Huntington: Arts, parks, quaint vibe with hint of NYC draw buyers

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Huntington's downtown centers around New York Avenue near Main Street... — Huntington's downtown centers around New York Avenue near Main Street and is home to a wealth of restaurants, shops and boutiques. Credit: Rick Kopstein

By Frank LoveceSpecial to NewsdayOctober 6, 2025 5:00 am

THE SCOOP In its relatively small 7.6 square miles, the hamlet of Huntington is a mecca of arts and culture on Long Island — home to The Heckscher Museum of Art, the performance venue The Paramount, the retro and art-film Cinema Arts Centre, the Huntington Center for Performing Arts and, for those who think mid-century modern, the shop Rosie's Vintage, a supplier of props and wardrobe for the likes of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."

As if all that weren't enough, "You have the most beautiful parks and beaches," boasted Dave Bennardo, a councilmember for the Town of Huntington. Because he works at the town hall — located in the hamlet's downtown area, confusingly called Huntington Village by locals — "I can look out my window and have a view of Heckscher Park, which really rivals any Long Island park."

"Heckscher Park really is a great resource," agreed Dylan Skolnick, co-director of Cinema Arts Centre and a 54-year area resident. "My mom took me to Heckscher Park when I was a kid. I have many, many happy memories of feeding the ducks and enjoying the nature and running around. And that continues to be the case for families now, or even just single folks who want to go someplace" — such as the park's Chapin Rainbow Outdoor Stage, home to the annual Huntington Summer Arts Festival.

Blocks from Huntington's bustling downtown is Heckscher Park, with sprawling walking paths and a pond that draws wildlife. Credit: Rick Kopstein

In addition to that park — site of the more than 100-year-old museum that displays works by European Old Masters and important 19th- and 20th-century American painters, and hosts events year-round — there are nature trails at Hilaire Woods Park. And there is swimming, fishing, kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding at Gold Star Battalion Beach on Huntington Harbor.

Gold Star Battalion Beach offers fishing, kayaking, canoeing and paddle... — Gold Star Battalion Beach offers fishing, kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding. Credit: Rick Kopstein

Additionally, the private Huntington Crescent Club has an 18-hole golf course, 15 tennis courts, four pickleball courts, an Olympic-sized pool and other amenities. And the hamlet has restaurants a'plenty, particularly in and around its downtown, which centers at Main Street and New York Avenue. Among the businesses in that area: The Next Chapter, touted as Long Island's largest independent bookstore and self-styled successor to the fabled Book Revue, which closed in 2021 after 44 years.

And what continues to draw people, Skolnick believes, is the "cultural richness." When his parents founded the precursor to Cinema Arts Centre in 1973, the hamlet only had a single-screen theater. "And then people came that loved the arts and they created arts organizations, which attracted more people. And so it has kept growing and evolving."

But there's also axe-throwing, at the Main Street outpost of the New York Axe Throwing Range.

"I've done it. I'm terrible at it, but I've done it," Bennardo said lightheartedly. With Huntington hamlet, "You really get a taste of New York City with the quaintness of a suburban town."

Homes along Central Parkway, top, and Knollwood Road in Huntington Credit: Rick Kopstein

SALE PRICES Between Sept. 5, 2024, and Sept. 4, 2025, there were 387 home sales with a median sale price of $875,000, according to OneKey MLS. During that period a year earlier, there were 386 home sales with a median sale price of $819,500.

CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are two condos, priced at $899,000 and $945,000, and one co-op, priced at $415,000, on the market.

OTHER STATS

Population 20,117

Median age 47.2

Median home value $900,000

Monthly LIRR ticket from Huntington $341

School districts, graduation rates Huntington (88%), Harborfields (98%), Cold Spring Harbor (100%)

Libraries Huntington, Harborfields, Cold Spring Harbor

Transit Suffolk County Transit Routes 1, H10, H20, H30

Sources: 2023 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR; data.nysed.gov; Suffolk County Transit

ON THE MARKET

$1.6 million

An expanded Colonial on nearly a half-acre, this four-bedroom home with two full and two half-baths features two family rooms, each with a fireplace, in addition to a living room. There is a formal dining room, and the kitchen has both a breakfast nook and a center island counter. The 3,155-square-foot home includes an attached two-car garage, central air and a backyard bluestone patio. Taxes are $23,321. Tara Heins, Signature Premier Properties, 516-658-5147.

$879,000

This mid-century two-story Cape with three beds and 2½ baths, plus a partially finished basement, has a family room, living room and formal dining room. The 1,611-square-foot abode on 0.22 acre features a fireplace, attached single-car garage and a kitchen with granite counters and Energy Star appliances. Taxes are $13,084. Laura Zambratto, Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty, 917-822-4360.

$725,000

Featuring a fireplace and vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, this three-bed, three-bath Cape has both an eat-in kitchen and a formal dining room. A two-level wraparound balcony overlooks a back yard with mature trees. Sitting on 0.62 acre in a cul-de-sac, the 1,561 square foot home includes a partial, unfinished basement and an attached single-car garage. Taxes are $14,775. Monica L. Mayer, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 646-335-5467.

RECENTLY SOLD

$775,000

Cider Mill Lane

Style Exp. Cape

Bedrooms 4

Bathrooms 2

Built 1955

Lot size 0.25 acrs

Taxes $18,943

+/- List price -$50,000

Days on market 39

$900,000