A revitalized community with shopping, restaurants
Near the edge of the Great South Bay, Bay Shore is known for its nearby waterfront, ferries to Fire Island, bustling downtown — and the story of perseverance and hard work that built it all. The New York Times reports that in the 1990s, the city had a shockingly high vacancy rate of 40%. “And then all of that changed with individual people coming together and coming up with fundraising ideas,” says Margaret Smith, an associate broker at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty who has been selling homes here for 37 years. She says that locals saw what their city could be, fueling grassroots support of organizations like the Bay Shore Beautification Society. “So it was really the people themselves that brought the town back,” Smith says. And Bay Shore isn’t just back — it’s thriving.
Bay Shore is known for its school district and is located near two major hospitals: South Shore University Hospital, which is located in Downtown Bay Shore, and Good Samaritan Hospital, which is in East Islip about 4 miles away. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 26.5% of residents work in education, health care and social assistance. With plenty of shopping in the area, another 13.4% of residents work in retail.
The Cheesecake Factory at the South Shore Mall in Bay Shore is a local favoirite place.
Nicky's on the Bay in Bay Shore is a great seafood restaurant.
Lulu's Inne in nearby Brightwaters is a local favorite for Steaks, Burgers and Seafood.
Downtown Bay Shore offers many great restaurants and bars.
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Shopping in Downtown Bay Shore, South Shore Mall
Locals worked hard to revitalize Downtown Bay Shore’s shops and restaurants. “It’s got an extensive Main Street which has a ton of restaurants on it that are very versatile,” Smith says. “You’ve got any kind of cocktail, any kind of food that you could want.” But there are also plenty of options for shopping and dining north of Main Street. Sunrise Highway, also known as state Route 27, is dotted with major retailers and South Shore Mall, which is also full of restaurants and stores like Macy’s, Sephora and Forever 21. Downtown Bay Shore also has the Boulton Center for the Performing Arts. “It’s The Paramount of Bay Shore, lots of live music,” Smith says. “It’s much smaller than The Paramount, which is really nice because any seat you get for any performance, you feel like the musician is sitting in your living room.”
The South Shore Mall in Bay Shore attracts vistiors from all over Long Island.
The Macy's at the South Shore Mall in Bay Shore has an interior and exterior entrance.
Lowe's is a common stop for Bay Shore residents.
Locals grab groceries at Target in Bay Shore.
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Light the Night, Halloween Parade
Bay Shore throws Memorial Day and St. Patrick’s Day parades, a summer concert series and Smith says the community was one of the first to do a Light the Night, where locals buy candles, light them all on the same night and drive around to see the glittering houses. The money raised goes to the further beautification of the area. The Bay Shore Halloween Parade is also a big deal. In addition to the parade itself, local businesses and nonprofits decorate cars and vans for the holiday so kids can go trunk-or-treating. “It’s getting bigger and bigger every year, and the kids can come and see the cars all decked out with some kind of theme, and trick or treat from car to car,” Smith says. After they’ve collected all their candy, Smith says, there’s a pumpkin carving contest, face painting and live music.
Boating and enjoying the bay, Great South Bay YMCA
Bay Shore has limited park space. Residents often head to the waterfront Bay Shore Manor Park in Downtown Bay Shore. The park features a spray park during the summer, marinas and a bayfront beach. Boating and fishing are major hobbies here. Smith says the Great South Bay YMCA is another focal point for the community. “They have a summer program that they gifted so that kids who can’t afford to go to camp can come here,” Smith says. “There’s programs for teenagers at night, there’s daycare before school starts — a big, big, big help to the community.” Nearby Downtown Bay Shore also has ferries to Fire Island, making it easy to spend a day swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.
Passengers head out of Bay Shore aboard ferries to Fire Island where cars are not allowed.
Locals enjoy a walk around the Bay Shore Marina at the end of South Clinton Avenue.
Bay Shore residents are very aware of the tide schedule and are sensitive about flooding.
Bay Shore residents enjoy being close to South Shore ocean beaches.
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A blend of historic homes and common Long Island architecture
Bay Shore has a wide range of architecture, from historic homes built in the 1920s that Smith says may maintain little details like a second set of stairs in the back of the house to the Cape Cods, split-levels and hi-ranches that are so common across Long Island. The median home price in Bay Shore is $590,000, which is higher than the national median of $418,700.
Cute Cape Cod homes are a very common sight in Bay Shore.
Colonial-style and new Traditional homes are common in Bay Shore.
Hi-Ranch style homes are a common choice for homeowners in Bay Shore.
There are many luxury waterfront homes along the shoreline in Bay Shore.
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Highly rated Bay Shore schools
Niche gives the Bay Shore Union Free School District an A and lists it among the top 15 districts in Suffolk County. The district has IB and AP programs, but it’s also known for its music program. In 2019, the district added four electric buses to its fleet.
Brook Ave Elementary School in Bay Shore has a duel language Kindergarten Program.
Bay Shore Middle School is located off of Brook Ave.
Bay Shore High School athletes practice their skills on a great field.
Bay Shore Christian School is a private school for students in grades PreK - Elementary.
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Major highways, Bay Shore LIRR station
Sunrise Highway and Southern State Parkway run through Bay Shore, and it takes just a few minutes to get on the Robert Moses Causeway. There’s also a Long Island Rail Road station right between Bay Shore and Downtown Bay Shore. From there, the train reaches Manhattan’s Penn Station in about an hour and 10 minutes. Long Island MacArthur Airport is about 12 miles away.
During hurricane season, Bay Shore has a moderate risk of flooding and a major risk of high winds. Suffolk County Police Department’s 3rd Precinct serves Bay Shore. Between 2020 and 2021, the precinct recorded a 39.7% drop in violent crime and a 6.8% decrease in property crime.
Written By
Christina Norwood
Photography Contributed By
Jeff Siegel
Video By
Syd Silberman
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Abraham Ortiz,
an experienced agent in this area.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
On average, homes in Bay Shore, NY sell after 39 days on the market compared to the national average of 50 days. The median sale price for homes in Bay Shore, NY over the last 12 months is $610,000, up 8% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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