Elegant Inn with 18th-Century Farmhouse and Award-Winning Restaurants

In 1751, a wealthy resident of Stony Brook, Long Island, built a white clapboard farmhouse across from the town harbor. The home would later serve as a women’s social center and tearoom before eventually becoming a sophisticated country hotel. Now known as Three Village Inn, the bed and breakfast flaunts its 18th-century heritage with a collection of antiques and original architectural features such as exposed wooden beams.

• Award-winning cuisine: Mirabelle Restaurant infuses French-bistro classics with New American flair under the guidance of James Beard semifinalist, chef Guy Reuge.
• Enjoy a complimentary breakfast at Mirabelle Tavern, which serves upscale bar fare later in the day.
• Guest rooms and suites feature a mix of traditional and contemporary decor, and some have views of Stony Brook Harbor and cozy gas fireplaces.

Long Island’s North Shore: Lavish 20th-Century Estates and Art Museums Near New York City

The North Shore region of Long Island encompasses a string of coastal towns, from the Great Neck peninsula 7 miles west of Queens to Port Jefferson, a Revolutionary War village. Prominent families such as the Vanderbilts and the Whitneys began building private estates on the North Shore around the turn of the 20th century; given its high-class reputation, the area is still known as the Gold Coast today. A handful of these mansions are now open to the public, including Teddy Roosevelt’s summer home at Sagamore Hill, and Walt Whitman’s birthplace at Huntington Station.

This area also offers a number of first-class museums, including the Nassau County Museum of Art. Housed in a 19th-century Georgian mansion, the museum features a 600-piece collection with works from Roy Lichtenstein and Auguste Rodin.

There are a handful of outdoor attractions you can check out on the North Shore, too, such as the Old Westbury Gardens. Old Westbury is set on 210 sprawling acres of formal rose gardens and tranquil ponds, all surrounding a mansion built in 1906. You can stroll the grounds on your own or follow along on a 45-minute guided tour. Also worth a visit is Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay. The property is known for its walking trails and the Camellia Greenhouse, which houses the largest collection of the namesake flowers in the northeast.

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