The sister communities of Douglaston and Little Neck anchor the northeast corner of the borough, and have features usually associated with “Club-Country” in Connecticut or the “Gold Coast” of Long Island.
With the Cross Island Parkway and the Alley Pond wetlands making up the western boundary, Long Island Sound to the north and the Grand Central Parkway to the south, visitors to the area marvel at the terrain, from sea level woodlands to some of the highest ground on Long Island. Many ask, “Are you sure this is still New York City?”
It’s easy to be fooled. Houses costing up to $6 million can list boat mooring and beach rights among their amenities. In the $800,000 range, cozy Tudors on tiny lots with manicured front yards and towering street trees appear to be in a country hamlet.
Winding roads and block after block of named rather than numbered streets blur the line between Nassau and Queens Counties.
And that may be why it’s one of the most sought-after parts of the five boroughs - its location, location, location.
Homes in Douglaston and Little Neck are located in School District 26, which boasts quality public education and highly-regarded Catholic schools.
“We’re having our best year ever,” said Gerard “Rod” O’Connell of Bryce Rea Associates, and the unofficial “mayor” of Douglaston.
Donna Reardon of Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate agrees. “We’re up 25 percent over last year.”
Many homes are “walking distance” from a Long Island Rail Road station, and the commute to Manhattan is roughly a half-hour.
For those who want the location but not the lawn, small co-ops can be found for about $175,000 to $250,000.
Northern Boulevard, the area’s “Main Street” features its own “Restaurant Row,” where you can sample everything from pizza or Chinese food to French cuisine with a North-African flair, Northern or Southern Italian, seafood (cooked by Greeks or raw, by Japanese, Koreans or both) and oh, yes - a McDonald’s.
The area boasts not one, but two historic districts; a public golf course considered the jewel of city links; a driving range with 36 holes of miniature golf; salt water fishing in Little Neck Bay; a movie multiplex; a yacht squadron; and the Douglaston Club, with tennis courts and a swimming pool.
