"Towns" in Suffolk (New York, Hempstead: house, transfer, buying)

[Samrai309]

Anyone looking to chime in feel free--I was looking for opinions on the advantages/disadvantages that people may want to share about the towns in suffolk. Not so much which is better because that may not be objective. (Unless you have first hand knowledge from living in them of course). I toss around the idea of moving out east but I am not too familiar with how things would impact me if I was a resident of a hamlet or village in one of these towns. To narrow it down a bit, lets consider the following:
Town of Babylon
Town of Brookhaven
Town of Huntington
Town of Islip
Town of Riverhead
Town of Smithtown


I ask because I grew up in Floral Park. Floral Park is an incorporated town. So while it was technically in the Town of Hempstead, most of my services and problems were handled by the local government and public works so I never really dealt with the town of hempstead. Thanks for any input.

[rusty78]

I was born and raised in Floral Park as well...but on the city side...and I found it to be the perfect location...centered well between NYC and Eastern LI...the beaches are 30 minutes away and the city alittle longer...there is a multitude shopping/health care and almost anything else you could want...and since you split your time between Florida and NY...you might regret the move...my daughter lives on Eastern Long Island...in Sag Harbor...I think in the town of Riverhead...the closest supermarket is 20 plus minutes away and well over priced...major hospital 60 plus minutes...a Costco/BJ's/Walmart also 60 Plus minutes...the ride to the airport a nightmare...and the summer traffic is the pits...but the bottom line...it's your choice to make...

[totallyfrazzled]

Not sure what factors you're concerned about. Do you mean things like getting permits for building or remodeling? Or things like services (garbage collection, snow removal, etc)? Tax rates?

There is one thing of concern if you end up buying something within the Town of Riverhead (which includes part but not all of Wading River) and that is the Peconic Transfer Tax. This is paid by the buyer at closing (not the seller). It applies to any purchase within the five East End townships, of which Riverhead is one.

The tax applies to the purchase price in excess of a certain exempt minimum; in Riverhead or Southold towns, the first $150,000 of the purchase price is exempt. In East Hampton, Southampton and Shelter Island towns, the first $250,000 is exempt. Anything above those minimums is taxed at 2%.

So if you buy a 400K house in the Town of Riverhead, you'd be paying $5000 at closing for the Peconic Tax. This tax is not deductible from your income taxes, btw, because it's not a property tax; it's a transfer tax, and transfer taxes aren't deductible.

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by Samrai309

Floral Park is an incorporated town.

I was just about to compliment you on your understanding of the local geography that towns are sub-divided into villages and hamlets, when you go and refer to Floral Park as an "incorporated town".

Floral Park is a village, not a town.


For those who may not be familiar with Floral Park:

Floral Park is a village (incorporated in 1908) partly in the southwest part of the Town of North Hempstead and partly in the northwest part of the Town of Hempstead, in the west part of Nassau County, along the Nassau/NYC border.

Beginning on the north and moving in a clockwise direction, the Village of Floral Park in the Town of North Hempstead and the Town of Hempstead is bordered on the north by New York City (Queens County) and the Hamlet of North New Hyde Park in the Town of North Hempstead; on the east by the Village of New Hyde Park in the Towns of North Hempstead and Hempstead and the Village of Stewart Manor in the Town of Hempstead; on the south by the Hamlet of Elmont and the Village of South Floral Park in the Town of Hempstead; and, on the west by the Village of Bellerose in the Town of Hempstead.





Floral Park is one of those villages and hamlets on Long Island where many of the places with the community name as part of their mailing address are not in the village: places with a "Floral Park, NY 11001" mailing address that are not in the Village of Floral Park are in the Village of South Floral Park, the Village of Bellerose, the Hamlet of Bellerose Terrace, the Hamlet of North New Hyde Park and the Hamlet of Elmont.


For a good set of town-by-town maps showing all the villages and hamlets in each of LI's 13 towns (3 in Nassau County and 10 in Suffolk County): http://www.city-data.com/forum/long-...-resource.html

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by totallyfrazzled

There is one thing of concern if you end up buying something within the Town of Riverhead (which includes part but not all of Wading River) ...

While there are places with a "Wading River, NY 11792" mailing address in both the Town of Riverhead and the Town of Brookhaven, Wading River is solely in the Town of Riverhead.


For those who may not be familiar with Wading River:

Wading River is a hamlet (an unincorporated area) in the north-west part of the Town of Riverhead, in the north-central part of Suffolk County, along the Riverhead/Brookhaven town line.

