St. James: Downtown revitalization, sewer projects send community into upswing

Lisa Bove, left, and her daughter Kiwi Bove, both of... — Lisa Bove, left, and her daughter Kiwi Bove, both of St. James, enjoy food and drink at Soul Brew at The Shoppes at Green Hill in St. James. Credit: Rick Kopstein

By Frank LoveceSpecial to NewsdayJuly 29, 2026 1:45 pm

THE SCOOP St. James is on the upswing, with a bustling downtown, close malls and shopping and incoming infrastructure projects.

Take it from a native who moved away and was welcomed back in.

"So I grew up here, born in '79, moved to the city for about 20 years and I came back after Superstorm Sandy," said Nicole Garguilo, who in addition to being a St. James native is Smithtown's public information officer.

"And when I came back, St. James was very much almost a ghost town," she said. "There were 33 vacant storefronts on Lake Avenue alone."

Today, that avenue is a restaurant row, with French, Chinese, Italian, Persian/Mediterranean and vegan cuisine, plus an ice cream store, a diner, a wine bar and a regular bar with nights of live music and open-mic comedy. Just off Lake, on North Country Road, there's The Stone Goat Restaurant and Brewery, also with live music.

In the southeast corner of this roughly Idaho-shaped Smithtown hamlet, Smith Haven Mall, straddling St. James and Lake Grove, is undergoing a multimillion-dollar redevelopment. Among upcoming new tenants include clothing stores like Zara and GOAT USA, and restaurants like Boxcar Burgers and Ugly Dumpling. Smith Grove Shopping Center is also nearby.

Shops and small businesses line Lake Avenue, top, and North... — Shops and small businesses line Lake Avenue, top, and North Country Road in St. James. Credit: Rick Kopstein

New sewers are partially to thank for the boost. St. James is one of 14 Suffolk County communities undergoing such infrastructure upgrades as replacing cesspools with sewers.

It may not sound sexy, but "without sewers, you have insufficient water capacity" for many types of businesses, said Garguilo. Some work is already done beneath Lake Avenue, and Gargiulo said the project is expected to be completed in 2028.

"As we look ahead to sewer connectivity in the coming years," said Smithtown Supervisor Edward R. Wehrheim in a texted statement, "there is even greater potential for St. James to welcome even more outstanding dining establishments, cafés, boutique shops and destination businesses that will complement the charm and character already found along Lake Avenue."

Veterans Memorial Park was renovated in the past few years... — Veterans Memorial Park was renovated in the past few years to add pickleball courts. Credit: Rick Kopstein

Also refurbished in recent years are two of the hamlet's three parks. Veterans Memorial, with baseball, softball and soccer fields, a playground, a waterpark and basketball, tennis and volleyball courts, "was renovated a few years back" to, among other things, add pickleball.

As well, both it and Gaynor Park, offering baseball, basketball, softball, tennis and a playground, "have just been retrofitted with handicap-accessible restrooms," Garguilo said. "Also, we have some fun, interactive playground pieces for children on the spectrum."

Part of the Smithtown Central School District, St. James houses two elementary schools, a middle school and Smithtown High School East. The hamlet has its own Long Island Rail Road station.

Garguilo, living in her childhood home, is "trying to buy a house up the block. It's really not easy to buy a house in St. James. A house we were looking at last week was on the market for a day before it got an offer."

Homes along Acorn Road, top, and Hofstra Drive in St.... — Homes along Acorn Road, top, and Hofstra Drive in St. James. Credit: Rick Kopstein

SALE PRICES Between June 23, 2025, and June 22, 2026, there were 141 home sales with a median sale price of $735,000, according to OneKey MLS. During the same period a year earlier, there were 143 home sales with a median sale price of $720,000.

CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are four condos, priced between $429,000 and $649,000, on the market.

OTHER STATS

Median age 47.4

Median home value $699,000

Monthly LIRR ticket from St. James $394.50

School district, graduation rate Smithtown (97%)

Library Smithtown

Transit Suffolk County Transit Route 5

Sources: 2024 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR; data.nysed.gov; Suffolk County Transit

RECENTLY SOLD

$2.2 million

Cambon Avenue