A 'great, big small town,' Valley Stream experiencing growth
Valley Stream State Park is one of several recreational green spaces in the area. Credit: Danielle Silverman
THE SCOOP Back in 2017, Money Magazine named the village of Valley Stream the best place to live in New York State for its proximity to New York City, major highways and the Long Island Rail Road.
Encompassing the incorporated village of Valley Stream as well as the areas of North and South Valley Stream, Valley Stream boasts several parks and is just a few miles from Kennedy Airport. It is home to the sprawling Green Acres Mall as well as a 12-block business district along Rockaway Avenue that has shopping and restaurants.
Homes along Fletcher Avenue in Valley Stream. Credit: Danielle Silverman
Valley Stream’s Chamber of Commerce has been active in bringing in multifamily housing to help support downtown businesses, notes Dominick Minerva, immediate past president of the chamber.
Several luxury rental apartment buildings have gone up and others are in the process of being approved or developed, says Minerva, who adds that Valley Stream is a very diverse community.
Valley Stream attracts many homebuyers thanks to its proximity to Queens, says Reese Kenchen, broker/owner of Fave Realty, who notes that the housing stock is predominantly Colonial, high ranch, and Cape-style homes that range in price from $550,00 to $1 million.
Rockaway Parkway is lined with shops and restaurants. Credit: Danielle Silverman
The area was named in 1843 by Robert Pagan, a Scottish immigrant, when he lobbied for a post office. His family home is now the Pagan-Fletcher Restoration museum. The hamlet also lays claim to the former Curtiss Airfield, from which such aviators as Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh took off.
The village has had some financial stress and saw Moody’s Investors Service downgrade its bond rating in 2019. But Mayor Ed Fare says the village is on the rebound and that he expects to have about $4 million in reserves once federal relief funds come in next year.
"This is a great, big small town," Fare says. "I’m a lifetime Valley Streamer and I love the growth and the changes and the positivity I’ve seen."
The Pagan-Fletcher Restoration museum, former home of Robert Pagan, a Scottish immigrant who lobbied for a post office in Valley Stream in 1843. Credit: Danielle Silverman
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are 13 condos and co-ops on the market ranging in price from $189,000 to $525,000.
SALE PRICES Between Sept. 30, 2020, and Oct. 31, 2021, there were 500 home sales with a median sale price of $564,075, according to OneKey MLS. The low price for that period was $328,000 and the high was $695,000. During that period a year earlier there were 414 home sales with a median sale price of $533,500. The price range was $320,000 to $1.25 million.
OTHER STATS
Town Hempstead
Area 3½ square miles
ZIP codes 11580, 11581, 11582
Population 40,634
Median age 41.2
Median household income $110,189
Median home value 600,000*
Monthly LIRR ticket from Valley Stream $270
School districts, graduation rate Valley Stream Central, 93%, Hewlett-Woodmere, 95%, Lynbrook, 97%
Parks Arthur J. Hendrickson Park, Firefighters Memorial Plaza, Valley Stream State Park
Libraries Henry Waldinger Memorial Library, Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library
Hospitals Long Island Jewish Valley Stream, Mount Sinai South Nassau
SOURCES: 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; OneKey MLS; LIRR, data.nysed.gov *Based on 267 sales in the past six months, according to OneKey MLS
NOW ON THE MARKET
Priced at $895,000, this Colonial on Rosedale Road has a guest suite with separate entrance. Credit: The Stanco Misiti Team
$895,000
A five-minute drive to the train station, this 2,652-square-foot five-bedroom, 4½-bath Colonial built in 1951 features a first-floor guest suite with separate entrance and renovated interior with hardwood floors and painted wood-beamed ceiling in the den. The 0.15-acre property includes an inground pool. Taxes are $8,038. Panagiotis Athanasopoulos and Michael Stanco, Compass Greater NY, 516-517-4751.
Priced at $675,000, this Cape on North Corona Avenue with built-in living room units is close to Hendrickson Park. Credit: Mike Nelson
$675,000
This 1,328-square-foot Cape built in 1940 has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and hardwood floors, built-ins in the living room, retro fixtures in a bathroom, and a bedroom window seat. The 0.41-acre property is close to Hendrickson Park. Taxes are $13,119. Maria Ottomanelli, HomeSmart Premier Living, 516-535-9692.
Priced at $550,000, this Cape on Jedwood Place features skylights and an above-ground pool. Credit: Rafiul Prodhan
$550,000
Located in South Valley Stream, this 1,305-square foot Cape has a view of the actual Valley Stream stream. The four-bedrooms, two-bath home, built in 1950, has ceiling fans and skylights in most rooms. There’s an above-ground pool on the 0.22-acre property. Taxes are $10,274. Yudy Plaza, Fave Realty, 516-519-8049.
RECENTLY SOLD
$965,000
Address Catherine St.
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 2
Built 1931
Lot size 0.34 acre
Taxes $14,098
+/- list price +$16,000
Days on market 99
$815,000
Address Lynwood Dr.
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 5
Bathrooms 3½
Built 1950
Lot size 0.14 acre
Taxes $14,363
+/- list price +$26,000
Days on market 29
$695,000
Address Garland Ln.
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 3
Bathrooms 3½
Built 1941
Lot size 0.11 acre
Taxes $10,298
+/- list price +$46,000
Days on market 56
ON ONEKEY MLS
Number of listings 102
Price range $189,000 to $1.4 million
Tax range $7,977 to $18,828
