The vacation vibe of Port Washington's harbor lifestyle

Adding to the hamlet’s destination status is the PedalShare bikeshare program, which Port Washington was the first in Nassau County to implement, offering bicycles to rent at the Long Island Rail Road station, town dock and Manorhaven Beach Park.

Beloved mainstays of the community include The Dolphin Bookshop, established in 1946; North Shore Animal League America, now the world’s largest no-kill animal shelter, started in 1944, and Louie’s Grill & Liquors, a restaurant dating to 1905.

Recently, Plant a Row For the Hungry community garden has taken root behind the senior center to help fill local food pantries’ shelves. And developers have submitted a proposal to transform a 7-acre site on West Shore Road into a 176-unit, seven-story luxury apartment building, public marina and promenade, which some residents are opposing, saying it will create more traffic and overpopulation.

John Philip Sousa, known for composing “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” spent much of his time in Port Washington, often galloping into town on horseback from his home nearby to pick up his mail or go trapshooting with his pal Theodore Roosevelt. His namesake bandshell offers free concerts every Friday night in summer.

Most homebuyers today come from New York City, especially Brooklyn, says Gale Keenan of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty. “They like the more established older towns and they like activities, everything being close to the center,” she says.

The hamlet has a walkable downtown, with restaurants and shops along Main Street and nearby streets.

Port Washington has many pre-war Victorians and Colonials as well as many other home styles, with prices starting at $750,000 for a small village Colonial to $3 million for a large Colonial on a half-acre in Flower Hill.

The views over the harbor are  magnificent, says Dalimonte. “People come from all over just to watch the sunsets at the town dock,” she says.

Town North Hempstead

Area 4.18 square miles

ZIP code 11050

Population 16,753

Median age 42.7

Median household income $149,650

Median home value $964,000

Monthly LIRR ticket from Port Washington $243

School district, graduation rate Port Washington, 94%

Parks Stannards Brook County Park, Blumenfeld Family Park

Library Port Washington

Hospitals St. Francis Hospital, North Shore University Hospital

Transit NICE Route 23

This new 3,000-plus-square-foot angular Colonial home features four bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms, a gourmet kitchen with quartz countertops, primary suite with spa shower, hardwood floors, and modern transitional ceilings. The 0.17-acre property has an  attached two-car garage and access to Manhasset Bay Estates private beach and mooring rights. Estimated taxes are $25,000. Shohreh  and Soleyman Hakimian, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, 516-627-4440.

Built by noted Port Washington builder Walter Uhl, this 1930 Tudor has 2,497 square feet of space, three bedrooms, two full and two half baths, a living room with diamond-paned windows, wide-plank floor, stucco ceiling and wall, den with terra cotta floor, updated kitchen, and hardwood floors throughout. The 0.21-acre partially fenced-in property has a brick patio and access to Manhasset Bay Estates beach and mooring with fee. Taxes are $26,641. Gale Keenan and Laura Dunphy, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, 516-627-4440.

At about 2,000 square feet, this brick Cape built in 1953 has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, hardwood floors, central air and natural gas/hot water heating. The 0.11-acre property, which has a covered back patio and detached two-car garage, is in the center of Port Washington and is near shops, public transportation and highways. Taxes are $9,748. Kelly Gatanas, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 516-627-2800.

Capi Lane

Mackey Ave.

Sandy Hollow Ln.