Woodbury, NY

The Quakers settled Woodbury and neighboring Syosset in 1648. By the late 1880s, Woodbury earned a reputation as Long Island’s dairy country. Thanks to prominent New York City attorney Victor Morowitz, who built an estate in the area in the early 1910s, Woodbury became one of Long Island’s most prominent addresses. Manhattan’s elite clamored for properties on which they would build mansions or palatial summer getaways.

By the end of the 1950s, the area became desirable to business and industry. Long Island real estate developer Gordon Tilles purchased Woodbury Farms, property once owned by an heir to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune, and built Crossways Park, a 137-acre industrial park that today is home to corporations including Cablevision.

Four generations of the Meyer family have been farming in Woodbury since 1924. One of only two remaining farms in the Town of Oyster Bay, Meyers Farm has 8.5 acres set amid residential and commercial properties on Woodbury Road. The farm stand, which operates from spring through Thanksgiving, is a Woodbury landmark.

Woodbury also has several venues for social and corporate affairs, including the Crest Hollow Country Club, the Woodbury Country Club and the Inn at Fox Hollow.

When it comes to culture, many residents take advantage of the close proximity to New York City, attending Broadway and off-Broadway shows, cheering on the local sports teams at their home stadiums and arenas, and visiting museums and galleries. Closer to home, the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of LIU Post, delights audiences with performances by world-renowned artists in music, dance and theatre. The Jones Beach Theater, an outdoor amphitheatre presenting the Nikon Concert Series each summer, is also close to Woodbury. The Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn presents major rotating exhibits along with a permanent collection of over 500 art objects.

Despite its size, Woodbury has numerous restaurants that run the gamut from local pizza parlors to family-friendly chain restaurants to the very hip Asian Fusion cuisine.

Most of the eating establishments in Woodbury are located in the strip malls that line Jericho Turnpike. PJ Clarke's, on the perimeter of the Woodbury Common, has the classic vibe and traditions of the Manhattan original. This quintessential American saloon is beautifully appointed with vintage fittings including wood paneling, antique light fixtures and an oversized mahogany bar manned by friendly bartenders. Both the lunch and dinner menus feature the famous “Cadillac burger” topped with smoked country bacon and American cheese, the cast iron-baked macaroni and cheese and the ever-popular marble topped Raw Bar piled high with oysters, clams and shrimp.

Another neighborhood favorite, Butera’s, has been serving up Trattoria-style Italian dishes for over 15 years. Located in the Woodbury Village Shopping Center at the intersection of Jericho Turnpike and South Woods Road, Butera’s has generous portions and creative daily specials such as grilled center cut pork chops with roasted mashed sweet potatoes and garnished with exotic mushrooms in a Chianti sauce. The warm and inviting dining room is decorated in an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary finishes, including rich dark woods, granite countertops, fieldstone and hardwood flooring, and a stone fireplace. Butera's is the place to see and be seen in Woodbury.

You’ll feel like you are dining in a quaint Paris bistro when you eat at the Sage Bistro Moderne, also located in Woodbury Village. This charming spot serves traditional French favorites including mussels mariniere, steak frites, coq au vin and bouillabaisse. Luscious desserts include chocolate crepes, lemon crème brulee and a fresh fruit Napoleon.

Other than dining out, Woodbury doesn’t offer much in the way of nightlife within its boundaries. Nearby Huntington Village has numerous bars and lounges, as well as the Paramount, the premier music venue on Long Island, ranked one of the hottest clubs in the world by Billboard Magazine.

Easy access to the Long Island Expressway, Northern State Parkway and Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway makes Woodbury very commuter friendly, rush hour traffic not withstanding. Many residents make the daily trek to Manhattan on the Long Island Rail Road; the trip to Penn Station is under an hour from the convenient Syosset or Cold Spring Harbor stations.

The N-79 NICE (Nassau Inter-County Express) bus provides weekday service between Hicksville and Huntington, making several stops in Woodbury.

When it comes time to fly the friendly skies for business or pleasure, Woodbury residents can choose from three airports: Long Island MacArthur in Ronkonkoma, LaGuardia or John F. Kennedy, both in Queens.

As with most areas of New York City, you can usually find a taxi easily, and Uber also has a reliable service.

Despite the many homes and businesses in the area, Woodbury still has plenty of green space for residents to enjoy. The 46-acre Syosset-Woodbury Park, operated by the Town of Oyster Bay, has playing fields (some with lights for night games), a playground, an outdoor ice rink, an outdoor swimming pool with diving area, a kiddie pool, and courts for basketball, tennis, handball, shuffleboard and bocce. When it snows, kids and adults enjoy sledding down an impressive hill. During the summer, town residents enjoy weekly concerts under the stars.

Private town beaches are another benefit of living in Woodbury. Tobay Beach, on the Atlantic Ocean, also offers calm water swimming in South Oyster Bay, refreshment stands, two bayside restaurants, a surfing area and a transient boat basin. On the North Shore, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park and Beach in Oyster Bay also has sport facilities and a children’s play area.

An 8-mile mountain bike trail, part of the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail, runs through Woodbury. This out-and-back course consists of a straight trail through a wooded, protected wilderness corridor in the heart of Woodbury and is suitable for most mountain bike enthusiasts.

At Eagle Rock at Woodbury, the hamlet’s only rental community, you can find one- and two-bedroom units that range in price from $1925 to $3050 per month. Weekly, monthly and yearly rentals are also available at the boutique hotel at the Inn at Fox Hollow. The median household income in Woodbury is over $130,000 per year, approximately 2.5 times the median income for New York State residents. However, grocery and shopping prices are similar to the state average.

Shopping centers along Jericho Turnpike attract local residents and visitors from neighboring towns. When it comes to boutiques, Woodbury Village has something for everyone. Teenage girls (and their trendy moms) flock to Max & Gino's for brands like Wildfox, Brandy Melville and Vintage Havana. Ms'Tique has evolved into one of Long Island's top boutiques for women, with designer looks from casual to black tie, while Mr'Tique has plenty of premium menswear. There are numerous shops for the younger set, including Jacadi, One Small Step and Spoiled Rotten. From high-end fashions to delectable restaurants, Woodbury Common delivers. Tallulah has long been the go-to boutique for the finest in eveningwear — and daywear, too. Red Boutique has the most coveted brands of the moment. Cottage Pharmacy, one of the few locally owned drug stores on Long Island, can fill and deliver your prescription. In addition to health and beauty aids, Cottage also carries a wide array of gift items. Woodbury residents don't have to travel far to do their grocery shopping. A Super Stop and Shop supermarket has home delivery through its Peapod service. The Fresh Market bills itself as a European-style market with a rustic feel, stocked with fresh meats, seafood, fruits and vegetables, and hard-to-find grocery items. Iavarone Brothers Quality Foods is one of the most highly regarded specialty food companies in New York. For cooking enthusiasts, Iavarone has the finest ingredients from all over the world. If you prefer takeout, the shop has over 100 homemade entrees to choose from.