Wheatley Heights

Wheatley Heights, a hamlet in the Town of Babylon, is largely residential with 5,000 residents. Until recently a part of neighboring Wyandanch, Wheatley Heights is diverse and middle-class. The hamlet shares a zip code with Wyandanch. Concerned Taxpayers of Wheatley Heights/Dix Hills, a community group, is striving to get the hamlet its own zip code, which would help give it an independent identity. The organization also sponsors beautification projects and neighborhood watches.

Shopping opportunities are minimal in Wheatley Heights, with only a few stores within the hamlet’s borders. However, neighboring towns offer innumerable choices. Residents can use two libraries, in Dix Hills and Melville. The Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts provides summer programs in art, music, theater and dance. Long Island Rail Road service is available in Wyandanch; travel time to the city is about an hour.

The Town of Babylon provides a wide variety of recreational programs and events for residents of Wheatley Heights. All the town’s opportunities are published in an annual recreation guide. Three town beaches, Overlook, Cedar Beach and Gilgo Beach, are located to the south. Griem Park has a gazebo, tennis and handball courts, and a playground. Concerts and an annual family day are held at the park.

Students who live in Wheatley Heights attend school in the Half Hollow Hills Central School District, which also includes students from Melville, Dix Hills and Deer Park. The district’s seven elementary schools, one of two middle schools, and two high schools are located in Dix Hills. West Hills Middle School, located in Melville, is the exception. With just over 10,000 students, Half Hollow Hills is well-regarded. At the elementary and middle school level, passing rates on state exams were very high, with only one to three percent of students failing to meet standards. Regents passing rates are also very high, with passing rates over ninety percent in all subjects. Twenty-six Advanced Placement courses are available, and collaborations with local colleges allow students to begin earning college credit. A wide variety of foreign language courses are available through independent study.

Single-family homes are the primary type of housing. Current prices begin around $200,000 and range through $400,000. Capes, ranches and splits dominate the inventory. The majority of homes were constructed during the 1960s and 1970s, when the post-war building boom extended across Nassau and into Suffolk. Co-ops and rentals are available in limited numbers.