Buying in West Hempstead: TODs, easy commutes, community spirit draw homebuyers
Locals enjoy the outdoors at Halls Pond Park in West Hempstead. Credit: Howard Simmons
THE SCOOP A growing community, this hamlet touts its spirit, access to transportation and recreational pursuits that draw outsiders.
Anyone who wants to exercise will have several picks, but no one can miss Hempstead Lake State Park's 737 acres. The state this summer completed $50 million in renovations, from restoring the 1837 Hempstead Lake Dam to adding pickle ball courts.
Other places also boast a faithful following: the New York Equestrian Center, which opened about a century ago; Nassau County's Hall's Pond Park for quiet walks; and Hempstead Town's Echo Park Swimming Complex.
People are drawn to West Hempstead because of its location, said local resident Denise Lauth, a real estate agent at Signature Premier Properties.
"It's close to everything," she said. "I call it a commuter's dream."
West Hempstead has two exits on the Southern State Parkway, three train stations on the Long Island Rail Road's West Hempstead branch and a major business road, Hempstead Turnpike. It's a short ride to shopping in Garden City Village and at Roosevelt Field Mall.
Longtime staples of West Hempstead include the New York Equestrian Center, left, Witches Brew and Carvel. Credit: Howard Simmons
Housing options have multiplied in the past 10 years, not just with large, single-family homes, but with major developers and tax breaks from the Hempstead Town Industrial Development Agency. In September, a Commack developer broke ground on a $212 million complex of 428 apartments and retail space — the largest transit-oriented development project in Nassau's history, aimed at boosting low ridership at the West Hempstead terminal. The pet-friendly West 130 apartment building began renting out its 150 apartments in 2012. The same developer last year proposed another apartment complex at the site of a former supermarket but has since dropped plans.
Hempstead Avenue, top, and Hempstead Turnpike are home to many of West Hempstead' shops and restaurants. Credit: Howard Simmons
Woodfield Road also houses shops and eateries. Credit: Howard Simmons
At Riesterer's massive bakery, which opened in 1931, owner Karl Riesterer said the community is growing and believes its spirit is unmatched.
On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus and the local the fire trucks go on every block in the hamlet, a three-hour tour, said Riesterer, a 54-year resident of West Hempstead and one of its past fire chiefs.
In the first days after 9/11, he recalled, local residents "overwhelmed" fire department volunteers in meeting requests for equipment, filling up a truck carrying jackets, gloves, buckets and other material into Manhattan every night.
"It's civic minded," the baker said about the hamlet. "It's big but not too big where you lose track of everybody. You get to know everybody so that does make it nice."
Homes along Wildwood Drive, top, and Maplewood Street in West Hempstead. Credit: Howard Simmons
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are two co-ops, priced at $179,900 and $219,000, on the market.
SALE PRICES Between Nov. 1, 2022, and Oct. 31, 2023, there were 171 home sales with a median sale price of $625,000, according to OneKey MLS. The low price for that period was $320,000 and the high was $1.365 million. During that period a year earlier there were 217 home sales with a median sale price of $650,000. The price range was $410,000 to $1.88 million.
OTHER STATS
Population 20,729
Median age 38.3
Median home value $660,000
Monthly LIRR ticket from West Hempstead $253
School district, graduation rate West Hempstead (93.3%)
Libraries West Hempstead, Franklin Square, Hempstead
Transit NICE Bus Routes 6, 6x, 15
ON THE MARKET
$749,000
This $749,000 West Hempstead Cape was built in 1938. Credit: HomeSmart Premier Living Realty
This 1938 Cape with a stone front has four bedrooms, two baths, a den and a one-car garage. The living room area has a skylight, fireplace and sliding glass doors that open to a fenced-in back yard. The house also has a full basement. Taxes are $15,667. Julie Calabrese, HomeSmart Premier Living Realty, 516-860-7639
$669,900
This $669,900 Cape in West Hempstead contains three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Credit: NY Coastal Living
This three-bedroom, two-bath Cape has an eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, living room fireplace and den. There’s a one-car garage; full, finished basement; ductless, wall-mounted air conditioning units; and a back deck that leads to a brick-paved yard. Taxes are $13,467. Allen Munier, NY Coastal Living 516-297-7476
$219,000
This $219,000 condo in West Hempstead is in a pet-friendly complex. Credit: Signature Premier Properties/Denise Lauth
This one-bed, one-bath co-op has cathedral ceilings and an eat-in kitchen with granite counters. Built in 1960, the Hempstead Gardens co-op complex is pet-friendly and features an in-ground pool and barbecue area. The complex is close to the Southern State Parkway, LIRR station and bus routes. Maintenance is $904 monthly. Denise Lauth, Signature Premier Properties 914-584-2891
RECENTLY SOLD
$1.365 million
Adams Ave.
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 3½
Built 1943
Lot size 4.15 acres
Taxes $16,680
+/- List price +$165,000
Days on market 99
$830,000
Marlborough Rd.
Style Mediterranean
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 2
Built 1928
Lot size 0.14 acre
Taxes $16,554.44
+/- List price +$11,000
Days on market 72
$431,000
Oak St.
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 2
Built 1927
Lot size 0.09 acre
Taxes $15,189.77
+/- List price -$8,000
Days on market 290
ON ONEKEY MLS
Number of listings 32
Price range $179,900 to $1.599 million
Tax range $9,952 to $17,837
CORRECTION: The Hempstead Town Industrial Development Agency was misidentified in a previous version of this story.
