LONG ISLAND SOUTH SHORE’S NEWEST 55+ LUXURY COMMUNITY 
Do you enjoy living life to the fullest? Are you looking for a community where members are active and engaged in their lives? Well, Active Luxury Adult Communities is just what you’re looking for!
With an extensive list of amenities that include fitness centers, pools, billiards rooms, and more, Luxury Adult Communities offer everything your retired heart desires. Keep reading for more information about Luxury Adult Communities.
A Luxury Adult community is a place for adults over the age of 55 looking to downsize but are too active for a retirement community.
They are looking for a friendly and quiet place to relax in a space designed for just 1-2 people. While also enjoying more of their free time without worrying about home maintenance.
All of these perks and more are what luxury adult communities offer to their homeowners. These communities exist all over the U.S and are usually nearby local attractions such as beaches or vineyards.
There also are no children or disturbances and plenty of activities suitable for any individual, making it the perfect place to settle down and enjoy every day to the fullest.
When it comes to leaving your family home behind, there are a lot of decisions to make.
So it can seem overwhelming to find somewhere new to call home. However, many older adults find that they enjoy being around people their age and who have similar interests—this reason is why luxury adult communities are appealing.
When it comes down to it, you will need to decide what you want to do with your time and what you are ready to get rid of because there is no rule saying that you have to gamble on having neighbors with quiet and respectful children.
There will always be somewhere that suits your needs if you’re willing to search it out.
This post has covered some of the basics about community homes, so we’ll get into the details below. These are some of the main reasons why active adults are looking to move into luxury communities.
It will be no surprise to you that the golden rule of real estate is location, and that is what you’ll be getting here.
The best adult communities are conveniently nearby anything you could want. May that be shopping, utilities, healthcare, nature trails, beaches, and more.
So when you’re looking into your community, be sure to visit the area yourself and make sure that it is right for you.
Some places like Vineyards Brookefield in Long Island offer various opportunities due to the local culture and travel times.
It has been mentioned in this post already that taking care of a home is a hassle. One that takes up a lot of time and a lot of energy.
So why would you continue to take on that responsibility as you move towards retirement? Isn’t the goal to maximize your free time and pursue your interests?
That’s precisely why Luxury Adult Communities come equipped with services that will take care of (almost) all of your needs. For example, they won’t cook or clean the inside of the house for you, but they will mow the lawn and keep the paint looking nice.
Though, not having to shovel in the winter is arguably a better perk for us on the East Coast.
Either way, you will have tons of time to spend doing whatever you want or nothing at all! It’s all up to you.
Most, but not all, luxury adult communities come with a clubhouse/ community center where residents can spend their free time.
The clubhouse is paid for by each resident’s community fees and usually offers things like a card room, bar, billiards room, and more.
For those looking to make friends during your move, the clubhouse will be indispensable, as it is where community events will be held. It is also a place to just swing by on a quiet day and see who is hanging around.
Whatever your community’s clubhouse offers, though, you should take full advantage of it. It’s there for you, after all.
As you can see, there are many reasons why living in an adult community is a great idea. Whether it’s a convenience or that easy lifestyle, these communities offer so much to make your life easier and better.
Why not take the next step? We have several homes for sale at our Vineyards Brookfield Community, waiting for someone just like you! Check them out here!
By: Nicole Fuentes
Today, the American Planning Association named downtown Patchogue Village one of 13 great places in the United States, beginning the countdown to National Community Planning Month in October. The community will celebrate downtown Patchogue Village’s new designation on Oct. 19 at 11 a.m. at the Patchogue Theatre. They are planning to install a plaque with the designation at that time.
“It’s an outstanding honor to be considered one of America’s great places, something we all know locally, but it’s nice to let the rest of America know as well,” said David Kennedy, executive director of the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, elated by the honor.
As part of the 12th year recognizing great neighborhoods, streets, and public spaces, APA chose Patchogue for its transformation and lively Main Street. It is one of four neighborhoods and 13 places across the United States to honor this year.
“The transformation that has occurred in Patchogue is nothing short of groundbreaking when you consider how much progress has been made in such a short amount of time,” said county executive Steve Bellone of the honor. “This downtown revitalization was made possible by a community-driven approach from the ground up led by mayor Pontieri.”
