A friendly, hilly waterfront hamlet in Centerpoint
Water has long been considered one of the building blocks of life, but in Centerport, water is also a way of life. Located in Huntington Township just over 4 miles from Huntington’s vibrant downtown, the hamlet starts on the land to the west of Centerport Harbor and stretches across it onto a little peninsula that juts out into the Long Island Sound. It’s known for its beautiful views, resident-only beaches and waterfront access. “It’s got a very nice beachy, warm, inviting feeling,” says Laura Zambratto, an associate broker at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty who lived in the community for 35 years. “You can walk five inches and you see the water. It’s an extremely charming spot. It’s very unique. It’s a little hilly, it’s lush, with mature trees, mature landscaping.”
Centerport’s warm, inviting community gives residents many chances to get involved. “It’s a very friendly community, a lot like Mayberry, where everybody knows your neighbor. You borrow cups of sugar,” says Carolyn Horner, a real estate salesperson at Signature Premier Properties and an interior designer who lived in the community for 60 years. “And the nice part about it is that it goes both ways. If you want to be involved, there’s plenty to do. And at the same time, if you don’t want to know your neighbors, all you have to do is maintain your property and smile and wave. You can be as involved or uninvolved as you want.”
The hills on the coast of Centerport offer many of it's residents a scenic waterfront view.
Homes in Centerport can have an elevated view of the Centerport Harbor.
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Enjoying the Long Island Sound on private beaches
Most of Centerport’s streets either lead directly to the water or branch off streets that do. “You can literally walk out your door and walk down to the beach, walk down to a dock, walk down to a place where you could keep a paddleboard, a dinghy or a kayak,” Zambratto says. According to Horner, beach communities like the Huntington Beach Community Association offer those who live in them access to private beaches or mooring spots. For many people, the community’s focal point is Centerport Beach, which is open to all residents. “That’s a really good beach,” Horner says. “It’s long and thin, so it’s easy to get out of the car and get right down to the water, but it’s also a beautiful spot to watch sunsets.” People come here to get some sun, swim in the sound or launch kayaks. Its attached park also has short hiking trails, picnic spots and a tennis court.
The Centerport Yacht Club offers swimming and sailing activities for adults and children and hosts events like racing and regattas every year from late spring to mid-autumn. Centerport also has a few small green spaces like Heron Park. Marked by a woven sculpture of a heron tilting its face to the sky, this small park sits at the edge of Mill Pond and is frequented by bald eagles, making its benches the perfect spot to sit back and watch the eagles fish. “We’re always keeping tabs on the eagles and when the babies are born; they have a whole Facebook page,” Horner says.
The Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium is a 43-acre estate by the sound that once belonged to William Vanderbilt II. It features a massive library, Vanderbilt’s personal museum full of cultural and natural history specimens from around the world and a planetarium where visitors can observe the stars. “It’s really a great, lovely museum,” Zambratto says. “When my children were little, I’d take them there all the time. They had all kinds of little events. They’d do a wine tasting there, they do a car show, they do all kinds of great stuff there.”
Take your kayak out for summer fun at Centerport Beach.
Take a breath and enjoy the amazing views around Centerport.
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Centerport's small bungalows, waterfront homes and beach associations
Inland homes built on hills along winding roads can still have beautiful, sweeping views of the sound. “You can take a beautiful way home where you drive along the side of the water, which leads to the hilly area,” Horner says. “Both sides of Centerport are very hilly. There’s one street in particular that’s incredible, and we call it Little Switzerland.” Centerport has two distinct sides, each with its own flavor. On the peninsula, homes tend to be bigger colonials, new traditionals or historic houses with slightly larger lots and more space between them. On the west side of Centerport Harbor, lots drop in size and houses get closer together. “Those houses are bungalows that were built, some of them, back in the 1930s and 1940s, the majority of them in the 1950s, that people decided they wanted to live in full time,” Horner says. Over the years, many of these bungalows have been expanded or torn down and replaced.
The HBCA is located on this side of the community and is sometimes called “the presidents streets” because many of its roads are named after presidents, but there are beach communities on both sides of the harbor; these communities come with special benefits and monthly fees. Small fixer-uppers can list for $500,000, but most homes start closer to $700,000. Homes without direct beach access can sell for as much as $2.5 million, while waterfront homes can climb to $4 million. “The great thing about Centerport is that there’s something for everybody,” Zambratto says. The CAP Index crime score is 1 out of 10, below the national average of 4.
