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Riverhead, New York

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What It Is Like to Retire in Riverhead

Riverhead is on the north shore of Long Island in New York's Suffolk County. The population was 35,902 in 2020. There are a number of small hamlets within Riverhead, including Riverhead and Wading River. The town is far enough out on Long Island that active adult communities are being built here. The North Fork of Long Island starts here and so does the popular wine country. This area is decidedly less crowded and more rural than further west or south on the South Fork. Photo of Long Island Railroad's  Riverhead Station in the hamlet of Riverhead, courtesy of Wikipedia and DanTD (public domain), photo of The bluffs and dunes of Hallock State Park Preserve courtesy of  Wikipedia and EBCarrier,Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0  

Where to Retire in Riverhead and Home Prices

There is at least one active adult community in Riverhead. (See link on left ).  According to Zillow the median list price was $537,285, in mid-2023.

What Is Special about Riverhead

The North Fork of Long Island is rural with plenty of wineries and nice beaches on Long Island Sound. Wildwood State Park is located in Riverhead and features a beach, playground and picnic area. Hallock State Preserve is also in Riverhead, and features a mile of beachfront.

What Is Not Special about Riverhead

You either like Long Island or you hate it.  Getting to the mainland either requires a drive through traffic to New York, or a ferry to Connecticut from Orient Point or Port Jefferson.

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Who Will Like Retirement in Riverhead

People who like the more tranquil part of Long Island. There is great boating, biking, and beaches in Riverhead and nearby communities.

Local Economy Is Driven by

Tourism, construction

Climate and Physical Environment

Riverhead is the eastern terminus of the Long Island Expressway. It is also the western beginning of the North Fork - Long Island Sound is on the north coast. The region has a much warmer climate than further inland, thanks to its proximity to the ocean and Long Island Sound. Grapes for wine thrive in this region.

Restaurants & Cultural Scene

Riverhead is the home of the Long Island Blues Festival. There is also a Polish festival.

Crime

Riverhead's crime rate is lower than the national average.

Medical facilities

Central Suffolk Hospital is in Riverhead.

Transportation

The Long Island Expressway ends here.  You can get to Connecticut by ferry from either nearby Port Jefferson or Orient Point. New York airports are reasonably close. You are close to the Long Island Railroad to NYC.

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