APA chooses places with exceptional character, quality, and planning that enrich communities, facilitate economic growth, and inspire others around the country. This year’s board chose communities that have stories of revitalization.
According to APA president Kurt Christiansen, Downtown Patchogue Village was once thought of as a “ghost town” until the village turned to plan innovations like transit-oriented development, investments in local infrastructure, and early adoption of multifamily housing. Today, downtown Patchogue Village has reinvented itself as regional dining, shopping, and entertainment destination.
“Patchogue is one of those places that the community came in and basically redeveloped and reenergized the town,” he said — also referencing the theatre’s renovation — noting why the village was chosen. “We were impressed with the fact that this community didn’t want the area to [die], but really wanted to see how they could change it while also keeping the character.”
APA member and Patchogue resident Alex Wallach, he explained, nominated Patchogue and, out of several hundred submissions, and selected it as the only honoree on Long Island.
Wallach, an executive board member of the local APA NY Metro Chapter and alternate member of the Patchogue Zoning Board of Appeals, works for the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning by day and has a love for his hometown.
“In 2017, I was looking for a place to live and fell in love with Patchogue. It checked all my boxes: affordable housing, close to water, arts, culture, restaurants,” he explained of his decision to move here and nominate the village. “Then I fell in love with the sense of community. Everyone had a story to tell of what Patchogue used to be and how it came to be. What I realized was that it was a special and great place and deserved some national recognition.”
Wallach submitted the nomination in April of this year. After the Oct. 19 announcement at Fall Fest, a walking tour followed by an after-party at the Blue Point Brewery hosted by the Patchogue Young Professionals.
“We all do great things, but when people notice it outside of your realm, you know they genuinely recognize you,” said mayor Paul Pontieri. “For me, it’s an honor because of all the hard work we’ve all done.”
For more information about APA’s Great Neighborhoods, Great Streets, and Great Public Spaces for 2019 and previous years, visit www.planning.org/greatplaces.
In addition to Patchogue Village, APA had also recognized the following Great Neighborhoods in 2019:
Since launching the Great Places in America program in 2007, APA has recognized 303 neighborhoods, streets, and public spaces around the country. Designees are selected annually and represent the gold standard for a true sense of place, cultural and historical interest, community involvement, and a vision for the future.
The Vineyards at Brookfield Center Moriches Long Island, NY is the latest in the Vineyards family of luxury active adult 55+ communities including the Vineyards at Blue Point, and Miller Place… developed by Ornstein Leyton Company the award-winning developer with a 28+year track record that’s second to none for excellence in quality residential housing development.
The Vineyards at Brookfield Center Moriches Long Island is a private gated enclave of 146 spectacular townhouse and condominium homes with an array of model types to meet the needs of the most discerning buyer. As stunning as they are spacious, the homes are sized from 1,500 to 2,000 square feet… each with an OLC custom-designed floor plan featuring lavish first-floor master suites, spacious closets, bright eat-in gourmet kitchens, elegant dining rooms, luxurious living rooms, 1 or 2 car garages, basements, and oversized patios or balconies.
At the Vineyards, residents can forget about mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, or maintaining the outside of their homes. Thanks to the maintenance-free lifestyle at the Vineyards, folks can relax at the outdoor heated pool, play a game of bocce or pickleball and enjoy Membership in the richly-appointed 6,000+ sq. ft. exclusive Vineyards Club, offering a wide range of resort-like amenities including:
Not to mention participation in clubs, activities, parties, fitness, and other classes, and much more… all part of ownership at the Vineyards at Brookfield. Situated on a quiet road between convenient thoroughfares in Center Moriches… on 25+ acres of land surrounded by tranquil woods, a beautifully landscaped gated entrance, and dramatic setbacks, the Vineyards at Brookfield is within minutes of local convenient shopping in the villages of Center Moriches and Westhampton with restaurants, libraries, houses of worship and medical facilities, white sandy South Shore beaches, and entertainment.
For further information please contact us at 631-281-3300, log on to vineyardsbf.com or visit our sales center at 210 Brookfield Avenue, Center Moriches.
The Vineyards at Brookfield
Everything you want and nothing you don’t.
