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I actually love treed areas. Setauket is beautiful, north of 25a in SB and Setauket is beautiful. But there are parts of the S section that are really overgrown, and the homes aren't getting sunlight. Then if you go two blocks up, it's sun drenched. Maybe my real issue is that the homes in Strathmore are very hit or miss, in any section. We looked at 1 Blackwell Lane (because it had sewers AND gas), but it was a dump inside and the house across the street was abandoned and we saw heroin bags, needles and a spoon on the curb in front of that house. But if you go a few blocks up, it's lovely. That seems to be what we are seeing in every Strathmore section. It's disheartening because we wanted a family friendly neighborhood where our children can ride their bicycles, and Strathmore seemed to be the best solution for those wants/needs.
We looked at Island Estates, but the homes seem dated, and overpriced for such dated interiors. Plus, we never saw kids running around.
I'm used to kids playing in the streets, riding to their friends's homes, etc. Am I not going to find that here because it's such a college town and the district is so big?
Thank you!
It's not a college town thing, it is more along the lines of parents micromanaging their children's schedules. Parents have their children involved in many sports, dance, clubs, religious ed programs, enrichment/tutoring -- you name it. What you've described about children riding to a friend's home, playing in the street is what both my husband (who grew up in Stony Brook) and I (North Massapequa) experienced when we were younger. My husband talks about riding bikes from his neighborhood (Long Hill) to Stony Brook harbor where they would spend the day fishing, swimming, or whatever tomfoolery suited their ambitions.
Children evaporate during the summer. They're sent off to day or sleepaway camp while mom and dad are working. I never sent my children to any lengthy camp. It turned out that some of their friends stayed home, too, and we were able to arrange sleepovers, backyard campouts, and days at the beach -- almost like when dh and I were growing up.
You're going to find that there's a line drawn between the wealthy families and the regular ones. My own experience has been that it was worse with the girls than with the boys. (I have one of each.) We bought our home in Stony Brook because my husband was raised here, his family was here, and I fell in love with the area as a student at SBU. My husband filled me in on the junior highs (he attended Murphy) and I knew that there were wealthy families in Old Field. Outside of that, I didn't know much else and didn't have access to the www which was still in it's infancy. My home is near the LIRR. I knew (from my SBU days) that there were a few owner-occupied homes with accessory student apartments in my neighborhood. We bought the worst house on the block, which had a number of rentals. Since then, most of the rentals became owner-occupied homes and there is only 1 rental...for now...
Quote:
Regarding blackwell, those pics shown are the good pics. There was a hoarder living there, so there was fecal matter in all 3 bathrooms, etc. looked like an A&E show. It was on the market for well over 6 months. And the garage is an apartment ("dentist office"). My guess is someone is going to chop it up and rent it out.
I still regard S as my favorite section because of community parties, mommy and me club, FB page, and semi enclosed community.
Do you think I'm better off renting and waiting for a large enough S section in the future versus buying in the M (Timber Ridge) now?
Another question (sorry to ramble): I heard that Nassakeag Elementary is sitting on toxic soil, and that I'm better off with Mount Elementary. Any truth to this?
Thank you.
I believe you're right about Blackwell. 5 bedrooms for now. The living room and dining room will be cut in half to create 4 more bedrooms. There is ample off street parking, too.
If you can swing renting for the time being, do so to help familiarize yourself with the area. 8 years ago we were looking at homes in the area with an ample accessory apartment because my in-laws were in failing health. We didn't want to move south of 25A in Stony Brook, but did consider some areas in Setauket that weren't. By any chance have you looked at the neighborhood in Setauket west of California Ave between 25A and Old Post? (Glenwood, Dogwood, Oaklawn) Homes are kept up nicely, I have seen kids playing in the street, roads aren't busy, properties are level.
