Babylon vs N. Babylon vs W. Babylon (West Babylon, Deer Park: insurance, condo)

[mtz718]

Hi,
I am planning to move with my wife (no kids) to LI. We are considering Massapequa for the commute but I couldn't help thinking of Babylon and all the nice things I heard about it including the Village amenities, the reliable express commute and of course the beaches.

We are in the market for a small house 3bdrs in a safe area with an easy commute to Manhattan.

I need some guidance to know the difference between Babylon, N. Babylon and W. Babylon. Are they all part of Babylon Village? are they all safe? Same train station?

Also, regarding the commuter parking, is it always reliable in Babylon to find a parking spot?

My wife and I appreciate your valuable time and your advice.

Thanks,
Mike

[JoyfulHope]

They're all great and safe areas.

Babylon Village is the nicest and has walkability, the downtown and LIRR proximity going for it. The schools also perform the best. Be careful since some of BV is in a flood zone.

North Babylon and West Babylon are also good. There really isn't much of a difference between these two. Both school systems are considered alright but not as good as Babylon Village's. They have the advantage of Parkway & Highway access instead of LIRR access.

[mtz718]

Thank you for your reply. I am glad that they are all safe areas.

My wife and I will be using the train to commute to work so I think the Babylon Village is more suitable for us.
My father from out of state will stay with us couple of months a year. I think having him in Babylon village is better for him too. He will be busy during the day while we work.

Also, I heard about the village tax covers lots of amenities that N.Babylon and W. Babylon don't offer. Is it true?

Thanks,
Mike

[Bossman140]

Originally Posted by mtz718

Thank you for your reply. I am glad that they are all safe areas.

My wife and I will be using the train to commute to work so I think the Babylon Village is more suitable for us.
My father from out of state will stay with us couple of months a year. I think having him in Babylon village is better for him too. He will be busy during the day while we work.

Also, I heard about the village tax covers lots of amenities that N.Babylon and W. Babylon don't offer. Is it true?

Thanks,
Mike

The only amenity that i know of is Village resident parking at the Babylon train station.

Everything will cost more to live in the Village and you will have flood insurance issues the closer you are to the water. Just keep that in mind.

[mtz718]

Thank You for the advice. My wife and I highly appreciate it.

Regards,
Mike

[nancy thereader]

Don't forget about the village pool. So pretty . A great resource.

[ShouldIMoveOrStayPut...?]

Originally Posted by mtz718

Also, I heard about the village tax covers lots of amenities that N.Babylon and W. Babylon don't offer. Is it true?

Yes... Babylon Village is an incorporated Village with it's own sanitation and highway departments, also it's own code enforcement department. It has a nine hole golf course, seasonal outdoor pool with sandy beach area surrounding it on the bay, a boat launching ramp, a Village dock for fishing, charter boats, etc. Tennis courts (the one's on Park Avenue recently resurfaced), Argyll Park, express train service to Manhattan, etc.. etc..

You have to pay a separate Village Tax in addition to your Town Tax, but your town taxes will be lower due to the Village providing many of it's own services independent of the town, and the Village tax isn't all that much so you usually come out ahead on the deal.

You will have to toe the line more in the Village, however, as there are more rules and they are enforced with greater diligence. Just think of a five star hotel, you can't ride the elevator in wet bathing suits, bring room towels down the pool, etc...

[MemoryMaker]

On an older thread last year, I gave a good description of West Babylon. When I have time, I might make a post for the other two babylon's also. I've lived in all three of the Babylon's:

Originally Posted by MemoryMaker

West Babylon is a huge town: it's bigger than Babylon Village and North Babylon combined.

Depending on where your at in W.Babylon, you can be zoned for:
- West Babylon SD which is fine
- North Babylon SD which is also fine but gets some mixed reviews.
- Babylon Village SD which has the best rep among these 4
- Lindenhurst SD which is fine [Venetian Shores residents]

Quick run-down going from south to north-

- W.Babylon south of Montauk Hwy: This is the area near the Bergen County Golf Course aka Venetian Shores which is mainly composed of more modest homes. Venetian Shores has a Lindenhurst address&schools but is really West Bab. You may need flood insurance since you'll be near the water in both areas.