The single-family home has long reigned on Long Island. But buyers increasingly seek condos, co-ops, and townhouses, thanks to the ease of upkeep, a sense of community, and price options from budget to luxury. In addition, as part of the 2017 federal tax reform measure, property tax deductions stop at $10,000.
Owners of co-ops, townhouses, and condos on Long Island may have an advantage under the measure, as their taxes typically are lower than those of single-family homes. Here’s what to know when considering purchasing one of these units.
In a condominium community, buyers own the inside of their units. But they don’t own the outside or the land it’s on. Instead, they jointly own common areas such as parking and walkways. Natalie Pearlman, 72, says she thought she’d never give up her Colonial and expansive property in Setauket, but her husband, Jerry, 74, talked her into it.
They’ve been happily settled into a two-bedroom condo at the Vineyards at Blue Point since May 2018. “I don’t have property, but the actual size of the condo is large, and it’s very comfortable, and the community living is very nice,” says Pearlman, a retired teacher.
In co-ops, residents have a lease or contract that allows them to live in the units and use common areas. In addition, residents collectively hold interest or shares in the nonprofit corporation that owns the building, which gives them a voice in who can live in the building and how it’s run.
Townhouse residents own their entire units, inside and out, including the roof and exterior walls and the land. Townhouses are often larger than condos or co-ops and usually share walls with their neighbors. As with condos, common areas are jointly owned. Condos and co-ops are often in buildings with several units but may also be free-standing.
Each type of unit has its own financial considerations. However, co-op purchases are often the most difficult, says Warren Goldberg, President of Mortgage Wealth Advisors in Plainview.
“Once they approve the borrower for their mortgage, the borrower still must undergo what is often an even more invasive ‘underwriting’ by the co-op board itself,” Goldberg says. “More applications, supporting documentation, and then an interview to ensure the board feels these applicants are worthy of becoming their neighbors.”
Bank financing for a condo is often easier to obtain than for a co-op because if an owner defaults, it’s easier for banks to sell the condo. As for townhouses, people often think of them as attached single-family homes, Goldberg says.
Potential buyers of any type of unit must check monthly fees and what they cover. According to the National Association of Realtors, condo owners pay their mortgages and property taxes.
At the same time, fees usually cover interior and exterior maintenance, security such as cameras, insurance, and a reserve fund for major repairs such as roofing. The fee may also cover some utilities.
Co-op owners usually are on the hook for part of the cost of operating and maintaining the cooperative, often called a monthly maintenance fee. According to the National Association of Housing Cooperatives, the fee can include blanket mortgage payments, property taxes, management fees, maintenance costs, insurance premiums, utilities, and contributions to reserve funds.
For example, the monthly maintenance fee of $725 for a co-op for sale in Great Neck covers heat, water, and taxes. The fees for townhouses often are lower, but homeowners make many of their repairs and upgrades. Therefore, fees usually cover some maintenance as well as trash removal.
Co-ops often cost less to buy than condos on Long Island. Also, residents tend to stay there longer, and subletting is often not allowed. “They are most often less expensive than these alternative forms of homeownership, and they’re less expensive to maintain,” Goldberg says. “But they also typically do not realize the same appreciation that a house, townhouse, or condo will see.”
Bradley Honigman, 34, an attorney, moved with his family to a co-op in Great Neck Plaza in late summer 2018. Honigman and wife, Angeline, 33, an artist, had shared a 650-square-foot apartment in Manhattan but quickly grew out of it when they added their son to the mix.
Now the Honigmans enjoy 1,200 square feet of living space, and the Long Island Rail Road station within walking distance keeps Honigman’s Manhattan commute bearable. However, Honigman says he and his wife weren’t incredibly familiar with the distinction between a co-op and condos on Long Island.
“The price tag was probably the most important thing to us,” Honigman says. “It was hard to find a house or even a condo in our price range.” Working with Fabienne Sameyah of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, they looked at several units and settled on a three-bedroom unit for $478,000.
Buyers may wonder whether they should purchase a unit of any kind in an unfinished development. One advantage of doing so is the ability to choose floor plans and custom features. Early buyers can also snap up units with the best views and locations or grab adjoining units and combine them into a larger place.
Also, early buyers can lock in residences at a lower price and may see increased equity on their investment sooner, says Joe Graziose, executive vice president of residential development and construction at RXR Realty. But it’s important to consider whether the risks outweigh the potential drawbacks.
