Living in: Upper Brookville, a ‘tranquil’ North Shore village
Upper Brookville is near Coe Hall at Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park. Credit: Daniel Goodrich
THE SCOOP
Upper Brookville is a “tranquil” North Shore village “known for its fine homes, aesthetic charm and pleasing landscapes,” says Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, who calls it “a truly unique community with an unmatched reputation for quality of life.”
The village has gone to great lengths to preserve that quality of life and the character of the community, says agent Cottie Maxwell Pournaras of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, enacting strict zoning laws that regulate everything from the size of the properties to which trees homeowners can remove.
There’s a great variety of homes on the market in Upper Brookville right now, Maxwell says. She’s currently showing everything from Colonials and Contemporaries to a Midcentury Modern home — even a five-acre horse farm and a 40-acre estate.
Upper Brookville also offers scenic attractions for residents and visitors alike. Maxwell recommends Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park with its more than 400 acres of formal gardens, woodland paths and greenhouses featuring renowned plant collections. The property was once a Gold Coast estate, and its original 65-room Tudor Revival Mansion, Coe Hall, is open for tours in the spring, summer and fall. Throughout the year, the arboretum hosts educational programs, concerts and cultural events for visitors of all ages.
Upper Brookville is also home to the Hope Goddard Iselin Preserve. The 42-acre preserve was once farmland, but is now home to diverse plant life, including a white pine plantation and oak forest, as well as many species of birds and small mammals. The wooded preserve features trails that are open to hikers and nature lovers every day from dawn to dusk.
SALES PRICE
Between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2015, there were 24 home sales, with a median sale price of $2,115,000, according to the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island. The low price for that period was $887,000, and the high was $6,925,000. During that same time period a year earlier, there were 16 home sales, with a median sale price of $1,331,250. The price range was $845,000 to $2,550,000.
SCHOOLS
Students attend Locust Valley and Oyster Bay high schools. In 2014, 78 percent of Locust Valley High School students earned a Regents diploma with advanced designation. That percentage was unchanged from 2013. In 2014, 55 percent of students graduating from Oyster Bay High School earned a Regents diploma with advanced designation. That’s up from 48 percent in 2013.
NOW FOR SALE
Starter, $1.699 million
This four-bedroom farm ranch offers three bathrooms and a half-bath, custom cabinetry in the eat-in kitchen, a living room with a fireplace, hardwood floors and radiant heat. There’s a heated, gunite pool and cabana on the two acre, cul-de-sac lot. Taxes are $20,904. Maureen Polye, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 516-582-5646
Trade-up, $6.995 million
This six-bedroom home, on 5.65 acres, offers six en suite bedrooms and an additional half-bath. There’s a formal dining room, a great room, three fireplaces, Brazilian cherry floors, mahogany doors, radiant heat and a finished basement. Taxes are $57,405. Steven Rubell, Laffey Fine Homes, 516-578-9151
High-end, $29.985 million
Situated on 40 acres, this five-bedroom Tudor offers four bathrooms, two half-baths and fireplaces in the library and study. There’s a heated gunite pool on the property, as well as a pool house and four guest cottages. Taxes are $250,426. Barbara Candee, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, 516-456-0330
ON MULTIPLE LISTINGS
Number of houses: 35
Price range: $1.298 million to $29.985 million
Tax range: $19,320 to $250,426
OTHER STATS
Town Oyster Bay
Area 4.3 square miles
ZIP code 11545, 11732 and 11771
Population 1,698
Median age 53.6
Median household income $208,750
Median home value $2,450,000*
LIRR time to NYC From Hicksville, 39-52 minutes at peak
Monthly ticket $287
School district Locust Valley and Oyster Bay-East Norwich
SOURCES: 2010 Census; mlslI.com; LIRR;
*Based on sales in the past six months, according to MLSLI
RECENTLY SOLD
Lawn Lane, $1.2 million
This center hall Colonial sold for its asking price after 114 days on the market. The 1964 home offers five bedrooms and three bathrooms and a half-bath baths, an eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, formal living room and maid’s quarters. There are two fireplaces, hardwood floors and a full, finished basement that includes a sitting room, game room, playroom and gym. The two-acre property features an inground gunite pool, a porch and a patio. There’s a deck with an outdoor cooking area and firepit surrounded by gardens with specimen plantings. Taxes are $19,593.
Fairway Court, $3.7 million
After 568 days on the market, this six-bedroom Colonial sold for $1.8 million less than its original asking price. The home has six bathrooms and a half-bath, an eat-in kitchen and fireplaces in the living room, family room, library, banquet-sized dining room and master suite. The 1998 home also offers hardwood floors, and an entertainment center, gym and cedar closet are in the full, finished basement. The five-acre property is on a cul-de-sac featuring an inground gunite pool, Har-Tru tennis court, formal gardens and an outdoor kitchen as well as a stone patio, deck and a three-car garage. Taxes are $48,744.
Chestnut Hill Drive, $6.925 million
With an original asking price of $7.588 million, this 1999 Colonial sold after 102 days on the market. The seven-bedroom home has 10 full bathrooms and three half-baths, nine fireplaces, an eat-in kitchen, a formal dining room, a family room, an entertainment room, a library and a great room. The full, finished basement features a den and a second kitchen. There’s an inground gunite pool, porch and patio on the five-acre lot, which is on a cul-de sac. The gated property also offers an eight-car garage and inground sprinklers. Taxes are $103,861.
