Melville: Schools, stores, parks, easy access to highways draw buyers
Bailey Brooke, 5, and Bodi Brooke, 2, play with leaves on the front lawn of their in Melville home. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
THE SCOOP Both the Long Island Expressway and the Northern State Parkway pass through Melville, cutting commuting times compared to many other locales. A Town of Huntington village, Melville is home to major big-box stores plus such local institutions as White Post Farms. There are high-ranking schools and a wide range of housing prices. But what Melville is really about is its parks.
And not just parks, of which there are eight in the 12.1 square miles of this community of nearly 19,200 people. There's also the West Hills Nature Preserve, the Pine Ridge Conservation Area and even part of Bethpage State Park.
Melville's Arboretum Park "is one of the nicer parks in the Town [of Huntington]," Huntington Supervisor Edmund J. Smyth said. "It's in a residential area, very quiet, very serene, and it features the Anne Frank Memorial Garden"— as well as tennis courts, handball courts, a playground, baseball field and basketball courts.
Jennifer Parkes, 53, walks her dog Loki in Melville's Arboretum Park. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
Sweet Hollow Park has sports courts, exercise equipment and a playground. Whitman Park has pickleball. The 31-acre Half Hollow Park features a sports complex and is home to the nonprofit HBC Soccer club.
Butterfly Park and the Dr. Jeffrey Wenig Memorial Park (formerly Roundtree Park) are primarily about nature trails, as is the most distinctive of all: Middle Earth Park — themed to J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings."
"There're a million parks," joked Melville Chamber of Commerce president Dave Gustin, "and plenty of restaurants, retail stores, religious places of worship, whatever denomination you want — it's all right here."
Children can enjoy themselves at White Post Farms, which features creatures ranging from giraffes to petting-zoo goats, along with pony rides and a birthday venue, and the Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts — within Melville's borders, despite a Wheatley Heights mailing address. For families, there is the bowling and entertainment center Lucky Strike. Golfers have the private 18-hole course The Greens at Half Hollow.
Juan Chamorro, 22, serves up slices at Victor's Pizza, top, where Matt Fertig, bottom, grabbed dinner for his family. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
Perhaps most promising for potential homebuyers is the project Melville Town Center, which aims to create a walkable downtown and revitalize vacant office and industrial buildings. Set to be located south of the LIE, it will feature mixed-use buildings with storefronts and residential units.
"The developer is in the process of doing due diligence, and we anticipate having public hearings on it in probably early 2026," said Smyth, who noted that "Melville Town Center doesn't abut any residential areas. So if you're buying a house in Melville, we intentionally drew the boundaries of the district so that it did not impact on any residential neighborhood."
Homes along Cabriolet Lane, top, and Vermont Street in Melville. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
SALE PRICES Between Dec. 11, 2024, and Dec. 10, 2025, there were 183 home sales with a median sale price of $926,000, according to OneKey MLS. During that period a year earlier, there were 203 home sales with a median sale price of $895,000.
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are 12 condos, priced between $629,000 and $1.6 million, on the market.
OTHER STATS
Population 19,187
Median age 50.8
Median home value $915,000
Monthly LIRR ticket from Farmingdale $287
School districts, graduation rates Half Hollow Hills (93%), South Huntington (89%)
Libraries Half Hollow Hills, South Huntington
Transit Suffolk County Transit Route 1
Sources: 2023 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR; data.nysed.gov; Suffolk County Transit
ON THE MARKET
$2.15 million
This $2.15 million Melville home sits on 0.95 acre. Credit: Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty
A three-bedroom, four-bathroom contemporary on nearly a full acre of land, this 4,194-square-foot home built in 1967 has central air, a stone fireplace, a dining room and an eat-in kitchen. Outside is a koi pond, a fire pit, a patio, a pool and an outdoor kitchen with grill. The two-car garage is attached. Taxes are $25,687. Gabriel Simoes, 631-921-2751, Meg Smith, 516-578-7153, Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty.
$1.15 million
This $1.15 million Melville home is a new construction. Credit: Russell Pratt
This new construction is a 2,350-square-foot Colonial with an open floor plan and a first-floor 9-foot ceiling. There are four bedrooms, 2½ baths, a dining room and a single-car attached garage. It features white oak flooring, central air, a gas fireplace and a full unfinished basement. Taxes are $16,000. Yevgen Panchenko, Signature Premier Properties, 917-626-7879.
$749,000
This $749,000 Melville home has three bedrooms. Credit: Homedia Group
A 1949 Cape Cod with three beds and 2½ baths, this 1,500-square-foot home features a fireplace and a single-car garage. The renovated kitchen offers stainless steel appliances, gas cooking, quartz countertops and an island. Located on a cul-de-sac, it has a backyard deck. Taxes are $8,604. Alicia V. Ramaizel, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 631-987-4109.
RECENTLY SOLD
$2.4 million
Country Meadow Court
Style Colonial, Post modern
Bedrooms 5
Bathrooms 3½
Built 1992
Lot size 1.04 acre
Taxes $32,673
+/- List price -$99,000
Days on market 100
$1.64 million
Coverly Place
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 5
Bathrooms 3½
Built 1999
Lot size 0.19 acre
Taxes $25,971
+/- List price +$141,000
Days on market 79
$725,000
Newton Lane
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 2
Built 1958
Lot size 0.25 acre
Taxes $14,293
+/- List price -$25,000
Days on market 80
ON THE MARKET
Number of listings 35
Price range $629,000 to $9 million
Tax range $5,723 to $54,088
