Quiet hamlet with pastures and a Gilded Age mansion
West Hills is a quiet, slightly inland hamlet on Long Island’s North Shore that still bears a single striking reminder of its past as part of the Gold Coast: Oheka Castle. When it was built between 1914 and 1919, the French chateau-style mansion was the second-largest private home in the United States — a title it still holds today. Today, the mansion enjoys a second life as a hotel and events venue, but it’s a defining landmark in West Hills, which is otherwise made up of trees, homes, horse pastures and placenames dedicated to Walt Whitman, who was born in the area. According to Cathy Deignan, an associate real estate broker at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty who has sold homes in West Hills for 28 years and lived here for 34 years, there are three main developments in West Hills. “All three really lovely neighborhoods on minimum half-acre properties and they’re all on tree-lined, winding, kind of very countrified roads,” she says. “It’s a wonderful area. I just love where I live, so that’s my motto. It’s just a beautiful, peaceful neighborhood.” While these features give West Hills the quiet atmosphere that so many residents love, the hamlet is also known for being relatively accessible to Manhattan. “It’s right on the border of Nassau and Suffolk, and they’re very close to the train station and the city,” says Sahra Mansouri Afati, a licensed broker associate at Realty Connect USA who has sold homes in West Hills for over 25 years.
West Hills residents are minutes away the serenity of Cold Spring Beach.
West Hills also has smaller sized homes to live.
Aerial over West Hills.
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Homes on large lots starting at $650,000 in West Hills
In parts of West Hills, so many trees line the streets that it’s hard to see the homes lining its streets. But those that do peek through the trees vary greatly, from Long Island classics like hi-ranches and split-levels to grand colonial or Federal-style homes. “I think the nice thing about it is the variety of the architectural styles,” Deignan says. “You’re not going into a community that’s built by one builder, so there’s some variety.” In two of its developments, Audubon Woods and Cold Spring Hills, lots are still sizeable, but they stretch backward, so homes are still close enough to one another to get a bit of a suburban feel. The development called West Hills is more spread out, Deignan says, with lot sizes of an acre or more. Some properties even have stables and horse pastures. Homes in West Hills start at around $650,000 and can climb as high as $8 million. The CAP Index crime score is 1 out of 10, compared to the national average of 4.
Large manicured lawns are the norm in West Hills.
Neo Classical homes can also be found in West Hills.
West Hills residents are minutes away from Walt Whitman's original house.
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Highly rated South Huntington schools
Public schools in West Hills are part of the South Huntington Union Free School District, which Niche gives an A and puts among the top 10 districts in Suffolk County. Oakwood Primary Center Elementary School earns an A and teaches pre-kindergarten through second grade, while Birchwood Intermediate Center, which earns a B, teaches third through fifth grade. Sixth graders then attend Silas Wood Sixth Grade Center before moving on to Henry L. Stimson Middle School, both of which earn A-minuses. Walt Whitman High School earns an A, and Niche lists it among the top 10 public high schools in Suffolk County.
Walt Whitman High School is rich with history.
West Hollow Middle School is an excellent school located in Melville.
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Hiking and horseback riding in West Hills Park
The north and south sides of West Hills are bookended by Froehlich Farm Nature Preserve and West Hills County Park, both of which have hiking trails. The Walt Whitman trailhead in West Hills Park advances up to the highest point on Long Island. At the peak of Jayne’s Hill is a stone marker with a quote from a Whitman poem. Residents ready for less physically challenging activities also have easy access to Whitman's historic site and original home. According to Afati, West Hills Park also has horseback riding trails and an equestrian center on site. It’s one of several stables in the community, showing that the sport is a favorite pastime here. “You can hike there, you can do a picnic there, there’s a dog run there, horseback riding,” Afati says of the wooded park. “They have all that. It’s very pretty.” Breezy Park and Peter A. Nelson Park both have playgrounds and athletic fields, and golfers head to Cold Spring Country Club.
DDR farm in West Hills is a great place to board and ride your horse.
One of the best dog parks on long island is at the West Hills County Park in Melville.
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Nearby highways and an hour to Manhattan on the LIRR
The Northern State Parkway, New York State Route 25 and Walt Whitman Road run through West Hills, making it easy to connect to other major roads and highways to travel across Long Island in nearly any direction. For many, the Long Island Rail Road Station’s Cold Spring Harbor station, which is located in West Hills, is another major draw. “For people that are commuting into the city, it’s about as far as they want to go,” Deignan says. “It’s one train line without having to change trains. Any further east that you go, you’d have to change trains…When I commuted to the city, it was just so easy.” From the station, it takes about an hour to reach Manhattan’s Penn Station. Syosset Hospital is 4 miles away, while both Huntington Hospital and Plainview Hospital are 5 miles away. John F. Kennedy International Airport is 29 miles away.
Italian restaurants along Route 25, shopping in nearby South Huntington
West Hills’ small collection of businesses and restaurants are stretched along state Route 25. Its restaurants are mostly Italian spots like La Parma II Italian Restaurant, Piccola Bussola and Umberto’s Pizzeria. West Hills doesn’t have much in the way of shopping, but it’s a short drive to several areas that are full of it; Woodbury Common Shopping Center and Walt Whitman Shops, which is in South Huntington, are both less than 2 miles away. Downtown Huntington itself is less than 4 miles away. Groceries are even closer, as there’s a King Kullen just outside West Hills.
King Kullen offers produce, deli, floral and meats department to West Hills residents.
Piccola Bussola in West Hills has great service, great menu, and great prices.
Pick up a delicious pie while the kids visit the animals at Kerber's Farm in West Hills.
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Fireman’s Fair in West Hills, big celebrations in nearby Huntington Village
The Huntington Manor Fireman’s Fair is held in Peter A. Nelson Park every year, featuring carnival rides and games, food trucks and fireworks. Afati says that there are yearly events at Oheka Castle, but aside from these, West Hills is quiet most of the year. Many locals head into Huntington Village for its many yearly events instead, including the Huntington Holiday Spectacular. The huge event features a parade, tree lighting, ice carving and fireworks. For younger kids, there’s also a visit from Santa, reindeer and a light-up train.
Hurricane season in West Hills
Although hurricanes can pass over Long Island, West Hills is far enough inland that there’s only a minor risk of flooding. The biggest concern during the season’s storms is a severe risk of high winds.
Written By
Hannah Rainey
Photography Contributed By
Perez Folds
Video By
Brad Davis
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