- W.Babylon btwn Sunrise Hwy and Montauk Hwy: This area has a lot of nice condo/apt complexes mainly occupied by couples, young families and seniors. The neighborhood zoned for Babylon Village SD (east of Little East Neck RD) is very nice. However, west of little east neck rd tends to be more blue collar and have a lot of modest sized homes. This area also has tons of shopping, restaurants, supermarkets and strip malls...very convenient area with everything nearby

- W.Babylon btwn Sunrise Hwy and the Southern State Pkwy: These are the gridded streets. This is your typical middle class LI neighborhood; generally get's nicer and leafier as you go east and approach the wooded areas of Belmont Park. On little east neck rd, there's a nice downtown area with lots of bakeries, italian food places, deli's, a CVS, ice cream places and other things like that. Little East Neck Rd is the dividing line btwn West Bab and North Bab Schools.

- W.Babylon north of the Southern State Pkwy: This smaller neighborhood has always been the predominately black part of the Babylon's. It's population is mostly middle class&professional. It borders onto Wyandanch so it gets an iffy reputation. Mostly zoned for NB schools. As you get deeper into the neighborhood, it actually gets extremely nice.

[MemoryMaker]

North Babylon:

Depending on where your at in N.Babylon, you can be zoned for:
- North Babylon SD which is fine but gets some mixed reviews.

N.Babylon South of Parkway: Probably the nicest part of N.Bab. Very attractive, sizable and well-kept houses. Good property sizes. Lots of schools nearby and the town pool&parks are there so it's extremely family oriented.

N.Babylon North of Parkway/East of Deer Park Ave: Mostly smaller homes. That Pathmark complex is yucky but on DPA, there is a lot of strip malls, fast food restaurants and shopping; so it is a convenient area.. Very so-so, really not that nice... Better as you get away from Bay Shore Rd. Called the Parkdale section I think.

N.Babylon North of Parkway/West of Deer Park Ave: Very nicely maintained medium-sized [mostly] split-level homes on windy roads. Has that neat planned-community subdivision feel. Reminds me a lot of some places in Nassau County. Walkable to Belmont Lake State Park which is amazing. Nice middle class area.

(Note: Sometimes when locals say "north of the parkway", they're actually referring to a section of W.Babylon that attends NB Schools and not these areas. See my post on W.Bab....)


Babylon Village-

Depending on where your at in Babylon Village, you can be zoned for:
- Babylon Village SD which is considered great
- North Babylon SD which is also fine but gets some mixed reviews.

Babylon Village south of Montauk Hwy: Very upscale area with beautiful homes and mansions. It's mostly in a flood zone but if you're rich enough to live here then it wouldn't be a huge concern. This area takes up a huge chunk of Babylon Village. This is the richest part of the Babylon's.

Babylon Village btwn Montauk Hwy and the LIRR tracks: This is where all of the action is at. Stunning Argyle Park is located here where people oftentimes take wedding pictures. All of the boutiques, shops, fancy restaurants and art galleries are here. In addition to athletic fields, docks and the LIRR stop. If you're someone who wants excitement but doesn't want to leave LI then THIS is where you need to be. Nice place to spend a day on the island.

Babylon Village...the rest of it: Nice middle class area. Lots of storybook style houses, cottages and a wide range of housing styles. Also a lot of historic homes. Very great area since you mostly don't have to worry about flood insurance this far inland.

[OhBeeHave]

Stick with Babylon Village, or in the very least, stay south of the Southern State Pkwy.

If BV doesn't work out for you, my friends neighborhood in N Babylon is nice. They are east of DPA, west of 231, south of the SSP and north of 27. A quick ride to to the SSP or 27.