Why Glen Head is beating the bust
Fork & Vine restaurant in Glen Head has a large, dark wood bar with an artistic vine installation that arches over the ceiling. (March 5, 2011) Credit: Doug Young
WHY IT'S BEATING THE BUST While there are several schools of thought on why this community is hot, education often tops the list. "Truthfully, I think it's the school system," says resident Sandi Lefkowitz of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty. "The superintendent, Ed Melnick, is hands on," Lefkowitz said.
Resident Lynn Goodman agrees, "Our superintendent is just amazing. You can call him on the phone and he'll tell you to come in that day."
WHAT THE NUMBERS SHOW From July 1, 2010, to July 31, 2011, there were 48 sales with a median sales price of $572,500, according to Multiple Listing Service of Long Island data. The low price was $300,000 and the high was $1,565,000. From June 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010, there were 47 sales. The median price was $520,000 with a low of $310,000 and a high of $983,000.
THE SCOOP "What I love about Glen Head is you don't have developments that look cookie-cutter," says Lefkowitz, noting that the treed and hilly landscape is typical of a variety of neighborhoods -- many of them named.
The downtown area, lined in part by a hardware store, restaurants and a library, is charming too, says Terry Sciubba of Sherlock Homes Realty in Sea Cliff.
While house prices top $1 million, buyers can find homes in the $500,000s and $600,000s that are in good condition, says Lefkowitz, noting that wasn't the case in 2005 and 2006.
ATTRACTIONS Glen Head Country Club; Glen Head Community Center; parks and athletic fields; Tappen Beach in Glenwood Landing
NOTABLE RESIDENT The late George Dade, a pioneer in Long Island aviation and the first director of the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, lived in Glen Head.
MORE STATS
Town: Oyster Bay
Area: 1.6 square miles
ZIP code: 11545*
Population: 4,697
Median age: 45.6
Median household income: $95,521
Median home value: $597,500**
LIRR time to NYC: 54 minutes to 61 minutes at peak
Monthly ticket: $254
School districts: North Shore
SOURCES: Census estimates; mlsli.com; Long Island Rail Road;
*Includes: Brookville, Old Brookville
**Based on sales in the past six months according to Multiple Listing Service of Long Island
