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Seeking community, fun

A slice of the 55-and-older crowd — relatively more affluent and active than their parents might have been at their age — are seeking that laid-back lifestyle and often expect high-end amenities at the communities they are choosing.

That pool of customers is growing: In 2021, there were about 744,000 residents in Nassau and Suffolk counties over the age of 60, or 26% of the population on Long Island, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That was an increase of 160,000 from a decade earlier, when those 60 and older made up 21% of the Island.

Developers of the rapidly growing complexes, whether with units for rental or for purchase, are taking notice and upping the ante, incorporating private dining rooms, fully equipped gyms and saunas, in-house movie theaters, pickleball courts and clubhouses that serve as spacious, glamorous hubs for activities.

“We are selling a lifestyle,” said Diane Maier, sales agent for The Vineyards at Center Moriches and at Mount Sinai, where prices range from $749,000 to $899,000.

All those perks are factored into the costs of buying or renting at these complexes.

At Country Pointe in Plainview, 90% of the suites and villas are reserved for those 55 and older. Two-bedroom units range from $765,000 to $1.4 million, with homeowners association fees from $540 to $897 and annual taxes varying by model.

On the top floor of a three-level clubhouse there is a ballroom with a bar where galas are held a few times a year, said Robert Spiotto, Country Pointe’s events director. Recent bashes held around the pool and in the ballroom include a black-and-white party and a ’60s revival night.

Many of the events draw up to 300 residents. Even smaller ones, such as “The Joy of Oy” Catskills-style comedy show held in July and a concert by singer Tommy Sullivan, a founding member of the 1960s group The Brooklyn Bridge, draw crowds of 200 members. 

“There is a feeling of camaraderie here,” Spiotto noted. “That is what we provide.”

In addition to elegant clubhouses and large swimming pools, the biggest reason people move to these communities is the socializing. After raising children and holding demanding jobs, living in a resort-like atmosphere often comes with new friendships with others at the same stage of life.

Rentals, too 

Rental communities are also training their eyes on the luxe market. While not specifically for those 55 and older, the units rent to many seniors for the easy lifestyle and conveniences they offer, both inside and outside the developments.

The Selby, a six-story apartment complex overlooking Eisenhower Park in Westbury, opened in September with 210 units and 27 long-term executive suites that rent from $3,200 for a studio to $9,500 a month for a 2,200-square-foot, three-bedroom unit. More than 40% are already leased, according to Suzee Foster, a spokesperson for the Beechwood Organization, which developed the complex.

Built in a French chateau-style, the Selby offers residents a 75-foot outdoor pool and terrace, a great room with garden views, club room with an indoor-outdoor bar, a 6,000-square-foot dining room, fitness room with yoga studio, a tranquility space and private parking with electric car charging.

Beechwood principal Steven Dubb said the new complex follows the success of the luxury rentals at the nearby Vanderbilt, where rents range from $4,300 to $8,000 and was fully leased within six months. There, renters enjoy an outdoor heated pool with cabanas, yoga and fitness studios, fine dining restaurant and cafeteria.

“Whether year-round or part of the year, our residents want a new, well-constructed home with resort amenities and concierge services reflective of their coveted quality of life,” Dubb said.

For Jenkins, the retired correction officer, that means saying goodbye to the days of cutting grass and thinking about oil bills, he said. Now he spends time by the pool at his complex in the summer, meeting friends at the clubhouse, which features a gym and card/game room.

“I worked a long career, 26 years, and it feels good to live a laid-back lifestyle,” Jenkins said.

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Long Island has a lot to offer seniors considering their retirement options. The island boasts plentiful art and culture, miles of beautiful beaches, mass transit, world-class health and educational facilities, a diverse economy plus easy access to New York City and major transit hubs.

The following list offers a look at just some of the retirement communities worth considering, right here on Long Island.

