Tired of the hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps? This may be the opportunity you have been looking for.
Nestled in the Hudson River, just beyond the city of Albany, lies Campbell Island—a 97-acre expanse of untouched nature steeped in quiet potential. Priced at $700,000, less than the average cost of a Manhattan one-bedroom apartment, this secluded property offers an opportunity rarely found so close to the urban pulse. Yet its future depends on finding a buyer who sees more than an island—a steward capable of bridging its raw beauty with its stubborn inaccessibility.
For Jeanne Casatelli, Campbell Island has been a decades-long labor of love. Her family purchased it in 1960 for less than $25,000, initially mining its sand for a concrete business. Since then, it has transformed into a quiet retreat, left to flourish in solitude. The island boasts over a mile of shoreline, wooded plateaus, wildflower meadows, and a protected cove, all framed by historic underwater rights and a recently approved dock permit. But this bucolic paradise comes with caveats, starting with the live train tracks that separate it from the mainland, making legal access as challenging as it is essential.
Campbell Island occupies a liminal space: neither fully isolated nor easily reachable, its proximity to a nature preserve places limits on development, reinforcing its untamed character. Casatelli, who inherited a share of the island in the 1990s and later bought the remainder, sees this as both a blessing and a barrier.
“It’s such a special place, but it needs someone willing to embrace its quirks,” she explains. Her vision for the property is both restrained and expansive: maintaining its natural beauty while opening it up as a haven for hikers, boaters, and nature lovers. “I want someone who understands it, someone who can strike the right balance between preserving its uniqueness and making it accessible in thoughtful ways.”
The island’s allure lies in its contradictions. It’s less than three hours from New York City but feels a world away. Despite its modest asking price, it stands apart from the glitzier islands on the market, such as Thompson Island in New York, listed for $3.495 million, or a $75 million slice of opulence just minutes from Miami. Campbell Island offers something different—a chance to own not just land, but a relationship with the land.
Over the years, the island has remained largely unknown, its trails and coves explored by only a handful of intrepid wanderers. Casatelli speaks warmly of chance encounters with these visitors, who often stumble upon its beauty unexpectedly.
“People walk its paths and tell me how special it feels,” she says. “That’s what I want—to find someone who understands that magic and wants to share it, without spoiling it.”
Her stewardship is marked by a quiet pragmatism. A sign near the entrance carries a simple message: “Carry in, carry out.” It’s both a plea and a philosophy, encapsulating her hope that the island’s next chapter will be written by someone who values its fragility as much as its beauty.
Casatelli’s dream is not just to sell the island, but to pass it into the right hands. It’s a vision that has kept her searching for a buyer since the 1990s. For now, the property waits, its sandy shores and dense woods caught between possibility and preservation.
