wilson Point:

During the summer, Wilson Cove hosts more than 100 moored boats which are accessible from the private Norwalk Yacht Club on the eastern side of the harbor. This family oriented club is located in the community of Wilson Point.

If you are looking for a marina, but don't need a mooring, another option would be the Wilson Cove Yacht Club located at the northern tip of the cove. 

If you love Rowayton, but are feeling like the homes are too close together, you may want to explore Wilson Point. It offers noticeably larger lots and gated security. We already saw the west side of the wilson Point peninsula when we were exploring the marinas, so lets take a look at the east side. 

Starting from the southern tip, you will notice that there are a few homes with docks on the eastern side. Do you see the beach in front of the tennis courts? That's the private community beach that members enjoy. 

As we head north of the community beach, the water is shallow, so boat access is limited at low tide, but the unobstructed views of the islands to the south east are absolutely stunning. Directly east, some homes will have views of the now defunct Manresa Power Plant. There is some hope that it will be removed, but no concrete plans are in place at the time of this filming.

Norwalk Island Cluster:

Norwalk has more than twenty Islands. Many of the smaller islands are privately owned, hard to access or too small to be usable, so I am going to focus on the three largest public islands that you might be interested in using for public recreation, camping, boating, kayaking, calming and bird watching.

Sheffield island is fifty-one acres, much of it is federally owned and used as a wildlife refuge, however the public can access the area near the lighthouse, and you will occasionally see seals here. Access is fairly easy via the ferry that leaves from the Norwalk Harbor.

Shea Island, also called Ram Island by locals, is a forty-five acres public island with outhouses, its coast is rocky, but accessible by experienced boaters in small powerboats. You can sometimes have the beach to yourself, and even on busy weekends there isn't likely to be more than about a dozen other boats using the beach area.

To the north east of Shea, you will find the fifty-nine acre Chimon Island, it is predominantly a wildlife refuge, however, boaters can use the beach on the north west side of the island. 

The Norwalk Islands were one of my happy places as a child. It's amazing how much stress washes from your body when you are out on the water. I could spend all day here, but I know you want to get on with the tour, so let's head in and take a look at the Norwalk Harbor. It’s one of the best harbors along the Gold Coast. 

I have identified the west side of the harbor, just past the Manresa power plant as the harbor neighborhood on our neighborhood map. I have done this to make the area easier to understand. This neighborhood is made up of several small waterfront communities. 

Harborview, Village Creek, Shorefront Park, and a cluster of streets off Woodward Ave that don't have any real definition. If you are looking for affordable waterfront along the Gold Coast, this area delivers real value.  Village Creek has a small marina and private beach,  while the others offer a few homes, with a dock that's accessible at all tides, and they all have splendid views of the Norwalk Harbor.

You probably noticed the marinas that line both sides of the Norwalk harbor. This excellent harbor is capable of hosting yachts that are more than 100 ft in length. 

The large park you see straight ahead is Veterans Park. It hosts the annual Oyster Festival every September that attracts people from all over the US. 

Did you notice the railroad Bridge and the unique shaped brick building just beyond it? That is the Maritime Aquarium, it’s hands down the best aquarium along the gold coast. It’s also one of the key features of the SoNo neighborhood that it’s part of. The town began a redevelopment project in 1985 that hasn't stopped until this day. SoNo hosts some of Norwalk's best restaurants and shopping, as well as entertainment. It also hosts one of the newest Malls in the country, the SONO Mall. You can visit this area by boat, or, if you want to do it the boring way, come by car. 

Beach Neighborhood: 

Near Veterans Park, you will notice that there are several small marinas and some of the homes have private docks that are accessible at all tides. 

If you are looking for a small waterfront community that goes way above and beyond to bring its members together in fun and unique ways, check out the Marvin Beach Association. It’s made up of the streets between Roland ave and Marion ave. 

Views from this side look across the Norwalk harbor to the Marinas, commercial development and homes on the other side.

Just south of the Marvin Beach community, you will find the private, family oriented Shore and Country club with its marina, tennis courts, dining and pool.

I’m sure you noticed all of the docks and marinas in the area, so I will spare you the obvious news that this is a great place for boaters. The largest Marina, Norwalk Cove Marina is the host to the annual Boat Show, one of the largest in the area. 

To the east of the Cove Marina you will notice Calf Pasture Beach. 

This is an excellent and expansive beach with a cafe, bathrooms, live music, ball fields, fishing pier and more. Just to the north you also have the waterfront Shady park, which also has a beach. 

The large park just inland from the beaches is the Taylor Farm Dog Park where you can let your dog off the leash and let them run free! 

Just to the north of the Dog Park you will notice the private Shorehaven Golf Club.

As we move south of the club, you have some spectacular waterfront opportunities. The homes along Shorehaven Rd and on the adjacent Canfield Island are some of the best that money can buy. Many offer deep water docks and private beaches. If you are lucky enough to find something available here, I would recommend that you explore the opportunity.

This is also where you will find the Sprite Island Yacht Club, and its private island just off shore. If you would like to be part of a family oriented community, spending time on the island is an excellent way for you and your family to build lasting friendships. 

Views to the south and south east from Calf Pasture Beach, Shorehaven Rd and Canfield Island are of the picturesque Norwalk Islands. 

Views to the east and north east are of Cockenoe Island and the neighborhoods of Saugatuck Shore and Saugatuck Island in Westport. You can learn more about these gems in our Westport Waterfront Tour. 

Wrap-Up:

If you are still exploring, check out my website where you will find my raved about local buyers guide, neighborhood maps, and all of the homes listed for sale in Norwalk . 

I hope you enjoyed this tour as much as I enjoyed making it for you. When you are ready to start shopping, call me, I’ll help you find a great home.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Best,

Charlie Vinci

Norwalk CT Realtor

203.952.7752

charlievinci@gmail.com

About the Author:

Charlie Vinci, the Founder and Lead Agent of the Charlie Vinci Team has become a mainstay in Connecticut’s real estate market, earning accolades as one of the top 3% of realtors within the state. Fueled by a dedication to the success of his clients and an ever-growing assortment of area-specific resources, the business continues to thrive in the constantly evolving real estate marketplace. An informative YouTube presence has been the primary driver/focus for the team, as it has allowed Charlie to engage directly with his audience and provide a consultative approach to an often ambiguous process. Whether an international client seeking relocation to the US or a local homeowner considering the sale of their property, The Charlie Vinci Team has the market knowledge, resources, and expedient level of service that clients not only desire, but deserve.

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