A coastal, country lifestyle in Mattituck, deep in the North Fork
The scents of salt air and sweet grapes waft over the hamlet of Mattituck. Life moves slowly in this part of the town of Southold, where the bucolic beauty of Long Island Wine Country stretches from the bluffs along the sound to the sandy beaches along the bay. Especially during the warmer months, Mattituck swells with nautical small-town charm thanks to its vacation-friendly waterfronts, mom and pop businesses and family-friendly traditions like the Strawberry Festival. When it’s time to leave the North Fork’s tranquil countryside behind, you can easily reach suburban Suffolk County and New York by car, Jitney bus or Long Island Rail Road train.
Costs of homes near the sound, bay and other North Fork communities
Some of Mattituck’s small cottages were built around the mid-1900s. Other palatial contemporary houses were constructed along the Long Island Sound and Great Peconic Bay in the last decade. There are houses with private docks and scenic views along the sound, bay and Mattituck Inlet. Near vineyards and sod farms, you can find houses on a few rural acres. Vacation home musts, like pools, porches and big windows that let in sunsets and breezes, are popular. “Mattituck is more toward the year-round side of the North Fork because it does have schools, commerce and things like that. But it’s still probably more than 50% summer residents or second homeowners,” says Cheryl Schneider, a Realtor with The Agency North Fork who’s served the area for over 12 years.
Prices range widely in Mattituck. You might find a smaller, landlocked Cape Cod with minimal modern updates in the mid-$500,000s. Waterfront properties easily crest $1 million, with especially grand estates listing for closer to $5 million. Mattituck’s median single-family home price is about $1.1 million. That’s slightly lower than in the other popular Southold hamlets of Cutchogue and Southold, as well as the village of Greenport.
Coastal recreation from Long Island Sound to Great Peconic Bay
“From Jamesport on east, all of the North Fork has beaches on Great Peconic Bay and the Long Island Sound,” Schneider says. “The bay is great for kids; the beaches are less rocky, the water is calmer and it’s a little more scenic. There are big bluffs on the sound side, and you can see Connecticut when it’s clear out.” You can look across the bay to the South Fork’s famous Hamptons vacation area from the swimming area and playground at Veterans Beach. Bailie Beach Park is a favorite spot for taking walks, casting lines or soaking in the sunset along the Long Island Sound’s pebbly shoreline. People boat and fish on both sides of the hamlet, launched from backyard docks, a public launch on Mattituck Inlet and private businesses like Strong’s Yacht Center.
Local businesses and conveniences from Love Lane to wine country
As much as people love the convenience of shopping at Mattituck Marketplace and CVS, the hamlet’s small, specialty business community is its pride and joy. “In Mattituck, you actually have a large shopping center...Three blocks away is the cutest, tiny little small-town road that’s the most famous one in the North Fork called Love Lane,” Schneider says. Some highlights include:
- Love Lane Kitchen, a cozy, elevated cafe that gets packed at breakfast and lunch
- Magic Fountain, a beloved ice cream shop where the line often wraps around the building
- North Fork Donut Company, the first of a sweet treat franchise affectionately called NoFoDoCo
- Windamere, a place to enjoy seafood and live music on a waterfront patio
- Lombardi’s Love Lane Market, an Italian grocer jam-packed with specialty goods
You’ll find farm stands and places like Macari Vineyards among the fields of Long Island Wine Country. Riverhead, the nearest big-box store hub, is about 10 miles from home.
Small-town fun, festivals and a close-knit community all year
“Whether you’re retired, here on vacation or have kids and want more going on around you, Mattituck is a good spot,” Schneider says. The Mattituck Lions Club has held its Father’s Day weekend fundraiser, the Strawberry Festival, since the 1950s. It combines classic carnival rides, food and games with sweet entertainment like a strawberry shortcake eating contest and the crowning of the Strawberry Queen. You can also mingle with neighbors and local business owners during First Fridays street fairs through the warmer months. Mattituck Cinemas, North Fork Community Theatre and Mattituck-Laurel Library are open year-round.
Ways to leave the North Fork for greater Long Island and NYC
People often stroll and bike around Mattituck, but you'll usually drive or catch public transit to leave the hamlet. It’s a roughly 90-mile drive to Manhattan. You can also head to the Long Island Rail Road’s Mattituck Station to start the two-and-a-half-hour train ride to Grand Central Station. There's more frequent service to NYC and greater Suffolk County through Hampton Jitney and Suffolk County Transit buses.
High ratings for the Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free School District
Mattituck is served by the Mattituck-Cutchogue Union Free School District. Fewer than 1,000 students attend the district’s two highly rated schools, Cutchogue East Elementary School and Mattituck-Cutchogue Jr./Sr. High School.
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Written By
Julia Szymanski
