Brookhaven hamlet, where bay and canals are always nearby
THE SCOOP Brookhaven hamlet is a rural community where residents are never far from the shore and water activities. “It’s one of the few areas where there's a bunch of canals and docking behind houses that lead to Bellport Bay,” said Edward Shine of Shine Realty Group in Patchogue.
There’s docking space for about 200 boats in the hamlet, according to Nancy J. Schaefer, an agent with Eileen A. Green Realty in Bellport. “Almost any street in the hamlet that's a north-south street will end up at the Great South Bay. There’s been a lot of preservation over the years. It's just a quiet little hamlet with a lot of older homes that have been designated historic.”
Because the hamlet is also in the Town of Brookhaven, the name can cause confusion, but its boundaries include the Great South Bay, Sunrise Highway (Route 27) and the walkable village of Bellport, which the community relies on for shopping and dining.
Natural habitats are another feature of the area. The 10-mile Carmans River flows through the hamlet and empties into Bellport Bay near the 2,550-acre Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley. The 20-acre H.O.G Farm: Hamlet Organic Garden offers fresh produce at its farm stand or as community shares.
And Brookhaven is home to the Post-Morrow Foundation, which preserves and conserves the hamlet’s rural, cultural and historical character, as well as the surrounding areas. It has a boardwalk on Beaver Dam Creek and interactive walking trails.
A proposal to rezone more than 130 acres of land near the Brookhaven Town landfill for industrial use has caused controversy. Schaefer, who lived in the hamlet for 30 years, said that while the landfill has “been a thorn in our sides for many years” and there have been complaints about odors, she doesn’t feel it’s a reason not to live in the hamlet. The landfill, which opened in 1974, is expected to close in December 2024.
Housing stock in Brookhaven includes unusual houses, such as large canal-front homes, as well as Victorians, Colonials and Capes that range from $500,000 to the millions.
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are no condos or co-ops on the market.
SALE PRICES Between May 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022, there were 48 home sales with a median sale price of $512,500, according to OneKey MLS. The low price for that period was $385,000 and the high was $1.313 million. During that period a year earlier there were 48 home sales with a median sale price of $462,000. The price range was $235,000 to $1.4 million.
OTHER STATS
Town Brookhaven
Area 5.8 square miles
ZIP code 11719
Population 3,330
Median age 46.9
Median household income $90,033
Median home value $515,000
Monthly LIRR ticket from Bellport $415
School district, graduation rate South Country, 87%
Parks Robinson Duck Farm Dog Park, Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge
Library Brookhaven
Hospital Long Island Community Hospital
Transit Suffolk County Transit Routes 66, 68
SOURCES: 2020 Census; 2019 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS; LIRR, data.nysed.gov
NOW ON THE MARKET
$899,900
Built in 1957 on a canal, this spacious Cape has views that extend to the bay. It is set on 0.42 acre and features four bedrooms, two baths, two garage spaces, a new kitchen with high-end appliances, wood-burning fireplace and bulkhead to accommodate multiple watercraft. Taxes are $18,159. Edward Shine and Tami Wright, Shine Realty Group, 631-627-8828.
$699,000
This 2,275-square-foot Colonial built in 1968 on nearly 1 acre has a sunken den with fireplace, formal dining room, spacious living room, four bedrooms and 2½ baths. Taxes are $13,446. Theodore Gounelas and Bonnie K. Liotine, Coldwell Banker M&D Good Life, 631-289-1400.
$499,990
With an open floor plan and updated gourmet eat-in-kitchen, this renovated ranch has three bedrooms and three baths, including an en-suite primary. Built in 1981, the house is on 0.39 acre and has a full finished basement with egress window, and a new roof and siding. Taxes are $9,581; an offer is pending. Lina Lopes, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 631-758-2552.
RECENTLY SOLD
$940,000
S. Lindner Ct. S.
Style Contemporary
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 2½
Built 1955
Lot size 0.35 acre
Taxes $14,807
+/- List price -$9,000
Days on market 28
$750,000
Overlook Rd.
Style Ranch
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 2½
Built 1975
Lot size 0.33 acre
Taxes $10,179
+/- List price -$145,000
Days on market 176
$449,000
Central Woods Ln.
Style Ranch
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 1
Built 1975
Lot size 0.35 acre
Taxes $7,962
+/- List price sold at asking
Days on market 91
ON ONEKEY MLS
Number of listings 13
Price range $469,000 to $1.775 million
Tax range $8,108 to $21,466