Rhode Island, long established as the home of some of the finest real estate in the world, seems to be in the vanguard of the revival of the luxury property market. Its otherwise buoyant market dropped off in the immediate aftermath of the financial crisis of late 2008, but the early signs point to 2010 as the year in which this region regained its dynamism.
Rhode Island has been inextricably linked with the music industry since 1959, when Theodore Bikel, Oscar Brand, Pete Seeger, George Wein and Albert Grossman organised the first Newport Folk Festival.
This iconic musical gathering has been instrumental in launching the careers of a number of artists, most notably the legendary Joan Baez, who appeared at the very first festival as an unannounced guest of Bob Gibson and went on to shape the future of American folk music as much as her erstwhile lover, Bob Dylan. (more…)
Considering that Rhode Island is probably the last place in the world where one would suspect that there might be something nasty lurking in the woodshed or that things might feel moved to go bump in the night, it has played a disproportionately large role in the history and development of the horror story.
Despite enjoying closer associations with Baltimore and Philadelphia, Edgar Allan Poe was also a visitor to Providence in 1848 when he wooed poet and critic, Sarah Helen Whitman. (more…)
Best known as one of New England’s most popular summer resorts, Newport, Rhode Island, has plenty to offer visitors throughout the year.
Enthusiasts of naval history will be most familiar with Newport as the location of the United States Naval College, the Naval Undersea Warfare Centre and a major training point for the US fleet. Newport has also played an important part in America’s history, since Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy hosted their ‘Summer Administrations’ here. Pretty St. Mary’s Church in Newport was also the spot where President Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier on September 12th 1953.
Most parts of the world favour a particular type of outdoor cooking when the summer arrives and the thermometer hits the high spots. The British barbecue is frequently a soggy affair, characterised more by enthusiasm than skill, the Australian barbie is a gourmet affair as likely to involve shrimps and lobster as red meat, while the South African braai can involve the greater part of a cow, along with marinated chicken and a type of rough, spicy sausage known to South Africans as boerewors, or farmer’s sausage.
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America’s East Coast has traditionally displayed more European influence than any other part of the country and this cultural link is particularly obvious in the beautiful country estates that characterise this quiet, refined corner of the world.
Perhaps the most prestigious is the Oakwood estate in Newport, Rhode Island; an historic property that dates to the immediate post-Civil War period when it was owned by Mary Alida Astor, daughter of William Blackhouse Astor.
There are large, expensive chunks of real estate – and then there is property of true distinction. There is no doubt into which category Gray Craig falls.
This gorgeous estate, located in the prestigious neighbourhood of Middletown, Rhode Island is only a short drive from the centre of Newport and is one of the most charming properties currently on the market on America’s East Coast.
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