About 60 miles from the streets of Midtown Manhattan, Medford is one of the many sought-after sleepy hamlets of Long Island. Before the Long Island Rail Road station was built in 1843, it was little more than acres of pine barrens. Today, Medford is a quiet suburban community with nearby amenities, outdoor recreation and entertainment. A 5-mile drive to Patchogue leads to balmy South Shore beaches and a bustling downtown district with hip boutiques. "We love raising our family here because of all the things there are to do as far as entertainment goes," says Andrew Chrzanowski, team leader for Manhattan to Montauk with Keller Williams. "I don't think we plan to leave Medford for a long time."
With access to the Long Island Expressway, the Sunrise Highway and the Medford Station, "A big influx of people from Queens and Brooklyn are headed east because it's easy for them to commute if they're working in the city," Chrzanowski says, while local employers span the healthcare, education and construction sectors.
Medford's great neighborhood is ideal for raising a family.
Enjoy the views of the Great South Bay down at Shorefront Park by Medford.
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Condos, townhouses and single-family homes
Medford features a mix of apartments, condominiums, townhouses and single-family homes. "In parts of Medford, you can buy a couple of acres in horse country, and then there are other parts that are a quarter-acre in a subdivision," says Keith Dawson, a local Realtor with Signature Premier Properties who has been selling in the neighborhood for 20 years. Blue Ridge Condominiums surrounds a 9-hole golf course and is the largest condo complex in Medford, with units priced from the upper-$200,000s to the low-$400,000s. Townhouses and patio homes can range from $300,000 to over $700,000. Single-family residences range from modest split-level, bi-level and ranch-style homes to spacious Colonial Revivals, New Traditionals and modern construction. Median list prices hover around $525,000, ranging from the mid-$300,000s to the low-$900,000s.
A lot of homes in Medford have backyard pools.
Local parks, nature preserves and bayfront beaches
Several neighborhood parks are scattered around town, including Eagle Estates Park and Twelve Pines Park. The latter is one of Medford's largest parks, with multiple baseball, softball and soccer fields. "That's where all the soccer leagues play, right over there on Sipp Avenue," Dawson says. Other local leagues compete at the Medford Athletic Complex, a park with multiple sports fields, a playground and the local library.
Fish Thicket Preserve and Overton Preserve are just two of the many nearby protected areas with wooded hiking trails. Mountain bikers can head to Glacier Ridge Preserve, just north of Medford, while campgrounds and additional trails await at Cathedral Pines County Park. "We'll take our dog over there and walk him," Chrzanowski says. "My son loves the playground. Before we had him, my wife and I loved going down there and camping for the night." About 7 miles east of Medford, Southaven County Park is another popular spot for boating, fishing, horseback riding and hiking.
Several golf courses surround the hamlet, such as Mill Pond Golf Course, a public 18-hole course. Patchogue's Shorefront Park offers bayfront views 5 miles south, while the Patchogue Village Pool and Beach Club are next door. Multiple marinas dot the shoreline, and ferry service takes passengers to Fire Island and Smith Point Beach.
Medford Athletic Complex has a couple turf fields for you to use.
Hike, camp and play at Cathedral Pines in Middle Island.
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Career education at Patchogue-Medford High
Three school districts serve Medford: South Country Central, Longwood Central School District and Patchogue-Medford. Most students are zoned to the Patchogue-Medford School District, which earns an overall B from Niche. The district includes seven elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school, where students can participate in career and technical education programs.
New York City features several renowned universities, including Columbia and Fordham. Closer to home, Stony Brook University is a public research institution within The State University of New York network. Other nearby schools include Suffolk County Community College and St. Joseph's University.
Patchogue-Medford High School is where local teens go to school.
Eagle Elementary School is a part of the Patchogue-Medford School District.
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Shopping and dining along Medford Avenue
The community's commercial corridor spans Medford Avenue and Horseblock Road. Establishments line both sides of Medford Avenue and include locally owned businesses, national grocers and retailers, fast-food chains and restaurants. Global cuisines range from mom-and-pop spots serving Italian specialties and Puerto Rican empanadas to Turkish staples and classic American diner fare. "Metropolis Diner has been there forever," Dawson says of the local culinary mainstay that has been serving diners since 1991. "You can just say you're going to 'the diner.' You don't even have to say Metropolis." Medford Avenue bisects Horseblock Road, which features a cluster of big-box stores.
Patchogue is one of the hottest villages on the island, about 5 miles south. Its bustling downtown has undergone explosive growth over the past decade. "Typically, most of the restaurants we visit are in downtown Patchogue," Chrzanowski says. "You can get authentic Chinese or Japanese or Thai or West Indian — any kind of food you could think of, it's here." The two communities are so intertwined that their names are often combined into "the Pat-Med area" or just "Pat-Med."
Patchogue is also the go-to spot for annual events. Seasonal festivities range from the annual Christmas and St. Patrick's Day parades to summer concert series. Every other Thursday, Patchogue shuts down for Alive After Five, which includes live music, local vendors, and activities for the kids. The Great South Bay Music Festival is another major event, drawing thousands of attendees to Shorefront Park for four full days of music, art and culture. "That's actually where my wife and I met," Chrzanowski says.
Pita House is a favorite for all family members in Medford.
Rudi's Bar & Grill is a go to establishment that offers food drink games and sports in Medford.
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LIRR to Manhattan
The Long Island Rail Road runs from the eastern point of Long Island to Manhattan. The train takes about an hour and 45 minutes to get to Manhattan from Medford Station during peak travel times, but leaving from Ronkonkoma Station, 6 miles west, shaves off 15 minutes. However, most residents still own personal vehicles to get around town. Nearby thoroughfares include Interstate 495 (the Long Island Expressway) and New York State Route 27 (the Sunrise Highway). The Long Island MacArthur Airport sits 10 miles west of Medford, while Long Island Community Hospital is about 4 miles south.
Lake Ronkonkoma is one of two Long Island Rail Road stations for commuters from Medford.
Commuters board the train at Medford Railroad Station.
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Year-round considerations
Medford residents enjoy all four seasons. Summers are hot and humid, and cold winters bring annual snowfall totals of approximately 25 inches. Medford's low-lying terrain, surrounding waterways and meandering streams pose possible flooding concerns. Outdated infrastructure contributes to flash flooding during heavy rainfalls around the county.
According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, property crimes decreased by nearly 55% between 2022 and 2023, while violent crime rates saw a 46% decrease. Additionally, Suffolk County's crime rates as a whole are historically lower than the national average.
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