The Story Behind
Two Hundred Feet of Private Shoreline on the Long Island Sound
There are properties with water views, and then there are properties like this one — where the water is not something you admire from a distance, but something you inhabit. At 26 Tennis Court Road, the Long Island Sound begins at your own shoreline and stretches outward from there, framed by two acres of meticulously kept grounds that give this estate a sense of scale and openness that is genuinely rare on the North Shore.
The architecture itself announces its intentions immediately. The residence is designed with a striking curvilinear aesthetic — sweeping white facades, multiple levels of expansive balconies, and a greenhouse-style sunroom that draws light inward while keeping the water perpetually in view. The design is not merely dramatic for its own sake. Every curve, every glass panel, every sliding door has been oriented to ensure that the Sound remains present whether you are in the kitchen, the living room, the primary bedroom, or standing on one of the wraparound decks with a glass in hand. The home does not turn its back on the water. It leans toward it.
Inside, the interiors are rich with considered detail. Marble flooring anchors the primary living spaces, reflecting light in a way that amplifies the airy, resort-like quality of the home. A grand floating staircase with glass railings rises through the central volume of the residence, catching sightlines from multiple levels. Crystal chandeliers punctuate the entertaining spaces with a sense of occasion, while floor-to-ceiling windows ensure that no room feels removed from the landscape outside.
The kitchen is a study in contrast and elegance — a dark-stained wood island set against white custom cabinetry, stone countertops, and professional-grade stainless steel appliances, with glass patio doors that open directly toward the water. The primary bedroom offers the same seamless connection to the outdoors, with sliding glass doors, a fireplace with granite surround, and a serene, carefully composed palette that makes it easy to understand why mornings here feel different.
For entertaining, the home is exceptionally equipped. An onyx bar anchors one of the main living areas. The indoor pool and spa offer year-round use regardless of season. A guest suite with its own private entrance provides a level of hospitality and privacy that elevates the property further. More than 1,800 square feet of wraparound decking connects every level of the home to the outside, creating a fluid relationship between interior and exterior that makes large gatherings feel effortless.
On the grounds, a full tennis court sits ready for morning matches, while a white gazebo anchors a corner of the lawn in a spot that seems purpose-built for long afternoons. The private beach invites kayaks, jet skis, and everything the Sound has to offer. This is a property engineered for living — fully, generously, and on the water.
Cove Neck is one of the most quietly distinguished addresses on the entire North Shore of Long Island — a small, incorporated village of fewer than four hundred residents tucked into a wooded peninsula that juts into Cold Spring Harbor and the broader waters of the Long Island Sound. It is the kind of place that does not announce itself loudly, but rewards those who find it with a level of privacy, natural beauty, and historical resonance that very few communities anywhere can match.
The area carries genuine historical weight. Cove Neck's most famous resident was Theodore Roosevelt, whose Sagamore Hill estate — now a National Historic Site maintained by the National Park Service — sits just over a mile from the property. Roosevelt used Sagamore Hill as his Summer White House during his presidency, drawn to the same sweeping views of the Sound and the same sense of remove from the pace of public life that makes this corner of Long Island so compelling today. The home and its surrounding grounds remain open to the public and stand as one of the most significant presidential sites in the northeastern United States.
The village sits within the Town of Oyster Bay, which has long been one of the most storied communities on Long Island. The Village of Oyster Bay itself — just minutes from the property — offers a genuinely charming main street with a strong dining scene, independent boutiques, and a year-round sense of community character that distinguishes it from more transient resort towns. Nearby Huntington, equally accessible, broadens the offering considerably, with a lively village center, a respected arts community anchored by the Heckscher Museum of Art, and a marina that reflects the area's deep connection to the water.
For those who spend time on the Sound, this stretch of the North Shore is among the finest. Cold Spring Harbor and Oyster Bay Harbor are both nearby, offering protected anchorages and access to some of the best sailing, fishing, and recreational boating in the region. The water here is calm, the scenery is exceptional, and the pace of life on it is entirely your own.
Commuting practicality rounds out the picture in a way that few waterfront locations can offer. The Long Island Expressway is approximately fifteen minutes from the property, placing Manhattan well within reach for those who move between city and shore. The Long Island Rail Road's Oyster Bay branch provides additional connectivity, making this a genuinely viable primary residence rather than a seasonal retreat.
What Cove Neck ultimately offers is something increasingly difficult to find: a setting of real natural beauty, genuine historical significance, and a community of neighbors who have chosen discretion and quality of life above all else. The Hamptons draw comparisons for their waterfront lifestyle and social cachet, but the North Shore at its finest — and this property sits squarely within that category — offers those same qualities at half the distance from the city, without the traffic, without the crowds, and with a sense of place that has been built over centuries rather than decades.
Featured Highlights
Curated Content • Presented by Liza Bendett & Melanie Cogan | The Scout Residential Team at Compass


















