BAYSWATER, LONG ISLAND

Hidden residence for the rich and famous and the discerning

Bayswater is not widely known or appreciated, considering its considerable charms. Bayswater likes it this way and has no attention to promote its virtues to people at large. This is almost a reserved neighborhood that was established in the late 19th century to provide relaxation to the wealthy, to individuals who exalted the lifestyles of the most privileged members of erstwhile Colonialists and to nature lovers. Bayswater is not on a popularity drive and stands apart from common tastes. You know about it if you have a certain set of values and you then try and keep the secrets of Bayswater to yourself.

There are no video-parlors in Bayswater and its nightlife is generally indoors and in private. Industries and offices have no place here unless they are Internet-enabled. Shopping is available in surrounding neighborhoods if you need to do such things for yourself. Realtors do not maintain large inventories of Bayswater properties; rare transactions between buyers and sellers are typically within inner circles. The subway has no reach here; menials who must use public transport have the bus lines as an option. Children have a public school option within Bayswater's limits from Pre-kindergarten up to Grade 6. You can then pack them off to private boarding schools; they can always come home for summer.

Bayswater would suit British royalty. It is secluded and very private. Original residents actually held fox hunts here, complete with hounds, horses and ridiculous dress. You could probably ride a horse and blow your bugle even to this day, in the wooded thickets of Bayswater. Though the area lacks castles and forts, there are mansions that figure in the National Register of Historic Places. Most houses have generous yards that can be landscaped and tended in suitable manner. There are some endearing American touches such as wrap-around porches. The interiors are suitable for modern amenities and fixtures that accomplished architects can integrate with inherited oak and mahogany. It is entirely possible to live in 21st century convenience whilst preserving early 20th century facades.

Bayswater is not about the indoors or people for that matter. The gem of this low-profile neighborhood is the Bayswater Point State Park and birds are the most numerous and treasured residents and visitors. Such natural beauty, stark wilderness and bounteous wildlife have immeasurable value for Queens. There are wondrous stretches where one can wander all day, transported back to the days of first human inhabitation after the last Ice Age. Birds from thousands of miles away, as part of every spring and autumn migration, stop here for rest, shelter and to nest. They have come to Bayswater for generations and tower over human beings in their instinct, resilience and glory. The Park is home to many resident species and bird-watching opportunities continue through most of the year. Turtles are the wisest of the abundant marine life that gambols off Bayswater and occasionally comes on-shore as well. The Park has the rare combination of wood and wetland habitats. Crowds of people are major hazards, so please do not circulate this piece too widely!