Until the early 20th century, Bay Shore and West Bay Shore were part of the same South Shore community in the Town of Islip. When a central sliver of the hamlet decided to branch off into the incorporated village of Brightwaters, it fractured Bay Shore into pieces. But in many ways, West Bay Shore and Bay Shore refused to go separate ways. Although they’re separated by Brightwaters, Bay Shore annexed the western hamlet in the 1930s. To this day as an almost entirely residential area, West Bay Shore residents head to the other neighborhood for shopping, dining and community events. "Despite this, the two [hamlets] have different histories and cultures. Therefore, not everyone considers them part of the same metropolitan area,” says Deloar Khan, a licensed real estate salesperson at AVS Realty.
Thanks to its minimal commercial areas, outdoor spaces and bigger property sizes, West Bay Shore itself has a slower, more relaxed vibe than Bay Shore. “People are friendly, neighborly,” says Megan Gardner, a licensed real estate salesperson at Signature Premier Properties who lives in the area and has been selling homes there for eight years. “You could say it’s peaceful.”
Most property sizes are spacious with lots of yard space in the West Bay Shore community.
West Bay Shore is located in Suffolk County and one of the best places to live on Long Island.
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Hiking and dog zoomies at Gardiner County Park
At 231 acres, Gardiner County Park is a massive draw to West Bay Shore. “It’s a state park and it has a dog park in it, so it’s ranked one of the top parks for dogs,” Gardner says. “So people come from all over Long Island to come to Gardiner Park. It also has great walking trails. There’s a trail that leads you right down to the bay, so it’s great for hikers as well.” The dog park even has an agility course in it for athletic and energetic pups. According to Margaret Smith, an associate broker at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty who has been selling homes here for over 30 years, there’s also a popular playground and fitness equipment. Parkgoers recommend bringing plenty of bug spray and other deterrents, though, because the mosquitos are plentiful. Nearby, Sagtikos Manor is popular among history buffs. “It’s an estate that was occupied by the British during the Revolutionary War, and George Washington slept there in 1790,” Gardner says. “It was built in 1697 by the first American-born mayor of New York City, Stephanus Van Courtlandt.” Some residents also join the Southward Ho Country Club for access to its 18-hole golf course, pool, tennis courts and many member events. However, only existing members can help new members through the application process.
Spend the day with your pups at Gardiner County Park in West Bayshore.
Enjoy panoramic views across the Great South Bay at Gardiner County Park.
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Small fixer-uppers starting at $480,000
The suburbanization of West Bay Shore really kicked into gear after World War II, and many of the homes here were built between 1950 and 1980. Ranch-style homes are incredibly common here, as are hi-ranch homes. There are a handful of colonials from the early 1900s, but more recently built homes tend to be new traditionals. Lot sizes tend to be bigger in West Bay Shore than Bay Shore, but there’s a lot of variety; yards range from less than a third of an acre to over an acre. “You can have a big house with a large yard,” Gardner says. “If you want a smaller house with a more manageable yard, you can have that too. It’s all there.” Small fixer-uppers occasionally start around $480,000, but most homes start closer to $550,000 and can climb to around $1 million. A few developments with amenities like pools and tennis courts have homes for as much as $1.2 million. Although West Bay Shore is on the water, there are no waterfront homes, aside from a small development surrounding a little pond. The CAP Index crime score is 1 out of 10, below the national average of 4.
West Bay Shore only has a minor risk of flooding, and the areas most likely to flood here are roads. Hurricane season can still impact the area, though, bringing a major risk of wind damage. Getting insurance tailored to these concerns is an essential part of living here.
These lovely ranch-style homes have lush green lawns in the West Bay Shore community
Newly renovated craftsman style home in West Bay Shore community.
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Fall festivals and reenactments at Sagtikos Manor
According to Smith and Gardner, Sagtikos Manor has regular events. “You can do tours, they have an antique sale, a car show. Lots of activities go on there,” Gardner says. One of its bigger events is the Fall Festival and Mourning at the Manor, which combines a festival-like atmosphere full of games, live music, crafts and food vendors with colonial reenactments, sheep shearing and lessons about mourning in the Victorian era. “People like to go there for festivals and education about the days gone by,” Smith says. Aside from this, though, West Bay Shore doesn’t have much in the way of yearly events, so locals head to Bay Shore for those.
Enjoy live music at Freedom Fest in Gardiner Park in West Bay Shore.
Line up at the finish line and give it your all at the Suffolk County 5k in Gardiner Park.
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Shopping in West Bay Shore, dining out in Bay Shore
West Bay Shore’s only commercial area is found on its north side, where there are chain stores like Lowe’s, Target, Old Navy and Barnes & Noble. There’s also a couple of banks and a King Kullen for groceries. There are no restaurants in the neighborhood, though, so locals head into Downtown Bay Shore for its restaurants, bars and coffee shops. It also has a wide range of local boutiques, so many people head there for shopping as well.
Shoppers come to this Barnes & Noble Booksellers from West Bayshore and the surrounding areas.
West Bayshore is home for this Target on Sunrise Highway.
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Strong athletics program at Bay Shore High
West Bay Shore belongs to the Bay Shore Union Free School District, which Niche gives an A and lists among the top 20 districts in Suffolk County. Students can start their educational journey at Mary G. Clarkson School, which has an A and teaches kindergarten through second grade. For third grade, they can move on to South Country School, which has a B-plus. Kids then move on to Bay Shore Middle School, which has a B-plus, and Bay Shore High School, which has an A-minus and is known for its athletic programs. Its boys’ basketball team won the 2024 Long Island championship and won 25 of its 26 games that year, coming just shy of bringing home the state championship.
Beach Street Middle School has parking behind the school as well.
Welcome to Bay Shore Senior High School.
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Major highways, nearby LIRR and a growing hospital system
Union Boulevard, Montauk Highway and Sunrise Highway pass through West Bay Shore, and it takes just a few minutes to get on the Robert Moses Causeway. The closest Long Island Rail Road station is in downtown Bay Shore about 2 miles away. Commuters taking the train reach Manhattan’s Penn Station in just over an hour. Some choose to head to the Babylon Station instead. It’s 3 miles away and reaches Manhattan in about the same amount of time. It’s also located right between Good Samaritan University Hospital, which is just under 2 miles away, and South Shore University Hospital, which is 3 miles away. “We have a big hospital system, they’ve invested a lot in our town,” Gardner says. “You definitely have access to top-notch healthcare.” She adds that Northwell Health, which operates South Shore University Hospital, has been expanding its services and offices in Bay Shore. Long Island MacArthur Airport is about 14 miles away.
The Bay Shore train station is located off of Union Blvd.
The Great South Bay Bridge is not too far from West Bay Shore and connects to Fire Island.
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Written By
Hannah Rainey
Photography Contributed By
Anthony Costa
Video By
Taylor Gilbert
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Mike Carroll,
an experienced agent in this area.
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