Hurricane season and other big storms can impact Centerport, bringing a severe risk of high winds and a moderate risk of flooding. Lower-lying roads are at particular risk of flooding. Many homeowners get insurance to protect against storm damage.
Centerport has smaller, charming, bungalow-type homes to offer residents.
Residents can become members of the Centerport Yacht Club, offering swimming and sailing.
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Getting into the Halloween spirit, community gatherings
Community events and holidays are a big part of life in Centerport. “The trick-or-treaters are insane out there,” Horner says. “We would get between 100 and 120 trick-or-treaters for Halloween. The houses are so close together, so the kids can really clean up, and the [community] really got into the whole spirit of Halloween.” Horner says one of Centerport’s main roads is even closed to cars on Halloween to make trick-or-treating safer. Beach associations also throw events, including the HBCA’s well-known Lobsterfest. “You bring your chairs down to the beach, and you call your space, you set it up, and then enjoy live music, plenty of food, and lobster,” says Kieran Rodgers, a real estate salesperson and team leader of Team Rodgers at The Agency who has lived in Centerport for over two years.
Its a perfect day to celebrate Memorial Day in Centerport.
Ride the ferris wheel and win some games at the Fall Festival.
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Nicky's and U.S. Brews shine in Centerport's dining scene
Centerport has a small handful of local spots to grab a meal, a sweet treat or a drink. Hometown Bake Shop serves sweet and savory treats like muffins and scones, and Rodgers says that Nicky’s is the go-to spot for a meal. “I love Nicky’s. That is the spot that you walk in and everyone knows your name,” he says. “But the food is great, the people are great.” Mill Pond House is an upscale favorite serving steaks and seafood. It looks out on Mill Pond, and when the weather’s right, diners can eat on the outdoor patio to enjoy its waterfront views and breathtaking sunsets. Centerport even has its own brewery, U.S. Brews, which Rodgers says is beloved by the entire community because it saves them a trip to Huntington. “It’s so great, because Centerport’s very small, so you can walk there and walk home and just enjoy the beautiful night, have a night out with your friends,” he says, adding that an increasing number of people make the short trip to the brewery in their golf carts. Centerport lacks grocery stores, so residents drive 3 miles to Northport or 4 miles to Huntington to stock up.
U.S. Brews in Centerport is a great place to try your favorite local beer.
Stop into Main Street Cafe in Northport for a great bite and an inviting atmosphere.
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Highly rated Harborfields schools
The Harborfields Central School District gets an A-plus on Niche and is listed among the top 5 districts in Suffolk County. “It’s a smaller, more intimate school district, unlike some other school districts in the area,” Zambratto says, adding that it’s a big draw to the community. “It doesn’t have three elementary schools, two high schools. It has one of each, so it has this intimate feeling about it that’s very nice and very desirable.” Children start out at Washington Drive Primary School, which has an A-minus, for kindergarten through second grade. They then attend Thomas J. Lahey Elementary School, Oldfield Middle School and Harborfields High School, all of which earn A ratings. Niche also lists Harborfields High among the top 10 public high schools in Suffolk County.
Thomas J. Lahey Elementary is on Pulaski Road in Greenlawn.
This is the main entrance to Harborfields High School in Greenlawn.
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A trek to major highways, nearby Huntington Station
Centerport’s biggest nearby road is state Route 25A, which runs along its southern edge, and it’s a bit of a trek to major highways. To many residents, this has its benefits. “My favorite part is how private it is because most people that travel to Huntington, they’ll take 25A straight to Huntington, but Centerport you have to almost know how to get to, so a lot of people miss the turn,” Rodgers says. Just over 5 miles away, the Long Island Rail Road’s Huntington Station takes commuters to Manhattan’s Penn Station in about an hour and 10 minutes. Huntington Hospital is less than 4 miles away, and Long Island MacArthur Airport is 24 miles away.
Written By
Hannah Rainey
Photography Contributed By
Jeff Rainone
Video By
Jessica Johnson
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GreatSchools:
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On average, homes in Centerport, NY sell after 55 days on the market compared to the national average of 50 days. The median sale price for homes in Centerport, NY over the last 12 months is $875,000, up 17% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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