10 Things To Know About Rainbow Lake in Ridgefield, CT.

January 16th, 2008 categories: Buying Your House, Lake Living, Recreation & Sports, Ridgefield, Selling Your House, Talking Real Estate

I moved to Rainbow Lake in Ridgefield, CT from the Upper West Side of Manhattan in December 2001. We bought one of the original little lake cottages built in 1940. It was an 860 square foot, “winterized” summer cottage on 1/2 an acre with fantastic lake views.

The house itself was”charming” but lacked the creature comforts that Americans have come to expect: a working bathroom, insulation, and enough room for my small family to hear ourselves think. Regardless, it was the best purchase I’ve ever made. In November 2004 we began remodeling (which became demolition and the biggest nightmare of our lives), and now live in the 1800 square foot home you see below. If it weren’t for the rustic beauty of the lake and the incredible spirit of our neighbors and friends around the lake, we couldn’t now say that we are living our dream. Here are 10 things you should know about our magical lake community:

1 ) Originally named, Wataba Lake, Rainbow Lake is a wonderful community of lake homes in Ridgefield, CT ranging in value from $299,000 to about $1,600,000.

2 ) Rainbow Lake is a private 44-acre, man-made lake that was developed in the early 1940’s by Willie Winthrop as a summer destination for wealthy New Yorkers. Our community is now inhabited mostly by full-time, year-round residents.

3 ) Rainbow Lake is just over 1 hour to Mid-town Manhattan by car and by train.

4 ) Some of the largest bass in Connecticut can be caught while fishing on Rainbow Lake (residents only).

5 ) The Ridgefield Lakes Association (RLA) is an optional association open to those residents who live within the Association’s boundaries. The RLA is responsible for maintaining the lake’s two beautiful beaches, water quality, and the dam. There are two social events held for the RLA membership every year: the holiday caroling & party, and the summer beach barbecue.

6 ) The people who live on Rainbow Lake are an eclectic bunch of people: artists, attorneys, educators, surgeons, contractors and even a celebrity singer who has weekended here for decades. We walk around the lake and wave hello at every chance we get.There is a wonderful combination here of privacy and friendliness.

7 ) The lake does not allow motor boats, but you can canoe, kayak and sail on Rainbow Lake until your heart’s content.

8 ) We abut hundreds of acres of open space including, Hemlock Hills, and the Bennett’s Farm Trail System where you can hike and mountain bike like a champ.

9 ) The roads are narrow, and there is limited parking, but somehow we all get where we are going and rarely (never) have to drive around in circles looking for a parking space like I did in NYC.

10 ) Rainbow Lake is quite possibly one of the best place to Live in Connecticut, if not the United States.

If you are a Rainbow Lake resident, please feel free to post a comment about your experience of living on Rainbow Lake.