Cove Neck

On a peninsula stretching out into Oyster Bay’s blue waters, Cove Neck is a village surrounded by nature. “I think the beauty of Cove Neck is what attracts people to live there,” says Fran Covello, an associate broker at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty. “It’s a waterfront community, very small, very quiet, and very beautiful. I would describe it as an enchanting waterfront community steeped in history.” This sense of nature and history are both due, at least in part, to Sagamore Hill. This 83-acre estate was Theodore Roosevelt’s home from 1885 to his death in 1919. Roosevelt spent summers on the estate with his family, so it was often called the “Summer White House.” Sagamore Hill, which is now a museum, and the nature surrounding it remain a main feature of Cove Neck today.

The other homes dotting Cove Neck may not have the historical significance of Sagamore Hill, but each is a luxurious estate in its own right. Some areas of Cove Neck are zoned for at least 2 acres and others for at least 4 acres, giving potential homeowners the chance to own large chunks of land and creating a more secluded, peacefully rural atmosphere. Waterfront estates are plentiful in the village, often with long, private docks extending into the water from their own strips of beach. This makes it easy to dock a boat, go fishing, leap into the water on a hot summer’s day or simply relax on the sand just steps from your home. Waterfront estates like this with extensive acreage can go for about $8.5 million, while a smaller home in the neighborhood could start at around $1.6 million. Cove Neck is a small village where many people buy their dream homes with the goal of settling down and staying, so homes don’t come on the market very often. “It’s a quiet housing market,” Covello says. “Currently on the market in Cove Neck we have two homes. Not too many houses sell within the year in Cove Neck because it’s such a small community. They sell quickly when they come on the market, but it’s not such a large place.”

Cove Neck is served by the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District, which has an A rating on Niche. Students attend Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School, James H. Vernon School and Oyster Bay High School. The high school has an A-minus on Niche and offers a range of extracurricular activities for students to get involved in, including coding, social justice and literary clubs.

Thanks to the village’s extensive waterfront and large swaths of nature, locals spend a lot of their free time outdoors boating, fishing, hiking and more. “Hiking, biking, waterfront activities are all part of living in Cove Neck,” Covello says. Residents can also challenge each other to a game at the Cove Neck Tennis Court, but according to Covello, Sagamore Hill is one of the main highlights of living in the little village. Roosevelt left 35 acres of woodland around his house so that he could enjoy walking through nature, birdwatching and chopping wood, three of his favorite pastimes. Today, nature paths thread through these woods, including one that leads to stunning views of Oyster Bay, so that residents and visitors to Roosevelt’s home can continue enjoying the nature he loved so much. Visitors can also wander through the old orchard, walk down to the estate’s private beach and schedule guided tours of the mansion to learn more about the house and the influential family who once lived there.

Cove Neck consists entirely of estates and nature areas, so when residents want to shop or eat out, they need to drive to Oyster Bay less than 3 miles away. In the popular and equally historic town, you’ll find an abundance of places to shop, eat and explore. You can also catch a train from Oyster Bay Station to New York City, a trip that takes about 80 minutes. Convenience and connectivity aren’t far when you want them, but Cove Neck’s natural beauty and sense of seclusion have drawn residents for generations, making each home feel like a slice of paradise.

Written By

Christina Norwood

Photography Contributed By

Jeff Rainone

Video By

Syd Silberman