Great Neck: Schools, short LIRR commutes, events draw buyers
Middle Neck Road is a main thoroughfare in Great Neck and is home to shops, eateries and other businesses. Credit: Linda Rosier
THE SCOOP Buying in Great Neck means buying into a lifestyle with a beautiful town, great parks, easy commutes and a tight-knit community.
"Everybody is so friendly; everybody knows each other," said Edna Mashaal, owner of Edna Mashaal Realty and a five-decade resident of the hamlet. She added that the 22-minute commute on the LIRR express train to Penn Station is a real plus.
People flock to Great Neck for its top-rated schools, quick commute to Manhattan and beautiful and safe neighborhoods, Town of North Hempstead Councilwoman Christine Liu said.
"It's also very culturally diverse there," Liu said. "People feel a sense of belonging and at the same point they are proud to be able to speak their language and celebrate their culture in Great Neck."
Musical artist Izzy Potter performs in Firefighters Park, a hotspot for summer events. Credit: Linda Rosier
Summers in Great Neck mean concerts in Firefighters Park and Summer Promenade nights with outdoor dining and music in Great Neck Plaza.
Built in 2024, The Rose at Great Neck is a 40-unit luxury condo building on Middle Neck Road and the most recent development in the hamlet.
In its early history, Great Neck was filled with forests and inhabited by the Matinecock tribe. In the mid-1600s, the area, then known as "Mad Nan's Neck," was a small Dutch and English settlement.
Village Green Park also houses a rose garden. Credit: Linda Rosier
By the 20th century, many notables called Great Neck home at one time or another. They included film and TV legends Paul Newman, Alan King, Sid Caesar, Francis Ford Coppola and Oscar Hammerstein; writers F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ring Lardner, and Eugene O'Neill; musicians George M. Cohan, Richard Tucker, and Morton Gould; artists Louise Nevelson and Larry Rivers; businessmen Walter Chrysler, William K. Vanderbilt Jr, and Harry Ford Sinclair; and athletes Whitey Ford and Floyd Patterson.
Homes along Fairview Avenue, top, and Willow Lane in Great Neck. Credit: Linda Rosier
While renting a modest home in Great Neck Estates in 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald began writing in a room above the garage what would become his magnum opus: "The Great Gatsby," in which Great Neck was transformed into the fictional "West Egg."
Great Neck is home to many condos and co-ops, and a wealth of single-family homes. Prices start near $1 million and reach up to $35 million for a 23,000-square-foot home overlooking Manhasset Bay in Kings Point.
SALE PRICES Between July 3, 2024, and July 2, 2025, there were 414 home sales with a median sale price of $990,000, according to OneKey MLS. During that period a year earlier, there were 442 home sales with a median sale price of $950,000.
CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are 19 condos, priced between $549,000 and $1.8 million, and 66 co-ops, priced between $163,000 and $1.2 million, currently on the market.
OTHER STATS
Population 11,068
Median age 34.4
Median home value $990,000
Monthly LIRR ticket from Great Neck $253
School district, graduation rate Great Neck (96%)
Library Great Neck
Transit NICE Bus Routes 57, 58
Sources: 2023 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR; data.nysed.gov; Nassau Inter-County Express
ON THE MARKET
$5.75 million
This nearly $5.8 million Kings Point compound is 5,809 square feet. Credit: Luis Cardenas
This waterfront compound in Kings Point features a 5,809-square foot Colonial with six bedrooms and 5½ bathrooms. The 1.02-acre property includes a three-bed, two-bath guest cottage, a 185-foot deepwater private pier and seawall, pool, detached three-car garage and gated driveway. Taxes are $71,832. Lisa Testagrose, Coldwell Banker American Homes, 516-334-4333.
$3.4 million
This $3.4 million Great Neck home sits on a 0.6-acre property. Credit: Homedia Group
This 3,850-square-foot renovated brick home has five beds and 6½ baths. Features include hardwood floors, chef's kitchen with wet bar and stainless steel appliances. The finished basement has a wine cellar, game room, fitness area and guest room with private bath. The 0.6-acre property has a pool and hot tub with a brick patio, cabana with sitting area and full bathroom, plus an attached two-car garage. Taxes are $34,494. Edna Mashaal, Edna Mashaal Realty, 516-504-8884.
$2.2 million
This $2.2 million Great Neck home has four bedrooms. Credit: Mandalay Real Estate Media
This renovated 2,494-square-foot Tudor has four bedrooms, 3½ baths and an open concept first floor. It features wide plank hardwood floors, walls with recessed panels, kitchen with large quartz island and counters and high end appliances, plus a primary suite with private terrace and a full, unfinished basement. The 0.2-acre property includes a covered patio and an attached one-car garage. Taxes are $20,635. Michael Hsu and Terri Levin, Compass Greater NY, 516-517-4751.
RECENTLY SOLD
$5.26 million
S. Circle Drive
Style Colonial
Bedrooms 6
Bathrooms 6½
Built 2024
Lot size 0.62 acre
Taxes TBD
+/- List price -$240,000
Days on market 28
$2.53 million
Hickory Drive
Style Exp ranch
Bedrooms 6
Bathrooms 4 full, 2 half
Built 1953
Lot size 0.48 acre
Taxes $33,579
+/- List price -$390,000
Days on market 97
$950,000
W. Terrace Road
Style Exp ranch
Bedrooms 4
Bathrooms 3
Built 1957
Lot size 0.19 acre
Taxes $16,529
+/- List price -$238,000
Days on market 261 days
ON ONEKEY MLS
Number of listings 154
Price range $163,000 to $35 million
Tax range $11,167 to $176,700
