Brightwaters home market is divided by price, unified by Colonials

June Caligure of Meg Smith & Associates also refers to the village as "beautiful." Actually, most people do. "It's very scenic," adds Rick Ramsay, a former resident and owner of Eric G. Ramsay Jr. Associates.

Like Garden City, Brightwaters was a planned community. It started with four brothers from Brooklyn who enjoyed sailing on Great South Bay, says resident Bartlett L. Ackerson, a Realtor. Ackerson's great-uncle, Thomas Benton Ackerson, liked the area so much he purchased about 1,700 acres in the early 1900s. "TB" and his brothers filled swamps, dug a 4,000-foot boat canal and installed utilities. About 100 homes -- from bungalows to mini-mansions -- were built before Ackerson went bankrupt.

Colonials -- many of them vintage -- rule. The village is informally divided into three sections: The Pines, where businesses, the post office, village hall and Wohseepee Park are located; The Lakes, where some roads are connected by small bridges; and the Canal, bordering the bay, with docks, a gazebo and a private beach.

Here's a general look at the price structure, according to Ramsay: The Pines, $350,000 to $750,000; The Lakes, $750,000 to $4 million; The Canal, $600,000 to $1.5 million. For the first time since 2005, taxes increased this year, McNulty says, noting that the village remains debt-free.

Town: Islip

Area: 1 square mile

ZIP code: 11718

Population: 3,121

Median age: 40.8

Median household income: $129,018

Median home value: $452,500

LIRR time to NYC: 59 minutes to 1 hour, 15 minutes at peak

Monthly ticket: $363

School district: Bay Shore