Copiague is an 'American Venice' with sidewalks and midcentury homes
While sidewalk-lined streets and a familiar mix of prewar midcentury homes make Copiague blend with neighboring communities at first glance, a closer look at the blocks leading toward the Great South Bay reveals the global inspirations that built this South Shore hamlet. Specialty grocers advertise Eastern European comfort food in English and Polish, and Latin dance music spills out from a beachfront cantina across Tanner Park on summer evenings. Winged lions atop pillars have long guarded the American Venice development, mirroring its Italian namesake. “The history is that Copiague was originally settled by a large Italian population. American Venice has their own Grand Canal that goes out to the bay like Venice. The gondolas are gone, but you see all kinds of boats on the water. Kayaks and motorboats to large cabin cruisers and sailboats,” says Gerald O’Neill, an associate broker at Signature Premier Properties with 51 years of experience selling on the South Shore in Babylon. Ever-evolving businesses along Sunrise Highway and quieter commercial strips carry Copiague’s multicultural influences, as do the diverse Town of Babylon events that fill its southern peninsulas.
Rows of cape cod style homes are popular in Copiague, NY.
The shore of Tanner Park in Copiague is a great place for a walk.
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Boating on the Great South Bay and athletics at Tanner Park
Private docks line Copiague's southern border from the straight line of American Venice’s Grand Canal to the meandering, peninsula-broken banks of the Great South Bay. Boaters and anglers take off through the South Shore’s waterways, those on kayaks typically hugging the shores and nearby salt marshes while motorboaters might set out into the Atlantic Ocean through distant access points like the Fire Island Inlet. Those without backyard docks can apply for a boat slip and dock at Tanner Park Marina, one of the many amenities that draw Town of Babylon residents to Tanner Park. “I walk in Tanner Park pretty much every day. There’s a skatepark, a football field, the senior center – it's big,” says Cheryl Messina, a licensed associate real estate broker with Signature Premier Properties who lives in Copiague. “The summer bar there, Cantina Bay, changed owners. There’s music and dancing there pretty much every night.” Along the waterfront, anglers cast from a fishing pier, swimmers splash at Copiague Beach, kids run through the spray park and concertgoers rock out around the band shell. Further inland, athletes have access to plenty of fields and courts, from classic baseball diamonds and pickleball courts to bocce courts.
Launch your boat at the Tanner Park Marina in Copiague.
Skate boarders practice their tricks at Tanner Park in Copiague.
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Copiague homes on South Shore canals and midcentury suburban blocks
While Copiague’s residential blocks carry the typical blend of prewar through midcentury-heavy single-family styles that suburbanized Long Island, the subdivisions stretching down peninsulas into the bay and waves of new construction have introduced variety to the hamlet. “We have a very strong demand for waterfront properties. If you’re a boater, you want your boat in the backyard; you don’t want to drive to a marina. Inland, there’s tremendous variety in housing, from little cottages to big new construction. Anywhere builders can buy a distressed property and build a new house, they’re doing that,” O’Neill says. On landlocked blocks to the north, move-in ready single-family homes usually sell for $400,000 to $730,000, though fixer-uppers can go for less. Waterfront homes on canals, creeks and the Great South Bay usually sell for $530,000 to $900,000, but especially large or renovated homes can sell for $1 million to $2.5 million. Condos in communities like The Anchorage and Harbor View Estates sell for $370,000 to $700,000, varying widely in architectural style, age requirements and monthly HOA fees.
Some of the colonial style homes in Copiague, NY have detached garages.
Ranch style homes are often set back off the roadway a little bit in Copiague, NY.
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Festivals and pow wows at Tanner Park
Its size and waterfront views make Tanner Park a popular venue for big community events. The Copiague Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Long Island Family Festival is among the most anticipated, drawing crowds for a weekend of carnival rides, live music and fair food each September. The Paumanauke Pow Wow has an over 40-year history of celebrating Native American cultures in Long Island. Each August, Native and non-Native attendees enjoy a weekend of traditional dance performances and competitions, Native food and traditional crafts and artisan goods sold by vendors. Concerts, car shows and Cantina Bay Latin dance nights are a few more events that keep Tanner Park lively.
Shopping and dining on Montauk and Sunrise highways
Copiague’s businesses congregate behind parking lots on major thoroughfares like Montauk and Sunrise highways and on a more Main Street-style commercial area along Oak Street. Mama’s is the local favorite for pizza, pasta and other Italian favorites, while Zagloba Polish Bar & Restaurant serves Polish staples in a rustic, intimate dining space. Fine Fare Supermarkets stocks groceries, including robust international sections. Several churches are active throughout the hamlet, including Our Lady of the Assumption which holds services in English, Spanish and Polish. Near Sunrise Highway, strip malls house big names like Home Depot and Target.
