Massapequa Park has acquired that swagger.
The Lengthy Island enclave is basking within the glow of incomes the title of New York’s finest place to stay in a US Information & World Report rating — with locals saying “why not us?”
It’s some welcome consideration after some undesirable affiliation with the Gilgo Seashore serial homicide suspect and an ongoing struggle to maintain the native faculty’s “Chiefs” identify and emblem within the face of a state ban on Native American imagery.
“This is the place you want to start a family,” stated lifelong resident Michael Cassano, proprietor of American Magnificence restaurant in Massapequa Park Village.
The Park — because it’s nicknamed — is just completely different due to the moxie and mettle of the upbeat, take-no-crap inhabitants of round 17,000, Cassano added.
“With that comes a pride — you see it in the fight to keep the Chiefs logo,” he stated. “Everybody is getting behind it, just how everybody gets behind this town for all sorts of things.”
The neighborhood not solely made New York’s finest however was among the many top150 in America within the rating, scoring excessive in high quality of life classes.
Each outdated and new residents stated they weren’t shocked, viewing the city as the right slice of Americana and nice values, sitting fairly on the water east of New York Metropolis — which bombed towards the underside 50 of over 850 rankings.
Cassano’s spouse, Maria, 44, added that the South Shore space, the place a median dwelling goes for $746,500, per Realtor.com, is one the place “we know each other’s names.”
She used the instance of how the city rallied to assist the household of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller as a overwhelming majority of residents lined the busy Merrick Highway out of respect for his funeral procession within the Spring of 2024.
“To see our community come together, that’s a norm for us,” she stated. “I think this town brings families together.”
A killer popularity
The Cassano testimony paints the city in a a lot brighter gentle than what was seen after the 2023 arrest of lifelong resident and Berner Excessive College graduate, alleged Gilgo Seashore killer Rex Heuermann.
Even that wasn’t sufficient to dampen the nice vibes within the village, which has since rocked again to regular because the worldwide press left First Avenue.
The devastating information didn’t deter Vinny and Allie Frazzetto, each 30, from closing on their dwelling strolling distance from the infamous Heuermann home final summer time, both.
“The long-standing reputation that Massapequa Park has, the good schools, core values, and the wonderful community prevailed over anything else,” Allie Frazzetto stated.
Massapequa Park additionally scored excessive on public security stats within the new rating, as it’s in US Information and World Report’s safest-ranked neighborhood in America for 2024.
Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman praised Mayor Daniel Pearl for doing “an outstanding job” in different areas of residential wants.
Peak pequa
That’s why each Frazzettos referred to as it quits on Bayside, Queens, as they’re on the point of increase child No. 1, whom they’re anticipating in September.
“I love that you have the opportunities that a big district would give you, but the feel of a small neighborhood,” Allie Frazzetto, initially of Backyard Metropolis, added of Jerry Seinfeld’s hometown.
“I feel like you get the best of both worlds.”
Her husband, initially of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, stated he’s excited for his toddler to have associates on the block to play with as he grows up, similar to dad did within the early 2000s.
“We wanted the great school districts that Massapequa has, and we wanted the backyard, we wanted that next chapter of life,” he stated.
And Massapequa Excessive College’s baseball, softball, and each women and boys lacrosse groups all gained county titles this spring.
“We have winners and successful people. It doesn’t happen by accident,” city of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joe Saladino, a Massapequa grad.
“It happens because of tremendous support from the parents and the families. The community, and especially the school district. It reflects so well on everyone.”
The Park can also be dwelling to a various vary of blue- and white-collar walks of life that Rishi Matadeen, 43, a long-time supervisor at standard watering gap Johnny McGorey’s, sees nightly.
“You could come off the LIRR and you could be in construction clothes…you come and sit down and you could sit next to a guy that works on Wall Street, who makes $400,000 a year,” he stated.
“And there’s no awkwardness…everyone feels comfortable here, so that’s the beauty of it.”
Matadeen was first “a little shocked” to listen to the information of being named No. 1 — however then all of it made sense.
“You start to put things in perspective a little bit and realize you take things for granted,” he stated.
“And you go, well, why not us, right?”