Nassakeag -- there was the Northville gasoline leak about 2 decades ago (Northville tanks sit at the north end of Belle Meade Rd, Setauket. The plume moved west toward Nasskeag. Most of it ended up beneath the community just to the west of the tanks. Others have stated that there was concern among staff at the school.
It's not a college town thing, it is more along the lines of parents micromanaging their children's schedules. Parents have their children involved in many sports, dance, clubs, religious ed programs, enrichment/tutoring -- you name it. What you've described about children riding to a friend's home, playing in the street is what both my husband (who grew up in Stony Brook) and I (North Massapequa) experienced when we were younger. My husband talks about riding bikes from his neighborhood (Long Hill) to Stony Brook harbor where they would spend the day fishing, swimming, or whatever tomfoolery suited their ambitions.
Children evaporate during the summer. They're sent off to day or sleepaway camp while mom and dad are working. I never sent my children to any lengthy camp. It turned out that some of their friends stayed home, too, and we were able to arrange sleepovers, backyard campouts, and days at the beach -- almost like when dh and I were growing up.
You're going to find that there's a line drawn between the wealthy families and the regular ones. My own experience has been that it was worse with the girls than with the boys. (I have one of each.) We bought our home in Stony Brook because my husband was raised here, his family was here, and I fell in love with the area as a student at SBU. My husband filled me in on the junior highs (he attended Murphy) and I knew that there were wealthy families in Old Field. Outside of that, I didn't know much else and didn't have access to the www which was still in it's infancy. My home is near the LIRR. I knew (from my SBU days) that there were a few owner-occupied homes with accessory student apartments in my neighborhood. We bought the worst house on the block, which had a number of rentals. Since then, most of the rentals became owner-occupied homes and there is only 1 rental...for now...
I believe you're right about Blackwell. 5 bedrooms for now. The living room and dining room will be cut in half to create 4 more bedrooms. There is ample off street parking, too.
If you can swing renting for the time being, do so to help familiarize yourself with the area. 8 years ago we were looking at homes in the area with an ample accessory apartment because my in-laws were in failing health. We didn't want to move south of 25A in Stony Brook, but did consider some areas in Setauket that weren't. By any chance have you looked at the neighborhood in Setauket west of California Ave between 25A and Old Post? (Glenwood, Dogwood, Oaklawn) Homes are kept up nicely, I have seen kids playing in the street, roads aren't busy, properties are level.
Nassakeag -- there was the Northville gasoline leak about 2 decades ago (Northville tanks sit at the north end of Belle Meade Rd, Setauket. The plume moved west toward Nasskeag. Most of it ended up beneath the community just to the west of the tanks. Others have stated that there was concern among staff at the school.
Thank you for such a detailed response. Much appreciated. I am going to look where you suggested. I think it may be best to rent. But then I may have to chage the children from Murphy to Gelinas, or vice versa, and same with elementary schools.
Is Gelinas really that much better than Murphy? Everyone keeps telling me that Gelinas is what we should shoot for. I'm clueless.
ALL the houses in the s, b, m, T section(Lake Grove) and s setauket park area are not well insulated. Cheap levitt houses. Beautiful, but poorly built. Ask me how I know??? There is a rental problem in ALL the lettered stony brook areas. Would I worry about my child riding his bike by a rental??? No, thats ridiculous. What I would worry about is upkeep of the home. There are 2 landlords who live in China that have bought alot of homes and chopped them up. THe town is trying to keep on top of this, along with the homeowners.
I worry about kids riding past rentals because the college kids don't care if they're speeding or not. They're not parents yet. And I don't want my children riding by boarding house packed with strangers who haven't been vetted. There aren't guarantees in life, I understand that. But I'd say the odds are that a lifelong resident will care enough about the neighborhood quality and safety as opposed to a few hundred dollars a month renter. When I looked at some of the homes that were for sale in Arrowhead section, I was appalled by the living conditions of these homes. Every room was chopped up, sheets hung as dividers. Couldn't believe brokers showed me these places. Then I heard a beautiful home in S section was turned into a meth lab by a renter in a multi rental home?
