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Homes for sale in Dongan Hills

Dongan Hills

New York is usually known for its fast-paced urban centers and internationally known landmarks. However, there are still some parts of the state that give that tranquil, small-town feel. On Staten Island, you’ll find this kind of vibe in the neighborhood of Dongan Hills. It’s considered one of the most pleasant neighborhoods in Staten Island, providing a peaceful residential community at the southernmost tip of New York.

Located on the East Shore of Staten Island, Dongan Hills is a dense largely residential community that covers 1.409 square miles. Around 12 miles north from here is the city that never sleeps. This is why many professionals working in New York City consider living in Dongan Hills for its relatively short distance to the Big Apple and its more serene surroundings compared to the busier streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Moreover, it’s a preferred area for college students enrolled in some of the country’s well-known colleges and universities. That’s because the state is home to a large concentration of these leading academic institutions.

Do you think buying one of the homes for sale in Dongan Hills is the right move for you? Read on to find out.

Overview of Dongan Hills

Dongan Hills

Home to a population of around 7,000, Dongan Hills gets high marks on Niche.com for its diversity and for being a great place to raise a family and has been rated highly for families and its public schools. While most of its residents own their homes (60%) rather than rent (40%), there are also plenty of opportunities for investment properties in the area, with New York City a couple of bridges away.

As one of the oldest neighborhoods on Staten Island, Dongan Hills still has structures that give a nod to its Dutch heritage. The most prominent of these structures is the Billiou-Stillwell-Perine House, which was built around 1662 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Apart from this, you will find several other historic homes interspersed with more recent construction, thus, adding to the variety of available homes for sale in Dongan Hills.

Location

With Staten Island being at the southernmost tip of New York State, it comes as no surprise that there’s a lot of foot traffic from commuters moving between New York City and New Jersey. If you live in Dongan Hills, you’ll find yourself right in the middle of these two areas. This gives you the most convenient access to everything both areas could offer, whether you go northeast to NYC or south to New Jersey.

But even if you remain within Dongan Hills, you’ll never be far from the basic community amenities that are just within a few blocks of each other. Here are some of them below.

  • Medical facilities
  • Relaxation and well-being
  • Entertainment for family and friends
  • Auto dealerships
  • Public spaces
  • Library

Meanwhile, these community fixtures are shared by the Staten Island neighborhoods, providing locals with convenient shopping, dining, and entertainment options without having to travel to the busier boroughs.

  • Shopping and dining
  • Sports and entertainment
  • Learning, fitness, and community activities

History

While not the largest neighborhood in the state, Dongan Hills was initially known by two separate names: Hillside Park and Linden Park. In 1682, when England acquired the area from the occupying Netherlands, its name was changed to Dongan Hills after Thomas Dongan, the Irish-born governor who presided over the Province of New York in the late 17th century.

Much of Dongan Hill’s real estate development occurred after World War II, with many small, single-family homes constructed in the 1950s. The local government considered more affordable housing as well, with a public housing project known as the Berry Houses that catered to the growing population in the neighborhood at the time.

The community continued its development after the construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in November 1964, which gave Staten Island residents more efficient access to Brooklyn. This translated to a migration of residents from the bustling borough into Dongan Hills and its adjacent districts.

Transportation and mobility

Dongan Hills, just like the many other communities of Staten Island, has access to one of the most efficient public transport systems in the country.

The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge links the Staten Island borough to the rest of New York City via Brooklyn. Alternatively, Staten Island residents can cross to New Jersey via these four bridges: the Goethals Bridge (connects to Elizabeth), Bayonne Bridge (connects to Bayonne), and the Outerbridge Crossing (connects to Perth Amboy).

Here are some of the modes of transport to choose from when traveling from Dongan Hills to other areas in Staten Island and beyond:

  • Staten Island Railway. Its route runs from Tottenville to Staten Island’s ferry.
  • St. George Ferry. A 25-minute ride on this ferry takes you to the West Side of Manhattan from Staten Island.
  • Once on the mainland, travel fast and conveniently to the rest of the city by riding the subway from Manhattan to Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx.
  • The MTA has a fleet of buses plying routes to and from Staten Island.

Unique characteristics of Dongan Hills

Being at the heart of Staten Island, Dongan Hills is a haven for those who want the serenity of suburban living while being close to the big-city offerings of the Big Apple.

Dongan Hills offers a charming, wholesome lifestyle within a well-established and inclusive community. As mentioned earlier, growing families and college students live and prosper here due to the schools and amenities that cater to these two segments of the population. Interestingly, a large Italian community could also be found here, making up almost 40% of the neighborhood’s population. This explains the abundance of Italian food spots and other business establishments in the area, as well as the infusion of Italian culture into the Dongan Hills way of life.

If you’re looking for a vibrant and welcoming suburban neighborhood, Dongan Hills is just the place for you. Apart from being a bridge away from the Big Apple, it also manages to maintain a comfortable small-town lifestyle that’s ideal for anyone wanting a retreat from the din of the city.

