Looking to buy in Upper Brookville?
People walk around the Planting Fields Arboretum in Upper Brookville. (June 25, 2011) Credit: Photo by Yana Paskova
THE SCOOP Nestled in the Town of Oyster Bay on the North Shore, the village of Upper Brookville is a quiet, upscale community where homes, many of them baronial mansions set beyond private drives -- rest on sprawling properties.
The village is picturesque, says Shawn Elliott, owner-broker of Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates in Woodbury. "It's beautiful," echoes Cottie Maxwell Pournaras of Daniel Gales Sotheby's International Realty in Locust Valley, noting the area is also graced by the 400-plus acre Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park.
The village, with about 570 homes, is zoned in 2- and 5-acre sections, says Mayor Terry Thielen.
Currently, the least expensive property for sale is listed for more than $1.1 million. That's not an uncommon starting point, Pournaras says. It's also not uncommon for a property to contain amenities such as an in-ground pool, a pool house and tennis courts, local agents say.
When a house is renovated or torn down, the owner must adhere to building restrictions for height, cubic footage and setback requirements, Thielen says.
The community's location offers easy access to Northern Boulevard as well as to nearby restaurants and shops, Elliott says.
Pournaras says she has seen buyers come from Manhattan and overseas. "I'm busy, but I think everyone is tightening their belts a little bit. It used to be someone fell in a love with a house and bought it." Buyers are now looking at property taxes more than ever, she adds.
SALES PRICE According to Multiple Listing Service of Long Island data, there have been 16 sales since May 2010 with a median price of $1,467,500. The low price was $950,000 and the high was $5,200,000. From April 2009 to April 2010, there were eight sales. The median price was $1,775,000 with a low of $1,088,000 and a high of $2,850,000.
ATTRACTIONS The private Mill River Club
OTHER STATS
Town: Oyster Bay
Area: 4.3 square miles
ZIP code: 11771
Population: 1,568
Median age: 43.4
Median household income: $192,188
Median home value: $1,432,500*
LIRR time to NYC: From Hicksville, 39 minutes to 52 minutes at peak
Monthly ticket: $254
School districts: Locust Valley and Oyster Bay-East Norwich
SOURCES: Census estimates; mlsli.com; Long Island Rail Road
*Based on sales in the past six months according to MLSLI; Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty
