Peconic River town known for orchards, beaches and attractions
Named for its position at the head of the Peconic River, Riverhead has exploded in popularity thanks to the orchards, wineries and sandy shores along the Sound side, the public parks and downtown attractions on the bay side, and the golf courses and retail all throughout. Known by some as the Gateway to Eastern Long Island, Riverhead is no longer just a drive-through town. The county seat of Suffolk County, this family- and retiree-friendly community welcomes an influx of visitors during both beach season and pumpkin-picking season. “It’s becoming more of a tourism destination,” says Keith Jefferson, Broker with Signature Premier Properties who was born and raised in Riverhead. “There’s so much to do here, and it’s close to everything. People are starting to see it as a place to visit.” While Riverhead used to be known for its Polish Town enclave where a cluster of Polish immigrants settled, this New York hamlet is having a renaissance. Outsiders may visit town for the festivals, vineyards, shopping and beaches, but residents stay in Riverhead for the relative affordability compared to its Long Island neighbors and the charming and revitalized downtown area.
Wildwood State Park is a great way to spend the afternoon with family.
Splish Splash is a Great Place for Family Fun All Summer Long.
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Pumpkin-picking along Sound Avenue and Main Street festivals
Between seasonal orchard-picking and NASCAR races, Riverhead offers a diverse calendar of events. Most of the area's farms are situated along Sound Avenue, which hugs the coast of Long Island Sound. Briermere Farms is known for pies and flora, Zilnicki Farms offers fresh eggs and potatoes, and Garden of Eve Organic Farm is popular for family-friendly activities. During the autumn season, Polak’s Farm, Schmitt’s Farm Stand and Fox Hollow Farms draw a crowd looking for sunflowers and pumpkins. “Sound Avenue can be a nightmare in the fall,” Jefferson says of the traffic, but he’s also quick to point out the benefits. “Some farms offer apple-picking and apple cider donuts. Corn on the cob is popular, too. They heat it up right there and dip it in butter. It’s delicious.” In the same vein as farm stands, the rural area around Sound Avenue is also full of wineries. Roanoke Vineyards, like many of the other vineyards in Riverhead, focuses on ecofriendly practices.
Riverhead Raceway frequently hosts demolition derbies and monster truck shows, and NASCAR racers take to the track in September. Nearby, Pulaski Street runs through what is considered Polish Town, recognized by red street signs emblazoned with an eagle to match the Polish flag. Saint Isidore Catholic Church, with its double spires, stands tall among its Colonial-style neighbors. Built in 1906 by Polish immigrants, it’s the oldest Polish Roman Catholic Church on Long Island. And fittingly for its agrarian Riverhead location, Saint Isidore is the patron saint of farmers. Pulaski Street also hosts the Polish Town Street Fair and Festival in August, complete with more than 200 Polish food and craft vendors, live music and a traditional night dance. “Over the summer, there’s the Alive on 25 Festival. Every other Friday, they shut down a section of Main Street for vendors and food trucks. There are crafts, painting and Fourth of July fireworks,” Jefferson says, referring to the recurring Downtown Riverhead event. “And in October, the two-day Riverhead Country Fair brings in as many as 10,000 people to Main Street."
Briermere Farms in Riverhead is the premiere destination for pies on all of Long Island.
Rock the Streets at Alive on 25, a free annual street fair in Riverhead.
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Comparatively affordable condos and Colonial-styles on Long Island
Due to Riverhead’s rural north, suburban center and more densely-populated south side, there are a variety of farmhouses, ranch-styles, historic Colonial-inspired and Victorian homes, cottages and contemporary condominiums. “It’s both a family-friendly area and a community for retirees,” says Jefferson. “They’ve just put a bunch of 55-and-up communities throughout Riverhead.” There are also new apartment complexes in the works, which will add value to the area. These modern developments are driving real estate prices higher, but the town’s goal is to help area locals find affordable single-family homes. The median price for a house in Riverhead is $557,500, compared to about $630,000 in Suffolk County and around $850,000 in New York City. Homes typically stay on the market for 56 days before they sell.
Beautiful Neoclassical Revival Home in Riverhead, NY.
Spacious Colonial Revival Home in Riverhead.
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Riverfront Park boardwalk, beaches on the bay, and a really big duck
Residents have a plethora of both indoor and outdoor recreation. On the Sound side, there are public beaches like Iron Pier Beach, where locals can walk their dogs along the sandy shores of Long Island Sound. This northern area also offers plenty of golf course choices, from the public Cherry Creek Golf Links and Sandy Pond Links to the private Long Island National Golf Club and Vineyards Golf & Country Club. Centrally located near most of the town’s retail options, Stotzky Memorial Park has athletic fields and courts, including a street hockey rink, a skate park and a playground.
