$530,024Average Value$358Average Price per Sq Ft73Homes For Sale
'Right by the beach' in Shirley
At the top of the 20th century, the neighborhood we now know as Shirley was a popular getaway for a few New York City elites. In the 1960s, a developer named Walter T. Shirley envisioned building a community of bayside bungalows for working-class families. Today, the neighborhood on Long Island's South Shore carries on his surname — and his vision. “It’s the last affordable waterfront community,” says Tina Jahrsdoerfer, a licensed real estate salesperson at Signature Premier Properties who has lived in the neighborhood for 29 years and has sold homes here for 10 years. “You can get waterfront property for less than $1 million here, which is unheard of — and actually, a lot less than that.” Even for those who don’t live on the water, the beach is often only a short drive or bike ride away. “People love being right by the beach,” Jahrsdoerfer says. “Shirley is kind of big. But if you live south of Montauk, you’re only 5 miles from the beach, right down the road. You can hop on your bike and ride over there, which people like because then you don’t have to pay for parking. That’s what I usually do. People who live on those canal streets, they can just walk over the bridge.”
Boating sports can be found on the ocean or the bay in Shirley.
Smith Point Beach County Park in Shirley is convenient for all residents.
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Fishing, boating and swimming in Belport Bay
As a waterfront neighborhood, the water is an integral part of life here. “Everywhere you look, we have a fishing pier,” Jahrsdoerfer says. “People love to go crabbing and clamming here. We never buy clams or crabs; my husband just goes and gets them. If we’re in the mood for crabs, he just buys chicken legs, grabs the traps and goes and gets them.” Smith Point Marina County Park is home to a little beach and a boat ramp where locals can launch their boats or kayaks out onto the bay. Shirley Beach is at the edge of Bellport Bay and offers a playground and splash pad alongside its little beach. The Tri-Hamlet Mom’s Group has a weekly meetup here during the summer. “I bring popsicles down there and they hang out, they go to the splash park and cool off,” Jahrsdoerfer says. “They have swings and stuff there too, but most of the kids this time of year are playing in the splash park.” The Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge has about 9 miles of hiking trails and kayakers head to the park to get out onto the Carmans River. Just a few minutes away, Smith Point County Park offers camping grounds and a beach right on the Atlantic Ocean that’s incredibly popular during the summer for enjoying the sand and waves.
For those with adventurous spirits, Shirley is also home to the Long Island Skydiving Center. “The other day, I was driving down William Floyd Parkway with my daughter and there were six parachuters coming down,” Jahrsdoerfer says. “Every day, if you just look, you’ll see them. I would never do it, but it’s cool to watch.” Gr8skates is a popular roller skating rink, and Shirley’s library is undergoing renovations that are scheduled to be completed in 2024. The library is being gut renovated and will receive new everything, including being outfitted with technology like 3D printers. “We’re all excited about that, that’s going to be really beautiful,” Jahrsdoerfer says.
Shirley Beach is located on the western coastal border in Shirley.
Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley is a nice place for a hike or a stroll.
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Cape Cods and ranch-style homes from $350,000
Most of Shirley’s residential streets lack sidewalks, but they’re wide and quiet. The homes stretched along them are typically Cape Cods and ranch-style homes, with a few colonials and new traditional homes here and there. Inland homes can start as low as $350,000, though most start off in the $400,000 range, and max out at around $650,000. Waterfront homes start at around $575,000 and typically climb to $850,000. “Where else are you getting that?” Jahrsdoerfer asks. “You’re not getting that anywhere else, and you’re looking right out your bedroom window at the canal. The waterfront lifestyle is here just like it is anywhere else that’s more expensive, it’s just more affordable and the taxes are lower.” Occasionally, homes right on the bay can climb as high as $1.4 million, but most stay well below that. Flood insurance is a must for the homes along the coast. The CAP Index crime score is 3 out of 10, which is lower than the national average of 4.
Waterfront homes in Shirley are coveted.
Cape Cods are the oldest type of home style in Shirley,
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Annual car show, local social groups
Shirley, Mastic and Mastic Beach are three intertwining hamlets known together as the Tri-Hamlet area. As a result, they share a lot of the same social events, including the annual Food Truck Rally & Car Show. Everyone gets together to admire antique cars, eat food from local food trucks and explore tents from local vendors. Local groups like the Tri-Hamlet Mom’s Group meet regularly, and the local library holds plenty of weekly events. “I go to craft night at the library,” Jahrsdoerfer says.
The library in Mastic shares its services with Shirley and Moriches.
Hose off at the surf board showers at Smith Point County Beach in Shirley.
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Shopping and dining along William Floyd Parkway
Most of Shirley’s shopping and dining is strung along Willian Floyd Parkway. William Floyd Diner is a popular breakfast spot, while Tend Coffee is a go-to for a daily dose of caffeine and pastries. Mediterranean Kitchen is well-known for its gyros and lamb kebabs. In Smith Point, Tiki Joe’s Beach Club is a popular dinner spot for the live bands that play there regularly right by the beach. “You can get food, you get drinks, you listen to live music, so that’s a huge draw,” Jahrsdoerfer says. Major retailers are plentiful in Shirley, and people from Mastic and Mastic Beach head here for much of their shopping. Stop & Shop, ALDI, Lidl and King Kullen all offer groceries right in the neighborhood. There's also Kohl’s, Marshalls, Michaels and Home Depot.
William Floyd Diner serves up tasty food to locals.
Tiki Joe's at Smith Point County Park has the only bar for many miles near Shirley.
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Music education at William Floyd schools
Most of Shirley is served by schools in the William Floyd Union Free School District, which Niche gives an A-minus. Children can attend William Floyd Elementary School, which has a B-plus, William Floyd Middle School, which has a B, and William Floyd High School, which has a B-plus. The district is known for its music curriculum, and students enrolled in its program have performed in county and statewide concerts. In 2023 and 2024, the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation placed the district on a list of best communities for music education. A small northern portion of the community is served by the Longwood Central School District, which has a B-plus.
William Floyd High School serves Shirley among other communities.
William Floyd Middle School located off of Moriches-Middle Island Road near Shirley.
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Traveling on William Floyd Parkway, Sunrise Highway and the LIRR
William Floyd Parkway and Sunrise Highway, also known as state Route 27, run through the neighborhood. The spot where they converge in its center, which is also where much of the neighborhood’s shopping is, has a little more traffic noise than other parts of the neighborhood. It also takes just a few minutes to hop on Interstate 495 from the neighborhood. From the Mastic-Shirley Long Island Rail Road station, commuters can reach Manhattan’s Penn Station in about an hour and 45 minutes. Long Island MacArthur Airport is about 13 miles away and John F. Kennedy International Airport is about 53 miles away.
The Mastic Shirley LIRR is a reliable way to get to points east and west.
I-495 is convenient enough to Shirley for all points west.
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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There is noticeable crime around town, but it is usually taken care of by officials.
5.0Current Resident
5/11/2018Niche Review
Shirley is a very beautiful, nice and quiet area compared to living in Brooklyn. William Floyd School District has a lot to offer it's students. There are several shopping centers in the area to eat and shop.
3.0Current Resident
2/23/2023Niche Review
I have lived in Shirley my whole life, its not a bad place but its not very great. It's your average Long Island suburban neighborhood.
4.0Current Resident
9/29/2019Niche Review
Shirley is a beautiful town, the houses are very nice and well made and the school district it's a part of is very good and helpful to its students. There isn't that much crime in Shirley, mostly in the towns around it.
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Shirley Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Shirley, Long Island sell after 49 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Shirley, Long Island over the last 12 months is $525,000, up 8% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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