After three years of through-the-roof demand for summer rental properties, fueled by the global pandemic, real estate agents are reporting a sluggish 2023 summer rental season in Northwest Connecticut.
They attribute the market’s lackluster pace to lifestyle changes and other factors that have caused a glut of available rentals in some towns, including Sharon and Salisbury, as a result of a buying frenzy during COVID-19.
Steep rental prices, coupled with a return to the workplace and renewed interest in international travel, have also negatively impacted the vacation rental market.
“Two years ago, Litchfield County was pretty popular and now people have a lot of other options. Instead of staycations they are exercising their ability to travel to faraway places again,” said John Harney, an agent with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in Salisbury.
A July 5 MLS listing for seasonal rentals in Salisbury and Sharon reveals that of the 37 summer rental properties on the market, 21 were available, 13 closed and three were under contract.
“It’s looking like about 50 percent are not rented,” Harney noted. The monthly rental price for those properties range from $3,500 to $40,000.
July and August are traditionally the strongest months for summer rentals, the Salisbury real estate agent explained, and in the past tenants have booked vacations far in advance. But not this year.
“Who is still up in the air about what they are doing the next six weeks between now and Labor Day?” Harney said. “It’s either you are going to have your rental sit unoccupied for the next two months or you can adjust your pricing.”
The Salisbury agent described the Northwest Corner rental market as “fairly bullish, with low inventory. With interest rates going up, I thought there would be a drop and restructuring of prices downward, but that does not appear to be happening.”
Lifestyle changes impact market
Graham Klemm, president of Klemm Real Estate in Washington, said lifestyle changes are impacting the seasonal rental market, particularly when it comes to tenants’ length of stays, which are getting shorter.
“The rental market is soft versus 2022, but they are seeing a simar trend in the Hamptons,” Klemm noted. “People’s lives are much different than they have been in the past. I think husbands and wives, or partners, both have careers now. It used to be that one of them came up here to live and the other came up on Thursday through the weekend,” the broker noted.
At one time, he said, tenants would book rentals for the entire summer season. “Then they wanted one month, max. And now they are looking at less than one month. The difference is, people are traveling to a large extent, whereas they haven’t been able to in the past two or three years.”
An April 2023 report from AAA found that this year, as pandemic rules and restrictions fade away, international travel is up 200 percent compared to 2022, international bookings have jumped 300 percent and the increase in demand for airfare has driven ticket prices for international trips up more than 30 percent.
County data snapshot
According to a second quarter 2023 MLS report provided by William Pitt/Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty on single family rentals in Litchfield County, inventory was at 173 as of June 30 of this year, showing an increase over the past two years. By comparison, reported inventory was 130 during the same period in 2022, and 104 in 2021.
Despite the availability of rentals, interest from would-be tenants is lukewarm, statistics show.
The number of units, or successful rentals, recorded in second quarter 2023 was 66, compared to 83 in 2022, and 75 in 2021; volume during the same period was $591,963 as of June 30 of this year, compared to $991,795 in 2022, and $1,065,342 in 2021.
Second quarter data also shows that average rental prices in Litchfield County are trending downward. The price dipped from $14,205 in 2021, to $11,949 in 2022 and $8,969 as of June 2023.
Pools rule with summer renters
Despite the market challenges, Klemm said this year he “did double the rentals in 2023 compared to any other Litchfield County brokers.” All things considered, he noted, “There are very, very few rentals on the market left available for the month of August, especially those with a pool.”
On average, he said, rental properties with a pool demand about $25,000 monthly or more. “Pools tend to pay for themselves over time,” noted Klemm.
The rentals that languish the longest are those without water features, said agents.
Harney said pools and lakefront properties are a must-have for most seasonal renters, and homes with them tend to list at much steeper rental rates. “You cannot be asking those kinds of dollars without water or lakefront,” he explained.
Klemm attributed the lack of available properties with pools to the fact that many people who purchased summer homes in the area during the pandemic are staying put.
“I think it brought a whole new cadre of people here,” said Klemm. “It’s very similar to what we are seeing on the sales front. When a property comes onto the market and checks all the boxes, it sells with a bidding war. Instead of renting, they are purchasing houses and investing in the future.”
