Lake Grove

In the early 1900s, Lake Ronkonkoma was a popular summer destination for New Yorkers. Thanks to large numbers of visitors to the resort, it launched a home-building cottage industry, so to speak. Initially, most of the construction in the area consisted of vacation bungalows. But when soldiers returned from serving overseas after the World War II, many flocked to Long Island, where a major residential building boom was underway. Lake Grove, just north of the lake in the Town of Brookhaven, was a rural area with a few homes, a post office, a train station and a grove of lakeside trees. In 1968, more than 500 locals voted to incorporate Lake Grove. This designation gives the village better governmental representation and more control over the community bylaws, including appearance, how tax dollars are spent and land-use issues.

Karen Roth, a licensed associate broker with RE/MAX Integrity Leaders in Centereach, describes Lake Grove as a close-knit community where neighbors are always looking out for one another. “The village is instituting new laws and tighter restrictions on rentals,” says Roth. “For example, you can’t buy a house to rent it out. You must live in the house for a certain amount of time first. And the village is developing stricter regulations on accessory apartments.” The goal is to keep Lake Grove affordable and the community appealing for the homeowners currently residing there.

Homes in Lake Grove fetch anywhere from $360,000 for a cozy one-bedroom bungalow to more than $1 million for a brand-new farm-ranch style house with five bedrooms. On average, though, residential real estate in Lake Grove costs between $500,000 to $700,000.

The Village of Lake Grove is served by three school districts. After grading categories like teacher performance, academics and college readiness, Niche gives Sachem Central School District an A- and Middle Country Central School District a B+. Three Village Central School District is ranked the third-best school district in Suffolk County.

According to GreatSchools, W.S. Mount Elementary School in the Three Village school district ranks eight out of 10 in test scores. Wenonah School and Cayuga School, which are elementary schools part of the Sachem school district, rank a seven and eight in test scores, respectively. Niche gives Eugene Auer Elementary School in the Middle Country school district a B. Public school students in Lake Grove are assigned to high schools like Sachem High School North, which gets an A- from Niche or Ward Melville Senior High School, which gets an A+.

Lake Ronkonkoma may no longer be a summer resort, but it’s still a popular destination for locals. Lake Ronkonkoma County Park has a beach and plenty of space for fishing. Each summer, the Village of Lake Grove has a two-day Summer Festival at the gazebo in Memorial Park featuring live music, carnival games and food trucks. The Smith Haven Mall has more than 100 retail shops and restaurants for those who prefer indoor activities. Yume Ramen & Cake recently opened a kiosk at the mall, serving heaping bowls of homemade noodles, sweet rice balls and other Japanese desserts. According to Newsday, chef Kai Wang launched his culinary career at a Michelin-ranked Korean noodle bar in Manhattan.

While Lake Grove is mainly a residential neighborhood, there are numerous grocery stores and large retail chain stores around the mall, including Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Costco and PetSmart. A Lidl supermarket is in the center of Lake Grove on Middle Country Road.

There are pros and cons to incorporating a neighborhood. On the one hand, costs may go up since many maintenance and infrastructure issues are shifted from township control to the village. On the other hand, a village has more control over new construction, permitting and community aesthetics. A few years after Lake Grove was incorporated, a group of residents lobbied to reverse the decision. They lost. Since then, there has not been a concerted effort to undo the community’s status as a village. If anything, residents of Lake Grove have become even more united.

Photography Contributed By

Jeff Rainone

Video By

Antoine Allen