Tree-lined, volunteer-oriented Manhasset offers a short commute

THE SCOOP Manhasset’s tree-lined streets are about a half-hour away from Manhattan on the Long Island Rail Road, with major highways nearby — making the hamlet particularly attractive to commuters. But that’s not the only draw.

“What makes it unique is this special combination of being close to New York City with a community feel,” says North Hempstead Councilmember Veronica Lurvey. “I interact with residents who are very invested in the community and serve in a variety of volunteer positions.”

Both aspects contribute to a dynamic real estate market in which an average of 200 homes are sold each year, according to Rula Baki, associate broker with Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty. "The average sale price is about $1.8 million, and that’s in all the different areas within Manhasset,” Baki says.

The hamlet includes the incorporated villages of Munsey Park, Plandome and Plandome Heights and parts of Plandome Manor, Flower Hill and North Hills, as well as the unincorporated areas of Bayview, North and South Strathmore, Strathmore Village and Strathmore-Vanderbilt, Shorehaven, Terrace Manor, Manhasset Park, Manhasset Gardens and Norgate.

“It’s a beautiful town wherever you go within Manhasset,” says Baki. “Each area has its own flavor and its own vibe.” She notes that there’s a Manhasset-Plandome Newcomers Club, as well as several women’s clubs that plan activities throughout the year.

Manhasset has a mix of home styles, including condos and gated communities with contemporary homes. “We have Colonials, Tudors, Victorians, a few ranches and expanded Capes,” Baki says, adding that homes with smaller lot sizes close to town and the train station list at about $925,000 and town houses can be under $900,000. There are also waterfront homes on Manhasset Bay going for as high as $12 million.It was in 1898 when the LIRR added a stop in Manhasset that New Yorkers began building country homes here.

When the Americana Manhasset shopping center opened in 1956 along the stretch of Route 25A known as Miracle Mile, it was such a popular draw that Billy Joel referred to it in his 1980 song “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me.” By 2000 it had attracted luxury retailers. Also along the corridor have been well-known department stores, including Lord & Taylor, which closed in 2021 after 80 years and will soon become a SaksWorks coworking space.

Plandome Road is full of shops and restaurants, from pizza to high-end dining. Nearby is the 35-acre Leeds Pond Preserve, home of the Science Museum of Long Island, with nature trails overlooking Manhasset Bay. Mary Jane Davies Green hosts summer concerts in its gazebo and has a renovated playground with spray area.

Manhasset Valley Park, popular for sports, was recently updated, and plans are in the works to upgrade Whitney Pond Park, which has sports courts and trails, and to replace the Webster Avenue Bridge at the LIRR station.

CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are eight condos on the market ranging in price from $849,000 to $1.95 million

SALE PRICES Between Jan. 31, 2021, and Feb. 28, 2022, there were 240 home sales with a median sale price of $1.69 million, according to OneKey MLS. The low price for that period was $720,000 and the high was $38.4 million. During that period a year earlier there were 219 home sales with a median sale price of $1.62 million. The price range was $800,00 to $7.7 million.

OTHER STATS

Town North Hempstead

Area 2.4 square miles

ZIP code 11030

Population 8,176          

Median age 47.3

Median household income $177,321

Median home value $1.62 million

Monthly LIRR ticket from Manhasset $270

School districts, graduation rates Manhasset (98%), Great Neck (96%)

Parks Manhasset Valley Park, Whitney Pond Park

Libraries Manhasset, Great Neck

Hospitals St. Francis Hospital, North Shore University Hospital

Transit NICE Route 21

SOURCES: 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; OneKey MLS; LIRR, data.nysed.gov *Based on 99 sales in the past six months, according to OneKey MLS 

NOW ON THE MARKET

$3 million

Set in the Gracewood gated community, this four-bedroom, 4½-bath Colonial with an open floor plan was built in 1998 on 0.23 acre. The primary suite has a large dressing room. A finished basement has a guest suite with full bath and an entertainment room. Community amenities include a clubhouse, indoor/outdoor pools, gym and tennis court. Taxes are $40,229. The homeowner’s association monthly fee is $1,400 plus a $250 special assessment. Rosalyn Meyer, Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty, 516-627-4440.

$1.95 million

This expanded Cape built in 1956 in Munsey Park has five bedrooms, 3½ baths and a two-car garage on 0.25 acre. There’s a large dining room, sunken family room, and new kitchen with European appliances and white Shaker cabinets. The primary bedroom and en-suite bath are on the first level. A lower level serves as a home gym, office or lounge. Taxes are $25,762; a sale is pending. Rula Baki, Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty, 516-627-4440.

$849,000

A two-bedroom, one-bath home in the Bayview Court section has a fireplace in the living room, an updated kitchen with granite countertops, an open-framed porch and storage in the attic and unfinished basement. The house was built in 1938 on a corner 3,638-square-foot lot on a cul-de-sac near town and the LIRR. Taxes are $10,873. Nicholas Colombos and Angela Dooley, Compass Greater NY, 516-517-4751.

RECENTLY SOLD

$4.05 million

Middle Dr.

Style Colonial

Bedrooms 6

Bathrooms 5 full, 2 half

Built 1920

Lot size 0.49 acre

Taxes $37,815

+/- List price +$552,000

Days on market 27

$2.1 million

Mallard Rd.

Style Colonial

Bedrooms 6

Bathrooms 6

Built 1967

Lot size 0.69 acre

Taxes $46,033

+/- List price -$599,000

Days on market 65

$880,000

Fourth St.

Style Colonial

Bedrooms 3

Bathrooms 2

Built 1927

Lot size 0.09 acre

Taxes $12,539

+/- List price +$82,000

Days on market 76

ON ONEKEY MLS 

Number of listings 50

Price range $699,990 to $11.9 million

Tax range $7,697 to $104,969