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Flanders: Big Duck, access to Hamptons beaches, affordable housing draw buyers

Longtime resident Mike Ghani, 67, stakes his claim at the... — Longtime resident Mike Ghani, 67, stakes his claim at the beach at the end of Longneck Road in Flanders. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin

By Arlene GrossSpecial to NewsdayUpdated October 6, 2026 12:13 pm

THE SCOOP Visitors flock to Flanders to see The Big Duck. Buyers stay for the relatively affordable homes and access to the East End.

"It's a year-round community of working families," said Linda Statam, a real estate broker with William Raveis Real Estate. "There's a lot of pride in homeownership, well-manicured properties."

Though students in the hamlet go to nearby Riverhead schools, Flanders is in the town of Southampton, so residents get a lot of perks.

Flanders "has beach, ocean and bay rights to all of the Southampton town beaches, running from Westhampton Beach through Sagaponack," said Statam, adding that the area has easy access to Riverhead and both North and South forks, as well as the Long Island Expressway.

Considering its location, the area is still very affordable, with homes averaging between $500,000 and $700,000, Statam said.

The Big Duck has been a Flanders resident since 2007. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin

The community is home to marinas, farms and Maple Swamp County Park. But the most famous resident is a Long Island icon.

Built in 1931, The Big Duck is a 20-foot tall, 30-foot long, 18-foot wide concrete structure that moved to its home overlooking Reeves Bay in Flanders in 2007. Originally welcoming visitors to Martin Maurer's Riverhead duck ranch and shop that sold duck products until 1984, the Big Duck is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

By the late 18th century, the Dutch settled in the densely wooded community and named it for the Flanders region in Holland it resembled. In the next century, the hamlet, which was a mecca for the production of cordwood, was a rest stop for loggers en route to the woodlots of the South Fork. It also became a summer respite for New York City and western Long Island residents.

The area remained lightly populated, with mostly blue collar residents. Small ranch houses, many of which were summer homes, popped up along Flanders Road (Route 24) in the 1950s and 1960s. In recent years, more expensive homes have been built, particularly in the pine barrens between Route 24 and Sunrise Highway.

Flanders Road is the area's main thoroughfare and houses most... — Flanders Road is the area's main thoroughfare and houses most of the community's businesses. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin

In 2024, the Town of Southampton established a sewer district to spur development and improve water quality in the adjoining Flanders/Riverside communities.

Part of that new development includes a joint venture between the town and Georgica Green Ventures to build approximately 40 affordable apartments with ground floor retail in Riverside.

The town also created and recently expanded Riverside Maritime Trail Park on the Peconic River and demolished the historic but blighted Brewster House, which is now a trail with an overlook, said Janice Scherer, planning and development administrator for the Town of Southampton.

Homebuyers will find a mix of housing, from cottages to Colonials.

"They're smaller homes because most of the lots were small," Statam said. "There's a lot of waterfront on Flanders Bay. A lot of people don't realize that."

Homes on June Avenue near Longneck Boulevard in Flanders. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin

SALE PRICES Between Sept. 29, 2025, and Sept. 28 this year, there were 22 home sales with a median sale price of $659,950, according to OneKey MLS. During the same period a year earlier, there were 19 home sales with a median sale price of $560,000.

CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are no condos or co-ops on the market.

OTHER STATS

Population 6,609

Median age 36.4

Median home value $705,000

Monthly LIRR ticket from Riverhead $487.75

School district, graduation rate Riverhead (76%)

Library Riverhead

Transit Suffolk County Transit Route 92

Sources: 2024 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR; data.nysed.gov; Suffolk County Transit

RECENTLY SOLD

$810,000