If you're thinking of buying in Coram

THE SCOOP Good things are happening in Coram, says Erma Gluck, president of the Coram Civic Association. For instance, plans are moving forward to redevelop a 16.77-acre site on Middle Country Road where the old UA Theater sits, says Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Connie Kepert. A plan includes housing, public spaces and commercial development, she adds.

This ethnically diverse community is about five minutes from Port Jefferson Village and about 20 minutes to the ocean beaches, says former resident Lisa Lilly, owner-broker of Century 21 Rustic Realty. Strip shopping centers, restaurants and fast-food chains dot Middle Country Road and Route 112.

Coram offers a variety of housing choices, including single-family homes, condos, co-ops and rentals. "There are some very affordable homes in Coram," says Brenden Burns of Charles Rutenberg Realty.

CO-OPS One- and two-bedroom units, from $80,000 to $158,000, says Burns

CONDOS AND TOWN HOUSES $159,900 to $320,000

RENTALS Units in newer complexes with amenities fetch about $2,200 per month to $2,400 per month, says Lilly, noting units in older complexes run at about $1,600 or $1,700 a month.

SALES PRICE Since last March, there have been 139 sales, with a median price of $273,480, according to Multiple Listing Service of Long Island data. The low was $55,000 and the high was $406,000. From February 2009 to February 2010, there were also 139 sales. This time the median price was $281,000, with a low of $47,500 and a high of

$499,999.

ATTRACTIONS Diamond in the Pines

Park on Route 112 offers athletic fields, playgrounds and a pavilion; Coram Equestrian Center on Mill Road; the Pine Ridge Golf Club is open to the public, while Bretton Woods Country Club is private.

OTHER STATS

Town: Brookhaven

Area: 13.8 square miles

ZIP code: 11727

Population: 38,431

Median age: 37.6

Median household income: $79,845

Median home value: $260,000*

LIRR time to NYC: From Port Jefferson, 1 hour, 36 minutes to 1 hour, 53 minutes at peak

Monthly ticket: $334

School district: The majority of students attend Longwood. Others go to Middle Country; a few attend Comsewogue

SOURCES: Census estimates; www.mlsli.com; Long Island Rail Road; Newsday, Our Towns.

*Based on sales in the past six months according to MLSLI