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Any information on the Three Village School District & East Setauket area would be very helpful. My family & I will be moving to the area soon. When I read some of the negative reviews, I was concerned. If someone can give us some positive feedback on the area, it would relieve some of the stress. Thanks
I live in Setauket and work in TVSD. I think the schools are great and I love Setauket. The only complaint I have about it is that some of the people in this area can be a bit materialistic and walk around with a sense of entitlement but i guess you're going to find that anywhere. There are some beautiful areas and lovely homes. Not much of a town to speak of but we have Stony Brook village nearby (a very quaint town), and Port Jefferson right down the road (great shopping and food). Let me know specifically what you would like to know and I'll try to answer your questions. Feel free to pm me if you'd like.
The Three Village School District is often spoken of as one of the best in Suffolk County, so you should have no stress whatsoever in that regard.
You should be very comfortable in East Setauket. IMHO it is more relaxed than the "old village homes" parts of Stony Brook. The Village of Poquott and similar nearby areas are indeed very exclusive and pricey but they are also quite small (as compared to SB, the Setaukets, and Pt Jeff). nymom is right, the actual Village of Stony Brook is small but attractive (complete with duck pond!). Port Jeff is larger and has many shops and nice restaurants; an ideal "park and walk around" kind of place. The ferry across the Sound to Bridgeport, CT, is there also, which if you plan to drive to anywhere in New England is your best bet to avoid the traffic nightmare that is Rte 95 coming into NY Metro!
For standard shopping and amenities you also have the Smith Haven Mall which is not far southwest of you. There will be a Whole Foods Market going right next to that mall later this year, by the way. In the meantime there's an independent market called Wild By Nature on Rte 25A between Stony Brook and Setauket, but I've been to both and Whole Foods is far better.
There will be plenty of places to go and things to do for your children all within a very reasonable driving distance. You're also within a 20-min drive of where the Island "forks" (i.e., the end of the LI Expressway/Tanger Outlet Mall/Riverhead) and so have access to both the North and South forks with relative ease.
I really appreciate all the great advice you have given us. After reading some of the negative comments about LI. I was really worried! When we decided to move to LI from Queens, NY. We knew LI property tax was a lot higher. The school where our kids attend now is considered a high performing school. So, when I read your comment about the school district I was very happy It's going to be a life style change for sure! The commute to the city will be an adventure. I already picked up the LIRR schedule. I hope we did the right thing. Thanks again for your help. If there's any more info you would like to share about the area, I would be grateful.
Overtaxed has summed it up nicely. I can break down the areas of Setauket as far as house prices go. Generally, north of 25A is more expensive. South of rt 347 is considerd South Setauket and is less expensive ($300,000-$400,000 homes). In between the two you'll find mainly older homes (built in the 60's and 70's) in the $400,000-600,000 price range. Taxes vary but hover around $7,000. The areas north of 25A are closer to the water. Old Field is wooded with bigger land plots and older, more expensive houses-some huge some small- most in the $800,000-millions. Strongs Neck is a lovely area with older homes (built in the 50's-70's) but well maintained and all unique. Most of the houses in Strongs neck have private beach rights, a duck pond and nature preserve, and old churches with a lot of history. Poquott is also lovely. There is the older section of Poquott with houses that were once fisherman's cottages and summer homes. Also very close to or on the water. Ther newer section of Poquott, Tinker Bluff, is much more expensive with houses no less than $950,000 and way into the millions. Taxes can be as high as 30,000 plus...no joke. But this community is incorporated (add those fees to your taxes) with it's own tennis courts, gardens and meeting center...a great community. There are some historic areas imbedded throughout Setauket (and Stony Brook)-well mantained homes from the 1700's and 1800's. That about sums it up. Any other questions, I'd be glad to help.
I forgot to add a newer section of Setauket just north of Rt 347 called the Three Village Club. It is a gated community with large homes ranging from $900,000 to $1,000,000+. Taxes are around $20,000.
My friend just bought a house in Roslyn, her children are in the Herrick school district & my other friend purchased a home in Franklin Square. They both love their local community pool & parks. I would like to know if East Setauket has a community pool & a place where kids can play. We love the Port Jefferson ice skating ring & have been to Fun4All. Thanks nymom & OvertaxedonLI you both have wealth of information about the Island
There is no public swimming pool, however, Ward Melville High School has a swimming program and it's not too expensive. I believe there is also a swimming program in Stony Brook University but I'm not sure.
Many kids go to Sports Plus for indoor recreation. There is bowling, ice skating, laser tag, rides, games and things to climb on. The only thing is, there has been talk for years that it's going to close down. Also, if you have older kids I wouldn't let them go at night. Gang members have been known to meet there.
Fun4all is great for young ones. Port Jeff Bowl is right near there too. There is also a place in Selden (about 25 minutes away) called Wood Kingdom/Laser Kingdom. Wood Kingdom has big wooden climbing toys for the little ones. Laser Kingdom has laser tag for older kids.
There is a great park in the village of Port Jefferson called Rocket Ship Park. The local public beach is West Meadow beach. It's small and rocky (like all north shore beaches) but it's close and convenient.
There are duck ponds in both Setauket and Stony Brook both with nature preserves beind them.
The LI Museum in Stony Brook has many programs for kids. The Emma S. Clarke library also has good programs.
Of course there is always Splish Splash water park in Riverhead and Adventureland amusement park in Farmingdale.
Just wanted to chime in that there is also the beautifully restored Art Deco style Patchogue Theatre that dates back to the 1920's when vaudeville was the rage (just 12 miles south from Port Jeff) that holds some great productions year round without the high price of Broadway. Great kids daytime productions too at less than $10 a ticket and parking is free! Gateway Theatre is not far from there, the theatre is less grand but still has great shows!
Just wanted to chime in that there is also the beautifully restored Art Deco style Patchogue Theatre that dates back to the 1920's when vaudeville was the rage (just 12 miles south from Port Jeff) that holds some great productions year round without the high price of Broadway. Great kids daytime productions too at less than $10 a ticket and parking is free! Gateway Theatre is not far from there, the theatre is less grand but still has great shows!
There is also Theater Three right in the heart of Port Jefferson although it's not as elaborate as the ones you mentioned.
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Thank you!
Are there any community pools in East Setauket?
