Buying in Bellmore: School upgrades and a new ‘panache’

THE SCOOP With the revitalization in Bellmore and the trendy shops and restaurants that have come to the area, “the panache of the North Shore is being mirrored down here,” says Alison Frankel, president of the South Bellmore Civic Association.

There has also been positive turnover in the community’s housing stock, she adds.

“Young families are coming, putting money into their houses and really improving the community slowly,” she says. “Over the last four or five years, it’s been a really nice, positive change that has come to Bellmore.”

A nearly $50 million capital bond was approved in 2013 that allowed for upgrades at all five of the schools in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. That included new science labs, turf fields, upgrades to the heating and air-conditioning systems and many other improvements. The work will continue this summer and next, says district superintendent John DeTommaso, who adds that the district is also doing an Energy Performance Project that includes features such as LED lighting, new boilers, new roofs and weatherization at schools.

To combat flooding in the waterfront community, Frankel says, many houses have been lifted, and there have been talks of implementing emergency street lighting, repairing valves and outflow devices, repaving roads and adding landscaping that can absorb water.

A sign on the train station’s trestle says “Bellmore Village: a stroll down memory lane.” Bedford Avenue, with speakers that play soft music on the street throughout the day, is lined with mom-and-pop stores “where you walk in and the owners know your name and know your family,” says Gary Hudes, a Hempstead Town councilman who owns Gennaro Jewelers in Bellmore.

The area features a wide range of housing styles, including ranches, Colonials, capes, split-levels and high-ranches, says Moira Connolly of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s Bellmore office. Homes range from around $400,000 to $900,000, with those along the East Bay commanding higher prices than those on a canal, she adds.

Bellmore, about six miles to Jones Beach via the Wantagh State Parkway, is home to Newbridge Road Park, which includes an indoor ice rink and a recently added dog park. Bellmore Movies and Showplace hosts the annual Long Island International Film Expo. A car show is also held at the Bellmore train station every Friday night in the summer. The Bellmore Family Street Festival, which Hudes says spans 24 blocks and is the largest family street festival in Nassau County, is held every September.

CONDOS AND TOWN HOUSES

There is one condo on the market, for $239,000.

SALES PRICES

Between May 1, 2016, and May 31, 2017, there were 363 home sales, with a median sale price of $470,000, according to the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island. The low price for that period was $150,000 and the high was $998,000. During that period a year earlier, there were 352 home sales, with a median sale price of $428,750. The price range was $186,000 to $1.215 million.

SCHOOLS

Most students attend John F. Kennedy High School or Wellington C. Mepham High School.

OTHER STATS

Town Hempstead

Area 2.5 square miles

ZIP code 11710

Population 16,218

Median age 42.4

Median household income $114,474

Median home value $473,000*

LIRR to NYC 43-53 minutes at peak

Monthly ticket $297

School district Bellmore-Merrick

SOURCES: 2010 Census; mlsli.com; LIRR;

*Based on sales in the past six months, according to MLSLI

RECENTLY SOLD

$700,000 PHILLIP COURT After 124 days on the market, this waterfront five-bedroom split-level sold for $49,990 less than its asking price. The main level includes a living room, eat-in kitchen, formal dining room and pub room. The master bedroom, with a full bath, is on the upper level with an additional bedroom and bathroom. The 50-by-199-foot property, on a cul-de-sac, also includes a partially finished basement and back deck and patio. The taxes are $21,608.

$550,000

LEE PLACE This four-bedroom high-ranch sold for $25,000 less than its asking price after 234 days on the market. The 1966 home, with two full bathrooms, has a granite kitchen that opens to a dining room with sliding glass doors that open to a deck and paver patio in the backyard. In addition to the living room on the upper level, there is a den on the first floor. The 60-by-100-foot property, with taxes of $16,291, also includes an attached two-car garage.

$420,000

WASHINGTON AVENUE This three-bedroom ranch sold for its original asking price in May, after 105 days on the market. The home, which was built in 1953, features 2 1⁄2 bathrooms, a living room with hardwood floors, an updated eat-in kitchen, and a master bedroom that includes a half-bathroom. The 60-by-100-foot property also boasts a full finished basement with an outside entrance, an attic and an attached one-car garage. The property taxes are $9,265.

NOW ON THE MARKET

Starter

$349,000 This raised-ranch, with two bedrooms and one bathroom, includes a living room with a fireplace and a kitchen with a breakfast bar. The 40-by-100-foot property has an attached four-car garage, a detached one-car garage and bulkhead. Taxes: $8,895. Gale Montello and Susan Ruiz, Realty Connect USA, 516-978-5427, 516-662-6630

Trade-up

This four-bedroom, two-bath Colonial includes a renovated granite kitchen, a living room, a dining room, a den and a master bedroom with a full bath on an 87-by-91-foot property. Taxes: $17,297. Greg Masaitis, Keller Williams Realty, 516-241-4109 High-end

$849,000 This waterfront splanch, with four bedrooms and 2 1⁄2 bathrooms, includes a formal living room with sliders that open to a deck, and a family room with a fireplace. The 60-by-110-foot property has bulkhead and an attached two-car garage. Taxes: $28,842. Marlena Schein, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, 516-763-8942

On Multiple Listings

Number of houses 75

Price range $299,990 to $1.149 million

Tax range $6,665 to $41,697