Trails, open space coming to Wading River, a hamlet with 'a great deal of natural beauty'
The pond located at the corner of North Country and Zophar Mills roads in Wading River. Credit: Heather Walsh
THE SCOOP In Wading River, a bucolic North Shore hamlet along the Long Island Sound, “there’s a great deal of natural beauty,” says Sid Bail, president of the hamlet’s civic association and historical society.
“The beaches, the wooded areas, the hilly terrain. It’s just a great spot,” he adds.
The 10-mile “Rails-to-Trails” hiking and biking path, being built along the abandoned Wading River railway line, will stretch from Port Jefferson to Wading River and include education kiosks along the way, says Town of Brookhaven council member Jane Bonner.
Bonner adds that funding has been appropriated by the state to buy 800 acres of woodland owned by National Grid at the site surrounding the decommissioned Shoreham nuclear power plant, which sits just outside Wading River’s western border. A solar farm had been proposed for a portion of the property, which Bonner says will now be open space and Department of Environment property.
Bail, a Wading River resident since 1974, says, “We’re not against solar farms, but we thought it was a bad use of the property. There were more appropriate locations with already cleared land and Brookhaven Town agreed with us and eventually the state agreed with us.”
Construction on the final phase of a 13-mile trail at Veteran’s Memorial Park that is just beyond Wading River's southern border in Calverton began on Nov. 1, says Town of Riverhead council member Jodi Giglio. The nonmotorized recreation trail, along the perimeter of the former Grumman facility, will provide families a fenced and secure walking and biking trail, Giglio says.
Wading River also is home to town and private beaches, Fink’s Country Farm, the Great Rock Golf Course, Deep Pond, and Wildwood State Park, a 600-acre park overlooking the Sound that offers camping, cottages, nature trails and various outdoor activities.
This ranch is listed for $569,900. Credit: Little Bay Realty
“We’re surrounded by beach, and we’re close to wineries and farm stands, but yet we still have a great deal of shopping,” says resident Theresa Rottkamp of Coldwell Banker M & D Good Life. “It’s the best of both worlds.”
That includes shopping in nearby Riverhead. There also is Wading River's Shoppes at East Wind, which opened in October 2016 and features a variety of shops, eateries, creative studios, and even a carousel. Situated on the 26-acre East Wind Long Island property, a hotel and event venue, the village-like setting is lined with brick-paved walkways. It includes boutiques such as Wines By Nature, which specializes in local and natural wines, Cheese and Spice Market, a specialty market, and A Cake in Time, which makes custom decorated cakes and offers cake decorating classes.
Wading River offers a wide variety of eateries, including Phil's Restaurant, which is approaching its 30th year of serving the community.
The hamlet, part of both Brookhaven and Riverhead towns, is the "gateway to the North Fork," says Nicholas Corleto, a board member of the Wading River-Shoreham Chamber of Commerce. "It has a quaint, small-town feel with many locally owned small businesses and a historic downtown area with the duck ponds and shops."
This Cape is listed for $364,900. Credit: Landmark Realty
The area features many historic homes, with some dating to the late 1700s and early 1800s, Bail says.
Of the more modern homes in the area, Colonials and Victorians are most common, says 17-year Wading River resident Michelle Lapedota of Landmark Realty. Prices, she says, typically range from around $300,000 to as much as $700,000 or more. Wading River also offers condominiums, mobile homes and waterfront houses. The summer bungalow communities that remain in the hamlet are “part of the fabric of the community,” Bail says.
Annual events in Wading River include street festivals such as Duck Pond Day, and the Fall Fest and Zombie Walk.
CONDOS AND TOWNHOUSES
There is one condo on the market, it is listed for $429,990.
SALES PRICE
Between Nov. 1, 2017 and Nov. 15, 2018, there were 119 home sales with a median sale price of $372,500, according to the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island. The low price for that period was $72,000 (bungalow) and the high was $960,000. During that time period a year earlier, there were 96 home sales with a median sale price of $339,500. The price range was $118,500 to $545,000.
This Victorian is listed for $689,990. Credit: Signature Premier Properties
SCHOOLS
Most students attend Shoreham-Wading River High School.
OTHER STATS
Town: Riverhead, Brookhaven
Area: 9.8 square miles
ZIP code: 11792
Population: 7,719
Median age: 41.4
Median household income: $111,986
Median home value: $391,250*
LIRR to NYC: From Port Jefferson, 96 to 111 minutes at peak
Monthly ticket: $391
School district: Shoreham-Wading River
SOURCES: 2010 Census; mlslI.com; LIRR;
*Based on sales in the past six months, according to MLSLI
RECENTLY SOLD
$388,000
High View Dr.
Style: Cape
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 2
Built: 1970
Lot size: 125x176
Taxes: $12,029
Reduced: $11,000
Days on the market: 88
$515,000
N Woods Dr.
Style: Victorian
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 3 full, 1 half
Built: 1999
Lot size: .69 acres
Taxes: $17,508
Reduced: $34,490
Days on the market: 208
$960,000
Oakmont Ct.
Style: Victorian
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 5
Built: 2004
Lot size: .79 acres
Taxes: $27,096
Reduced: $140,000
Days on the market: 86
NOW ON THE MARKET
$364,900
This four-bedroom, two-bathroom Cape features a living room, country kitchen with a center island, and an unfinished basement. The .23-acre property includes an in-ground pool, an outdoor kitchen and barbecue, and paver patio. Taxes: $7,990. Michelle Lapedota, Landmark Realty, 631-335-4619
$569,900
This ranch, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, has a living room with vaulted ceilings, a den with a fireplace, an eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances, a formal dining room and en suite master. The roughly .61-acre property includes an in-ground pool and patio. Taxes: $10,710. Paul Dinerstein, Little Bay Realty, 631-275-1303
$689,990
This four-bedroom, three-bathroom Victorian features a kitchen with granite counters, living and dining rooms with hardwood floors, and a den. The .96-acre property, on a cul-de-sac, has an in-ground pool and a granite outdoor kitchen with a kegerator, pizza oven and wok station. Taxes: $15,143. Loren Langenhahn, Signature Premier Properties, 631-335-2543
On Multiple Listings
Number of houses: 46
Price range: $28,000 (summer cottage) — $1.795 million
Tax range: $803 (mobile home) — $27,000
