Souvenir Shopping in Newport

I've had the true pleasure of spending a good many weekends in Newport, RI over the past fall and winter.  There is no doubt that Newport is one of my favorite places on earth.  I spent a good part of my post-college youth living there and it goes without saying that the place is a part of me.  I love Newport!  The grown-up me is having a fine time re-defining who I can be when I am there, how I can go more often and how I can share the glory that is and can only be Newport, with my family.

After my last visit in late February, I did a little souvenir shopping on-line:

Then on a sunny Friday I dashed down, certain I had found the place to call home.  If the pinnacles of real estate are truly "Location, Location, Location" then this little gem gets two big check marks and one big "yeah, no".  It was heart breaking.

One thing I have firmly decided upon, if I am ever so lucky, privileged and blessed to no longer be "second-home-less",  my second will be in Newport.  That is part of the battle isn't it?  Deciding where.  Now I just have to rob a bank and find the right house.  Not easy tricks. Newport is such a special, historical place. A big part of so much of what I love about it (and yearn to own) is the history.  A house built after 1900 is considered (by me) new construction.  I prefer the homes built in the 1700's to most of what is available.

For example, I want this one:

I used to live up the block from it and it haunts me still.  It is not, and I feel certain, will never be for sale.   I learn from my vast research, this one and many others I covet:

(This one was three doors down from me at one time.....)

(I walked past this one daily, to get home.....)

(my very first home in newport, next door to the right....)

- are owned by the Doris Duke foundation and rented. It's no wonder now why they are so unique, quintessential, perfect and fabulous!  So I will continue saving my pennies and keeping my eyes and ears open.  If I dream it, will it come?  I like to think so.  In the mean time, I intend to spend a good deal of the coming months years shopping and searching for the utterly perfect souvenir!

 

 

Comments

[Joy Pratt Schiffmann]

So Laurie -- You definitely caught my eye with this one. The first little blue house you show is where my old boss from Newport lives. You would love the inside too, as he is a fab interior designer. Secondly, I too have coveted all of those homes you showed and the 70 or so others that the Restoration Foundation runs. We went as far as putting ourselves on the waiting list to rent one -- even though we owned (and still own)two houses in Newport -- both built before 1900 -- but sadly after 1800 -- no substitute for the really old ones!! So, yes our name cam to the top of the list and we had two to choose from. Alas, family circumstances took us out of Newport about the same time. So anyway the good news is we have two homes in Newport for sale if you get serious! --- Joy

[Barefoot Liz]

I'm originally from RI and have spent so much time in Newport. I used to dream of living there (and selling my paintings for thousands of dollars to support that dream.) heh heh.