55+ DEVELOPMENTS FOR SALE OR RENT

Beechwood Homes

The nationally recognized Beechwood Organization, also known as Beechwood Homes and founded in 1985, has built more than 9,500 homes in 70 communities across Long Island, New York City and Saratoga Springs, New York, and is currently expanding into North Carolina. They like to say, they’re “not just selling a home, but a lifestyle.” On Long Island, Beechwood is currently selling Country Pointe communities in Plainview and Yaphank, Meadowbrook Pointe and Meadowbrook Pointe Gardens communities in East Meadow, Marina Pointe in East Rockaway, and both Country Pointe Estates and Oneck Landing in The Village of Westhampton Beach. The Rental collection includes luxury residences at The Selby and The Vanderbilt in Westbury, and The Tides at Arverne by the Sea in Queens. Among completed communities are Meadowbrook Pointe in Westbury and Meadowbrook Pointe Links and Spa in Medford, Country Pointe communities in Bellmore, Coram, Dix Hills, Kings Park, Lake Grove, Manorville, Melville, Miller Place, Ridge and Smithtown. Award-winning communities in Southampton Village are The Latch, Bishops Pond and Bishops Grant.

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Where’s Bob now? There’s so much to enjoy at Country Pointe Plainview. You’ll never run out of activities with Bob Spiotto, the Director of Events and Clubhouse Manager. Come join the fun! Schedule your presentation 📲 800-890-0332

Model homes have become synonymous with illustrating a vision of what life could be like for prospective homebuyers.

A large kitchen and spacious family room echo thoughts of holiday gatherings, while the perfect primary suite sparks images of an oasis for self-care. But there's more to it than turnkey entry.

Buyers can be confronted with seemingly limitless choices when purchasing a model home, and customization doesn't come cheap; plus, some say that the process isn't always smooth. But from multimillion-dollar houses to affordable housing complexes, there's a model home for everyone. 

After living in Merrick for 35 years, Susan and Scott Horowitz, 62, and 67, respectively, decided to purchase a home in Florida six years ago to use as a winter season and retirement property. It wasn't until some of their friends moved into Country Pointe in Plainview that they considered a new location back home.

"We were familiar with it [Country Pointe] and I liked the idea that it was a community, perfect for us for this stage in life," said Susan Horowitz, a retired teacher who shared that she and her husband, who owns a food distribution company, paid more than $1 million for the Madison Home model, with an additional $50,000 in upgrades. Although the options are costly, Horowitz was experienced in looking at model homes, having done so for her Florida property.

"The value was there for a model home, but the other big consideration was the fact that I know people moving there now and into other properties who are having a hard time getting in," she said.

The couple purchased the model as a move-in ready home, including furniture and décor pieces. They kept all the appliances, because new ones were back-ordered due to COVID and high demand.

"Brand-new construction with a new kitchen that was move-in ready — where else can you go and do that? It was a good situation for us," said Horowitz, who closed on her home at the end of last year.

"People want simple and convenient, especially the 65 and older population," said Irene Rallis, a licensed associate broker with Douglas Elliman. "New, clean, no issues — and they can get that all for a reasonable price." She noted that many buyers are snowbirds looking for a smaller living space while they are on the Island.

"Homeowners can view a model home purchase like this as a good investment," she said. "The carefree and downsizing mentality applies to both populations who are looking for model homes: they want move-in ready and maintenance-free."

Choices, choices

Michael Dubb, founder and CEO of the Beechwood Organization, which developed Country Pointe, said the purpose of the model home is to give the potential homebuyer a sense of what they can do or purchase with the model home.

"We have a certain type of buyer; some fall in love with the model and just want that, while others will make changes, such as a different color kitchen or countertop or different wooden floor," he said.

There are up to a dozen models at Country Pointe Plainview — ranging from 1,200 to 3,000 square feet — with prices starting in the high $700,000s to $1.5 million. According to Dubb, who partners with his son, Steven, a fully furnished home includes everything from lighting fixtures and furniture to knickknacks, bedding and window treatments. The process of making decisions on a model home begins at purchase and ends right before drywall goes up.

According to Dubb, and in Horowitz's own experience, everything cost-wise is transparent. Homebuyers are given the information upfront of what the property comes with and what each additional project or upgrade will cost. Homeowners association fees and taxes are other costs, but they are not surprise expenses.

