Kayaking on Upper Yaphank Lake

Kayaking on Upper Yaphank Lake Credit: Randee Daddona

THE SCOOP

Yaphank gets its name from the Indian word Yamphanke, meaning riverbank, and was a hub of commerce in the late 1800s, with multiple grist mills, lumber mills, blacksmith shops, a stagecoach line and several retail outlets.

The community lapsed into relative quietude for decades. Part of the area now awaits a return to the hustle and bustle of the past with The Boulevard, a complex under construction west of William Floyd Parkway and north of the Long Island Expressway.

People at Upper Yaphank Lake

People at Upper Yaphank Lake Credit: Randee Daddona

It will include luxury rentals and townhomes, a Walmart Supercenter, restaurants and service-oriented shops, according to Michael Loguercio, Brookhaven Town councilman. "The complex plans include open green space that will stay that way," he says.

Fishing in Upper Yaphank Lake

Fishing in Upper Yaphank Lake Credit: Randee Daddona

The rest of Yaphank remains laid-back. "Yaphank is a small, bucolic town with a lot of open space and a very small-town feel," says Chris Sosik of H&G Realty in Middle Island. Like most Long Island communities now, housing inventory is low, and demand is high, according to Sosik. "There are bidding wars, and houses are selling over asking price."

The Homan-Gerard House, which dates to 1820, is among several historical...

The Homan-Gerard House, which dates to 1820, is among several historical properties maintained by the Yaphank Historical Society. Credit: Randee Daddona

The storied community has several properties maintained by the Yaphank Historical Society. They are the Hawkins House, the Mary Louise Booth House, the Swezey-Avey House, and the Homan-Gerard House and Mills. "This is our passion, and we’ve been preserving homes and Yaphank history since 1974," says Helen Kalbach, curator at the historical society.

CONDOS AND CO-OPS

There are three condos on the market ranging in price from $289,990 to $719,000.

SALE PRICES

Between Jan. 31, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2021, there were 29 home sales with a median sale price of $381,000, according to OneKey MLS. The low price for that period was $170,000 and the high was $635,000. During that period a year earlier, there were 33 home sales with a median sale price of $330,000. The price range was $170,000 to $540,000.

OTHER STATS

Town Brookhaven

Area 13.7 square miles

ZIP code 11980

Population 6,638

Median age 39.3

Median household income $101,250

Median home value $385,500*

Monthly LIRR ticket $461 from Yaphank

School districts and graduation rates Longwood 85%, South Country 83% (NYS average 83%)

Parks Dennis Puleston Warbler Woods Nature Preserve, Southaven County Park, Howie Carpluk Memorial Park

Library Longwood Public Library, Middle Island

Hospitals Long Island Community Hospital, Patchogue

Transit Suffolk County Transit bus route 68

SOURCES: 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; OneKey MLS; LIRR, sct-bus.org

*Based on 20 sales in the past six months, according to OneKey MLS

NOW ON THE MARKET

Priced at $719,000, this two-bedroom, 2½-bathroom condo on Grace Hall Lane...

Priced at $719,000, this two-bedroom, 2½-bathroom condo on Grace Hall Lane is in the Country Pointe Meadows complex. Credit: Beechwood Homes|Country Pointe Meadows

$719,000

Located in the Country Pointe Meadows condo complex, this two-bedroom, 2½-bathroom developer-owned unit offers 2,187 square feet of living space with an open floor plan, custom millwork and a main-floor master suite. Taxes are $7,000. Mark Doneson, Premier Properties at Meadowbrook Pointe, 516-713-6626.

Priced at $450,000, this three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on Sommerset Drive in...

Priced at $450,000, this three-bedroom, two-bathroom home on Sommerset Drive in Yaphank sits on a 0.75-acre lot. Credit: Picture Perfect Photos/Sharon Sarinick

$450,000

Updates to this three-bedroom, two-bathroom high ranch include new triple-pane windows and an in-ground irrigation system. The home, in the South Country school district, sits on a 0.75-acre lot on a cul-de-sac. Taxes are $10,361. Tina Jahrsdoerfer, Signature Premier Properties, 631-585-8400.

Priced at $319,000, this condo with three bedrooms, one full...

Priced at $319,000, this condo with three bedrooms, one full bathroom and two half-baths is in the Whispering Pines complex in Yaphank. Credit: Marilyn Bonsignore

$319,000

This condo with three bedrooms, one full bathroom and two half-bathrooms is an end unit with an attached garage, and comes fresh off a renovation, with new windows, HVAC system, appliances and bathrooms. Taxes are $4,850. Marilyn Bonsignore, Century 21 Cor-Ace Realty, 631-878-3400.

RECENTLY SOLD

$635,000

Address Sommerset Drive

Style Victorian

Bedrooms 4

Bathrooms 3½

Built 2000

Lot size 0.89 acre

Taxes $13,215

+/- list price -$14,900

Days on market 126

$485,000

Address German Boulevard

Style Colonial

Bedrooms 4

Bathrooms 2½

Built 2005

Lot size 1.25 acres

Taxes $11,800

+/- list price -$25,000

Days on market 113

$291,500

Address Private Road

Style High ranch

Bedrooms 3

Bathrooms 2

Built 1945

Lot size 0.34 acre

Taxes $5,573

+/- list price -$7,500

Days on market 171

ON ONEKEY MLS

Number of listings 9

Price range $289,990 to $719,000

Tax range $4,772 to $16,162

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