I actually love treed areas. Setauket is beautiful, north of 25a in SB and Setauket is beautiful. But there are parts of the S section that are really overgrown, and the homes aren't getting sunlight. Then if you go two blocks up, it's sun drenched. Maybe my real issue is that the homes in Strathmore are very hit or miss, in any section. We looked at 1 Blackwell Lane (because it had sewers AND gas), but it was a dump inside and the house across the street was abandoned and we saw heroin bags, needles and a spoon on the curb in front of that house. But if you go a few blocks up, it's lovely. That seems to be what we are seeing in every Strathmore section. It's disheartening because we wanted a family friendly neighborhood where our children can ride their bicycles, and Strathmore seemed to be the best solution for those wants/needs.
We looked at Island Estates, but the homes seem dated, and overpriced for such dated interiors. Plus, we never saw kids running around.
I'm used to kids playing in the streets, riding to their friends's homes, etc. Am I not going to find that here because it's such a college town and the district is so big?
Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by suzook
ALL the houses in the s, b, m, T section(Lake Grove) and s setauket park area are not well insulated. Cheap levitt houses. Beautiful, but poorly built. Ask me how I know??? There is a rental problem in ALL the lettered stony brook areas. Would I worry about my child riding his bike by a rental??? No, thats ridiculous. What I would worry about is upkeep of the home. There are 2 landlords who live in China that have bought alot of homes and chopped them up. THe town is trying to keep on top of this, along with the homeowners.
Yes, but 'B section fridge' doesn't sound nearly as funny...lol IMHO the old radiant systems in the slabs are more of a headache.
As for riding a bicycle -- I live near the 150 Christian Party house. Those bassterds race up and down our side streets -- Houghton is getting the worst of it as the kids come up Quaker, turn onto Houghton, speed to the end and hang a left onto Christian. I won't allow my daughter to bike on Houghton to either of her friends homes. It has become that bad.
Let's take one step back now. What's your budget? Is the need for an "in-law" apartment an immediate need are or you looking towards the future?
As far as insulation...nothing built in the 60's through most of the 70's had adequate insulation at any price point. My parents always bought new......and insulation was one of Dad's first DIY projects on each house.
As far as the "S" section. If you're looking for 5 br's.....it's going to be tough. When originally built, most floorplans were 3 br's, a smattering of 4 br's. By and large the subdivision is pretty flat, precluding any "walk-out" basements. Additions were tough for most because of lot size. My uncle closed off the dining room on the first floor to add another bedroom they needed. A future owner pushed that room forward to take over what was the front porch for more space.
I worry about kids riding past rentals because the college kids don't care if they're speeding or not. They're not parents yet. And I don't want my children riding by boarding house packed with strangers who haven't been vetted. There aren't guarantees in life, I understand that. But I'd say the odds are that a lifelong resident will care enough about the neighborhood quality and safety as opposed to a few hundred dollars a month renter. When I looked at some of the homes that were for sale in Arrowhead section, I was appalled by the living conditions of these homes. Every room was chopped up, sheets hung as dividers. Couldn't believe brokers showed me these places. Then I heard a beautiful home in S section was turned into a meth lab by a renter in a multi rental home?
One of the things we, as a community, want to see is these rentals (such as you were shown) sold to families. For some, what you had seen is off-putting, while others see the potential for improvement and return to a family home. The slum landlords have had the heat turned up under them and have been getting fined. Suddenly, their 'investment' isn't yielding the returns they expected. The local community group has worked long and hard with the town to bring these 'investors' (as the slumlords refer to themselves) into compliance. Who knows, perhaps the state and fed government were tipped off that unreported income was involved.
The slum landlords have had the heat turned up under them and have been getting fined. Suddenly, their 'investment' isn't yielding the returns they expected.
