If you want to buy in Laurel Hollow

THE SCOOP If you're in the market for a home in a bucolic setting, you might

consider the village of Laurel Hollow. This community, which is largely residential, is situated along the southwest corner of Cold Spring Harbor.

The village has a sandy beach with a dock and mooring, says Deborah Hauser of Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty in Cold Spring Harbor, noting it's also home to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The laboratory is famous for its research in genetics and cancer. Eight of its scientists have won Nobel Prizes.

This is where Louis Comfort Tiffany, the stained-glass artisan and son of the founder of Tiffany & Co., resided, says John Messina of Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates in Woodbury.

The northern end of Laurel Hollow, where many of the older estates are situated, is rolling and wooded, while the southern end is flatter, with newer homes.

Entry level prices range from about $1 million to $1.2 million, Messina says, noting there is an occasional listing less than $1 million. Houses on the water are typically priced from the high $2 million to $4 million range. Of 35 homes on the market, 19 are listed for more than $2 million, Hauser says. Some homes off the water may still afford a harbor view because of the high elevation, Messina adds. The village is zoned for 2-acre parcels, though some smaller properties are grandfathered in.

Prices are down, but houses, especially those on the lower end, are selling, Hauser says.

SALES PRICE According to Multiple Listing Service of Long Island data, there were 27 sales from Oct. 1, 2010, to Nov. 20, 2011. The median sales price was $1,215,000 with a low of $699,000 and a high of $5,200,000. From Sept. 1, 2009, to Sept. 30, 2010, there were 22 sales with a median price of $1,887,500. The low price was $990,000 and the high was $3,995,000.

ATTRACTIONS The village beach, which also offers storage for small craft. Permits are needed. The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory hosts cultural events.

MORE STATS

Town Oyster Bay

Area 2.9 square miles

ZIP code 11791 and 11771

Population 1,952

Median age 44.7

Median household income $176,250

Median home value $

1,298,000

LIRR time to NYC From Syosset, 44 minutes to 59 minutes at peak

Monthly ticket $254

School districts Oyster Bay-East Norwich and Cold Spring Harbor; few attend Syosset

SOURCES: 2010 Census; mlsli.com; Long Island Rail Road

*Based on sales in the past six months according to Multiple Listing Service of Long Island; Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty; Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates