Cedarmere Preserve

Great place to relax. It’s so nice & quiet here. Barely anyone here. It’s like having your own estate. The view is beautiful. The grounds are open to public from dawn till dusk all year long. Inside, there’s a pond with a stone bridge, gardens, & an old mill. If you want to check out the house, there’s a guided tour every Thursday at 2pm & 3pm.
We like this place. It could’ve been 5 stars. 4 stars because of the place is not really well maintained. This place would be a lot more beautiful if it’s properly maintained.
If you want to get away from the noise, stop by & just enjoy the silence…

Cedarmere is a hidden gem just off Northern Boulevard in Roslyn Harbor. Former country home of 19^th century literary figure William Cullen Bryant (see also Bryant Park in Manhattan), the grounds are open to the public year-​round. There’s an old mill, pleasant gardens, a pond with a stone bridge, boathouse and lovely coastal views. It’s definitely worth a look around. They have recently done some repairs to the house and grounds that make it more accommodating to visitors, although entry to the house appears to still be on a pre-​arranged basis. The exterior of the mill was restored a few years ago.
The grounds are not too sprawling, but they are big enough and with enough natural interest for a walk in the fresh air. You can often catch some wildlife like snakes, turtles or even beavers hanging around on the grounds or in the pond. I can’t give it 5 stars because it has taken a long time for them to clean it up and there’s still work to be done. I’m on the fence about all the new picnic tables and benches that were added. I get that they want to encourage visitors, but it spoils the natural appearance. In the same vein, it’s fantastic that the grounds are open and public, but there are no notices or anything requesting people to be somewhat well-​behaved (sad, but necessary in 2014). This leads to some litter problems, but more than that, many visitors have a tendency to be loud and/​or bring a group of 4 or 5 screaming kids along. William Cullen Bryant built the house in this location to get away from the noise and chaos of the city where he could rest and write, so I implore anyone who reads this to treat the grounds and other visitors with the appropriate respect. The silent beauty is Cedarmere’s best feature.