Philbrick's By the Sea — Local services in Rye

Regretfully 2.5 years was was 2 years too long for us, here is our experience of the stay and our opinions. We signed a 3 year lease spending the 1st year there mostly on weekends and occasional days during the week, once we made it our single home after selling our house over a year ago reality set in. A lot of people will think they want to live at their favorite vacation spot until you live with the reality of random people who can & will walk/run by your living room sliders just feet away from your so called privacy at all times of day and night, it is a motel... When we were 1st there the night sky was amazing until an enormous flag went up that needs enormous lights to illuminate it every night. Then once the property owner's primary home was reportedly (by him) auctioned off he moved his family into one of the homes, (the former renters of that unit had a year plus lease, apparently they bailed within a few months), shortly after that the ongoing state of construction seemed to increase. With the heavy equipment and contractors trucks / trailers coming and going we woke one morning this past spring to the back of my wife's SUV having the rear corner punched in, we surely could not confirm that it happened in the parking lot so the next day I put a web cam pointing out back..damage done but we at least tried to be more careful. Dogs are (seemingly) not allowed on the property but one day earlier this year his contractor's 70lb dog came bounding into our open door (I thought we couldn't have dogs in the home!!). We love dogs and the dog was a known frequent guest on the property while the newest building was going up. We dodged a bullet with the just announced boil water alert for the surrounding area due to E Coli found in the water just recently! The positive is that the ocean view is great though being on the wrong side of RT1A you become very familiar with just how loud motorcycles can be and even worse the new trend of extreme stereo systems on some bikes. Again, short stay vs long stay. We creatively "negotiated" our way out of the lease conveniently before the cold winter months started and we have the mutually agreed lease termination document to prove it (one of the landscapers told my wife that he was sorry to hear that we were evicted?? A family member of mine heard the same story from a mutual friend that has absolutely nothing to do with any party involved. Where did this defaming lie originate?) Any way we left wondering how we stayed in such cramped space as long as we did! We have returned to being home owners once again and live just miles from the old Crown Colony. For future vacations that are near $3k for a week my wife and I can stay all inclusive in the Caribbean resort with food/drink &...

It's a little piece of paradise on Rye beach in New Hampshire. We stayed in one of the larger captain's cottages right up front closest to the shore. The view was beautiful, the cottages seemingly brand new and immaculate. The landscaping lush, colorful and well maintained. The units both inside and out, so clean and well kept. It really was a home away from home. And any time we might plan a return to the Rye area, this will be our first choice every time. ||||The property is close to the road that winds along the shoreline. There will be at times the sound of passing vehicles. I might imagine during the busier times of year this might be more intrusive but we went in the off season at the end of September through first week in October and it was fairly calm the entire stay. It didn't take away from our experience at all. The sound of the occasional passing car was overshadowed by the ocean view, the crisp fall northern weather and the relaxed and very comfortable luxuries of the grounds and the cottage unit itself. ||||Inside we had all the comforts of home. A full kitchen, living room, bedroom with walk in closet, bathroom and in unit laundry machine (washer & dryer). Plenty of space to store our clothes, shoes and put away our luggage out of sight. The kitchen had just about every dish or utensil you would need to prepare a full breakfast, lunch or dinner or just a quick snack. Plenty of cabinet and counter space and a full French door refrigerator and freezer. The living room and dining area comfortably accommodates the couple on a romantic getaway and has room to invite over guests to entertain. Two large flat screen TV's, one in the living room the other in the bedroom. ||||We stayed a full week, we opened the sliding glass doors in the morning to watch the sunrise and enjoy the ocean breeze. We slept with windows open rocked to sleep by the sound of the waves and we enjoyed every single day and night there. We'd recommend this experience to all looking to enjoy a quiet little escape...

We travel so much that we now only do reviews for 1s (horrific) or 10s (heavenly). Philbrick's By The Sea is most definitely a 10+, but we have been ambivalent about publishing a review. The reason is that the most notable of Philbrick’s many positive attributes is its old New England cottage sanctuary nature, providing serenity and quiet, yet reasonable proximity to local attractions. We do not want that to change. Nonetheless, other attributes:||1. Glorious starscapes: Since Philbrick’s is on the ocean outside of town, there is very little light pollution. The night sky is amazing. ||2. Mesmerizing oceanview: To infinity, but touchable. ||3. Blissfully quiet. ||4. Immaculate interiors and exteriors: The attention to detail in design, renovation, construction, maintenance and cleaning borders on obsessive-compulsive. (We know because one of us is.) It has resulted in lovely landscaping, delightful and comfortable patios, high end cottages, beautiful quality furnishings, and very well-equipped kitchens. ||5. Location: In addition to the most important “by the sea,” Philbrick’s is just close enough to and far enough away from 2 important sites. The first is the lobster shack at Rye Harbor which sells (and cooks for you at no extra charge) lobster at a ridiculously low price and makes fresh daily the first (and fantastic) lobster gazpacho we have ever had. The second is the charming historic town of Portsmouth. And part of its charm is being able to return to Philbrick’s to be enchanted by the sea while having a cocktail on your patio. We shall return to this heavenly gem which we hope remains somewhat hidden and...