Woodbury, Long Island: Essential Things Parents Must Know

   
Home to a Gold Coast mansion, Woodbury, Long Island—located in Nassau County—is a family-friendly hamlet. Here's what you need to know if you're considering raising kids in Woodbury, Long Island.

By Katelin Walling
    

Within the town of Oyster Bay, located just 35 miles from New York City in Nassau County, lies the hamlet of Woodbury—a community within a town that is not incorporated as a village. Within Woodbury are the neighborhoods of The Gates, Hunting Hill, Hunter’s Run, Rolling Hills 1, Rolling Hills 2, Rolling Hills 3, Pine Hollow Estates, Woodbury Estates, and Woodbury Knolls, to name a few. Woodbury is also home to The Woodlands—one of Gold Coast’s Gatsby-era mansions, at which you can dine on a regular basis, that was built in 1918 and now sits on the Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course. Woodbury offers a variety of family-friendly options in terms of public and private schools, parks, beaches, and community centers.

Here’s everything you need to know if you're considering moving your family to Woodbury, Long Island.
    

Schools in Woodbury

Public Schools Serving Woodbury

Children who live in Woodbury will attend one of 10 public schools in the Syosset Central School District:

  • A.P. Willits Elementary, Syosset: kindergarten through fifth grades
  • Berry Hill Elementary, Syosset: kindergarten through fifth grades
  • H.B. Thompson Middle School, Syosset: sixth through eighth grades
  • J. Irving Baylis Elementary, Plainview: kindergarten through fifth grades
  • Robbins Lane Elementary, Syosset: kindergarten through fifth grades
  • South Grove Elementary, Syosset: kindergarten through fifth grades
  • South Woods Middle School, Syosset: sixth through eighth grades
  • Syosset High School, Syosset: ninth through 12th grades
  • Village Elementary, Syosset: kindergarten through fifth grades
  • Walt Whitman Elementary, Woodbury: kindergarten through fifth grades
         

syosset high school signCourtesy Laffey International Real Estate

Syosset High School is a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence for its overall academic excellence.
      

Private Schools Serving Woodbury

There are nearly 30 private schools serving the Woodbury area, including preschools, mixed-age schools, religious schools, and schools for students with special needs.

Private preschools serving Woodbury include:

  • Bright Horizons at Woodbury              
  • Faith Lutheran Nursery School, Syosset
  • Greentrees Country Day School, Syosset
  • M.A.T.S.S. Kids’ Gym, Syosset
  • Mid-Island Y JCC Early Childhood Center, Plainview
  • North Shore Synagogue Nursery School, Syosset
  • Town of Oyster Bay Pre-School, Woodbury
  • Woodbury Jewish Center Nursery School, Woodbury
          

Private mixed-age schools serving Woodbury include:

  • East Woods School, Oyster Bay: pre-nursery though eighth grades
  • Fusion Academy Woodbury: sixth through 12th grades
          

Private religious schools serving Woodbury include:

  • Our Lady of Mercy Academy, Syosset: ninth through 12th grades, Roman Catholic, all-girls
  • St. Edward Confessor School, Syosset: kindergarten through ninth grades, Roman Catholic
         

Private schools for students with special needs serving Woodbury include:

  • The Center for Developmental Disabilities, Woodbury
  • Harmony Heights School, East Norwich
  • Variety Child Learning Center, Syosset
         

Public Transportation: Long Island Rail Road Stops Serving Woodbury

For those parents who work in New York City and will have to commute on a daily basis, or for the family that wants to visit the city for a day, the LIRR stop serving Woodbury is the Syosset train station, located at Oyster Bay Road and Underhill Boulevard. The commute from Syosset to Penn Station is approximately 50 minutes.

Two other nearby LIRR train stations that are easily accessible from Woodbury are:

  • Cold Spring Harbor, West Pulaski Road and East Gate Drive: approximately a 55-minute commute
  • Hicksville, Newbridge Road and West Barclay Street: approximately a 45-minute commute
         

Things to Do with Kids in Woodbury

Parks in Woodbury

Woodbury is home to a community and a state park in which families can spend a relaxing afternoon playing and picnicking.
    

Syosset-Woodbury Community Park

This 46-acre park offers a children’s play area; picnicking area with grills; basketball, bocce, handball, shuffleboard, and tennis courts; swimming and kiddie wading pools (membership needed); ice-skating rink; softball, little league, and multi-use turf fields; and a nature trail.

syosset woodbury community park
Courtesy Town of Oyster Bay

The children's playground area at Syosset-Wodbury Community Park
    

Trail View State Park

A 400-acre, 7.4-mile linear park, Trail View encompasses a variety of natural habitats, including forests, marshes, and fields. The park is a local favorite spot for bird watching. It offers nature trails and paths for horseback riding, as well as biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing.
    

