Franklin Square: Proximity to NYC, festivals, longtime stores draw buyers
Franklin Avenue is home to longtime community staples like Ralph's Italian Ices. Credit: Howard Simmons
THE SCOOP Franklin Square is a relatively low-key hamlet that touts a bit of history and residents eager to boost quality of life, attracting multigenerational families from New York City boroughs, less than 15 minutes away.
Street fairs, art markets and other festivals are a highlight of living in the community. At year-end holidays, the fire department, Franklin Square Civic Association and other groups host tree lighting ceremonies, said Katherine Tarascio, a lifelong resident, secretary for the civic association and volunteer at the Franklin Square Historical Society's museum.
"There are a lot of organizations who are always working together to do a lot of great things," Tarascio said. "Even though there are a lot of new people and there are more houses and more families, it still has that tight-knit community feel to it."
Town of Hempstead Rath Park has basketball courts and pool facilities for locals to enjoy. Credit: Howard Simmons
In recent years, residents and local groups have been lobbying Hempstead Town to help fill empty storefronts on Hempstead Turnpike and strengthen town landmark laws.
A main focus is the shuttered Franklin Square Cinemas, a 1933 Art Deco theater given Hempstead Town landmark status in 2019 after Tarascio spearheaded the cause. The theater was designed by the same architect who drew plans for Riverhead's restored Suffolk Theater, now a downtown anchor that attracts visitors, a playbook that residents want to use in Franklin Square, Tarascio said.
The area was once part of the vast Hempstead Plains before it became farmland. In 1790, George Washington's tour of Long Island took him through the area. He wrote it was "entirely treeless except for a few scraggly fruit trees." In 1840, future poet Walt Whitman was briefly a local schoolmaster there. The 1905 Schoenlein-Mott House, another town landmark, is one of the area's first buildings designed as a home rather than a farmhouse.
The 1929 headquarters of the once powerful Franklin National Bank, which issued the nation's first credit card and is now occupied by Chase, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The bank helped Franklin Square become one of the Island's fastest growing communities after World War II.
Plattduetsche Park is a popular beer garden and events space in Franklin Square. Credit: Howard Simmons
Multigenerational families have sought homes in the community, real estate agent Baldassare "Baldo" LaRussa said, resulting in houses that are rebuilt bigger and listing prices topping more than $1 million.
Franklin Square does not have a station, but communities around it do. Many buyers from New York City have been looking for something between the business and the quiet suburbs, finding it in Franklin Square with its new Peruvian restaurants, a well-reviewed Thai place and the notable Plattduetsche Park beer garden and festival venue, residents said.
"I think this town is beautiful," LaRussa, who works at Keller Williams, said of Franklin Square. "It's got great culture, it's got great people. It's such a beautiful blend and it does remind me of the boroughs."
Homes along Robin Road in Franklin Square, which locals say draws city residents in search of a median between busy and suburban. Credit: Howard Simmons
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are no condos or co-ops on the market.
SALE PRICES Between June 26, 2023, and June 25, 2024, there were 150 home sales with a median sale price of $725,000, according to OneKey MLS. During that period a year earlier, there were 166 home sales with a median sale price of $654,830.
OTHER STATS
Population 31,969
Median age 40.7
Median home value $732,500
Monthly LIRR ticket from Stewart Manor $253
School districts, graduation rates Valley Stream Central (94.1%), Sewanhaka (95.3%)
Libraries Franklin Square, Elmont
Transit NICE Bus Route 25
Sources: 2022 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR, data.nysed.gov
ON THE MARKET
$1.4 million
This $1.4 million Franklin Square home contains six bedrooms. Credit: East Coast Realtor
This six-bed, three-bath Colonial was renovated with a new roof, windows, solar energy, generator, security system and other features. Three of the bedrooms are on the first floor and three on the second. There are also guest quarters, a finished basement, one-car garage, attic and backyard shed. Taxes are $20,377. Tina Hill, 718-288-1708, East Coast Realtors
$699,000
This $699,000 Franklin Square home was built in 1940. Credit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Built in 1940, this three-bedroom, two-bath Cape was renovated with a new roof, floors and other features. There is a full, finished basement and a one-car garage. Taxes are $8,820. Sandra A. Pino, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 516-343-3029
RECENTLY SOLD
$1.3 million
Catalpa Drive
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 5
Bathrooms 4½
Built 2024
Lot size 0.2 acre
Taxes $13,970
+/- List price -$189,000
Days on market 87
$860,000
Hoffman Street
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 2
Built 1938
Lot size 0.11 acre
Taxes $11,994
+/- List price +$62,000
Days on market 137
$548,000
Catherine Avenue
Style Bungalow
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 1
Built 1924
Lot size 0.09 acre
Taxes $7,505
+/- List price -$51,999
Days on market 248
ON ONEKEY MLS
Number of listings 19
Price range $679,000 to $1.6 million
Tax range $8,820 to $20,377
