West Babylon

West Babylon, a hamlet in the larger Town of Babylon, is the largest of the three areas bearing the Babylon name. It is sandwiched between Lindenhurst and Babylon Village. With eight square miles and 43,000 residents, it is the largest and most populous of its neighbors.

Several major roads cut through West Babylon. Sunrise Highway and Montauk Highway run parallel to each other, providing easy access to shopping centers and neighboring towns. The Southern State Parkway has three exits in West Babylon. Train commuters have multiple station options, though none of them are in West Babylon. Permits are required to park at Lindenhurst, though non-residents are eligible for them. Parking at the Babylon station, a few minutes west, is limited to village residents, but a private lot is available. Residents in the northern part of the hamlet may find their closest station option is Pinelawn, where parking is free.

Necessities can be easily obtained from West Babylon’s many stores, which include Kmart, Big Lots and Marshalls. Montauk Highway is the area’s primary retail corridor, though Little East Neck Road is home to the Babylon Galleria Shopping Center.

There are many recreational opportunities in West Babylon. Bergen Point Golf Club, located along the shore in the southernmost part of the hamlet, is an 18-hole public golf course run by the county. There are several parks and playgrounds, many with basketball courts and baseball fields, scattered across the town. Anthony Sanchez Memorial Park also features a pool.

The West Babylon School District serves 4,600 public school students, which has five elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Seventeen percent of the student population lives in poverty. The most recent available graduation statistics show 86% of students continuing their educations at two-year or four-year colleges. Some of West Babylon’s students attend either the Babylon Schools or the Wyandanch Schools. Babylon’s district gets very good results, with good passing rates on state standardized exams. Wyandanch’s district struggles with a very high poverty rate and abysmal passing rates on state exams across grade levels.

Single family homes dominate, and offer great affordability. Currently about half the homes on the market are priced below $300,000, giving several possibilities to buyers with smaller budgets. Nearly all the homes were constructed during the 1950s and 1960s. A few complexes with co-ops and condos provide buyers with additional options.