A suburban city with a peaceful, private atmosphere
In the late 1600s, local lore says that a Native American landowner named Dick Pechegan farmed here. He lived in a traditional wigwam, a domed structure made from reed mats, bark or hides, so other locals took to calling the area “Dick’s Hills.” By 1911, in a move that seems like it belongs in the age of the internet, the area’s name had been shortened to Dix Hills. Located just east of Long Island’s center, today’s Dix Hills has grown, but it still isn’t what many think of when they picture a city. “It’s a suburban lifestyle. The atmospheres of homes are very well maintained, they’re very attractive,” says Amy Kernaghan, a licensed real estate broker and owner of Realty Direct NY who has 33 years of experience selling homes here. “It’s a peaceful environment.”
Winding roads lined with large houses, paired with a distinct lack of shopping, add to this sense of peace and discourage through traffic on its almost entirely residential roads. Major highways pass through Dix Hills, though, keeping commuting easy, and shopping is always just a few minutes’ drive away. “For me, it’s being convenient to both highways where our house is located, having a big property with the privacy and it’s convenient for everything,” says Sahra Mansouri Afati, a licensed broker associate at Realty Connect USA, about her favorite parts of living here. She’s lived and sold homes here for about 25 years. “We have a very good school district. I just love it.”
In many ways, Dix Hills’ main industry is education. Alongside its public school district, which Niche rates as the best in Suffolk County, it’s home to Five Towns College. The private college's main areas of study center around communication, film and performing arts. According to the United States Census Bureau, or USCB, 33.1% of residents work in educational services, health care and social assistance.
Visitors and locals alike can learn about local history at the LI Welcome Center in DIx Hills.
A large number of homes in Dix Hills are built on large size lots.
Local students that attend Five Towns College in Dix Hills love how easy it is to get there.
The LIE boarders Dix HIlls which makes it perfect for commuting.
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Larger homes and properties north of the LIE
South of the Long Island Expressway, homes tend to be on smaller lots compared to the rest of the city, but north of the expressway, an acre is the gold standard. Homes to the north also tend to be much larger than their southern counterparts, though there are some newly built houses to the south that make this a loose generalization rather than a hard-and-fast rule. “People looking for more luxury homes look on the north side of the LIE,” Kernaghan says. “Both areas, in my eyes, are the same, just depending on how much money you want to spend on taxes, how many bedrooms you need, what kind of property sizes you’re looking for, what type of location — is it more secluded, more open, less taxes, more taxes?” Homes to the south start at $650,000 and typically max out at around $1.2 million for an updated home, though large, newly built houses occasionally climb to $2.7 million. To the north, homes rarely hit the market for less than $1 million and updated homes sell for as much as $3.2 million.
Modern farmhouse style homes are popping up all over DIx Hills.
Colonial style homes are very popular in Dix Hills.
A large number of homes in Dix Hills are built on large size lots.
Original homes are being torn down in Dix Hills and new modern farmhouses are being built.
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Impacts of hurricane season, decreasing crime rates
Dix Hills experiences all four seasons, getting snow in the winter. Hurricane season can bring rain and a severe risk of high winds, but homeowners rarely have to worry about flooding. Along with Huntington, Dix Hills falls into the Suffolk County Police Department’s 2nd Precinct’s jurisdiction. Suffolk County has seen a decrease in violent crime in recent years, which has been partially attributed to the Gun Involved Violence Elimination, or GIVE, initiative. Between 2020 and 2021, violent crimes in the 2nd Precinct decreased by 23.1% and property crime decreased by 15.7%.
Highly-rated school districts, private options
In addition to listing the Half Hollow Hills Central School District as the best district in Suffolk County, Niche gives the district an A-plus and rates it among the top 10 districts in the entire state. Of the five elementary schools in the district, three get an A-plus, and two get an A; both of its two middle schools and high schools earn A-pluses. A tiny piece of Dix Hills’ eastern side is served by the Commack Union Free School District instead, which Niche gives an A-plus and ranks as the sixth-best public school in Suffolk County. Just outside the neighborhood, Kernaghan says that St. Anthony’s High School is a private option that also draws homebuyers. Niche gives it an A-plus as well and lists it in the top 10 best Catholic high schools in New York.
Five Towns College is a small private college with less than 600 undergraduate students. It focuses on entertainment and the arts and has specialized areas like film and television sets, audio labs, a radio station and a performing arts center that puts on performances for locals.
