Belle Terre: Bird sanctuary, beaches, big properties draw buyers

Belle Terre resident Rich Koslowsky walks his dog, Lainey, past... — Belle Terre resident Rich Koslowsky walks his dog, Lainey, past the gazebo at Belle Terre Beach overlooking Long Island Sound. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas

By Frank LoveceSpecial to NewsdayUpdated February 9, 2026 8:29 am

THE SCOOP Driveways delve deep into the minimum 1-acre lots of homes half-hidden by trees in the North Shore enclave of Belle Terre. With fewer than 800 people in this less-than-one-square-mile village in the Town of Brookhaven, it is a place of quietude and privacy.

"All the properties are wooded. There aren't any sidewalks or streetlights. It's a bird sanctuary," Mayor Bob Sandak said. "We have a private park with a children's playground, a walking path and pickleball courts, and we have a private beach on Long Island Sound where we run a summer camp and we have private cabanas on the beach."

Those cabanas are a signature part of Belle Terre Beach — technically White Beach "but nobody calls it that," said Dena Tishim, president of the Belle Terre Community Association. "Everybody decorates their cabana. It's very cute," she said of the small changing rooms — painted blue or orange or red — that the village puts out and rents each year, along with racks for canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.

Belle Terre Private Beach, while barren in winter, houses colorful... — Belle Terre Private Beach, while barren in winter, houses colorful cabanas and plentiful activities in summer. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas

The village runs a six-week summer beach program for children age 4 to 16, offering an American Red Cross-approved swimming course, water safety, arts and crafts and other activities.

In addition to Belle Terre's private beach there is a public beach at the 113-acre McAllister County Park just across the village's northern border. Parking is extremely limited, so many people come by boat to the park's Pirate's Cove to anchor near the shoreline.

Belle Terre has no street parking, said the mayor, and "no commercial business of any kind." Amenities such as supermarkets and the Harbor Square Mall in adjacent Port Jefferson are only about "a 10-minute drive" away, Tishim said.

The few non-residential establishments in Belle Terre include the community center, top, and the village hall. Credit: John Paraskevas

There also are no institutional buildings, excluding the combined village hall/community center/constabulary. Belle Terre is within the Port Jefferson School District, consisting of three schools: elementary, middle and high.

Community activities abound, however. "We have new-resident parties," said the mayor. "We have Easter egg hunts, holiday parties an annual picnic." Sometimes there is free ice cream on the beach and bonfires for the 4th of July. As well, "We have a petting zoo that comes to our park once a year and we invite all the kids to come and pet the animals — and we get more adults than kids!" he quipped.

The woodsy nature and breathing room is what attracted Tishim and her family, which includes three children, to move from Jamesport. "We lived on the East End on a fairly large property, and my husband works in the city so we wanted to move farther west without losing the idea of having some acreage. And it was perfect for us because there's the 1-acre parcel minimum. So we feel like we have that kind of out east life but closer to the city."

Homes overlooking Port Jefferson, left, and along Seaside Drive in... — Homes overlooking Port Jefferson, left, and along Seaside Drive in Belle Terre. Credit: John Paraskevas

SALE PRICES Between Jan. 29, 2025, and Jan. 28, 2026, there were no home sales reported, according to OneKey MLS. During that period a year earlier, there were eight home sales with a median sale price of $975,000.

CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are no condos or co-ops on the market.

OTHER STATS

Population 766

Median age 52.2

Median home value $952,500 in 2024

Monthly LIRR ticket from Port Jefferson $394.50

School district, graduation rate Port Jefferson (98%)

Library Port Jefferson Free Library

Transit Suffolk County Transit Route 51

Sources: 2023 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR; data.nysed.gov; Suffolk County Transit

ON THE MARKET

$2 million

A 1986 contemporary, this five-bedroom, 4½-bathroom home of 6,184 square feet has a primary suite with jacuzzi, steam shower and balcony. It features smart-home technology, a whole-house generator and a three-car attached garage. Outside are basketball and tennis courts, an enclosed playground, a saltwater pool and a patio with gas BBQ and wood-burning pizza oven. Taxes are $32,871. Bonnie K. Liotine, Coldwell Banker M&D Good Life, 631-438-7222.

$875,000

This four-bedroom, four-bathroom expanded ranch boasts a living room with vaulted ceiling and fireplace, as well as a formal dining room and eat-in kitchen. There is central A/C, a full basement, an attached two-car garage and a backyard deck. The 2,900-square-foot home sits on 1.08 acre. Taxes are $19,436. Kalliopi C. Suarez, Howard Hanna Coach, 631-871-2909.

RECENTLY SOLD

$2.05 million

Sunset Path

Style Post modern

Bedrooms 5

Bathrooms 3½

Built 1998

Lot size 1.61 acre

Taxes $28,064

+/- List price -$649,990

Days on market 337

$1.5 million