That breathtaking grand entry with the sweeping dual staircase is the star of this gated waterfront estate in the heart of Babylon Village.
“Stunning home with gorgeous views from every room of the Great South Bay. Perfect sunrises and sunsets,” says listing agent Tammy Ramsay of Eric G. Ramsay Jr. Associates LLC in Bay Shore.
Experience 9,329 square feet of high-end, resort-style living, and enjoy tons of entertaining space. All for just $3,695,000.
This sprawling mansion at 199 Peninsula Drive is nestled in a private cul-de-sac and surrounded by 557 feet of coastal magnificence.
With easy access to Fire Island, the property graces 1.21 acres and occupies three quarters of the peninsula bordered on the east by the Carlls River. Unique amenities include a deep water slip that can accommodate up to a 55-foot yacht with 18-foot beam. There are two Jet Ski lifts and one 10,000-pound boat lift that can accommodate a 26-foot boat.
“Nothing competes with life on the water,” says seller Tom Sweeney, who has lived at the home with wife Fran and their family for 19 years. “It’s like living at a five-star resort that you actually own.”
Amenities include a 12-person spa Jacuzzi and 45-foot by 20-foot Gunite pool with waterfall, a fully equipped outdoor kitchen, 800-bottle wine cellar, and 3,000 square feet of custom Saturnia flooring from Turkey. In addition, this smart home offering a cornucopia of special high-tech features is conveniently located less than a mile from the Long Island Rail Road’s Babylon station.
“Babylon is a great community,” says Sweeney. “It has a small-town atmosphere, with great neighbors. Everything you could ever want and desire is nearby.”
Walk to downtown restaurants, shops, the theater; enjoy concerts at the gazebo; and visit arts and crafts events and flea markets. There’s even a hiking trail and paddle boating.
The homeowners, now empty nesters looking to downsize, moved into the house as their sons were entering high school and raised them there through their teen years and college experiences.
The couple purchased the property from Bret and Lynn Saberhagen in 2001. Bret was a professional baseball player for the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets and played one year with the Boston Red Sox.
“Most everyone remembers this as ‘Oh, that’s Saberhagen’s place,’ whereas we remind them that it is now and has been the Sweeneys’ home for 19 years,” Sweeney quips.
Built in 1998, this eye-catching house has eight bedrooms; six are en suite including the master. There are six full bathrooms and three half bathrooms. The traditional-style home embellished with romantic balcony and porch offers a huge eat-in kitchen that was redone with cherry cabinets, new high-end appliances, Miele subzero freezer and refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher, GE Monogram microwave, convection oven and gas stove. There’s a formal dining room and living room as well as a den/family room, office, and amazing gym.
The Sweeneys have fond memories of the good times they’ve enjoyed while living there.
“Several wedding and engagement parties, multiple birthdays, graduation parties, Fourth of July fireworks; warm summer nights on the patio enjoying sunsets; thunder and lightning storms over the bay; the frozen icicles on the trees after a winter snowstorm,” Sweeney recalls. “And most of all, raising our two sons on the water, fishing for snappers, crabbing, kayaking and sharing great times with family and friends with our backyard BBQs and parties… It is truly a home for making memories.”
While 2012 saw major renovations, the couple notes that over the years, there were too many home improvements to mention. But some big changes included the installation of more than 90 new Andersen windows, WallTech lifetime two-tone exterior painting, painting, and adding 557 feet of docking. Other revamps: the addition of solar panels to heat the pool, the creation of waterfalls, all new LED landscape lighting, new walkways covered with Indiana stone and brick pavers, and a newly paved circular driveway with new gate mechanisms and controls.
Sweeney says he and his family have truly enjoyed everyday life in their marvelous manse, and jokes, “I still have to pinch myself every morning when I get up.”
Contact Tammy Ramsay, Licensed Sales Associate at 516-319-8605.
