Buying in Bethpage: Central location, amenities, Black Course are draws
Bethpage Community Park is home to a skate park. Credit: Rick Kopstein
THE SCOOP Known for its central location, home prices and access to town amenities, Bethpage gained fame for two giants; Grumman aerospace and defense corporation and golf championship games at Bethpage State Park, home to one the nation’s toughest courses.
Bethpage grew after Grumman arrived in 1936, with employees building the historic Apollo lunar module and waves of wartime fighter jets like the Hellcat.
The Black Course at Bethpage State Park is one of the most difficult and has hosted golf championships. Credit: Rick Kopstein
When Grumman shuttered in 1994, almost all the work moved off Long Island. The grounds are now the Bethpage Business Park, which touts two movie companies, Gold Coast Studios and Grumman Studios. Amazon had two facilities in Bethpage, but moved most of these operations to Syosset within the past year.
Bethpage State Park has hiking and biking trails, sledding and skiing. Among its five golf courses, Black Course is notoriously difficult and has seen the likes of Tiger Woods play championship games. In 2025, it will host the Ryder Cup.
Bethpage Public Library is on Powell Avenue close to the Bethpage LIRR station. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Homebuyers enjoy the proximity to Westbury and Hicksville shopping hubs, and find taxes are "pretty decent," said Navjit Sandhu, a real estate agent at Realty Connect.
"It's close to the highways and a little more affordable than the towns around it," Sandhu said.
Locals are proud of the many families who have lived in Bethpage for generations.
"A lot of these every day people that you see around town shopping and patronizing local business have a family legacy," said Lisa Moffa, president of the Bethpage Chamber of Commerce.
Main thoroughfare Hicksville Road is home to restaurants and retail space. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Bethpage was named by a Quaker, Thomas Powell, who purchased the land from Native Americans in 1695. In 1857, speculators got the name changed to Central Park, hoping to attract more residents. The name reverted to Bethpage in 1936.
Bethpage has had a noted glass factory, pickle factory and also Beau Sejour, a restaurant that opened in 1908 and served notables like the Kennedys, said Len Mulqueen, president of the Central Park Historical Society.
Bethpage Community Park boasts an indoor skating rink and a pool, but baseball fields have been cordoned off for years, awaiting a full cleanup after Grumman dumped hazardous waste there.
Residents are frustrated at the pace of cleanup — a process that state officials said would take until at least 2025 — but authorities give regular updates and results of well-water tests, Moffa said. Recently, the community celebrated the Bethpage Water District's 100th birthday and trust its new state-of-the-art water filtration system, she said.
Many families are still loyal to the Grumman name and Bethpage, because they prospered there when the company came to town, Moffa said: "There's a lot of pride in the community. It's because they feel like they're all connected. They look out for each other."
Clockwise from top: Homes along Silber Avenue, Fiddler Lane and MacArthur Avenue in Bethpage. Credit: Rick Kopstein
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are no condos or co-ops on the market.
SALE PRICES Between Oct. 1, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023, there were 221 home sales with a median sale price of $679,000, according to OneKey MLS. The low price for that period was $415,000 and the high was $1.4 million. During that period a year earlier there were 316 home sales with a median sale price of $630,000. The price range was $305,000 to $1.573 million.
OTHER STATS
Population 17,627
Median age 47.3
Median home value $635,000
Monthly LIRR ticket from Bethpage $284
School districts, graduation rates Bethpage (96.1%), Farmingdale (93%), Hicksville (91.8%)
Library Bethpage, Farmingdale, Hicksville
Transit NICE Bus Route 80
Sources: 2021 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS; LIRR, data.nysed.gov
ON THE MARKET
$829,999
This $829,999 Bethpage home contains 2,150 square feet. Credit: Realty Connect USA / Mandalay Luxury
This 2,150-square-foot expanded ranch has three bedrooms, two baths, leased solar panels and a three-car garage on a quarter-acre lot. A vaulted ceiling rises above the eat-in kitchen and formal dining room. The yard has a dining area, inground sprinklers and a heated, inground saltwater pool with a 2-year-old liner and new motor. Taxes are $13,629. Navjit K Sandhu, Realty Connect USA 347-605-2056
$799,999
This $799,999 Bethpage Colonial underwent a major renovation in 2019. Credit: EXP Realty
This Colonial-style home was built in 1923, but underwent a major renovation in 2019. The four-bedroom, 2½-bath house has an open floor plan, cathedral ceiling, a family room or den, a pantry and a long window seat in the dining and kitchen area. The fenced-in backyard features a brick patio bordering a grassy yard. The basement is partially finished. Taxes are $15,687. Jennifer Tucker, EXP Realty 516-361-2568
$599,000
This $599,000 Bethpage home was built in 1950. Credit: Realty Advisors
This 1950 ranch has three bedrooms, one bath, central air and a 1½-car garage. An updated gourmet kitchen contains stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, a bi-level center island and French doors. The fenced-in yard features paver stones and a shed. Taxes are $10,730. Nina Nieves, Realty Advisors, 516-410-3026
RECENTLY SOLD
$1.225 million
Romscho St.
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 5
Bathrooms 4
Built 2023
Lot size 0.14 acre
Taxes $12,100
+/- List price -$104,999
Days on market 96
$830,000
Park Ave.
Style Exp Cape
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 3
Built 1956
Lot size 0.23 acre
Taxes $12,079
+/- List price +$101,000
Days on market 110 days
$510,000
Cheshire Rd.
Style Ranch
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 1
Built 1951
Lot size 0.15 acre
Taxes $12,205
+/- List price -$9,777
Days on market 76 days
ON ONEKEY MLS
Number of listings 28
Price range $559,900 to $1.649 million
Tax range $10,950 to $14,100
