If you're thinking of buying in Bethpage
A variety of stores line Broadway in downtown Bethpage on May 17, 2013. Credit: Steve Pfost
"Everybody comes back to Bethpage," says resident Kim Testa of Charles Rutenberg Realty. "It has that small-town feel," adds resident Mary Macaluso of Realty Connect USA.
A portion of Stewart Avenue and Broadway is dotted with mom-and-pop shops, chains, eateries and services. There is a host of other commerce along Hempstead Turnpike, Route 107 and Hicksville Road.
Buyers can find a mix of split-levels, high-ranches, Capes and some Colonials generally priced from the $300,000s to the $700,000s.
It was in Bethpage that Grumman built the lunar module that landed on the moon in 1969. However, from 1949 to 1962, Grumman legally dumped chemicals, resulting in groundwater and soil contamination. The issue is being addressed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
"The diligence of the Bethpage water district has safeguarded residents from the environmental effects of the defense industry," says Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, a resident.
And the area continues to reinvent itself. Homeland Security has offices here as does the film industry, including Gold Coast Studios.
Town: Oyster Bay
Area: 3.6 square miles
ZIP code: 11714
Population: 16,603
Median age: 44
Median household income: $86,761
Median home value: $356,250
Monthly ticket: $276
School district: Most students attend Bethpage; others go to Island Trees or Plainedge
