Idle Hour in Oakdale has many hidden secrets. Picturesque creeks, canals, and other types of waterways, bordered by fountain grass waving in the breeze are among the natural features a visitor may encounter when walking through this historic neighborhood, past the preserved wetlands and the woods filled with wildlife. Man-made secrets include lofty residences like William K. Vanderbilt's Idle Hour mansion on Dowling College's campus, and those that are just a very wee bit humbler -- but also exceptionally pricey -- like the Artists' Colony in Oakdale.
Completely hidden in residential areas, this quaint settlement of living space is what used to be stables and other outbuildings that were part of the Idle Hour estate whose details have been lovingly restored and turned into individual homes. Depending on the extent of the renovations of the attached houses, their sale values start at $500k and above.
In the late 1920s, after the Vanderbilts left the estate, these old pens and farm houses were converted by philanthropists, artists, and other creative souls into a summer community. Artists would flock to the wilds of Idle Hour and its idyllic surroundings for inspiration and quality time in the country, taking advantage of the charming air of the Artists' Colony and its low-to-the-ground houses off Quality Street, long stretches of buildings that were interconnected from its history as beautifully designed pigpens, and its dramatic clock tower in Tower Mews. It even has a small fountain/pond whimsically called the Pig's Wallow
An exceptionally private attraction, almost like a secret hidden jewel for the residents of the area, the Artists' Colony's narrow, old-fashioned roads make it a sight ideally seen from the seat of a bicycle. Early spring brings tourists on bike routes through this enclave, and summer residents can take boats out of any of the original estate irrigation canals nestled in the neighborhood out into the Great South Bay.
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