New construction is not an option for those who need a place to live right away. At Glen Cove’s The Beacon at Garvies Point, for example, about half of its 167 units are not scheduled to be completed until the end of this year.
Check to see what kinds of modifications you can make to units and how you can decorate. Often, homeowners’ associations for condos and townhouses restrict such changes as exterior paint color and may even regulate potted plants and Christmas lights.
At the Garvies Point development on Glen Cove’s waterfront, residents will have their own beach. People at the Ritz-Carlton Residences in North Hills get dog walkers. More common amenities at Long Island developments include pools, gyms, and party rooms.
Buyers must consider what’s important to them. Neera Tewari, an anesthesiologist at Stony Brook University Hospital, says she is looking forward to her second home at The Beacon at Garvies Point, where units start at $700,000.
The 167-unit Beacon is one of the first phases of the Garvies Point development. RXR Realty plans to build a total of 1,100 condominiums and apartments. Tewari, her husband, Vineet Gambhir, an anesthesiologist, and their two daughters have lived in their single-family Dix Hills home for more than 15 years.
They were looking for waterfront property when they landed on a two-bedroom home at The Beacon. For Tewari, the combination of recreation, shopping, and living space is the main draw. “It’s going to have everything in one spot for me, for my kids,” she says. “You know, with busy lifestyles, we have to squeeze in whatever we can when we have the time.”
By Kathy Drouin-Keith
When Sally and Fred Burgess wanted to downsize in 2007, after their children left home, their first thought was to move to Center Moriches, a seaside hamlet in Suffolk County west of the Hamptons.
“We wanted to be nearer the water,” said Ms. Burgess, 50, who had been living with her husband in nearby Manorville. Just as crucial to their decision were Mr. Burgess’s warm memories of growing up in Center Moriches. “It was all he talked about,” she said.
After the couple bought a 1959 three-bedroom one-bath house for $349,000 and moved in, she came to see why Mr. Burgess, 53, a packaging supervisor for Newsday, was so enthusiastic.
“It’s a throwback,” said Ms. Burgess, who works for a state agency in Suffolk County. “We have neighbors who look out for each other. It’s a wonderful, wonderful place.”
Though there are some mansions, she said, many homes are modest — certainly compared with those in the Hamptons — and attract young families. Nearly everyone lives there full time.
At first, Ms. Burgess said, she and her husband did not know their house was part of a 508-lot development, Holiday Beach, with its own neighborhood association.
“We knew there was a beach, but we didn’t know much about it.” That soon changed. “When you’re mowing your lawn, everyone stops and says hello,” Ms. Burgess said. “Someone said, ‘Hey, we have a clubhouse.
Come on down and meet everyone.’ So they did, and six and a half years ago, she became president of the association, which has Friday-night gatherings and other activities.
The rest of the hamlet, she said, is just as friendly. Daniel J. Panico, 37, a councilman in the Town of Brookhaven, of which Center Moriches is part, said the hamlet has the “small-town feeling of what Long Island used to be.”
He and his wife, Deanna, 30, a lawyer who works in Mineola, moved in 2014 to Center Moriches from Manorville with their son, Grant, now 2, paying $500,000 for a three-bedroom one-and-a-half-bath house on almost an acre bordering a creek.
Center Moriches has become less rural and more residential in recent decades, said Herbert J. Strobel, 53, who runs the 28-acre Thee’s Dairy Farm, which has been in his family for nearly 100 years.
He grew up milking cows on the farm, then earned three degrees in animal sciences and microbiology at Cornell University and taught at the University of Kentucky. Then, about 10 years ago, Mr. Strobel returned to the farm, where he now grows hay and raises a few sheep; the milk business is no longer viable, he said.
When he was growing up, Center Moriches “was known as a very sleepy waterfront community,” he said. It is still slow-paced, he said, “but everything is relative.”
Residents include scientists who work at Brookhaven National Laboratory. He said, “considering how many trade trucks I see coming back from the Hamptons,” many provide services there. Center Moriches is not the Hamptons, Mr. Strobel said, but whether it is part of the East End of Long Island “depends on who you talk to.”
