Sands Point

Long believed to be the inspiration for East Egg in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s "The Great Gatsby," Sands Point has changed a lot in the decades since the famous book came off the presses. Surrounded by water on three sides, today’s Sands Point is still decidedly expensive, but it’s less exclusive. Its original estates belonging to families like the Vanderbilts and Guggenheims have been broken down over time. About 900 homes now sit on the village’s 3,000 acres of land. The Sands Point that F. Scott Fitzgerald once immortalized as East Egg in his novel still glitters across the water, and stepping into this storied area is a little like stepping into a different world — one that is peacefully removed from the world around you. “You’ve arrived at a destination when you get into the village,” says Maggie Keats, an associate broker at Douglas Elliman. “You sort of take a breath. It’s very serene.”

Sands Point’s homes range in size from large homes to mansions, and there’s unique architecture everywhere you look. There are sprawling versions of colonial and Dutch colonial homes, but there are also houses that take inspiration from castles or French estates or that are built in sleek modern styles. Each of these homes sits on at least an acre, often more, some seeming to qualify as their own mini estates. “People who want property and a little more space between their homes tend to like Sands Point,” Keats says. “It’s an all residential village, and because it’s at the end of the peninsula there’s water on three sides, so it can be very beautiful. So there are waterfront and beachfront opportunities for housing.” Although it’s not as exclusive as it was in Fitzgerald’s day, living in Sands Point still comes with a hefty price tag. According to Keats, you may be able to find a home just shy of $2 million if you’re lucky, but homes in the community can climb all the way into the double-digit millions. These are true dream homes, so turnover rates are incredibly low. Most people simply want to stay forever—and a lot of people want to move there. As a result, demand is high despite an incredibly low inventory. “It’s the lowest I ever remember,” Keats says. “I think there are only 16 homes on the market right now. It’s about 900 families, so it’s a very small percentage. And a lot of demand.”

Children in the community attend schools in the Port Washington Union Free School District, which Niche rates as the ninth-best district in the state. Students have earned national recognition for academic achievements, including three students at Paul D. Schreiber High School who placed among the nation’s top 300 scholars in the prestigious 2023 Regeneron Science Talent Search.

Large swaths of the community remain undeveloped thanks to the Sands Point Preserve and the Village Club of Sands Point, which together take up more than 400 acres of what used to be the Guggenheim estate. Sands Point Preserve is where you’ll still find some of the community’s most recognizable structures, including The Hempstead House, which is a 50,000 square-foot French Norman-style mansion built in 1912, the even bigger 100,000-square-foot Castle Gould, completed in 1904 and modeled after an Irish castle, and a house added in 1923 that was styled after a Norman manor and named Falaise. Visitors can tour The Hempstead House or the Falaise Museum and participate in the preserve’s many events and educational programs. The grand structures make Sands Point Preserve a popular wedding venue, but locals also love it for its dog park, nature walks and playground, making it a great place to take both dogs and children to burn off some energy. Residents can also become members of The Village Club of Sands Point, which offers an 18-hole golf course, a swimming pool, a dozen tennis courts and on-site dining. “It’s become sort of the center point of the village, a neighborhood hub,” says Keats. “It’s really wonderful.” Nearby, the Sands Point Golf Club ensures that golf enthusiasts have plenty of options when it comes to where they tee up for their favorite sport.

Although Sands Point is entirely residential and feels removed from the rest of the world, it’s just a mile from restaurants and shopping in Manorhaven and 2 miles from Port Washington proper, providing plenty of opportunities for shopping and dining when residents want to hit the town. Commuting is also relatively simple, as the express train leaving Port Washington Station goes to both Pennsylvania and Grand Central stations. Despite this accessibility, Sands Point maintains the sense of a serene private retreat that makes it such a desirable place to live — and worth immortalizing in the pages of a book.

Written By

Christina Norwood

Photography Contributed By

Jeff Rainone

Video By

Andrew Sutton