'Up and coming' Wyandanch on the rise, with new homes, shops, activities
Shirley Baker tends to fall cleanup at her home on Parkway Boulevard in Wyandanch. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
THE SCOOP With the ongoing development of Wyandanch Rising, a two-phase revitalization project centered on the Long Island Rail Road station, and the possibility of a charter school opening this year, Wyandanch is a beehive of development.
To date, four buildings of Wyandanch Rising’s Phase I have been completed: two residential buildings with 177 rental apartments and 35,000 square feet of retail space; an LIRR parking garage and a 124-unit affordable rental building, according to the Town of Babylon Planning Department.
Located next to the train station, the Wyandanch Village rental complex has amenities such as apartments with open floor plans and a fitness center. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
The train station building and Wyandanch Plaza have also been completed. A hub for community events, the plaza recently hosted the fourth annual Ujamaa Fest, a celebration of Black-owned businesses from the metropolitan area. It's also home to a popular ice skating rink.
Near completion are a 94-unit housing complex for seniors and the Wyandanch Resource Center. Up next are a 90,000-square-foot health and wellness center in Wyandanch Plaza and additional buildings and a park that are slated for Phase II.
Other developments are afoot in the 23-plus acre Geiger Park, including the Carlls River Botanical Garden, which opened in 2020 and will add greenhouses, an education center, Japanese garden, wedding garden and bird sanctuary, according to the town.
The Rinx at Wyandanch Plaza, shown in 2017, draws families for ice skating and also offers lessons. Credit: Bruce Gilbert
"A lot of the homes are being renovated," says Yenny Benitez, a real estate agent with Millennium Homes, noting that most of the housing stock comprises ranches and high ranches, with prices ranging from $439,000 to $550,000.
Wyandanch is "definitely up and coming," Benitez says.
Yet, Wyandanch is not without its issues: Some fear the charter school will take much-needed funds from other schools in the Wyandanch School District, which, since April 2020, has been assigned a state monitor.
A food market and other shops in Wyandanch. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Longtime residents are focusing on all the new growth.
Recalling his years playing football in Wyandanch for the Police Athletic League team, Babylon Town Councilman DuWayne Gregory says the hamlet has a special place in his heart. "It’s been good to see the transition over the years," says Gregory.
Homes along South 29th Street. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are no condos or co-ops on the market.
SALE PRICES Between Oct. 31, 2020, and Nov. 30, 2021, there were 76 home sales with a median sale price of $380,000, according to OneKey MLS. The low price for that period was $162,500 and the high was $565,000. During that period a year earlier there were 83 home sales with a median sale price of $324,450. The price range was $93,450 to $1.57 million.
OTHER STATS
Area 4.6 square miles
ZIP code 11798
Population 12,990
Median age 31.9
Median household income $59,076
Median home value $420,000*
Monthly LIRR ticket from Wyandanch $363
School districts, graduation rates Wyandanch (56%), West Babylon (92%)
Parks Wyandanch Park, Geiger Lake Memorial Park
Libraries Wyandanch, West Babylon
Hospital Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center
Transit Suffolk County Transit 2A, 2B, 23, 33
SOURCES: 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; OneKey MLS; LIRR, data.nysed.gov *Based on 33 sales in the past six months, according to OneKey MLS
NOW ON THE MARKET
Priced at $529,999, this expanded high ranch on Jefferson Avenue has more than 3,000 square feet of living space. Credit: Signature Premier Properties
$529,999
At just over 3,000 square feet, this expanded high ranch is one of the largest homes in the area. The four-bedroom, 3½-bath house has hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, stainless-steel appliances and quartz counters in the kitchen and a full finished basement. The 0.3-acre property includes a raised deck and two-car garage. Taxes are $16,282. Zachary Scher and Daniel O’Neil, Signature Premier Properties, 631-751-2111.
Priced at $469,999, this six-bedroom Colonial on South 19th Street features updates including a kitchen with granite counters. Credit: Gen X Realty
$469,999
A renovated 1,470-square-foot six-bedroom, three-bath Colonial built in 2004, this home has refinished oak floors, a kitchen with granite counters and stainless-steel appliances, new carpets in the bedrooms, crown molding and chair rail. With proper permits, the house could accommodate a two-bedroom rental. The property is fully fenced in. Taxes are $12,176. Vincenzo Boscaino and Leslie Boscaino, Gen X Realty Corp., 516-369-5265.
Priced at $429,999, this six-bedroom house is being marketed as an investment opportunity for a developer or contractor. Credit: EPM Real Estate Photography
$429,999
This six-bedroom, three-bath 1,642-square-foot Cape sits on a 0.14-acre fenced-in flat property in the middle of the block. The house needs work and is being marketed as an investment opportunity. Taxes are $9,742. Bryan Karp and Manuel Sanchez Rodriguez, Coach Real Estate Associates, 631-360-1900.
RECENTLY SOLD
$540,000
South 36th St.
Style High Ranch
Bedrooms 5
Bathrooms 2
Built 1965
Lot size 0.23 acre
Taxes $9,957
+/- List price +$65,000
Days on market 100
$387,000
South 26th Street
Style High Ranch
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 2
Built 1971
Lot size 0.19 acre
Taxes $13,645
+/- List price +$37,000
Days on market 126
$290,000
East Booker Ave.
Style Ranch
Bedrooms 2
Bathrooms 1
Built 1951
Lot size 0.14 acre
Taxes $7,164
+/- List price -$29,900
Days on market 166
ON ONEKEY MLS
Number of listings 17
Price range $295,000 to $559,000
Tax range $7,593 to $16,282