Unfortunately I've heard that the $28k fine that was imposed on our buddy Steven Paul Graziano for 150 Christian still has yet to be paid, even though the ruling was over a year ago. I do know they recently appealed the verdict. But I still see 6+ cars parked out front at night.
Unfortunately I've heard that the $28k fine that was imposed on our buddy Steven Paul Graziano for 150 Christian still has yet to be paid, even though the ruling was over a year ago. I do know they recently appealed the verdict. But I still see 6+ cars parked out front at night.
Yes, there are still a number of cars out in the front -- I haven't seen as many as there once were, but who knows. My friend is on Houghton and she has at least 3 cars from a rental parked across from her driveway, which makes it a PITA to back out of at night.
Yes, but 'B section fridge' doesn't sound nearly as funny...lol IMHO the old radiant systems in the slabs are more of a headache.
As for riding a bicycle -- I live near the 150 Christian Party house. Those bassterds race up and down our side streets -- Houghton is getting the worst of it as the kids come up Quaker, turn onto Houghton, speed to the end and hang a left onto Christian. I won't allow my daughter to bike on Houghton to either of her friends homes. It has become that bad.
That's a shame about Christian house. I adore that part of SB.
The university needs to build more housing, plain and simple. I rememember when I was a student at SB, I did rent the master of a Devon in the S section (it had an outside entrance). I was such a quiet, clean, tenant. And I was very conscientious of children when I drove to classes. But you just don't see that respect anymore. Shame.
Let's take one step back now. What's your budget? Is the need for an "in-law" apartment an immediate need are or you looking towards the future?
As far as insulation...nothing built in the 60's through most of the 70's had adequate insulation at any price point. My parents always bought new......and insulation was one of Dad's first DIY projects on each house.
As far as the "S" section. If you're looking for 5 br's.....it's going to be tough. When originally built, most floorplans were 3 br's, a smattering of 4 br's. By and large the subdivision is pretty flat, precluding any "walk-out" basements. Additions were tough for most because of lot size. My uncle closed off the dining room on the first floor to add another bedroom they needed. A future owner pushed that room forward to take over what was the front porch for more space.
Budget is under 600k w/taxes under 15k, preferably. The need for in law suite would be immediate, as my parents are residing with me now. It doesn't have to be an apartment, although I'd love for them to have complete separate space because we are a large family. It can even be a house that has the potential to convert a 2 car garage if there was additional sq footage in the main home to add to that.
Our ideal would be a Framingham in Strathmore. Because they are slabs, my parents wouldn't have to go up stairs to enter/exit home. They are 5 bed 3 baths to start, and then there is massive attic space adjoined to the upstairs 3 bedrooms that could easily convert to a small 4th and a little loft space for kids, or just a huge loft space for kids, no small 4th bedroom. The way the Framingham is designed, I could convert the 2.5 car garage for my parents, and the large kitchen would be adjacent to their area, making it a common family space. I could possibly even extend the garage with a small 10x12 office for my dad, just for his man cave lol.
I saw the Framingham house on Stem in the S section. It's listed as a cul de sac, but it's a corner house where people in a newer development rush past in order to get into their cul de sac homes. I also have no clue what that huge wooded area is next to the home (university owned?).
Referring back to the Northville spill...I've read comments on here where people said it essentially stops in storybook home, east of Pond. Not trying to sound sarcastic, but why would Pond Path be the border for that spillage? I would think it would be under Nassakeag school as well? And if you look at maps, parts of S section are right behind Nassakeag school or next to Nassakeag Ridge.
I'm originally from Nassau County, and can only liken this real estate market to the real estate sales post Grumman plume findings: people are buying, despite the underlying issues and spreading of plume, yes?
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There is a rental problem in ALL the lettered stony brook areas. Would I worry about my child riding his bike by a rental??? No, thats ridiculous. What I would worry about is upkeep of the home. There are 2 landlords who live in China that have bought alot of homes and chopped them up. THe town is trying to keep on top of this, along with the homeowners.