Beaches Serving Woodbury

The town of Oyster Bay, in which Woodbury hamlet is located, has eight beaches, three of which are for residents only (noted with asterisks):

  • Beekman Beach, Oyster Bay
  • Centre Island Beaches, Bayville
  • Charles E. Ransom Beach, Bayville
  • Harry Tappen Beach, Glenwood Landing
  • Philip B. Healey Beach at Florence Avenue, Massapequa*
  • Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park and Beach, Oyster Bay*
  • Stehli Beach, Bayville/Lattingtown*
  • Tobay Beach, Massapequa
        

Little Leagues Serving Woodbury

While many kids in elementary and middle school want to start playing a sport, their schools don’t have sports teams. Don’t despair: There are a few sports leagues serving Woodbury, including:

  • Syosset Baseball League: Offers teams for boys and girls ages 5-18
  • Syosset Basketball League: Runs intramural and travel programs for boys in third through 12th grades, and for girls in third through eighth grades
  • Syosset Soccer Club: Offers intramural, developmental, and travel teams for boys and girls in the area, as well as clinics and tournaments
  • Syosset Youth Football and Cheerleading Club: Offers teams for ages 5-12
  • Syosset Youth Lacrosse: Offers a travel team for boys in third through eighth grades, PAL spring league for boys in second through sixth grades and girls in third through sixth grades, and free clinics for boys in kindergarten through eighth grades and girls in kindergarten through sixth grades
         

Community Centers in Woodbury

For families that are looking for a little extra community closeness, Woodbury has three community centers, including a country club, a golf course, and a nearby JCC.
    

Crest Hollow Country Club

As the only club on the East Coast that offers three different racquet sports on one property (tennis on Har-Tru courts, platform, and beach tennis), Crest Hollow also offers a beach arena for volleyball and an Olympic-size pool. The club also offers corporate and social events, and weddings.
    

The Honorable Joseph Colby Town of Oyster Bay Golf Course

Situated on 121 acres, the 18-par championship golf course features narrow fairways, water holes, sand and grass bunkers, and a putting green. The golf course offers a half-day summer camp for boy and girls ages 6-10, and a full-day camp for boys and girls ages 10-17.
    

Mid-Island Y JCC in nearby Plainview

Though it’s not in Woodbury proper, the Mid-Island Y JCC is the closest JCC to Woodbury (approximately a 10-minute drive). In addition to its Early Childhood Center, the JCC offers a Youth & Teen Center with after-school programs, a teen lounge, leadership programs, and more; the Adler Center for Special Needs; a summer camp; fitness and aquatics programs; community programs, and more.
    

Shopping in Woodbury

Specialty Grocery Stores in Woodbury

In addition to the Super Stop & Shop, the community of Woodbury has a few grocery stores from which to choose, including:

  • The Fresh Market
  • Iavarone Bros.
  • Jewel of the Sea/Victoria’s Market
  • Meyer’s Plant & Produce Farm Stand
  • Prime Time Butcher
           
meyer's plant and produce farm stand
Courtesy Meyer’s Plant & Produce Farm Stand
Meyer's Plant & Produce Farm Stand offers fresh, locally grown produce, incuding more than 30 types of vegetables and a large variety of fruits.

There is also a Whole Foods Market and H Mart in nearby Jericho, and a Trader Joe’s and Fairway Market in neighboring Plainview. 
    

Everyday Shopping in Woodbury

The community of Woodbury offers a variety of everyday shopping options, such as:

  • Banana Republic
  • Chico’s
  • The Girls Room: women’s clothing boutique
  • Great Shapes: women’s clothing boutique
  • Jos. A. Bank
  • Kenny’s Menswear
  • Mieka: women’s clothing boutique
         

Restaurants in Woodbury

Woodbury offers residents a variety of cuisines from Mediterranean to sushi, including:           

  • Andrea’s 25: Italian
  • Butera’s Restaurant: Italian
  • Honig Grill: an eclectic menu paired with Napa Valley wines
  • Krinti Mediterranean Grill
  • MoCA Asian Bistro: Asian fusion
  • Ruby Asian Fusion & Sushi Bar
  • Sage Bistro Moderne: French
  • The Woodlands: modern American

   
Main image: The Woodlands, one of Gold Coast’s Gatsby-era estates, was built in 1918.
Courtesy The Woodlands