Ever wanted to just get away from the insanity of daily life and find your own island somewhere? You’re not alone. In the 1950s a family purchased Hub Island, built a home on it and renamed the place to Just Room Enough Island.
It’s located in the Thousand Islands area of New York, in the northwest portion of the state where it borders Canada. Because the waterways are filled with tiny patches of land, the locals have come up with conventions to distinguish between islands and areas exposed during high tide. An island, by their lights, has to be above the waterline throughout the year and be large enough to bear at least one tree or bush. Just Room Enough Island satisfies these requirements, with about 3,300 square feet of space available.
The new owners put up a house, maintained their one tree, and proceeded to get away from the world… as much as one can when still utterly reliant on nearby land for virtually every necessity. While it’s very possible to become self-sufficient on some islands, when the borders of a property are roughly equivalent to the walls of the house plus a tiny front yard an owner is going to find their options limited.
What was the name of the family who purchased the island? Perhaps appropriately, they’re the Sizelands.
The effort to get away from humanity didn’t work, anyway. The sheer oddity of the home inspires swimmers and boaters to visit throughout the summer and into other seasons as well. On the positive side, because of the limited room to stand and the slippery rocks along the edges, many of the visitors provide free entertainment to the homeowners in the form of pratfalls.
Question of the night: Would you want to live on a private island, and if so, where?