“If they moved out here from, say, Hicksville, they call it the East End,” he said. “If they make another hop and move to Southampton, then it’s not anymore.”
A hamlet, or unincorporated area, Center Moriches stretches from Sunrise Highway on the north to Moriches Bay, where four jagged fingers of land separated by long creeks reach out toward Fire Island.
Covering 5.6 square miles, it is bordered on the west by Center Moriches and East Moriches. Of the three communities, it has the most shops and restaurants along its Main Street, which is part of Montauk Highway. The census bureau estimated its 2014 population as 8,363.
According to Mr. Panico, the Brookhaven councilman, the town is now rezoning to avoid “overdevelopment, the retail sprawl common to the west.” The town also recently refurbished the 13-acre Kaler’s Pond Park, a pond where people may fish, two playgrounds, and a memorial to the 230 people who died in 1996 when TWA Flight 800 exploded over the ocean near Center Moriches. (Another memorial is in Mount Pleasant Cemetery nearby.)
The section of the hamlet toward Sunrise Highway on the north is filled with modest homes, a little new construction, and some industrial locations. Marinas, private docks, and beaches dot the southern area.
But, the hamlet’s most notorious spot is Lindenmere, a bayfront estate that in the 1980s belonged to the Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife, Imelda. Once a hotel, it is now refurbished by a new owner, Janet Davis, as an upscale bed-and-breakfast.
The median sales price for single-family homes for the 12 months ending July 31 was $339,500, according to Vivian DeBlasi, a broker with Gateway to the Hamptons Real Estate. This increased about 7 percent over the median for the previous 12 months, said Ms. DeBlasi, based on Multiple Listing Service of Long Island statistics.
On Aug. 15, there were 78 homes listed for sale, she said, ranging from $119,900 (for a two-bedroom one-bath 1928 ranch on 0.12 acre) to $2.615 million (for a five-bedroom four-and-a-half-bath 1993 waterfront home on 4.23 acres with a pool and a tennis court). The median list price was $430,000. One condominium, with two bedrooms and two baths, in a 55-and-over community, was listed at $579,000. Rentals are scarce, Ms. DeBlasi said.
Terrell River County Park has 263 wooded acres for hiking and bird watching. Webby’s Park, a town park on the bay, has the only public beach in the hamlet, a playground, and picnic tables. The Terry-Ketcham Inn, a former farmhouse and tavern, is being restored by the Ketcham Inn Foundation, and guided tours are available on weekends, said Bertram E. Seides, the foundation’s president.
An adjoining bookstore is a gathering spot that is open most days. Nearby, the Moriches Bay Historical Society, of which Mr. Seides is also president, maintains another house museum, the Havens Homestead, built-in 1740, which hosts concerts and other outdoor events.
In another area, the Masury Estate Ballroom, a national landmark built about 1898, is now owned by the Holiday Beach Property Owners Association and opens for tours on Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon. Kayaking, sailing, and bike riding are popular pastimes.
Most homes are part of the Center Moriches School District, which has 1,645 students, said Russell J. Stewart, the superintendent. The district has one elementary school, one middle school, one high school, and universal prekindergarten.
“An $8 million capital bond just passed, and we are upgrading many things,” Mr. Stewart said, including high school science laboratories. Average SAT scores in 2015 were 494 in reading, 502 in math, and 471 in writing, versus state scores of 489, 502, and 478.
The drive to Manhattan can take two hours, even without heavy traffic, residents said. In addition, the hamlet has no Long Island Rail Road stop; residents often drive about a half-hour to the Ronkonkoma station, or about 15 minutes to the Mastic Shirley station, on a different line.
A 7:04 a.m. train from Ronkonkoma arrives at Penn Station at 8:19 a.m; a 7:05 a.m. train from Mastic Shirley, at 8:42. From Ronkonkoma, a monthly pass is $377; from Mastic Shirley, $446.
The Terry-Ketcham Inn, on what was once called the Kings Highway (now Montauk Highway), started as a cottage in the 1600s, and grew with four additions from circa 1700 to 1790, when a tavern was added.
In 1791, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison stayed there on a trip to visit Gen. William Floyd in nearby Mastic, according to a Ketcham Inn Foundation pamphlet. During the Civil War, military volunteers drilled at the inn. The site is a town, state, and national landmark.