Long Island is often discussed in terms of north shore versus south shore, but its more landlocked neighborhoods can also be great places to live. Located about halfway between the island’s eastern and westernmost boundaries and halfway between the Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, Middle Island is a prime example of this. “There are a lot of advantages to living in the center of the island,” says Todd Yovino, a licensed real estate broker and owner at Island Advantage Realty with over 30 years of experience. “For one thing, if you have quick access to major corridors, you can reduce your daily commute by about 15 minutes each leg. Add that up and see how much extra time you have on your schedule each month to do what you want.” Middle Island also has its own charm and provides everything locals need for day-to-day life. “It’s a quaint little place,” says Jacqulene Mitrani, an associate real estate broker at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty who has sold homes here for four years and lives in the neighboring town of Yaphank. “There’s a lot of stuff to do — there’s a lot of great places to eat, there’s a lot of great trails.”
This father and son love spending time together at Pine Lake in Middle Island.
Middle Island residents can easily commute via nearby i-495.
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Single-family houses starting at $400,000
Although many of Middle Island’s residential streets lack sidewalks, they tend to be quiet and shaded by trees, making daily walks and bike rides safe and enjoyable. In parts of the community, colonials, Cape Cods, ranch-style and hi-ranch homes are set back from the streets by large front yards, trees or both. It’s easy to find properties with half an acre or more of land. Home prices are typically between $400,000 and $650,000, though a handful of renovated properties on larger lots can climb over $800,000. Condos, co-ops and townhouses typically start at $200,000 and climb to around $600,000 for a renovated three-bedroom in a gated community.
Come to Middle Island to find affordable ranch style homes.
Two grand colonial homes sitting on spacious lots In Middle Island.
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Career and college readiness at Longwood High School
The Longwood Central School District gets a B-plus from Niche. Children can attend West Middle Island Elementary School, which has a B, before moving to Longwood Middle School, which has a B-plus, for fifth and sixth grades. Kids then move on to Longwood Junior High School, which has an A-minus, for seventh and eighth grades and finish their studies at Longwood High School, which has a B-plus. The high school offers both career and technical education courses, which provide hands-on learning experience on business and technology topics, and a career and college pathways program that partners with local colleges and universities to allow students to take dual credit courses.
Longwood Senior High School is home to the Longwood Lions in Middle Island.
Longwood Middle School is located off of Yaphank Middle Island Rd.
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Hiking under rare white pines
The Prosser Pines Nature Preserve is home to the only white pine tree forest on Long Island and the oldest concentration of white pines on the East Coast, making it truly unique. The trees, which aren’t native to New York, were brought from Quebec to Brookhaven in the 1800s. These days, locals love hiking under the preserve’s majestic pines. “I bring my kids to Prosser Pines,” Mitrani says. “It’s got these cool things inside the woods that almost look like little huts that the kids crawl into, and it’s an easy 0.7-mile loop. So it’s an awesome place to hang out and take a nice little stroll. It’s kid and pet-friendly.” Next door to the preserve and also shaded by the iconic trees, Cathedral Pines County Park is popular for hiking, mountain biking and camping.
Locals often take their dogs to Middle Island Dog Park, though they need to swipe a “Pooch Pass” from Brookhaven certifying that their dogs are vaccinated and spayed or neutered to get in, or play golf at Spring Lake Golf Club or Middle Island Country Club. Both organizations allow nonmembers to reserve times on certain courses. Just outside Middle Island, Rocky Point State Pine Barrens Preserve offers 3,800 acres where visitors can hike, bike, horseback ride and hunt.
The L.I. Mountain Biking Fest in Cathedral Pines in Middle Island has a stunt course.
A nice place to take a stroll is Prosser Pines with its tall trees and well maintained trails.
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Bagels and Italian food off Middle Country Road
Middle Island doesn’t have the density of restaurants that some neighborhoods boast, but it still has a solid collection of local dining spots. “There’s a lot of different eateries — you have your little hidden gems,” Mitrani says. Locals often start their days at Bagels 101 or drop by Mac’s Countryside Deli & Catering for a sandwich, and they’ve headed to Lombardi’s for Italian classics since 1977. Walmart and King Kullen provide groceries close to home and the dog-friendly All Island Pet Supplies is the favorite shopping spot for furry members of the family.
Middle Island
Bagels 101 in Middle Island does a good job with this Long Island staple.
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Nearby Long Island Rail Road stations
Middle Country Road, also known as State Route 25, runs right through the hamlet's heart and serves as its main thoroughfare. An onramp to Interstate 495 is about 5 miles to the south and reaching beaches on either shore takes 20 minutes. Those who commute to the city can drive to a Long Island Rail Road station in Yaphank, Medford or Ronkonkoma. Some stations run fewer trains during the day, even during rush hour, so it’s wise to study the schedules carefully. From the Ronkonkoma depot, which is 13 miles from Middle Island, the train reaches Midtown in under 90 minutes during peak travel times.
Annual carnival rides and fireworks
For over 70 years, Middle Island has held an annual Fireman’s Carnival & Parade in July. The event, which spans an entire weekend, features a parade, carnival rides and games, food and a night with fireworks.
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