Buying in West Babylon: Tight-knit, diverse community with farming roots
The southern tip of West Babylon meets the Great South Bay and is home to the Bergen Point Yacht Basin and Bergen Bay Docks. Credit: John Roca
THE SCOOP Known for Belmont Lake State Park and community institutions like the Old Fashioned Ice Cream Shoppe, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, West Babylon is a hamlet where local traditions, sports and friendships rule.
"It's a tight-knit community," said Renee Milani, a real estate agent with Douglas Elliman, who has lived there for 20 years.
In times of crisis, like a recent home fire, neighbors rally around one another, noted Milani.
"We've built lifelong friendships in this town," she said.
Van Bourgondien House is home to the Babylon Town Historical Society and sits in a park named for the family. Credit: John Roca
Activities abound at Belmont Lake State Park, which has boating, fishing, horseback riding, cycling, hiking and cross-country skiing. Other popular spots are Phelps Lane Park, known for its playing fields and community swimming pool, Bergen Point Golf Club and the Great South Bay, which meets the hamlet at its southern border.
Recent developments include the sewer expansion along the Belmont Lake area, said Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer, who called West Babylon "a wonderful, diverse community that offers a lot of great opportunities for those who are looking for their first home or to rent."
Schaffer also touted the community's "excellent schools," saying they "provide kids with great learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom."
Great South Bay Shopping Center on Montauk Highway houses many area retail shops. Credit: John Roca
When the Town of Babylon was created in 1872, West Babylon was a patchwork of woods and farms. By 1880, the first school was built, and seven years later a small community had developed around the farms near the triangle formed by Great Neck Road, Farmingdale Road and Arnold Avenue. The small farms flourished until just before World War II, when development picked up and Bulk's and Van Bourgondien's flower bulb farms were converted into parks and for other uses.
The Main School became apartments for seniors, Haab Farm became West Babylon High School and Montauk Highway morphed from a dirt road with small estates into a busy commercial roadway. Post-WWII, a housing boom turned West Babylon into the most populous hamlet in the town.
Today, homebuyers will find predominantly Colonials, split-levels and Capes.
Homes along Silver Street, top, and Bermuda Road in West Babylon, where homes are mostly Colonials, split-levels and Capes. Credit: Newsday/John Roca
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There is one condo, priced at $334,888, on the market.
SALE PRICES Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023, there were 240 home sales with a median sale price of $565,000, according to OneKey MLS. The low price for that period was $329,000 and the high was $1 million. During that period a year earlier there were 363 home sales with a median sale price of $540,000. The price range was $235,000 to $970,000.
OTHER STATS
Population 43,397
Median age 43.3
Median home value $585,000
Monthly LIRR ticket from Babylon $341
School districts, graduation rates West Babylon (94.5%), North Babylon (93.3%), Babylon (93.7%), Lindenhurst (93.8%)
Libraries West Babylon, North Babylon, Babylon, Lindenhurst
Transit Suffolk County Transit Routes 2, 3, 10
ON THE MARKET
$799,000
This $799,000 West Babylon home contains around 2,000 square feet. Credit: Andrea Onglengco
At approximately 2,000 square feet, this remodeled six-bed, three-bath home features new tile floors, an office, an open kitchen/living/dining area, sunroom and a finished basement. The home has a new roof and solar panels. The fenced-in 0.14-acre property has an above-ground swimming pool, patio, shed and attached one-car garage. Taxes are $11,563. Faye Samim, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 516-921-2262.
$634,999
This $634,000 West Babylon home has four bedrooms. Credit: Benny Migs Photo
This approximately 2,700-square-foot home faces a small body of water off Brookvale Avenue. It features four bedrooms, two bathrooms, updated tile floors and an updated kitchen with granite counters, stainless steel appliances and built-in deep fryer. The fenced-in 0.16-acre property includes a one-car garage with workshop and a deck. Taxes are $11,926. Manuel Rivera Jr., Marylou Swan Realty, 631-289-5550.
RECENTLY SOLD
$1 million
Arnold Ave.
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 5
Bathrooms 3
Built 2023
Lot size 0.23 acre
Taxes TBD
+/- List price +29,000
Days on market 172
$740,000
Alto St.
Style High ranch
Bedrooms 5
Bathrooms 3
Built 1963
Lot size 0.32 acre
Taxes $15,130
+/- List price +$41,000
Days on market 42
$380,000
Schenectady Ave.
Style High ranch
Bedrooms 5
Bathrooms 2
Built 1964
Lot size 0.23 acre
Taxes $10,930
+/- List price -$90,000
Days on market 89
ON ONEKEY MLS
Number of listings 32
Price range $334,888 to $1.1 million
Tax range $10,856 to $41,068