On the river side, Peconic Riverfront Park offers a 1,600-foot boardwalk along the water. A planned mixed-use development called Town Square recently received a $800,000 state grant and $10 million more in state funding. This project will help bring Main Street to the Peconic River with open-air retail spaces. Located on Main Street, the Long Island Aquarium features interactive exhibits and opportunities to shark dive, take selfies with penguins and meet sea lions. The Atlantis Explorer is a boat tour that brings passengers along the river and out to Flanders Bay. “Sometimes they do wine nights or dinner nights,” Jefferson says. “You can go out and ride around for a few hours. It’s a good time.”
Near the aquarium, the 275-acre Indian Island County Park is popular for camping and hiking. The park also provides beach access to the shores of Flanders Bay, where residents can swim or launch kayaks and paddleboards. Just across the Peconic River from this park space, a unique waterfowl stands tall. “The Big Duck is a big attraction,” Jefferson says, referring to a giant wooden duck built in the ‘30s with a gift shop inside. “They decorate it for Christmas. Anyone that comes here has to go to the Big Duck and take a picture.”
NID 537930 Wildwood State Park offers swimming, fishing, hiking, camping, and picnicking.
The Riverwalk in Riverhead is popular for a stroll or fishing activities.
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Downtown Riverhead dining and Tanger Outlets shopping
In the Downtown Riverhead area, Main Street is lined with an international array of cuisines, including Chinese, Latin American, Polish, American Barbeque and Mediterranean. Farm Country Kitchen is located in a quaint farm cottage on the Peconic River and offers a rotating menu. Birchwood is a dimly-lit tavern with Polish and American dishes, and Tweed’s is a locally adored steakhouse established in 1896. “A lot of places shut down after 9 o’clock,” Jefferson says in regard to the downtown nightlife. “The Suffolk has acts and dinners and bands all year-round, which would be considered our nightlife.”
Where Interstate 495 weaves into Route 25, the Tanger Outlets spotlight athletic brand names like Nike and Adidas. Nearby, Splish Splash Water Park is the largest of its kind in the tri-state area. This commercial sector also features Costco and Walmart. More centrally located in Riverhead, there are several shopping plazas with grocers and big-box stores like Target. Next to the Target, Peconic Bay Medical Center opened a new critical-care facility twice the size of the previous one in 2021.
Long Island's Largest Outlet Center Featuring Over 165 Manufacturer Designer Outlet Stores.
1920s Luncheonette With a Checked Floor Serving Simple American Fare & Housemade Ice Cream.
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Riverhead Central School District
The Riverhead Central School District, which receives a B-minus from Niche, serves more than 5,500 students and consists of four primary schools, one elementary school, one middle school and Riverhead High School. Providing a private education option in town, Saint John Paul II Regional School serves kindergarten through eighth-grade students.
Riverhead High School is a Highly Rated, Public School Located in Riverhead, NY.
Riverhead Middle School is Located off of Harrison Ave in Riverhead.
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Taking the Long Island Rail Road into Grand Central Station
Riverhead is situated where Interstate 495 ends and branches off into state routes 25 and 24. Route 25 passes through Riverhead as it continues to the easternmost end of Long Island. Once residents access the interstate, New York City is about a 70-mile commute west. The Long Island Rail Road also runs through Riverhead, picking up passengers at the Riverhead station and bringing them all the way into Grand Central Station and Penn Station. For more local destinations, the Suffolk County Transit – or SCT – bus system services the county. Long Island MacArthur Airport is about 30 miles west, offering flights through Breeze, Frontier, JetBlue and Southwest. For more distant travel, John F. Kennedy International Airport is 70 miles west.
Weather and crime patterns in Riverhead
Riverhead residents experience all four seasons. Summers are warm and humid with temperatures that rarely pass 80 degrees, and winters are cold and snowy with temperatures that rarely dip lower than 25 degrees. January sees the most snowfall at around 6 inches. Riverhead has been subject to groundwater pollution, presumably from the result of a former Northrop Grumman test site located in next-door Calverton. At one point, there were more than 10 times the maximum contaminant levels for a certain chemical present in tap water. The town of Riverhead began an investigation at the site in 2024 to find the source of the contaminant and intends to begin taking action toward groundwater improvement.
According to data provided to the FBI, Riverhead’s crime rate is lower than the national crime rate, except for robbery and larceny. However, because of the near-constant fluctuation of those specific crime rates, data regarding any increases or decreases in theft are not readily available.
Jennifer ("JT") was born and raised on Long Island and comes from a family background complete with architectural landscape artists, engineers, builders and construction of passive houses all along Long Island's East End. It’s no wonder why JT came into Real Estate. Real estate has always been a passion for her and with her already existing background in Property Preservation for more than a decade, it’s easy to see why more than 500 clients called her for help. JT epitomizes integrity, energy, hard work, sophistication, and creative service in every detail of a sales transaction. JT has raised 3 children on Long Island with one son proudly serving in the United States Coast Guard. When JT isn’t in the office working, you will find her hiking, running, and volunteering her time with Veteran’s groups and not-for-profit organizations. She loves spending time with her family, friends, and being part of any community event.
JT is also a member of the Long Island Board of Realtors (LIBOR), New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR), and the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
