Lawrence attracts homebuyers with waterfront estates, proximity to JFK

Easy access to beaches, museums, shopping and Kennedy Airport are major draws for homebuyers to Lawrence, the most populous of the Five Towns and the one that boasts the most waterfront property.

The hamlet comprises the incorporated village of Lawrence and Meadowmere Park, a smaller waterfront community on its western border that attracts lots of boaters, notes Sherri Slochowsky of Weissman Realty.

Several clubs bear the hamlet's name, including the Lawrence Country Club and the Lawrence Yacht Club and Marina. Rockaway Hunting Club — once famous for fox hunts, steeplechase and polo — and Cedarhurst Country Club also call Lawrence home.

Nature lovers can take in Bannister Bay Wetland and Hicks Beach, while history buffs can visit Rock Hall Museum, a Georgian mansion built in 1767.

The hamlet is named for Alfred, Newbold and George Lawrence, the brothers who acquired land in the community in the 1850s to create a summer playground for the rich. The area developed in earnest at the end of the 19th century, a period that saw the opening of the upscale Osborne House and Rockaway Hunt Club, and the 1897 incorporation of the village, which paved the way for infrastructure improvements.

Through the years, Lawrence luminaries included banking titan Russell Sage, U.S. Attorney General George W. Wickersham, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson and Edward H. Harriman, owner of New York Central Railroad. Oscar Wilde and Milton Berle were two of the area's many famous summer denizens.

House hunters will find Colonials, split-levels, ranches and high ranches, with prices ranging from $750,000 to $15 million for a waterfront estate on 7 acres. A large number of the grander homes built as summer residences are still in existence today in an area known as "Back Lawrence."

"It's a terrific community," said Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel, a 35-year resident of Lawrence, noting its proximity to lots of beaches and the Long Beach boardwalk. He added the area has in recent decades added many kosher restaurants, synagogues and yeshivas that cater to the Orthodox Jewish community.

Kopel is working to get state and federal infrastructure funding to complete Nassau Expressway — an unconnected highway in Nassau and Queens with much roadway missing in the middle — to redirect traffic on clogged roads in the area. The state recently finished a $100 million improvement project to address flooding on a half-mile of that roadway.

Completing the Nassau Expressway, also known as Route 878, is vital because it's the only real evacuation route for the Five Towns, the Rockaways and the barrier islands, Kopel said. 

This 4,123-square-foot ranch has seven bedrooms, three of which are ensuite, 4½ bathrooms and an updated kitchen with an oversized island, high-end appliances, three ovens and a custom wet bar. Boasting golf course views, the 0.31-acre fenced-in corner lot property has an attached two-car garage and a whole house generator. Taxes are $19,735. Sherri Slochowsky, Weissman Realty Group, 516-791-6100.

Located in the “Back Lawrence” area, this 3,225-square-foot home has four bedrooms and 3½ bathrooms. The primary bedroom has French doors leading to the patio. It features a vaulted ceiling in the living room, hardwood floors, dining room with custom storage closets and a chef’s kitchen with two ovens, two sinks and a pantry. The 0.48-acre property has a circular driveway, large slate patio and an attached two-car garage. Taxes are $17,500. Mitchell Waldman, Cogent Realty, 212-509-4049.

Built in 1908, this 2,456-square-foot Colonial has four bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms and features hardwood floors, coffered ceilings and a finished attic. Located steps from the water in Meadowmere Park, the 0.2-acre fenced-in property has a detached one-car garage. Taxes are $8,362. Pinchus Heskiel, Pin It Realty, 516-239-7940.

S. Harborview

Mulry Ln.