Sea Cliff bustling with music, art, restaurants and more, residents say
Sea Cliff offers a village beach, above, parks, an art and music scene, a commercial district and attractions such as a library and museum. Credit: Howard Simmons
THE SCOOP
In Sea Cliff, a North Shore village situated atop a 120-foot bluff overlooking Hempstead Harbor, “we have all the ingredients of a community right in one square mile,” says mayor Edward Lieberman.
That includes parks, a village beach, an art and music scene, a commercial district and attractions such as a library, museum and marina.
“In the downtown area of Sea Cliff Avenue, there’s been a marked increase in occupancy,” Lieberman says. “All storefronts are occupied with pedestrian-friendly types of stores and boutiques, and there’s been an influx of restaurants for the small area we have.”
Some of those restaurants and pubs — such as the Mediterranean Bistro, the Oak Room Tavern and Still Partners — offer live music. “There’s also been a big influx of people outside Sea Cliff who come to experience our music and arts and dining scene,” Lieberman says.
A popular Gold Coast vacation retreat in the late 1800s due to its waterfront, resorts and proximity to Manhattan, Sea Cliff was “the Hamptons of the Victorian Age,” Lieberman says.
Evidence of the era remains scattered throughout the village, which boasts many Victorian homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lieberman says the Sea Cliff Landmarks Association is mapping the village’s historic walkways and stairwells that made the area a walkable community before the invention of vehicles. The walkways and staircases are being reconditioned as part of a multiyear project to once again make them accessible to the public, he adds.
This Sea Cliff Victorian on Roslyn Avenue, with three bedrooms and 1- 1/2 bathrooms, includes a wraparound porch, a living room with a fireplace, a formal dining room and an updated eat-in kitchen. Credit: Sherlock Holmes Realty Corp.
The village’s brick Tudor Revival-style firehouse, with its distinctive bell tower and wooden bay doors, underwent a recent $700,000 renovation to replace windows and overhaul the electrical system while maintaining its historic look.
Sea Cliff is best known for its antique homes, many of which are more than a century old, says longtime resident Terry Sciubba of Sherlock Homes Realty. Prices, she adds, typically range from around $400,000 to more than $1 million.
“It’s unlike any other place on Long Island,” Sciubba says. “We don’t have any major roads going through, there are no franchises. It’s very residential with a small downtown and a lot of restaurants and music.”
With free live music also offered at the beach and local parks, Sciubba says, “on any given night, if you want to hear music in Sea Cliff, you can.”
This five-bedroom, 2 1/2-bathroom Sea Cliff Colonial on Littleworth Lane is listed for $1.399 million. Credit: Gilligan Realty
CONDOS AND TOWNHOUSES
There are no condos or co-ops on the market.
SALES PRICE
Between May 1, 2018, and May 31, 2019, there were 55 home sales with a median sale price of $685,000, according to the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island. The low price for that period was $195,000 and the high was $3.225 million. During that time a year earlier, there were 58 home sales with a median sale price of $715,000. The price range was $235,000 to $2.1 million.
OTHER STATS
This Sea Cliff Colonial on 15th Avenue, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, features a living room with a fireplace and a screened porch. Credit: Sherlock Holmes Realty Corp.
Town: Oyster Bay
Area: 1.1 square miles
ZIP code: 11579
Population: 4,995
Median age: 44.6
Median household income: $115,691
Median home value: $735,000*
LIRR to NYC: 58 to 65 minutes at peak
Monthly ticket: $308
School district: North Shore
SOURCES: 2010 Census; mlslI.com; LIRR;
*Based on sales in the past six months, according to MLSLI
RECENTLY SOLD
$498,650
Cross Street
Style: Cape
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Built: 1938
Lot size: 61x101
Taxes: $15,225
Reduced: $56,350
Days on the market: 82
$680,000
Eighth Avenue
Style: High-ranch
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 2
Built: 1965
Lot size: 75x100
Taxes: $11,078
Reduced: $49,000
Days on the market: 130
$928,000
Clinton Street
Style: Victorian
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Built: 1898
Lot size: 100x125
Taxes: $16,542
Reduced: $7,000
Days on the market: 193
NOW ON THE MARKET
$599,000
This Colonial, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, features a living room with a fireplace, a screened porch and an en suite master bedroom. The 40-by-80-foot property, overlooking Prospect Park, also includes a basement and an attached one-car garage. Taxes: $12,890. Eileen Heimer, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, 516-606-6077
$799,000
This Victorian, with three bedrooms and 1 1/2 bathrooms, includes a wraparound porch, a living room with a fireplace, a formal dining room and an updated eat-in kitchen. The 60-by-80-foot property also has a full basement and walk-up attic. Taxes: $12,791. Terry Sciubba, Sherlock Homes Realty Corp., 516-671-1717
$1,399,000
This five-bedroom, 2 1/2-bathroom Colonial features a kitchen with a Wolf stove and a Subzero fridge, a master suite with heated floors and a spa bathroom with a steam shower, a media room with surround sound and a drop-down screen, and a full basement. The .66-acre property has a front porch and two back patios. Taxes: $23,973. Sarah and Eileen Gilligan, Gilligan Realty, 516-674-3777
On Multiple Listings
Number of houses: 34
Price range: $489,000-$2.35 million
Tax range: $10,364-$37,796
