speaking from experience and a person who lived in the area--i dont recommend it.

This Newsday article says it for me: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/education/ny-lilist2656263…
When you buy, you need to consider resale value, and school districts affect the value of a property. Regarding the properties near the park, I know that area well. My friend considering buying there before selecting a horse property in Miller Place instead. Some properties are quite nice, but they are surrounded by foreclosures and houses in need of repair. If you track how some smart sellers are pricing their properties in the more sought after school districts, you'll find better value. In fact, my friend saw a nice property in a good area with respected school district that was just listed this weekend, and it already had an accepted offer. You can always put money into a house to spruce it up, whether updating the kitchen or bath or even landscaping. But you can't fix a poor performing school district or an area with a poor reputation. (And check the sex offender status. You can do that through propertyshark.com. They congregate in particular areas, which will also affect the value of a home.)

Gail;
This is the second time that I saw you state that realtors may not discuss school districts or neighborhoods. Is this NYS law? I'm wondering, because my buyer's agent offers her opinions on both neighborhoods and schools, quite frequently. In fact, I have had several "discussions" (disagreements) with her, because her information was not consistent with the data that I have analyzed.
Thanks!

The area near the park is beautiful, a truly unique area which sells for thousands less than comparable areas in less "racially diverse" neighborhoods. Go for it - unless you don't like unity.

Realtors are not allowed to discuss neighborhoods or schools; we are allowed to be the source of the source. if you visit my website at http://GailGladstone.com, there are two areas that might be of interest: "community info" and "school Info." You might also contact the police precinct and check with them.