The allure of a model home is peace of mind. "When you buy a new home, there's no mystery," Dubb said. "It comes with a warranty, the customer service is there, and all of the bugs are taken out of it. When you buy a resale, you don't know what's going on behind the walls of the house."

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Country Pointe Shops, a newly constructed shopping center located at 1427 Old Country Road in Plainview, New York is fully occupied following four recent leases completed by RIPCO Real Estate. The 118,450-square-foot shopping center was built as part of an upscale lifestyle community along with 750 luxury homes by The Beechwood Organization, one of the largest developers of single family and multi-family housing in New York State, and Long Island’s largest developer of sophisticated lifestyle communities. Brian Schuster, Jason Sobel and Christian Mazzie of RIPCO served as the exclusive brokers for The Beechwood Organization in the transactions. Most recently, RIPCO worked with The Shed, a popular brunch and dinner restaurant with locations in Huntington and West Sayville to open its third location at the center. Madison’s Niche, a lifestyle boutique that carries products including home décor, clothing and accessories opened the brand’s fifth location at the center. They join Storm Boutique a women’s boutique that carries products including clothing and accessories, with its second location at Country Pointe. RIPCO also signed Pure Barre, a national boutique fitness tenant known to have the fastest, most effective full-body barre workout. The new tenants will join an already stellar mix of retailers including ShopRite, Starbucks, Iavarone Italian Kitchen and Pizzeria, Chase Bank, Organic Krush, Anthony DeFranco Salon, CityRow, Trio Hardware, SugarCrazy, Nostalgc Eyewear, Happy Color Nails & Spa and Fidelity Investments. “It is gratifying to see our retail plaza humming and with an excellent array of Long Island and national brands to serve shoppers and diners from our Country Pointe community but also those who are coming from beyond Plainview-Old Bethpage,” said Steven Dubb, Principal, The Beechwood Organization. “The Shops at Plainview have become a retail destination. In these challenging times for shopping centers, RIPCO helped us to create an elevated experience that offers something for everyone.”  “The Beechwood Organization’s artistic vision for Country Pointe truly brought a magnificent shopping center into creation,” said Jason Sobel, retail leasing specialist at RIPCO. “Combining that with the excellent location gave us all the ammunition we needed in order to secure a curated lineup of strong local, regional and national tenants that will truly appeal to the community and future residents looking for a one-stop shop offering.”

Original article from LongIsland.com

Author: Chris Boyle

PLAINVIEW, NY — Plainview is the only Long Island community — and one of only two in all of New York — that was recently named one of the Top 50 Places to Live by Money Magazine.
The annual list compiled by Money Magazine features communities that have great schools, good healthcare and jobs for residents. Plainview was ranked No. 47, ahead of Clarksville, N.Y.
“Once a huge source of pickles for a nearby Heinz factory thanks to its generous crop of cucumbers, Plainview is now a community-driven town in the New York Metropolitan area,” Money wrote about the town.
Money Magazine created the list by analyzing various data to weigh a town’s desirability as a place to live. The list was restricted to cities and towns that have populations between 25,000 and 500,000 and were ranked based on statistics related to economic opportunity, cost of living, housing affordability, school quality, income, arts and leisure options, safety, health care, and diversity.
The magazine listed four main stats for each community. It listed Plainview as having about 27,400 residents, a median household income of $146,971, an average home value of $619,000 and an unemployment rate of 5 percent.
The close proximity to New York City is one of the major benefits of living in Plainview, Money Magazine said, despite the high home prices in the area.
You can see the full list of the Best Places To Live by clicking here.

Original article from Patch
By Alex Costello and Lanning Taliaferro

The main entrance roadway to Country Pointe is named Charles B. Wang Blvd. in recognition of Wang’s vision which laid the groundwork for Beechwood to develop the 143-acre Country Pointe, where Long Island residents continue to live, work, shop and play in the Town of Oyster Bay.

