Rocky Point home buyers find eclectic town with eclectic backstory
Rocky Point's Broadway Beach is run by the North Shore Beach Property Association. (Oct. 11, 2013) Credit: Ed Betz
Every community has a story, and the North Shore hamlet of Rocky Point has a pretty good one.
In the 1920s, this area on Long Island Sound became the focus of a newspaper marketing campaign. The New York Daily Mirror sponsored lot sales in Rocky Point to boost its circulation.
The strategy worked, as Rocky Point morphed into a summer community, says resident Michael McCarrick, owner of a real estate agency that bears his name.
Today, with most residents living there full time, the community has an eclectic New England feel, says Linda Albo of the Albo Agency. "You can find a variety of styles and neighborhoods," she says.
Areas north of Route 25A include beach associations. The largest, North Shore Beach Property Owners Association, has a stretch of beaches that include Friendship, Broadway and Beech Road. Homes priced less than $200,000 are selling well, McCarrick says.
The downtown around the 25A bypass and Broadway is home to some long-standing mom-and-pop shops. However, many businesses didn't survive when the bypass was completed, says McCarrick.
Funds are now available for a revitalization project. "We have $1.2 million," says councilwoman Jane Bonner. "A significant investment will be made in repurposing the infrastructure," she says.
CO-OPS. 13 listings between $69,900 and $119,000
RENTALS. Rents range between $1,200 and $1,800 a month.
SALES PRICES. From Aug. 1, 2012, to Oct. 10, 2013, there were 155 sales with a median sales price of $235,000, according to Multiple Listing Service of Long Island data. The low price was $59,990, and the high was $575,000. From Aug. 1, 2011, to Oct. 10, 2012, there were 114 sales. The median was $232,500 with a low of $50,000 and a high of $620,000.
ATTRACTIONS. The nearly 6,000-acre Rocky Point Natural Resource Management Area in the pine barrens has hiking and fishing.
OTHER STATS
Town: Brookhaven
Area: 10.3 square miles
ZIP code: 11778
Population: 14,003
Median age: Not available U.S. Census at deadline because of government shutdown
Median household income: Not available from U.S. Census because of government shutdown
Median home value: $235,500*
LIRR time to NYC: 1 hour and 36 minutes to 1 hour and 53 minutes at peak
Monthly ticket: $363
School district: Rocky Point
Sources: LIPA; mlsli.com; LIRR;
*Based on sales in the past six months, according to MLSLI