The Dongan Hills Real Estate Scene

Is Dongan Hills the right neighborhood for your new home or real estate investment? Below, we introduce the area’s housing market to help you decide if it’s the right match for you.

General housing trends

Home values in Dongan Hills remained stable and unwavering in the past three years despite the many upheavals in the market and the economy in general. Since the last quarter of 2020, the real estate market has moved along a narrow band between $582,500 and $760,000. While there were the occasional slides and upticks in home prices over the past few years, the near-constant pricing of real estate here is a testament to Dongan Hills’ reliability as a long-term asset that is guaranteed to hold its value no matter the market climate.

In addition to the stable values of Dongan Hills real estate, it has also been the subject of overwhelming demand. Given the area’s strategic location and the scarce housing inventory, any property that goes into the market doesn’t take long before getting sold. Bidding wars are to be expected. That said, utmost preparation and expert guidance are critical in achieving home-buying success in Dongan Hills. Having a local real estate expert to help you out in this endeavor gives you that needed edge apart from ensuring your financial readiness.

Property types and architectural styles

There’s a pretty good range of residential options available in Dongan Hills, from affordable studio apartments to accessible townhomes to larger, recently built properties. Typically, homes in Dongan Hills were built in the architectural styles of Broadside, Cape Cod, Colonial, High, Traditional Ranch, and Queen Anne Victorian.

The local community should be applauded for its efforts to preserve the older, historical homes in the neighborhood. The Staten Island Historical Society, for instance, is one of the organizations taking charge of maintaining landmark properties and inviting the public to visit them.

Typical amenities of Dongan Hills homes

Many Dongan Hills homes are a combination of more established and recently constructed single-family properties. That said, you can expect them to have 2 to 5 bedrooms with front and/or back yards. Apartments, for their part, allow for multi-family living, with 2 to 4 units per building.

Living in Dongan Hills

Dongan Hills

What will it be like living as a local in Dongan Hills? This Staten Island neighborhood provides a nice balance between its proximity to the fast-paced New York City and its idyllic suburban vibe with a touch of history.

Below are some elements you can find in the community.

Schools

Dongan Hills makes an ideal place for couples about to start their family and families with school-age kids, primarily due to the area’s proximity to reputable public schools and private academies, as well as institutions for higher education. Most notably, the Staten Island borough is home to Staten Island University and Wagner College.

The following schools in and around Dongan Hills are suitable for your school-age children:

In Dongan Hills:

Near Dongan Hills:

Living in Dongan Hills also gives you easy access to some of the most prestigious academic institutions in the country. A short ride crossing the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge will take your college students to New York University, Columbia University, Fordham University, and the Julliard School, among many others.

Best neighborhood dining spots

In New York, meeting up with friends or toasting to the end of a work week with coworkers doesn’t have to be limited to the city. Dongan Hills has a wide variety of daytime dining options, as well as a good range of nightlife choices for you.

Outdoor attractions

Even while New York City’s Central Park is the most iconic in the whole state, the parks and recreational areas of Dongan Hills and the rest of Staten Island are still noteworthy in their own right. There are plenty of unique outdoor attractions around Dongan Hills, many of which have a pivotal role in the development of the borough we know today.

Cultural attractions and historical museums

Immerse yourself in the history, art, and culture in communities near and around Dongan Hills through their creative skills, talents, diversity, heritage, and green thumb. Showcasing these fantastic characteristics are the attractions listed below:

Annual local events

Dongan Hills shares several local festivals and events with other neighborhoods on Staten Island. Below are some of these Staten Island events to keep track of once you decide to settle in Dongan Hills.

  • The Travis 4th of July Parade is one of the oldest consecutively hosted Independence Day parades in the country – and it’s held on Staten Island. The parade typically starts in Independence Park then makes its way down Glen Street and Victory Boulevard.
  • Hosted by the Historic Richmond Town every September, the Richmond County Fair has been one of the must-visit events on Staten Island since 1895. Spend a day or two of Labor Day Weekend to see what the fairground has to offer for the year.
  • Around five miles away from Dongan Hills is the neighborhood of Westerleigh which has a family-friendly event called the Westerleigh Folk Music & Art Festival, better known as  WestFest. Here, you can experience the best of local traditional music and art.
  • Staten Island has been holding its own St. Patrick’s Day Parade since 1903 as a way to assert its own identity. With a large Irish population living on the island and seeing to the event’s success, you can be assured that the said parade will always stay true to its cultural roots. That said, Staten Island residents don’t have to go far to watch this extravaganza.

Learn About Dongan Hills From Casandra Properties Inc

Eager to find out more about Dongan Hills homes for sale? Hear all about it from the local real estate experts of Casandra Properties, Inc.

With a combined experience of over 40 years in the local market, Casandra Properties, Inc.. is a premier real estate firm that started as a small boutique and has since evolved into a full-service real estate company. The team has unique expertise catering to residential, commercial, retail, and industrial real estate, and has since made a milestone for garnering $1 billion worth of real estate transactions in the last decade.

Explore the various real estate options and opportunities for investment in Dongan Hills by getting in touch with the Casandra Properties team at 718.720.0126 or via email.

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