Beginning on the north and moving in a clockwise direction, the Hamlet of Wading River in the Town of Riverhead is bordered on the north by Long Island Sound; on the east by the Hamlet of Baiting Hollow and the Hamlet of Calverton; on the south by the Hamlet of Calverton; and, on the west by the Hamlet of East Shoreham and the Hamlet of Ridge in the Town of Brookhaven (the Riverhead/Brookhaven town line).





The Hamlet of Wading River has a different border than does the "Wading River 11792" ZIP Code postal zone (i.e., a place can have a "Wading River 11792" mailing address and not be in the Hamlet of Wading River and a place can have other than a "Wading River 11792" mailing address and be in the Hamlet of Wading River): places that have a "Wading River, NY 11792" mailing address that are not in the Hamlet of Wading River are in the Hamlet of East Shoreham in the Town of Brookhaven; and, at the same time, there are places in the Hamlet of Wading River with a "Calverton, NY 11933" mailing address.


For a good set of town-by-town maps showing all the villages and hamlets in each of LI's 13 towns (3 in Nassau County and 10 in Suffolk County): http://www.city-data.com/forum/long-...-resource.html

[Samrai309]

Originally Posted by Walter Greenspan

I was just about to compliment you on your understanding of the local geography that towns are sub-divided into villages and hamlets, when you go and refer to Floral Park as an "incorporated town".

Floral Park is a village, not a town.


For those who may not be familiar with Floral Park:

Floral Park is a village (incorporated in 1908) partly in the southwest part of the Town of North Hempstead and partly in the northwest part of the Town of Hempstead, in the west part of Nassau County, along the Nassau/NYC border.

Beginning on the north and moving in a clockwise direction, the Village of Floral Park in the Town of North Hempstead and the Town of Hempstead is bordered on the north by New York City (Queens County) and the Hamlet of North New Hyde Park in the Town of North Hempstead; on the east by the Village of New Hyde Park in the Towns of North Hempstead and Hempstead and the Village of Stewart Manor in the Town of Hempstead; on the south by the Hamlet of Elmont and the Village of South Floral Park in the Town of Hempstead; and, on the west by the Village of Bellerose in the Town of Hempstead.





Floral Park is one of those villages and hamlets on Long Island where many of the places with the community name as part of their mailing address are not in the village: places with a "Floral Park, NY 11001" mailing address that are not in the Village of Floral Park are in the Village of South Floral Park, the Village of Bellerose, the Hamlet of Bellerose Terrace, the Hamlet of North New Hyde Park and the Hamlet of Elmont.


For a good set of town-by-town maps showing all the villages and hamlets in each of LI's 13 towns (3 in Nassau County and 10 in Suffolk County): http://www.city-data.com/forum/long-...-resource.html

A slip of the tongue Walter

You can still compliment me though

I knew it was an incorporated village. I should proof my work better.

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by Samrai309

You can still compliment me though :D

:ok:

Originally Posted by Samrai309

I knew it was an incorporated village.

Since all villages are, by New York State definition, municipal corporations, it is not really necessary to call a village an "incorporated village", which would mean an "incorporated corporation".

Of more significance, the term "incorporated village" implies that the opposite exists and that there are "unincorporated villages", a term people use when they have the name of a village in their mailing address, but do not live in the village whose name is in their mailing address.

"Unincorporated village" is an oxymoron, if there ever was one, that would mean an "unincorporated corporation".

[totallyfrazzled]

Walter, do you think most people call them "incorporated villages" only when the village imposes its own property tax? For examples, the incorporated villages of Nissequogue, Head of the Harbor, The Branch, and Babylon (to name a few) impose their own separate tax on residences (separate from the tax bill we all receive). However, the Village of Sayville, as far as I know, does not. I'm not sure whether Sayville is referred to as an "incorporated village" though.

[Walter Greenspan]

Originally Posted by totallyfrazzled

Walter, do you think most people call them "incorporated villages" only when the village imposes its own property tax? For examples, the incorporated villages of Nissequogue, Head of the Harbor, The Branch, and Babylon (to name a few) impose their own separate tax on residences (separate from the tax bill we all receive).

No. Most people, including some villages, use the term "incorporated village" to distinguish their village from the nearby area that has the village name in its mailing address but is not in the village, and who refer to their area that is not in the village but has the village name in their mailing address incorrectly as an "unincorporated village".

Originally Posted by totallyfrazzled

However, the Village of Sayville, as far as I know, does not. I'm not sure whether Sayville is referred to as an "incorporated village" though.

Sayville is a hamlet (an unincorporated area), not a village (municipal corporation), in the Town of Islip, and, like all hamlets, Sayville has no legal authority to levy a property tax.