Muttontown

Although it was named for the thousands of sheep that once called the pastures covering its gently rolling hills home, Muttontown’s natural beauty and proximity to the North Shore later made it an ideal location for three massive estates spanning hundreds of acres--one of which was, at one time, owned by a foreign king. Carved from these original estates, today’s Muttontown is a village that’s still home to impressive mansions on sizeable properties, making the area synonymous with luxury. “Muttontown is definitely upscale,” says Frances Mazer, an associate broker at Compass Real Estate. “It’s when you want land, luxury, privacy and exclusivity. Usually, people go there when they want more privacy, more seclusion. But Muttontown is always about a luxury home.” Despite the air of rural peace and seclusion that permeates the village, commuting to New York City from Muttontown is still relatively easy. Most commuters drive to Syosset Station less than 3 miles away, where they can catch a train and arrive in the city in just 55 minutes. “It has a nice proximity to New York but you have the bigger property,” Mazer says.

The homes in Muttontown are on at least half an acre, but most homes are on much more than that, giving potential homeowners the opportunity to own sizable chunks of land. “If you want privacy and land and large homes, you should look in Muttontown,” Mazer says. “It has beautiful homes and beautiful communities, most of them on a minimum of two acres.” The minimum zoning for most areas is now 3 acres, and it’s not uncommon to find estates on 5 acres or more. Homes on smaller lots start out at $1.5 million and home prices can climb as high as nearly $9 million for estates with extensive acreage. “There’s a house on the market for $8.8 million that is 8 acres,” Mazer says. The bulk of the neighborhood’s homes, however, fall between $2 million and just over $4 million. Like other areas of Long Island, the housing market in Muttontown has an extremely low inventory, which creates more competition. “There are like 16 homes on the market right now in Muttontown, which is nothing,” Mazer says. Despite this, the price point of the homes on the market determines how quickly they sell and how much competition potential homeowners can expect to face to secure their home. “Depending on the area, the half-acres are usually under $2 million, so they go quickly. On homes over $2.5 million or over $3 million, it depends. If they’re beautiful and done, they will sell, but they don’t go as fast. it’s a hefty price tag and with the way the rates are right now, that really matters. It’s a completely different buyer. The lower prices always go quickly because your appeal is to a wider range of people.”

Muttontown is served by a patchwork of three highly rated school districts: Syosset Central School District, Jericho Union Free School District and Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District. The Syosset and Jericho school districts both have A-plus ratings on Niche and are listed among the top three in the categories of best district in New York as well as best places to teach in the state. The Syosset district also makes the Niche’s top three for districts with the best teachers in New York, while Jericho makes the top 10. The Oyster Bay-East Norwich district has an A rating on Niche. According to Mazer, these districts serve as a huge draw to the community.

Thanks to the large estates that once covered the village, Muttontown has a lot of natural land left where residents can enjoy the outdoors. Cobbled together from bits of land from all three estates that once called the area home, Muttontown Preserve is 550 acres of marked nature trails perfect for hiking, cross-country skiing during the winter and an equestrian center and horse trails where locals can ride. Locals often hike to the ruins of the Knollwood Estate, which was owned at one time by the last king of Albania, King Zog I. The king never lived in the estate, but rumors that he hid treasure in the mansion’s walls led to vandals and treasure-hunters damaging the empty building in search of it. The mansion was eventually mostly demolished, but its ruins, which are now covered in often quite artistic graffiti, remain a popular destination. Locals can visit the Chelsea Mansion, also in the preserve, for a look at one of the original estate mansions that’s still in great shape. Sports practices and games in Muttontown are often held at the Charles Wang Athletic Complex, and many residents join one of the country clubs in the village to gain access to amenities like a golf course, pool and tennis and pickleball courts.

Residents often pick up plants and gardening supplies at Heritage Farm & Garden and stop at the Jericho Cider Mill for sweet treats like cider donuts, pies and hot apple cider. Most of Muttontown is very rural and dedicated to its estates, however, so locals drive into other towns for most of their shopping and dining needs. They don’t have to go far, though, as little downtowns can be found in nearly every direction from the village. From the center of Muttontown, Syosset’s and Jericho’s downtowns are both just 3 miles away, Jericho is and Oyster Bay is just over 4 miles away. When residents want the excitement and convenience offered by these areas, they don’t have to go far, but Muttontown offers a feeling of peaceful seclusion and luxury that many dream of calling home.

Written By

Christina Norwood

Photography Contributed By

Jeff Rainone

Video By

Stewart Taveras