Five Towns Real Estate Blog

The Five Towns on Long Island - Lawrence, NY  (Town 5 of 5)

The Five Towns is an informal grouping of towns located in Nassau County, NY on the South Shore of Long Island. The Five Towns is normally considered to be made up of: Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere (and Woodsburgh), Inwood and Hewlett (Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Neck, Hewlett Harbor).

The name "Five Towns" dates back to 1931, when individual Community Chest groups in the area banded together to form the "Five Towns Community Chest".

The Five Towns area is a great area to live work and play.

• It is convenient to New York City - less than 45 minutes from most towns via the LIRR (Long Island Railroad)
• Located on the South Shore of Long Island we are minutes from  the soft sandy beaches of the Atlantic Ocean.
•  Just over 2 hours from skiing in New York's Catskill Mountains and New Jersey.
• Many discount and retail shopping areas.
• Wide varieties of restaurants and other eateries
• Many local parks, pools and golf courses.
• Choice of many different school districts depending on your needs.

I will detail a different town every day. Today I am going to focus on Lawrence.

Lawrence is located on the South Shore of Long Island, about 15 minutes from JFK Airport. It is easily accessible by car, bus and the Long Island Railroad (LIRR).

Lawrence is an Incorporated Village. It is home to the Peninsula Public Library and is only a couple of miles from the beaches of the Rockaways and Atlantic Beach.

The Lawrence Club is a public club featuring an 18 hole golf course which is one of the finest village owned courses in the state. The Yacht Basin is also village operated. There is also a Village Club House which features a restaurant & a ballroom for catered functions. The Village also operates 9 Har-Tru Tennis Courts.

Rock Hall Museum, ca. 1767 is considered one of the finest examples of Georgian colonial architecture on Long Island. Enrolled on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum offers guided tours and features a fully furnished cellar with a warming kitchen, cold storage room, wine cellar and permanent archaeology exhibit.

Lawrence is located within the Lawrence School District 15.

Lawrence Places of Worship:
Congregation Beth Sholom
Rabbi Kenneth Hain
390 Broadway ~ 516-569-3600

Congregation Shaaray Tefila
Rabbi Dovid Weinberger
25 Central Avenue ~ 516-239-2444

Temple Israel of Lawrence/JCC
Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum
140 Central Avenue ~ 516-239-1140

First Baptist Church of Lawrence
252 Lawrence Avenue ~ 516-239-2233

There are many homes for sale in Lawrence. They range from starter homes to large homes to new construction.  The Five Towns Real Estate Directory was created to keep you informed on local real estate.

People are so quick to bitch and complain, that is was such a pleasure to find the following in my e-mail box this morning. A copy of an email a seller of mine sent to my Broker, we have had her co-op in Lawrence, NY on the market for over a year. An unexepected, unrequested testimonial.

"Dear Mr. Broker,

You have probably heard from Lenny or Donna that we have a signed contract for my mother's apartment at XXXX Avenue.  Though there are still a few hurdles to get over, I believe (with fingers crossed) that this sale will go through.

So this seemed an appropriate time to write in praise of the team that made this sale possible.  Both Lenny and Donna were a pleasure to work with, professional, caring and extremely responsive.

As you know, this sale has been a long time coming.  Through all this time, Lenny treated the apartment as though it were his own.  I'm sure he has more lucrative listings, but he more than lived up to his promises made when he signed on as the agent:  his many Open Houses, following up with buyers, trying new sales techniques.  Even, I understand, vacuuming the floors when they needed it.  His advice in dealing with offers and potential buyers was always thoughtful and thorough.  My attorney even volunteered how highly she thought of him and we then spent several minutes praising him.

Similarly, Donna has been unfailingly helpful.  Answering all of my queries in a very timely and thorough way.  And always willing to try some new sales strategy, either of her own devising or building on a suggestion I made.  She made several trips to the apartment to make it look better and seemed to really care about it.  Her advice about strategy was always thoughtful, pragmatic and helpful.

I know that this process has been almost as frustrating for them as it has been for me, but they hung in there with good humor, professionalism and integrity.  I would be happy to offer my recommendation in any way it would be helpful to them.

I will close by thanking you for the meeting you held with me several months ago when sale's prospects looked especially bleak.  It was a comfort to know that you were accessible and willing to explore various options."

Was just a nice breath of fresh air when I was getting frustrated.