Brookville homes start at $1M and continue to lure the affluent
The arboretum at Long Island University, Post campus, is a draw, as is its museum, for residents of Brookville. (Oct. 7, 2013) Credit: Johnny Milano
In the early 1900s, wealthy New Yorkers came to Brookville to build lavish country homes on sprawling properties. Notable residents included banker, attorney and diplomat Winthrop W. Aldrich, who built a 40-room manor on 108 acres.
Today, this bucolic North Shore village continues to attract the affluent. In fact, in 2009, the village of Brookville was named by BusinessWeek magazine as the wealthiest community in the United States.
"Most come for the schools and privacy," says Elyse Mayer of Douglas Elliman Real Estate. "It's in a great spot. I love its proximity to New York City," adds Shawn Elliott, owner of Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates. (It's about 25 miles to Manhattan.)
And the village is one of the few places in Nassau County where you can find a horse property, says Lois Kirschenbaum of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty .
Narrow winding roads weave throughout the village, where the size of manicured properties is at least 2 acres. Buyers can find just about any style home. And they come in a variety of sizes -- from modest to grand.
Prices typically start north of $1 million. A fixer-upper or knockdown on a 2-acre parcel can fetch $1.3 million to $1.5 million, Kirschenbaum says. Homes in Broadhollow, a premier area of Brookville, start at about $3 million, Elliott says.