Klemm said he has seen monthly rentals increase from about $15,000 a month a decade ago, to $25,000 and higher today, depending on the size of the home and its amenities.
Lakefront properties, once highly coveted by renters, seem to have “gone out of favor,” Klemm noted. For safety reasons, he said, “people with little kids don’t want to rent on a lake, and the water is always freezing except for maybe a few days during the season. Many, many want a pool, no question, and they have similar requirements when renting as buying.”
Renters also are seeking neat and tidy, white and bright, turn-key properties, said Klemm. “Tenants tend to be younger and have a much simpler aesthetic,” preferring newer builds over dark, aging cottages filled with a family’s personal items.
Summer rentals scarce in Kent
In Kent, summer rental inventory is practically nonexistent, according to long-time real estate agent David Bain, owner of David Bain Real Estate.
“We’re not seeing a glut in Kent, or Cornwall,” Bain said in early July, noting that it is very late in the season for people to be booking vacation spots.
“We have not done a whole lot of summer rentals this year. There just hasn’t been the demand. We are not seeing many upper-end houses offered for rent at all. There is nothing currently available in Kent to rent, except for a few low-end properties.”
But when a rental property does become available, he said, it is not unusual to have five, 10 or 15 showings in the first week. As is the case with single-family home sales, Bain noted, “there are so many people on the sidelines that they disappear within two to three weeks, unless it’s overpriced.”
Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.
I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.
We make a left on Salmon Kill Road and begin the most beautiful five-mile section of the route through rolling hills and beautiful farm country spread out over the length of the scenic valley. Fortunately, the Salmon Kill Bridge has been reopened after a two-year reconstruction — its lengthy closure was a real bummer.
After a short climb and descent, Salmon Kill terminates at Lime Rock Road.
This is the busiest and least enjoyable section of the ride, but lasts only about a mile when we turn left at the Trinity Lime Rock Episcopal Church and follow Dugway Road, with its rolling hills along the south side of the Housatonic River.
We usually stop on the Falls River Bridge to check out the volume of water flowing over the Great Falls. We make a right off the bridge on to Water Street, pass the power plant and Appalachian Trail parking lot, and go under the railroad bridge with a sharp left up a steep but short hill north on Route 126 (Point of Rocks Road.)
Now we’re on a long, flat run that includes a slight right on Sand Road, which we follow all the way to Route 7 at the Canaan Country Club. A left here leaves you on a very busy state highway less than a mile before turning right onto Lower Road — be careful — but there’s plenty of shoulder.
Lower Road runs parallel to the Blackberry River and passes both modern and historic local industry: the impressive lime rock quarry operated by Specialty Minerals Inc., followed by the Beckley Iron Furnace State Park.
Next, we make a left on the appropriately named Furnace Road, across Route 44 — careful again — and face a steep but short climb up Allyndale Rd. Following it to the left begins a long stretch of beautiful farms and distant views of the Southfield and New Marlborough hills. We pick up a lot of speed downhill, zip past Sodom Road, and then a flat stretch to Clayton Road and into Massachusetts.
Continue straight (north) on Polikoff Road, then make a left onto Hewins Road if you want to keep the ride short. Alternatively, you could turn right on Hewins Road and follow it to Maple and into Sheffield to add another 5 to 10 miles.
But, if you’re sticking with the 32-mile ride, turn left on Hewins and take it across Route 7, followed by a left on Main Street and into Ashley Falls’ bucolic town center.
The right turn on Rannapo Road takes us along and across the winding Housatonic River ,where we watch the corn grow from seedlings to more than six feet by late summer.
Next is a left on to the daunting Cooper Hill Road — the steepest and only tough climb of the route. The effort is rewarded by spectacular 360-degree views, including the mountains of the Taconic Ridge and Appalachian Trail to the west.
A left onto Silver Road leads to the payoff: two steep descents, a view of the Twin Lakes on the left, and arrival at stately Taconic Road, home to some of Salisbury’s grandest old estates. A left on Taconic Road offers more rolling farm hills and beautiful views of the Taconic Ridge.