Guests of honor Nancy Li and Cameron Wang, the wife and son of Charles Wang, were joined by guest speakers Jon Ledecky, co-owner, New York Islanders; Laura Curran, Nassau County executive; Arnold Drucker, Nassau County legislator; and Joseph Saladino, Town of Oyster Bay supervisor.

Dubb, who proposed the street renaming, said, “Charles was one of Long Island’s great visionaries. He was an international businessman and philanthropist who loved his home on Long Island and in the Town of Oyster Bay. Best known for keeping the Islanders ice hockey team playing on Long Island, he also laid the groundwork for Long Island residents to have a beautiful place to live, work, shop and play at Country Pointe in Plainview.”

Without his patience and vision, there would be no Country Pointe in Plainview. Starting in 1999, when Charles bought the land from the Town, and before Beechwood bought it from him, he had many long days and hard battles seeding much of what you see across this 143-acre property — new homes, a new retail plaza and a new commitment to recreational open space. We want to honor Charles by having his name grace the entrance way of the finest lifestyle and mixed-use community on Long Island today.

New York Islanders co-owner John Ledecky said, “Charles was a friend and mentor. He was an inspiring, visionary thinker. He recognized the potential of Belmont Park as a new home for the New York Islanders. The fans of the Long Islanders should thank Charles for that vision and keeping the team on Long Island through thick and thin. The team’s success on the ice, Long Island and in the NHL, couldn’t have been accomplished without him. He changed my life and the lives of tens of thousands others including over a million children. What an incredible life to live. Today’s naming rights are so appropriate. We are all blessed with knowing Charles and living the legacy he provided.”

Guest speaker Nassau County executive Laura Curran stated, “Charles Wang was never afraid to dream big, and we’ll never forget his tireless efforts to ensure the Islanders stayed on Long Island. His life work left our County a better place, and Nassau is proud to recognize Charles’ many contributions to our communities with this fitting honor.”

Closing the ceremony, Town of Oyster Bay supervisor Joseph Saladino, stated, “While many people remember Mr. Wang for his success in the computer industry and ownership of the New York Islanders, we will forever remember Charles as a leading philanthropic Town of Oyster Bay resident who supported those less fortunate. From financing doctors that offer free cleft-palate surgeries for children to building an Asian-American Center at Stony Brook University and expanding a healthcare clinic in Chinatown, Charles gave back to the communities around him. When it came to business and real estate development, he dreamed big; and Charles B. Wang Boulevard stands as a testament to the vision he had for the future of Long Island with smart development such as Country Pointe in Plainview

https://reader.mediawiremobile.com/NYREJ/issues/207303/viewer?page=57

The Shed’s latest location will be opening in Country Pointe Plainview, a condominium community created by father-and-son duo Michael and Steve Dubb.

“These guys are the best,” said Tunney, who also owns Besito Mexican restaurants and Ballo Italian. “It makes it a fun deal to do.”

Between the 4,000-square-foot interior space and outdoor area, the restaurant will hold approximately 85 seats.

Prominent décor like Huntington’s signature rabbit wallpaper by artist Hunt Slonem is expected to adorn the walls of the space.

Artwork from Peter Diem of Holland, who is known for painting flying cows, and Tunney’s brother, Peter Tunney and his positive, American-themed pieces, will be featured in the new Shed spot, too.

Tunney says the fun energy on the inside continues outdoors as well, with plans of a put and green area in the backyard of the building.

Customers can enjoy the tranquility of the water behind them, Tunney said, and a fire pit is going back there too for people to circle around while drinking cocktails.

The menu remains consistent to the other Sheds on the island and just like the other properties, The Shed Plainville maintains the feel of being “off the industrial path.”

“I like details, those are what end up exceeding people’s expectations,” Tunney said. “You have to think in a way that’s anticipatory vision: get them what they want and what they need before they ask, and provide an environment that lets you relax and feel good.”

What recent project, transaction or accomplishment are you most proud of?

