'Hell’s Kitchen with a lawn' on the South Shore of Long Island
With its views of South Oyster Bay and a curving coastline cut through by canals, Massapequa’s extensive outdoor spaces, longstanding restaurants and the small-town feel created by its tight-knit community make it stand out from other cities in New York. “When I was growing up, Massapequa was like Hell’s Kitchen with a lawn,” says Philip Donnellan, an associate broker at Deans R E & Moving Homes and a lifelong native with 19 years of experience selling here. “It was working class. It was cops, firemen, utility workers, Wall Street people. It was a good mixture of people, and it still is.” The United States Census Bureau reports that the biggest portion of residents — 28.9% — work in education, healthcare or social assistance.
The community that this diverse group of locals has built goes beyond just getting to know their neighbors. “You have just an absolutely amazing community, all helping each other get through the day and making their life just a little better,” says real estate salesperson Jay Nociforo of EXIT Realty Premier. “It’s that kind of community.” Between its location and community, many residents stay in Massapequa for the long haul. “I grew up here; I’ve lived here for 60 years,” Donnellan says. He just moved away — but stayed nearby — a little over six years ago, and he isn’t the only member of his family to stay for decades. His three siblings still live in town, as do almost all his adult nieces and nephews. “We used to say it’s a cult,” he says. Few people leave town, but it’s also not booming, either. According to the census, it grew 1.58% between 2020 and 2024.
South Oyster Bay and a curving coastline cut through by canals in Massapequa.
Massapequa offers a small-town feel created by its tight-knit community.
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Beaches and boating in South Oyster Bay, hiking and local Little Leagues
“It’s a huge boating, fishing, recreation area,” Donnellan says. “There’s a giant coastline, and boaters gravitate there because they want dockside, they want bulkhead.” Massapequa’s abundant coastline is dotted with beaches, parks and marinas that let out into South Oyster Bay, which locals sometimes simply call the Great South Bay. Philip B. Healey Beach is public but small, so it’s often quiet despite being popular. Alhambra Park has a small beach, but it’s more popular for its floating dock and kayak launch, both redone along with its bulkhead in 2021. “If you have a boat, it’s a quick 15-minute ride to Tobay Beach, to Jones Beach — whichever beach you want,” Donnellan says.
Massapequa Preserve has hiking trails, lakes for fishing and kayaking and access to the Bethpage Bike Trail, which stretches all the way up to Bethpage State Park. The nearby John J. Burns Park’s many athletic courts and fields serve as a hub for local teams. Donnellan says youth leagues for baseball, lacrosse, football and soccer play here. “Our Little League has sent teams to the Little League World Series over the years, probably half a dozen times. All the sports in Massapequa are very involved.”
Massapequa's coastline offers home owners dock space and piers for their boats.
Massapequa Preserve has hiking and biking trails that take you to and from Bethpage State Park.
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Single-family homes with a wide price range
Massapequa’s Cape Cods, colonials, split-levels and ranch-style homes cover a wide range of prices. An inland two-bedroom fixer-upper starts as low as $400,000, while updated homes can climb as high as $2.5 million along the waterfront, where private docks are commonplace. Elaine Patterson, licensed associate real estate broker at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, says the wide range can appeal to many categories of buyers. “It gives you the opportunity to be a first-time buyer, or be an upgrade buyer, or a waterfront buyer, or a downsizer.” The average home price here is about $827,000, with the census reporting that about 72% of homes fall between $500,000 and $1 million. Residents often relocate within Massapequa, finding a larger or smaller home to meet their changing needs. Other residents don’t move at all. “We’ve had people living 40, 50, 60 years in their home,” Nociforo says.
In Massapequa a Colonial like this can go as high as $2.5 million along the waterfront.
The average Split home price here in Massapequa is about $827,000.
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Classic restaurants with their roots in the 1950s
Merrick Road is dotted with pizzerias and restaurants serving standard American fare, but sushi, Korean food and more can also be found in Massapequa. All American Hamburger Drive In is considered the go-to spot. “It makes great hamburgers, it’s been here for 60 years and it’s known all over Long Island,” Donnellan says, recommending the double double and fries. In fact, many of Massapequa’s most popular restaurants have been around for decades. Massapequa Diner got its start in 1950 and is open 24/7, and Krisch’s has been serving dessert since 1955. “It still has the feel of the old ice cream shop with the counter and the thick stools,” Donnellan says. “You can get anything from an egg cream soda to a full sundae. People come from all over the island to get Krisch’s ice cream.”
All American Hamburger Drive In is considered the go-to spot in Massapequa for a tasty burger.
Krisch’s has been open since 1955 and has a feel of the old ice cream shop in Massapequa.
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Annual parades and concerts
The Massapequa Street Fair draws thousands for its live music, local craft vendors and activities for kids like pony rides and a petting zoo. There are also Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day parades, and John J. Burns Park hosts free summertime concerts every week. “You get anything from doo-wop revivals to hip-hop and anything in between,” Donnellan says. “The Zombies, the old band from the 1960s, played in Burns Park a few years ago.”
The Knights of Columbus leading a section of the parade down Broadway in Massapequa.
A boy watching the parade receives an ice pop from a parade participant.
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Commuting to work by LIRR or car
The Long Island Rail Road’s Massapequa Station runs a train every 30 minutes. The express train reaches Manhattan in about 55 minutes. According to the census, though, most residents drive to work in their own cars — an easy feat, thanks to Massapequa’s direct access to Sunrise Highway and Broadway, Hicksville and Merrick roads. St. Joseph's Hospital and South Oaks Hospital, the latter of which is a psychiatric hospital, are both just over 3 miles away, and John F. Kennedy International Airport is 20 miles away.
Athletics and summer programs in Massapequa schools
The Massapequa Union Free School District is one of the biggest K-12 school systems in Nassau County but still has an overall student-to-teacher ratio of 11-to-1. Niche gives the district an A and lists it among the 25 best districts for athletics in the state. During the summer, the district offers a wide range of summer camp activities for thousands of students, including fine arts, sports and Lego robotics camps.
Welcome to Massapequa High School.
The front entry of Raymond Lockhart Elementary School welcomes students from Massapequa.
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Projects to mitigate the risk of flooding, decreasing crime rates
Massapequa experiences all four seasons, and often gets snow in the winter. As a waterfront community, it has a moderate risk of flooding, especially during hurricane season, which also brings a major risk of high winds that can damage homes. In January 2024, the Town of Oyster Bay completed a $12 million flood diversion project in south Massapequa. The project, which impacted a dozen roads in the area that were prone to flooding, added drainage and underground water retention systems, upgraded piping and sometimes even raised the elevation of low-lying roads.
Massapequa’s overall CAP Index crime score is 1 out of 10, compared to the national average of 4. Only its larceny stat creeps up to a 2. The Town of Oyster Bay’s Security Division works alongside the Nassau County Police Department and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to enforce regulations and keep locals safe. As a whole, crime in Nassau County decreased by 14.46% from 2023 to 2024 and major crimes decreased by 13.29%. This drop was even more noticeable in the 7th Precinct, which covers Massapequa along with several other cities and neighborhoods. It recorded a 16.72% reduction in major crimes. Residential burglaries did increase in the precinct, however, going from 9 in 2023 to 19 in 2024.
Written By
Christina Norwood
Photography Contributed By
Peter Scifo
Video By
Adam Lapallo
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Debbie Kopack,
an experienced agent in this area.
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