It terminates at Route 44, where we make a right (west) and let the long, steep descent carry us all the way into Salisbury, past the White Hart Inn and back to our starting point at Town Hall.
That’s the route: a relatively flat 1,500 feet of climbing with minimal car traffic. We usually reward ourselves with post-ride refreshments on the White Hart lawn.
I hope you enjoy this local gem of a ride!
Kent Hiteshew is a Salisbury cyclist.
This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete. It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.
Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.
The ride starts and ends at The Farmer’s Wife Café in Ancramdale, a great place for lunch or refreshments after the ride. (The café is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays). Parking is usually available between the café and the Ancramdale post office. But be courteous — don’t monopolize parking needed by the café’s guests and staff!
Here are the coordinates for the ride:
Turn left out of the parking lot of the Farmer’s Wife onto County Road 8.
At .5 miles, turn left on Crest Lane
At 1.9 miles, turn left on East Ancram Road
At 6.8 miles, turn left on County Road 3
At 7.0 miles, turn right on Wiltsie Bridge Road
At 7.7 miles, turn right on Empire Road
At 10.7 miles, go straight through the village of Copake onto Main Street.
At 11.1 miles, bear left onto Farm Road
At 11.3 miles, turn left on Mountain View Road
At 12.1 miles turn right on County Road 7A
At 12.3 miles, turn left on Snyder Pond Road
At 13.0 miles turn left to stay on Snyder Pond Road
At 14.2 miles, turn right on County Road 7
At 14.8 miles turn left on County Road 27 (This is where there is short hill.)
At 15.5 miles, make a hairpin turn to the left on County Road 27A. (This can be easy to miss so be on the lookout for it).
At 17.5 miles, go straight across County Road 7 onto Four Corners Road.
At 18.7 miles, turn right on Wiltsie Bridge Road
At 19.0 miles, turn left on Snyder Road
At 20.3 miles, bear left onto Roche Drive
At 20.8 miles, turn right on County Road 3
Follow County Road 3 back to Ancramdale and the Farmer’s Wife.
Jeremy Koch is a Norfolk cyclist.
Aerial view of The Shed at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass.
Now is the perfect time to plan ahead for symphonic music this summer at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts. Here are a few highlights from the classical programming.
Saturday, July 5: Shed Opening Night at 8 p.m. Andris Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony Orchestra as Daniil Trifonov plays piano in an All-Rachmaninoff program. The Piano Concerto No. 3 was completed in 1909 and was written specifically to be debuted in the composer’s American tour, at another time of unrest and upheaval in Russia. Trifonev is well-equipped to take on what is considered among the most technically difficult piano pieces. This program also includes Symphonic Dances, a work encapsulating many ideas and much nostalgia.
On Sunday, July 6 at 2:30 p.m., the next master pianist, Yefim Bronfman, joins Andris Nelsons as he conducts the BSO in the Shed. Bronfman features in an All-Beethoven program. Hear the Leonore Overture No. 2 followed by the Piano Concerto No. 3, a deeply expressive work that highlights the lively interplay between the BSO strings, winds, and Bronfman’s piano. After intermission, experience the epic Symphony No. 5.
On Saturday, July 12 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons join pianist Seong-Jin Cho in celebrating the 150th birth year of Maurice Ravel. Expressive, sincere, and wonderful, Cho’s playing is bound to create a rich evening of music that includes “Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun” (Debussy), “Piano Concerto in G” (Ravel), “Piano Concerto for the Left Hand” (Ravel), and “La Mer” (Debussy).
On Sunday, July 13 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen will be a superb combination, along with the energetic young Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto. Kuusisto comes from distinguished musical lineage, and he’s equally captivating whether performing classical works or masterfully weaving Northern European folk melodies. The program includes “Tumblebird Contrails” (Gabriella Smith), “Violin Concerto” (Sibelius), and “Symphony No. 5” (Sibelius).
On Saturday, July 19 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons present the Piccini’s “Tosca,” with special guest singers Kristine Opolais, Seok Jong Baek, Bryn Terfel, Patrick Carfizzi and the entire Tanglewood Festival Chorus, with James Burton conducting. Expect an unforgettable evening in the Shed, with beauty and brilliance at full volume—star power layered on star power.
