New York commuters and nature lovers settle in Holtsville
What started as a hamlet with 15 houses, one school and a general store in 1874 now stands as Holtsville, a Long Island town with over 200 homes, popular locally owned restaurants and an animal preserve. When preparing to commute to central New York, residents can catch the train at Ronkonkoma Station or drive down Interstate 495, which runs along the town’s southern border. Although this area is primarily residential, locals don’t have to travel far to find outdoor adventures like at the Holtsville Ecology Site and Animal Preserve or Holtsville Park. “Holtsville is about 80% single-family homes and 20% condos. It’s in the middle of everything and close to the expressway. Patchogue is about five minutes away and has anything you can want, like entertainment and dining,” says Larry McKenna, a team leader and licensed real estate with Signature Premier Properties who has over 17 years of experience helping clients.
Even though Holtsville is a good ways out on Long Island, it goes back a ways.
The California Diner in Holbrook near Holtsville is a fixture along Sunrise Highway.
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Commuting from Ronkonoma Station
Residents who need to clock in for work in central New York catch the train at Ronkonkoma Station. “Ronkonkoma has an express train that takes about an hour to get to the city,” McKenna says. “Things still aren’t back to the way they were before COVID-19, so it’s not as busy as it was back then.” Commuters choose Ronkonkoma for its frequent train arrivals and large parking lot. And with Interstate 495 running along the town’s northern border, drivers have a straight shot to the station from their homes. Anyone who has an appointment with their dentist, physician or medical specialist in the North Ocean Plaza has a short drive to the medical campus.
The Ronkonkoma LIRR is the most express in the area and is close enough to Holtsville.
The Long Island Expressway bisects Holtsville, adding to its ease of transportation options.
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Walking to Tamarac Elementary School
Some Holtsville residents live within walking distance of the local schools. Parents whose children attend Tamarac Elementary School might walk their kids to class in the morning. The next step is Seneca Middle School and then Sachem High School East, which has formidable basketball, football, cheer and softball teams. All three of these schools get an A-minus from Niche.
Tamarac has great outdoor seating for the kids to eat lunch at in Holtsville.
Welcome to Sachem High School East in Farmingville.
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Sought-after gated community
“One of the most sought-after areas in Holtsville is the gated Summerfield neighborhood. It has two man-made lakes, 400 high-end homes on quarter-acre lots and a community center. Young families really like it there, too, because there’s a neighborhood daycare center,” McKenna says. The Colonial Revival and Cape Cod homes within Summerfield can sell for $675,000 to $800,000, and homes outside of the gated community often have ranch-style designs and can go for $445,000 to $645,000. Many have an attached garage, paved driveway and a large lot with a pool in the backyard. Residents who drive down the wide, sidewalk-free streets pass under tall trees that shade the roads and homes. The CAP Index gives the town a crime score of 2 out of 10, with 4 being the national average.
Colonial Revival style homes are popular among the expanding Holtsville neighborhoods.
People have made their ranch style homes in Holtsville their own with personal touches.
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Holtsville Ecology Site and Animal Preserve
Although the north and south shore beaches are about 16 miles away, residents can reconnect with nature at the Holtsville Ecology Site and Animal Preserve or get some fresh air at Holtsville Park next door. The site was a landfill that has since been converted into an animal rehabilitation center and public park. Visitors can pick up free compost for their gardens, take a guided tour to meet the animals, see the plants growing in the greenhouse or cool off in the Holtsville pool during the summer. Sachem Public Library welcomes readers to enjoy a coffee from Brewport Cafe with a new book. Holtsville's main places of worship include The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Long Island Baptist Church and the Protestant Jesus is Lord Church of Holtsville.
The Holtsville Animal Preserve is a great small zoo to take small children.
Sachem Public Library in Holbrook near Holtsville is a large building with a cafe within.
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Holtsville Hal is "a big deal"
Every winter, the Holtsville Ecology Site and Animal Preserve comes alive for the Holiday Lights Spectacular. This event is all about bringing holiday joy to the town and raising money to care for the animals living in the center. The ecology site also has its very own version of Punxsutawney Phil — Holtsville Hal. “Oh yeah, he’s a big deal. They’ve been doing that for 10 or 15 years now, and it happens on February 2nd,” says McKenna.
Traveling out of town for California Diner or Sonoma Grill
Popular chain restaurants sit near the Island 16 Cinema de Lux, but anyone looking for a local spot with unique dishes can take a short trip to California Diner to order Mediterranean dishes for breakfast and lunch or Sonoma Grill to hear live music or watch a football game while enjoying dinner. Mama Lombardi's off Main Street serves Italian dishes in the family-owned restaurant. When homeowners need to stock their fridges, they head north to the Stop & Shop in Expressway Plaza or south to the Aldi in Waverly Plaza. Some pick up halal meat cuts from the Bello Poultry Market. McKenna mentions the neighboring town Patchogue has Lombardi's On the Bay for Italian dishes and other popular dining along Main Street.
Sonoma Grill is a great option in Holtsville if you are staying at the next door hotel.
Sonoma Grill in Holtsville has a nice setting and a big bar.
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Written By
Leonardo Mayorga
Photography Contributed By
Anthony Costa
Video By
Leonardo Mayorga
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Moniqua McCoy,
an experienced agent in this area.
GreatSchools:
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On average, homes in Holtsville, NY sell after 28 days on the market compared to the national average of 50 days. The median sale price for homes in Holtsville, NY over the last 12 months is $675,000, up 19% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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Beautiful Pet Friendly Colonial Which Contains Extra Rooms !!!. Huge Driveway For Multiple Car Parking With Garage. 5 Bedrooms. 2 Additional Rooms Which Could Also Be Possible Bedrooms With Finished Basement Which Would Make Ideal Man Cave Or Large Family Having Its Own Unique Basement Set Up With Privacy. Lovely Private Backyard With White PVC ALL Around With Above Ground Swimming Pool. Huge
QUIET PRIVATE COMMUNITYHEAT INCLUDEDHOT WATER INCLUDEDGAS COOKING INCLUDEDCENTRAL AIR CONDITIONINGHUGE SPACIOUS FLOOR PLANSPRIVATE ENTRYWAY1 OR 2 BEDROOM UPPER & LOWER UNITSLARGE CLOSETSTILED KITCHEN AND BATHROOMSPRIVATE PATIOS OR BALCONIESMANICURED LANDSCAPING24-HOUR MAINTENANCE SERVICEON SITE MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCEAMPLE
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