Bay Shore: Apartments, downtown, proximity to water draw buyers
East Main Street in Bay Shore is home to small businesses, eateries and other shops. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
THE SCOOP Known for its sprawling waterfront and bustling Main Street, Bay Shore is a lively and popular locale.
"We have a theater; we have proximity to the hospital; we have Fire Island," said Town of Islip Councilman Michael McElwee. "It's a very unique hamlet that there's a lot going on in."
But in the early 2000s, much of Bay Shore's Main Street was vacant.
"There were three restaurants when I opened one," said McElwee, who owns The Penny Pub and Goody Two Shoes. "There's 31 now on Main Street."
In the past few years, blighted buildings were replaced by apartment complexes around the downtown area, most within walking distance of Main Street. Shoregate, a 418-unit development, opened in May 2024. A mixed-use, 156-apartment development, with 132 units designated for people age 55 and over, is slated to open in 2026.
"The town has really come around in the 20 years that I've been there," said McElwee, noting Main Street is the site of "Alive By The Bay" Tuesday nights in summer, with live music, dining and kids' activities and the Boulton Center for the Performing Arts, which recently reopened after a more than three-year closure due to COVID-19.
Bay Shore's proximity to Fire Island — and the ferries that take them there — is a perk for locals. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
In 1708, John Mowbray purchased land from the Secatogue tribe that became Bay Shore and Brightwaters. The Native Americans had called the land Panothicut or Penataquit, which experts believe meant "crooked creek," according to "Long Island: Our Story." By 1842, the area was named "Mechanicsville" for the men working in the mills and boatyards and officially dubbed Bay Shore in 1868, marking the arrival of summer tourists to the area.
Bay Shore was the Long Island home of the American Vitagraph Movie Studio, where the first silent films were made, notes Margaret (Meg) Smith, of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Real Estate.
"A lot of actors and actresses would come from the city and they had those little bungalows to live in while they were working at the Vitagraph building," Smith said.
Benjamin's Memorial Beach overlooks the Great South Bay and has a marina, pier and nearby spray park. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
The hamlet is home to the Bay Shore Yacht Club, where multiple generations have learned to sail on the Great South Bay.
"There's things like that that are generational that people who love Bay Shore tend to stay here and continue the tradition of their families," Smith said.
Homebuyers will find a range of home styles, from small bungalows along the canal to large, multimillion-dollar estates on the water.
Homes along Ocean Avenue, top, and Potters Boulevard in Bay Shore. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
SALE PRICES Between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025, there were 393 home sales with a median sale price of $620,000, according to OneKey MLS. During that period a year earlier, there were 370 home sales with a median sale price of $565,000.
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are three condos, priced between $240,000 and $799,000, and two co-ops, priced at $294,900 and $295,999, on the market.
OTHER STATS
Population 31,275
Median age 36
Median home value $623,000
Monthly LIRR ticket from Bay Shore $378
School districts, graduation rate Bay Shore (91%), Brentwood (77%), Islip (96%)
Libraries Bay Shore-Brightwaters, Brentwood, Islip
Transit Suffolk County Transit Routes 2, 7, 11, 12
Sources: 2023 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR; data.nysed.gov; Suffolk County Transit
ON THE MARKET
$2 million
This $2 million Bay Shore home has nine bedrooms. Credit: Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Built in 1890, this 5,646-square-foot Federal style home features nine bedrooms, 4½ bathrooms, an expansive two-story porch, intricate woodwork and moldings, the original wood paneled butler's pantry, a large sunroom with terracotta floor and four fireplaces. The 1.4-acre parcel includes a large deck and detached three-car garage. Taxes are $25,396. Margaret Smith, Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Real Estate, 631-647-7013.
$1.3 million
This $1.3 million Bay Shore home overlooks the Great South Bay. Credit: Andrew Mallory
This circa 1904 Victorian has five beds and 3½ baths. The 3,859-square-foot home has nine-foot ceilings, wood and marble floors, a family room with wet bar and integrated entertainment system, third floor primary suite with balcony overlooking the Great South Bay and a finished basement. The 0.6-acre gated property has eight deep water boat slips, a deck with built-in BBQ, a large barn and a carport. Taxes are $27,338. Tammy Ramsay and Eric Ramsay, Eric G. Ramsay Jr. Associates, 631-665-1500.
$939,000
This $939,000 Bay Shore home is 2,400 square feet. Credit: All Media NY/Andrea Onglengco
This 2,400-square-foot, four-bed, 2½-bath split level home has an updated custom kitchen, radiant heated floors on the main level, a generator connection box and security camera system. The fenced-in, 0.06-acre property has a heated swimming pool with new liner, heater and solar cover, a screened-in gazebo, deck and attached one-car garage. Taxes are $13,904. Michelle Furno, Signature Premier Properties, 631-647-4880.
RECENTLY CLOSED
$1.85 million
Post Lane
Style Ranch
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 3 full, one half
Built 1985
Lot size 1.32 acres
Taxes $39,839
+/- List price +$170,000
Days on market 18
$710,000
Saint Louis Avenue
Style High ranch
Bedrooms 5
Bathrooms 2
Built 1965
Lot size 0.53 acre
Taxes $15,986
+/- List price +$1,100
Days on market 34
$645,000
New Hampshire Avenue
Style Ranch
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 3
Built 1965
Lot size 0.19 acre
Taxes $9,341
+/- List price +$45,010
Days on market 8
ON ONEKEY MLS
Number of listings 73
Price range $240,000 to $5 million
Tax range $7,311 to $73,735