Beginning Thursday, July 24 at 8 p.m. in Ozawa Hall, the TMC Festival of Contemporary Music kicks off with Ortiz and the Mexican Tradition. This year’s festival runs through Monday, July 28 and features music of Mexican music educator and composer Gabriela Ortiz Torres, Carnegie Hall’s composer in residence for the 2025 season. This superb Festival within a Festival is a proverbial “Box of Chocolates”, where you never quite know what flavor is in the middle until you bite.
On Friday, July 25at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons welcome Spanish-born violinist María Dueñas. At a mere 18 years old, Dueñas has already won the 2021 Menuhin Competition, including the audience award. The BBC also named her as its “New Generation Artist 2021-2023.” This program includes “Air,” from Orchestral Suite No. 3 (J.S. Bach), and “Adagio from Symphony No. 10” (Mahler) before Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto”,“Calm Sea”, and “Prosperous Voyage.”
On Sunday, July 27 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons welcome pianist Lang Lang.Lang Lang is squarely in the 100% not to be missed category, and this afternoon the audience will be indulged with “La Calaca” (Gabriela Ortiz) for string orchestra, Piano Concerto No. 2 (Saint-Saëna), and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 6, Pastoral.”
On Saturday, August 16 at 8 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra join with German conductor and concert pianist Anna Handler and young Italian-German-American violinist Augustin Hadelich to present the Brahms’s “Tragic Overture,” “Symphony No. 4” (Schumann), andTchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. The constellation this evening looks to become especially bright, colorful, and passionate. Plan to come early and stay late.
On Sunday, August 17 at 2:30 p.m. in the Shed, the Boston Symphony Orchestra welcomes conductor Dima Slobodeniouk, who was born in Moscow and settled in Finland.Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet is another musician not to miss; every appearance is fresh and lively. This program includes “Threnody (In Memory of Jan Sibelius)” by William Grant Still, “Piano Concerto No. 2” (Liszt), “Valse triste” (Sibelius), and “Symphony No. 3.” (Sibelius).
The 2025 Tanglewood season promises to be another exciting one. A quick note: the BSO has faced issues with ticket resellers posing as official sources and charging inflated prices. To avoid this, be sure to purchase tickets in advance only through bso.org.
SHARON — James H. Fox, resident of Sharon, passed away on May 30, 2025, at Vassar Brothers Hospital.
Born in New York, New York, to Herbert Fox and Margaret Moser, James grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He spent his summers in Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where he developed a deep connection to the community.
James attended Millbrook School, Ripon College, and the Culinary Institute of America in New Haven, Connecticut.
He proudly served in the Navy and his dedication to his craft led him to later own several restaurants, including the renowned Fox & Fox in Gaylordsville, and most recently, Panini Cafe in Kent. He went on to become a staple at the Cornwall Farmer’s Market, known for his delicious soups.
James lived in Sharon, for 20 years, where he cherished the serenity tending to the gardens and property. Perpetually in motion, he filled his days with gardening, tending his property, and engaging in hobbies such as collecting model cars, woodworking, and perfecting his culinary creations.He never hesitated to take on a new project, no matter the scope.Not many 82-year-olds can say they fully remodeled a bathroom single handedly.After a full day of work, one of his greatest joys was relaxing at the end of the day in front of the fireplace.
James is survived by his constant companion of 22 years, Kathie Dolan; his two sons; Adam Fox of Montpelier, Vermont and Emmett Fox of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; his brother, Tom Fox of Phoenix, Arizona; his brother-in-law, Gary Sarachan of St. Louis; and several nieces, including Sydney Fox Sarachan of St. Louis, Carrie Fox of Phoenix, and Amanda Fox of Columbus, Ohio. He also leaves behind his grandson, Aidan Fox of New Hampshire, extended family, Erin Dolan, Megan Mollica, Rory Dolan, his dog, Django, and his cat, William.
James will be deeply missed by all who knew him. His unique sense of humor and culinary excellence will live on in the hearts of his family and friends.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
All services are private.
