Buying in Copiague: Waterfront, home prices, unique neighborhoods draw homebuyers
Copiague is home to many boaters who live along the water on canals, like this one on Eastern Concourse. Credit: Rick Kopstein
THE SCOOP Nestled between two well-heeled villages, Amityville and Lindenhurst, but with lower taxes and house prices, Copiague has drawn homebuyers for a century with waterfront living, unique neighborhoods and generous residents.
"It's a great waterfront community" and residents like the school district, said Carol Lynch, immediate past president of the Copiague Kiwanis Club and an associate broker at Realty Connect USA. "People go out of their way to be friendly to each other."
A century ago, gondolas took prospective buyers along the canals of Copiague and past bridges and winged lions to see houses in a development called American Venice.
It was one of several neighborhoods established in different eras, giving Copiague a unique charm, said Babylon Town historian Mary Cascone, who lived in American Venice 11 years and wrote "Copiague," an "Images of America" history book published in 2010.
Great Neck Road, top, and Montauk Highway are two main thoroughfares in Copiague and home to many restaurants and shops. Credit: Rick Kopstein
"It's not cookie cutter," Cascone said. "You can go down a street and you'll find a house that was maybe built in 1900, one in 1920 and one in 1960. There's a lot of character that's been influenced by all the people who have come over the decades."
With the arrival of the Long Island Rail Road, Copiague was marketed to Italian immigrants in the first half of the 20th century, but the area is now more diverse, with Polish and Latino immigrants also calling it home, locals said.
The waterfront Tanner Park, Babylon Town's largest park, boosts the appeal of living in a waterfront community, several residents said. People gather at its fishing piers to watch sunsets. Its 93 acres contain a spray park, band shell for concerts, boat launching area, athletic fields and courts, restaurant and senior citizen center. Festivals are held there and the park's bocce ball courts were recently revamped.
Tanner Park in Copiague is Babylon Town's largest park. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Copiague houses the town's oldest elementary school, Great Neck Road Elementary School, established in 1911 as a two-story wooden schoolhouse and is still in use, Cascone said.
In the past five years, more apartment buildings have gone up in Copiague, Lynch said. Many residents worry this will lead to more children in the schools, tax hikes and increased traffic, she said.
Also, there exists a little confusion about Copiague's identity, Cascone said, citing American Venice's Lindenhurst mailing address and Amity Harbor's Amityville mailing address.
Homes along Vespucci Avenue, top, and Greenlawn Terrance in Copiague, which has a number of neighborhoods with diverse home styles. Credit: Rick Kopstein
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There is one condo on the market, priced at $425,000.
SALE PRICES Between Oct. 1, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023, there were 109 home sales with a median sale price of $515,000, according to OneKey MLS. The low price for that period was $290,000 and the high was $951,000. During that period a year earlier there were 158 home sales with a median sale price of $482,500. The price range was $265,000 to $985,000.
OTHER STATS
Population 23,552
Median age 40.1
Median home value $522,000
Monthly LIRR ticket from Copiague $341
School districts, graduation rates Copiague (90%), Amityville (80.3%)
Libraries Copiague, Amityville
Transit Suffolk County Transit Routes 1, 2, 4, 10
ON THE MARKET
$749,990
This $749,990 Copiague home contains 2,400 square feet. Credit: Weichert Realtors
This newly-constructed Colonial has four bedrooms, 2½ baths, a stand-up attic, two zone central air and a one-car garage. Its 2,400 square feet covers a fireplace, laundry area and master suite with cathedral ceiling, free-standing tub and walk-in closet. The home will be tested under the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index to determine its energy efficiency, a rigorous process. Taxes are $15,000. Richard Rauff, Weichert Realtors, 516-316-2419
$629,999
This $629,999 Copiague home sits on a canal. Credit: Coldwell Banker
Situated on a canal, this four-bedroom, two-bath Colonial features a new 60-foot bulkhead and deck with water views. The backyard has recently-installed paver stones and a hot tub. The inside features a fireplace, walk-in closets and LED lighting throughout. Taxes are $13,952. Eliot Duran, Coldwell Banker, 631-245-5945
$489,000
This $489,000 Copiague home has taxes under $8,000. Credit: Advantage Plus Real Estate
This four-bedroom, one-bath Cape has an eat-in kitchen, a full, unfinished basement and a one-car garage. The fenced-in yard features sprinklers. The walkways and sidewalks are new. Taxes are $7,729. Anna Tambasco, Advantage Plus Real Estate, 631-957-0096.
RECENTLY SOLD
$951,000
Dolphin Ln.
Style Ranch
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 2
Built 1976
Lot size 0.39 acre
Taxes $21,098
+/- List price +$101,001
Days on market 58
$645,000
Anthony Ct
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 2½
Built 1999
Lot size 0.17 acre
Taxes $12,680
+/- List price -$15,000
Days on market 150
$375,000
42nd St.
Style Ranch
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 1
Built 1965
Lot size 0.34 acre
Taxes $12,358
+/- List price -$124,000
Days on market 93
ON ONEYKEY MLS
Number of listings 19
Price range $379,990 to $1.295 million
Tax range $3,382 to $23,904