Steven Dubb: "The Latch Southampton Village. In 2016, we bought the historic Village Latch Inn. From 2017-2019, during the application process to convert the 67-unit lodging on 5-acres to a 20-home luxury condo community, we operated it as The Latch Pop-Up Inn. In 2020, after consultation with 15 agencies, neighbors and Village Board of Architectural Review & Historic Preservation, approval was granted. It included our commitment to restore exteriors of two early 20th century structures designed by Stanford White. Then came COVID. Last June, we finally broke ground and started pre-construction sales. By 2021, half the homes sold off floor plans. Four designer-decorated models open in April. First occupancy is this summer. Five years on, I’m so proud to have brought together the best of Hamptons old world charm and new construction. The Latch is just beautiful."

Owners of new or extensively renovated homes in Nassau County could spread out up to $750,000 in new valuation over eight years under a tax relief legislation approved this week in the State Legislature.

Under Nassau's first countywide reassessment in a decade, homeowners can phase-in valuation changes — up or down — over five years.

But the exemption did not apply to new homes, or those with major renovations, because the properties essentially were being assessed for the first time.

Those homeowners effectively had to pay their full assessed valuations right away, while most properties were allowed to catch up to their new values over a five-year period.

Many owners of newly constructed homes, or those with extensive renovations, complained of exorbitant tax bills .

They said they were shouldering a disproportionate share of the property tax burden because so many other properties received the phase-in exemption.

"This bill protects taxpayers and encourages both new construction and job growth during this much-needed coronavirus pandemic recovery period," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said in a statement.

MOVING FROM A private home to a 55-plus community is sometimes referred to as “downsizing.” But Michael Dubb, founder and CEO of the Beechwood Organization of Jericho, prefers to call this kind of move “rightsizing.”

Rightsizing, he says, is when you’re ready to get rid of the big home – the stairs, the maintenance, yard – and go to a community where most of the living is on a single level and the big chores are done for you. “It’s that turnkey kind of living. It frees up your time to enjoy your life and your home, worry-free,” Dubb says. Dubb’s company set the benchmark for luxury, resort-style communities for active adults on LongIsland, first in Westbury, then Medford, and now with new communities in East Meadow, Plainview, Smithtown and Yaphank.

As you age, staying healthy, socializing and doing things that enhance your life take on greater significance. A development with an activity director and calendar of clubs, classes and events is a big plus. A well-equipped gym is also essential. Generally, bigger communities offer more amenities, such as indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, bocce, pickleball and open space for walkability with more opportunities for socializingand a greater diversity of activities from which to choose. Make a list of what is important to you and see ifthe community includes these things. Consider the location and make sure it’s close to things that you value. In many instances, family and grandchildren are the main reasons why people want to remain on Long Island. Is the community near things you want to be closer to, such as beaches, golf, farm stands or shopping? Security is also something to check off your list. A manned gatehouse and 24-hour roving security are more desirable and personal than card access. Residents can be assured their belongings are safe and that everything is being taken care of, including snow removal.

It’s also useful to compare the cost of community life to the savings you may make without the need for security systems, homeowner insurance, landscaping, snow removal, gym membership and entertainment.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR TIMELINE?

If you need to sell your house first, will the builder work with you on stretching closing dates or even help to find a rental during your transition?“It’s important to look at other communities by the builder and to see how the residents like living there,” Dubb says. “A reputable builder will also be there for any kind of warranty.”
Look for gourmet kitchens with top-of-the-line appliances, fixtures and countertops and good hardwood floors. “While you should not have to do much more to upgrade your new home (it’s an all-inclusive package), you should be able to hand pick kitchen and bath finishes with a visit to the builder’s design center,” Dubb says. Rightsizing also means moving to well-designed spaces inside and out. Does the community offer different style homes, for example, multi-level townhomes and single-level apartments? Do floorplans suit your lifestyle? Are layouts open with plenty of natural light? How far is the drive or walk to the clubhouse or shopping? Depending on your needs and time frame, you might prefer a home that’s ready to move into or one that can be built to your exact specifications. If the latter is what you desire, find a community that offers this option.