Waterfront activities, golf and vineyards in Baiting Hollow
Baiting Hollow is a small North Fork Hamlet right on the Long Island Sound. With its sandy coastline and ocean views, life for the neighborhood’s mix of year-round and seasonal residents revolves around the water, golfing and exploring local vineyards. It’s these postcard-worthy destinations that often draw people to Baiting Hollow, but those who move here also find life in the little hamlet revolves around quieter moments found at local farm stands.
Outdoor activities bring a vacation-like vibe year-round
Although Baiting Hollow is a small, quiet hamlet where many people live year-round, it’s also a vacation town. Its population swells slightly in the summer, but it never becomes a truly buzzy destination, and life remains mostly the same for its year-round residents even when the weather cools; aside from farm stands, every business stays open in the winter. Still, when most people think of Baiting Hollow, they think of the warm months, when people spend much of their time sunbathing on Reeves Beach and swimming in the Long Island Sound. Boating and fishing are also major pastimes, usually continuing into mid-October, even after it’s gotten too cold for swimming. Golfing is just as important to many residents, who often become members at one of the three courses squished into the hamlet:
- Friar's Head
- Baiting Hollow Club
- Bluffs Country Club
Nearby, Wildwood State Park offers another beach, camping spots and hiking trails, which open allow cross-country skiing in the winter.
Baiting Hollow’s waterfront and inland homes fit a range of budgets
Baiting Hollow’s New Traditionals, ranch-style homes and cottages exist on a sliding scale when it comes to water access. There are waterfront homes and homes in waterfront communities that are walking distance to their development’s private beach as well as inland homes. Even inland homes, though, are just a short drive from the water. Inland homes south of Sound Avenue typically cost between the low $500,000s and low $900,000s. North of Sound Avenue, homes rarely dip below the low $600,000s, and most of the homes in that lower range are further from the water. Developments with private beaches have small annual fees for beach access. Waterfront homes can climb past $2 million.
Those looking for less maintenance or lower prices can find waterfront condominiums for between the low $500,000s and low $800,000s. There are also lower-cost seasonal homes on the waterfront, which range between $90,000 and the low $200,000s. “The summer-only communities are rustic,” says Joy Bryant, a licensed broker associate with Coldwell Banker American Homes who has sold homes here for nearly 30 years. “They’re one step up from camping out, but people seem to like it because they have their beach and they have a little clubhouse.” These seasonal homes close from October through April.
Overall, the median home price in Baiting Hollow falls in the low $500,000s, which is much lower than the median in nearby Wading River; there, the median is in the high $700,000s.
Lively dining in town, farm stands or a short drive for essentials
Baiting Hollow has some incredibly popular dining spots. Cooperage Inn is known for its pot pies and weekend entertainment, while Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard is the hamlet’s answer to the North Fork’s many wineries. “They’re a horse rescue organization that runs the Baiting Hollow winery,” Bryant says, adding that the winery is popular among locals and visitors alike. “So it’s good for families, they can go and see the animals.” In addition to the winery’s animals, it has live music on the weekends and hosts events like gatherings where people paint, drink wine and chat. For those who aren’t crazy about wine, there’s Riverhead Ciderhouse. It has a wide variety of hard ciders alongside guacamole and soft pretzels, with frequent trivia nights or dueling piano performances.
Bryant says that farm stands are also a big part of life here. “People love getting everything fresh,” she says. “There’s got to be about eight farm stands.” The stands have everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to eggs and meat. For other essentials, or once the stands have closed for the season, residents drive about 4 miles to Calverton for options like Walmart, Aldi, Costco and Stop & Shop.
Riverhead has a popular school district and a charter option
Baiting Hollow is served by the Riverhead Central School District, which is a sought-after district that’s small enough to have just one high school. Students can apply to attend the Riverhead Charter School instead, a tuition-free public school that teaches kindergarten through 12th grade. If there are more applicants to the school than available spaces, acceptance is determined by lottery.
Driving to nearby neighborhoods or to I-495 for longer trips
It’s important to have a car in Baiting Hollow, where most streets are quiet country lanes. Sound Avenue connects the hamlet to neighboring areas like Wading River and Riverhead. Residents drive about 4 miles into Calverton to connect to Interstate 495 or to catch the Hampton Jitney, a bus that goes 79 miles to New York City. It’s only about 30 minutes to Hampton Bays.
![Christina Norwood]()
Written By
Christina Norwood
