Dix Hills

Dix Hills is unique by shopping-crazed Long Island standards. The hamlet of 26,000 has strict zoning regulations, which attempts to keep a tight rein on development. With the exception of a few gardening centers, retail shopping is nearly non-existent. Residents must travel beyond the confines of the sixteen-square mile area to purchase groceries and other necessities. There is no local LIRR service either; commuters must travel to Wyandanch orHuntington Station to catch the train.

Open spaces and parks are easy to find. The Town of Huntington, which includes Dix Hills, oversees recreational activities and supervises several parks, including a golf course at the public Crab Meadow Golf Course, and Gold Star Battalion Beach, on Huntington Bay. Dix Hills Park also has a golf course, along with an indoor ice rink, outdoor pools and a playground. The area’s Little League uses the ten fields at Otsego Park, which also has a roller hockey rink and playground. Strathmore Park, largely undeveloped, features hiking trails. A portion of the 813 acre Oak Bush Plains at Edgewood, a preserve occupying the grounds of a former psychiatric hospital, is located in Dix Hills.

Students residing in the northeastern section of Dix Hills attend school in the Commack School District, whose high school was rated #1 in Suffolk County this year by U.S. News and World Report. Rolling Hills Primary School serves the students in Dix Hills, who move on to intermediate, middle and high school in Commack. Commack participates in the International Baccalaureate program, a challenging multi-disciplinary college preparatory program. Scores on standardized state tests are high across grades and subjects. The remaining students attend the Half Hollow Hills Central School District, which draws students from Dix Hills, Melville, Deer Park and Wheatley Heights. It includes 10,000 students in seven elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. High passing rates on state exams at the elementary and middle school level, as well as high Regents passing rates draw homebuyers to the area. At the high school level, students can choose from twenty-six Advanced Placement courses. Collaborations with local colleges allow students to begin earning college credit. A planetarium at Half Hollow Hills West High School draws visiting students from the district’s elementary and middle schools.

A minimal number of smaller, inexpensive homes on small lots are available, but most homes are higher priced and sit on an acre of land. Those less expensive homes are priced beginning in the low $300,000 range. Buyers whose budgets are around and above the $500,000 range will have more options; current prices top out around $2.5 million. Many homes were constructed during the 1960s and 1970s; some are even newer. The relatively young age of homes means there are more contemporary styled houses than in neighboring areas.