Buying in Baldwin: Waterfront homes, downtown revitalization a draw
Diana Maloney, owner of Cafe Oasis in Baldwin, and her daughter, Demi, shop at Wick's Florist on Grand Avenue. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
THE SCOOP With beaches a 15-minute drive away and a burgeoning downtown area, Baldwin draws homebuyers with a mix of convenience, short commutes and waterfront homes.
Located on the South Shore in the Town of Hempstead, Baldwin is around a 35-minute commute to New York City and is a short drive to both Jones Beach and Long Beach.
A large revitalization project in downtown areas of Baldwin has been on the path to full approval by the town. It includes The Grand at Baldwin, a $100 million project by Breslin Realty Development Corp., featuring 215 rental apartments and 5,000 square feet of retail stores and restaurants along Grand Avenue and Sunrise Highway.
A main area of shopping and restaurants is Grand Avenue near Sunrise Highway. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Commutes to Manhattan from the Baldwin Long Island Rail Road station are generally under an hour. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Another project, the PGD Baldwin Commons, is going through the approval process for a $16 million building with 33 one- and two-bedroom apartments on Merrick Road as part of a workforce housing initiative, reserved for tenants making up to 60% of the area's median income.
In addition to an array of parks — it has five, including the large Baldwin Park with sports fields and dog areas — Baldwin also has miles of canals and homes on the open bay. Baldwin Harbor is a more exclusive area of Baldwin that shares the same ZIP code and schools.
Silver Lake Park is one of five parks in Baldwin. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Baldwin Shopping Center on Grand Avenue houses a host of restaurants and shopping. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Entry point Capes and ranches start in the mid-$500,000s, with prices of $900,000 or more for large homes in the Baldwin Harbor area.
"It's a highly mixed community as far as housing," says Erik Mahler, owner of Mahler Realty in Baldwin, and a lifelong resident. "There's a lot of mixed styles, from center hall Colonials to ranches."
Homes along Church Street in Baldwin, which is a "highly mixed community as far as housing," said Erik Mahler, owner of Mahler Realty. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Barnes Avenue is one of many streets in Baldwin near the water. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Baldwin is on land of the Meroke Native American tribe along the South Shore. The date of the arrival of the first European settlers is not known, but in 1660, the area was known as Hick's Neck for settler John Hicks. It was later changed to Baldwinsville, and then to Baldwin.
By 1890, the port town had three hotels and several boarding houses, but it wasn't until the late 1920s that the area expanded.
Baldwin Fire Department headquarters. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are three condos and co-ops on the market, priced between $215,000 and $256,725.
SALE PRICES Between May 1, 2022, and April 30, 2023, there were 187 home sales with a median sale price of $625,000, according to OneKey MLS. The low price for that period was $251,000 and the high was $1.1 million. During that period a year earlier there were 224 home sales with a median sale price of $601,969. The price range was $320,000 to $2.103 million.
OTHER STATS
Town Hempstead
Area 4.11 square miles
ZIP code 11510
Population 33,919
Median age 42
Median household income $126,329
Median home value $589,000
Monthly LIRR ticket from Baldwin $277
School district, graduation rate Baldwin (94.8%)
Parks Baldwin Park, Lofts Pond Park, Silver Lake Park
Library Baldwin
Hospitals Mount Sinai South Nassau
Transit NICE Bus Route 35
Sources: 2020 Census; 2020 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS; LIRR, data.nysed.gov
ON THE MARKET
$850,000
This $850,000 split level home in Baldwin sits on 0.15 acre. Credit: VHT Studios/Jim Porcaro
This 1,800-square-foot split-level home has four bedrooms, three baths and sits on a ¼-acre. Built in 1959, the home has bathrooms and kitchen that have been recently updated. The living area features a large entry, hardwood floors, skylights, fireplace and sliders leading to the outdoor deck. The roof is seven years old, and the home has a finished basement. Taxes are $18,399. Darab Kevin Lawyer, Compass Greater NY, 516-242-0036.
$629,000
This $629,000 Colonial in Baldwin was built in 1916. Credit: floorplansonline.com/Maurice Stevenson
This two-story, waterfront Colonial has three bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms. Built in 1916, the home has an updated roof and renovated kitchen and baths. The home is set on a dead-end, 0.18-acre plot with 80 feet of bulkhead. Taxes are $13,852. Cristhian Cervantes, Coach Real Estate Associates Inc., 631-567-8500.
$548,400
This $548,300 Colonial in Baldwin Harbor is on the water. Credit: Tracy Mahler
Built in 2015, this 1,100-square-foot waterfront Colonial features a large open kitchen, wood floors, new bathrooms and high-efficiency heating system. With two bedrooms and 1½ bathrooms, the home has 80 feet of bulkhead and sits high off the ground. A back deck overlooks two canals that lead to Baldwin Harbor Bay. Taxes are $7,545. Erik Mahler, Mahler Realty, 516-223-3111
RECENTLY SOLD
$790,000
Alhambra Rd.
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 3
Built 2022
Lot size
Taxes $13,000
+/- List price -$9,900
Days on market 88
$580,000
Central Avenue
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 2
Built 1920
Lot size 0.23 acre
Taxes $17,249
+/- List price -$19,000
Days on market 51
$400,000
Westminster Rd.
Style Cape
Bedrooms 5
Bathrooms 2
Built 1942
Lot size 0.15 acre
Taxes $15,400
+/- List price +5,000
Days on market 107
ON ONEKEY MLS
Number of listings 29
Price range $215,000 to $2.05 million
Tax range $8,825 to $40,000