Otsego School is a great place where students can learn and grow in Dix Hills.
Some Dix Hills schools like Rolling Hills Primary School are part of Commack Schools.
Half Hollow Hills West High School in Dix Hills has a student-teacher ratio of 9 to 1.
Close to Dix Hills, St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington has two football fields.
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Popular amenities at Dix Hills Park, local Little League
Dix Hills Park is home to an outdoor swimming pool, an indoor ice-skating rink and a public 9-hole, par 31 golf course. The ice skating rink offers skating lessons, figure skating classes and ice hockey leagues. According to Afati, the Town of Huntington runs Dix Hills Adventure Camp there for kids during the summer. Dix Hills also has a few pocket parks where locals can walk their dogs or play a quick game of tennis or basketball. Otsego Park has over half a dozen baseball fields where the local Little League plays, plus tennis and basketball courts. Smaller North Shore Beaches are about 10 miles away, while the South Shore’s Captree State Park and Robert Moses State Park are nearly 16 miles away.
Grab your skates and head to a pickup hockey game at Clark Gillies Arena in Dix Hills.
Residents enjoy the public pool at Dix Hills Park in Dix Hills.
In addition to the Ice Arena, Dix Hills Park has a public golf course.
Children love to play basketball and in the playground at Otsego Park in Dix Hills.
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Shopping and dining outside of Dix Hills
Dix Hills doesn’t have any shops or restaurants, but it’s surrounded by other areas with bustling downtowns. “We don’t have a town per se. Our main town is Huntington,” Afati says. “All the restaurants and shops are in Huntington. We’re close to everything.” The well-known downtown’s shops, restaurants and bars are about 8 miles away, but there are closer options. Deer Park is 4 miles away, and there’s a ShopRite, Costco, Walmart and major retailers like Marshalls just outside Dix Hills.
What Dix Hills lacks in shopping and dining, it makes up for in little local businesses — lawyers’ offices, accountants and contractors — and houses of worship. There are nearly a dozen Christian churches, including one that holds services in Korean, as well as Dix Hills Jewish Center, Dix Hills Jewish Chai Center and Suleymaniye Mosque. “It has a lot to offer for every nationality there is,” Kernaghan says. “It’s a very open township. It’s well-diversified.”
Costco Wholesale, where you can buy items in bulk, is near Dix Hills in Commack.
Food shopping is found at Stop and Shop right on Jericho Turnpike in Dix Hills.
Trader Joes is on Rte 25 in Dix Hills.
The Dix Hills Diner is a favorite of many local residents.
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Art classes and shows, bigger events in Huntington
Five Towns College hosts theatrical performances, art shows and concerts throughout the year, all open to locals. “They hold a lot of comedy shows there,” Kernaghan says. Kids and adults can sign up for painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, ceramics and jewelry-making classes and workshops at the Art League of Long Island, which hosts crafts fairs and art exhibitions. For bigger yearly events, Dix Hills residents once again turn to nearby areas like Huntington.
Sculptures decorate the grounds of The Art League of Long Island in Dix Hills.
Dix Hills residents go to Downtown Huntington for a great shopping and dining experience.
Local students that attend Five Towns College in Dix Hills love how easily accessible it is.
Downtown Huntington is the closest town to Dix Hills with a popular Main St.
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Highway access for easy commuting, nearby LIRR
The Long Island Expressway and Northern State Parkway run through Dix Hills, serving as a major draw for commuters — 66.6% of whom head to work by car, according to the USCB. Deer Park Road is Dix Hills’ other main road. Huntington’s Long Island Rail Road station is also 7 miles away. “That makes it convenient for people to commute if they work in the city,” Afati says. The train reaches Manhattan’s Penn Station in about an hour and 10 minutes. Northwell Health has an urgent care center in Dix Hills. Huntington Hospital is nearly 8 miles away and Northport VA Medical Center is about 12 miles away. It’s also about 15 miles from Long Island MacArthur Airport.
The Long Island Welcome Center in Dix Hills is right off the LIE.
Dix Hills residents who use the LIRR go to either the Huntington or Deer Park stations.
The Long Island Expressway runs through the town of Dix Hills.
The fall foliage is a beautiful sight to see along the highways in Dix Hills.
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Written By
Christina Norwood
Photography Contributed By
Jeff Siegel
Video By
Andrew Sutton
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Gina Fiorenze,
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.
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