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Hi All, we just had an accepted offer on a home in North Merrick. It's a 3 BR/1.5 BA ranch located just east of Merrick Avenue and just north of the Campgrounds section, very close to the Camp Elementary School. My fiance is a teacher in the Elmont School District and commutes there every day, and i commute to Manhattan for work a few times per week. We liked the location due to proximity to the SSP and Meadowbrook and relatively easy commute. I've done a lot of research and driving around and saw parents walking with strollers, kids riding bikes, people walking dogs, etc. It seems like a quiet, safe area with good schools and a good choice for a starter home. Was wondering if anyone here lived in North Merrick/Merrick and what their experience has been like with the schools, quality of life, any pros and cons, etc. Thanks!
Fair point, but i can assure you the observations we made and research done on the area occurred long before we made an offer. It's a tough market for buyers and we have been looking across the south shore of Nassau for almost a year in many neighborhoods. The accepted offer doesn't mean we are bound to this particular house or neighborhood until contracts are signed. I've heard good things from a few people i know who live in the area, and was looking for some personal accounts from people who may have recently moved to the neighborhood or from long-time residents.
It is a very nice area. I used to live in Merrick and have lots of family in North Merrick. It's very safe and family-oriented. Lots of great restaurants and stores; just about anything you could need can be found in Merrick or the near vicinity. Neighbors are friendly. I think you made a good decision!
I lived in that area for about 12 years and moved out less than 2 years ago. Here are the things I thought were great about living in N. Merrick:
Safe and friendly neighborhood
Excellent schools, I have 2 Calhoun graduates that attend N. Merrick schools since elementary
Quick ride to Jones beach
Easy access to the highways
Lots of places to walk to (convenience stores, Starbucks, restaurants, supermarkets, etc)
Close to Wantagh and Cedar Creek Parks
Short trip to Roosevelt Field Mall
Only a 45 minute commute to the city. You can walk to LIRR station if you wanted to.
Buying a home in an area you're not that familiar with is very stressful. Even worse to be doing it in this crazy market. Obviously I'm biased but think Merrick is the best location on the South Shore, at least for what I was looking for. I think you made a great choice and wish you luck with whatever you decide to do.
Thank you for your responses. Contracts are out and should be signed in the next few days. The area definitely feels more suburban and spread out than other areas we were looking in like Lynbrook and Oceanside. We are excited to move into the neighborhood.
Hi All, we just had an accepted offer on a home in North Merrick. It's a 3 BR/1.5 BA ranch located just east of Merrick Avenue and just north of the Campgrounds section, very close to the Camp Elementary School. My fiance is a teacher in the Elmont School District and commutes there every day, and i commute to Manhattan for work a few times per week. We liked the location due to proximity to the SSP and Meadowbrook and relatively easy commute. I've done a lot of research and driving around and saw parents walking with strollers, kids riding bikes, people walking dogs, etc. It seems like a quiet, safe area with good schools and a good choice for a starter home. Was wondering if anyone here lived in North Merrick/Merrick and what their experience has been like with the schools, quality of life, any pros and cons, etc. Thanks!
While I don't live in the area, I'm retired but drive for both Uber Eats and Doordash and have really gotten to know the lay of the land in the Merrick and surrounding areas.
Can't speak to the schools but the area you are talking about is excellent, especially for a deteriorating Nassau county. As you say, very suburban and mostly quiet and accessible to the highways as well as a not too bad LIRR commute to Manhattan. I know many people that live in the area. They like it.
But as I touched on above, Long Island and NY is on the downswing. Nassau especially. Expect crime to continue to rise over the next decade. I'd also do a lot of research to see what the zoning laws are and if there's been a push to create low income or multi family housing. Meaning buyers come in, buy a single family home and rebuild a McMansion. It's been the death nail of the nice parts of Queens (ex;Bayside, Whitestone). Suddenly you have a slew of low brow renters moving into the area.
For now, nice area but I wouldn't be laying roots in any part of LI these days. 20+ years ago, sure. Not today.
While I don't live in the area, I'm retired but drive for both Uber Eats and Doordash and have really gotten to know the lay of the land in the Merrick and surrounding areas.
Can't speak to the schools but the area you are talking about is excellent, especially for a deteriorating Nassau county. As you say, very suburban and mostly quiet and accessible to the highways as well as a not too bad LIRR commute to Manhattan. I know many people that live in the area. They like it.
But as I touched on above, Long Island and NY is on the downswing. Nassau especially. Expect crime to continue to rise over the next decade. I'd also do a lot of research to see what the zoning laws are and if there's been a push to create low income or multi family housing. Meaning buyers come in, buy a single family home and rebuild a McMansion. It's been the death nail of the nice parts of Queens (ex;Bayside, Whitestone). Suddenly you have a slew of low brow renters moving into the area.
For now, nice area but I wouldn't be laying roots in any part of LI these days. 20+ years ago, sure. Not today.
Not specific to Nassau, but I dare you to find a place in America that isn't circling the same drain. Virtually every large city, even in deep red states, is in decline. New York City certainly isn't seeing its best years right now, but it's positively peachy compared to Memphis, Detroit, Little Rock, Baltimore, St. Louis, Houston, etc. New York City isn't even in the top 100 in terms of violent crime rates. And obviously, the city affects the suburbs. People living in the suburbs of any of these cities are having to move further and further away to escape the progressive rot.
I'd be shocked if this country is still intact in 20+ years.
Not specific to Nassau, but I dare you to find a place in America that isn't circling the same drain. Virtually every large city, even in deep red states, is in decline. New York City certainly isn't seeing its best years right now, but it's positively peachy compared to Memphis, Detroit, Little Rock, Baltimore, St. Louis, Houston, etc. New York City isn't even in the top 100 in terms of violent crime rates. And obviously, the city affects the suburbs. People living in the suburbs of any of these cities are having to move further and further away to escape the progressive rot.
I'd be shocked if this country is still intact in 20+ years.
Just about every large city is run by democrats, regardless of red/blue state. So yes, I agree. I also agree the country will be a total disaster within 2 generations. As a 51yr old, I know I've seen the best years of America behind me. I'm content with that.
As for NYC and crime rates, it's garbage. I spent 25 years in corporate America using "numbers" and percents to spin positive stories knowing in reality it's a smoke screen. Nobody who has traveled this country, as I have, really believes NYC and it's surrounding area is anything but a top 10 dangerous city. I don't care what the contrived BS #'s law enforcement puts forth to the public. They are nonsense. And what makes NYC the most dangerous, imo, is it's density and over population and the lack of space. Sure, in a city of 10M or whatever the number is, your percent of being a crime vicitim seems small...but we all know the high randomness of it happening is more than just about any other city in American, including LA and Chicago. Both cities which I recently spent time in and drove around every inch and felt a lot safer vs. NYC.
North Merrick is fine. Good schools, close to the LIRR station, good shopping plus you don't have the "keeping up with the Jones" attitude of South Merrick.
Just be sure to "grieve" your real estate axes every year or they'll creep up on you.
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