Many different types of businesses call Montauk Highway in Copiague, NY home.
Fine Fare is located on Montauk Highway in Copiague.
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Eagles basketball at Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School
Most kids will attend one of four Copiague Public School District elementary schools, including Great Neck Road Elementary School, which earns a B-minus from Niche. Copiague Middle School also earns a B-minus. Students at the B-plus rated Walter G. O’Connell Copiague High School glow Eagles blue at home basketball games thanks to a professional-grade LED light system installed in the gymnasium in 2023. Kids living in a small, northwestern section of Copiague will attend the Amityville Union Free School District which earns a C-plus overall.
Copiague Middle School serves students in grades 6-8 in Copiague.
The student-teacher ratio at the Copiague, NY High School is 14 to 1.
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Traveling to the Southern State Parkway and boarding at the Copiague LIRR Station
While Sunrise Highway is a major east-west connector, commuters are likely to head further north to the Southern State Parkway on the roughly 40-mile drive to Manhattan. Train riders board at the Copiague Long Island Rail Road Station and can arrive at Penn Station in just over an hour. Suffolk County Transit buses make stops along Montauk Highway. St. Joseph Hospital is less than 10 miles away, and commercial flights take off from John F. Kennedy International Airport about 25 miles away.
Copiague flooding south of Montauk Highway
As is the case along most of the South Shore, unusually heavy rainfall and extreme coastal storms can cause waterfront sections of Copiague to flood. Flood insurance is needed for properties sitting closest to the Great South Bay and Copiague’s canals and creeks, generally defined as the area south of Montauk Highway.
Written By
Hannah Rainey
Photography Contributed By
Peter Scifo
Video By
Nathan Allen
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Raj Jaggi,
an experienced agent in this area.
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On average, homes in Copiague, NY sell after 46 days on the market compared to the national average of 49 days. The median sale price for homes in Copiague, NY over the last 12 months is $560,000, up 2% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Charming Ranch with Modern Upgrades. Welcome to this beautifully 4-bedroom, 2 bathroom ranch that blend classic with modern. Don’t miss out this opportunity to make this house your home sweet home!
Welcome to Your Dream Home in the Heart of Lindenhurst’s “American Venice”!This beautifully maintained split-level home blends charm, functionality, and modern upgrades throughout. Featuring 3 spacious bedrooms and an updated full bathroom, this home is move-in ready with freshly painted interiors and refinished hardwood floors that shine.The updated eat-in kitchen boasts sleek quartz
Spectacular turn key 3 Bedroom/1 Bath (room for 2nd bath on lower level) In-line Hi Ranch in sought after "American Venice". Oversized property with ample side and rear yards. Stainless Steel appliances, Hardwoods beneath carpet. Minutes from LIRR, SSPkwy, shopping, houses of worship and all the fresh seafood you can eat. Perfect for marine enthusiasts and only a short distance to summer
Waterfront Entertainer's Paradise! Pull up your boat, hop off your Jet Ski, and enjoy South Shore living at its Finest! Set on its own private peninsula with nearly one acre of land directly on the Great South Bay, this gated 4935sqft estate offers new navy bulkhead & a protected boat slip for docking up to a 37' boat. An exceptional property for boaters, fishing enthusiasts and anyone seeking
Charming Ranch with Modern Upgrades. Welcome to this beautifully 4-bedroom, 2 bathroom ranch that blend classic with modern. Don’t miss out this opportunity to make this house your home sweet home!
This home is located in a very quiet residential area on a nice level lot with a large back yard. This is a must see close to the water south of Montauk highway. This property has a huge potential.
Beautiful house in a great location! This charming corner property offers 3 spacious bedrooms and plenty of natural light throughout. Utilities are included, making this home even more convenient and affordable. Enjoy easy access to shopping, parks, schools, and transportation. Don’t miss out on this move-in ready home — schedule your showing today!
Ideally located in Suffolk County, on Long Island's South Shore, Bunt Commons II offers a spacious one and two bedroom apartment homes designed to help you downsize in style. Discover a unique combination of floor plans and amenities in our three distinctive communities: Bunt I Lindenhurst, Bunt II Copiague, and Bunt III Amityville.Located within a 3-mile radius, our neighboring
Live the canal-front lifestyle in this beautifully maintained condo, ideally situated in a serene waterfront community. Perfect as a primary residence, this unit offers relaxed living with scenic views and resort-style amenities such as in-ground pool on the bay, clubhouse with pool table/ping pong, library, showers, and bathrooms. Also features a tennis/pickle ball court for outside
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