Brightwaters NY Real Estate & Homes for Sale

Referred to as Brightwaters since 1880 for its sparkling ponds and clear lakes, the area began to evolve when real estate developer Thomas Benton Ackerson purchased a tract of land in 1907 and built many homes, roads, a yacht canal and marina. The locals petitioned for the incorporation of the area that officially became the Incorporated Village of Brightwaters in 1916.

Local Area Information

Brightwaters is an incorporated village in the southwest Town of Islip, Suffolk County, on the South Shore of Long Island, New York. It is tucked within the Bay Shore hamlet dividing it into two census-designated places (CDPs): Bay Shore to the east and West Bay Shore to the west. The village abuts a small northeastern region of West Islip, and its narrow southern shore overlooks the calm waters of the Great South Bay with its stunning water views.

At 0.976 square miles in the 2020 US Census, Brightwaters was the third smallest village in Islip Town next to Ocean Beach and Saltaire, both of which are on the Fire Island barrier island. Residential areas encompass mainly single-family homes that include 4-bedroom homes or larger, luxury residences, and homes with one or two bedrooms on first floor. At least three multifamily dwellings are located along Orinoco Drive, which is also lined with several stores, restaurants and other commercial establishments and services.

Three districts with distinct geographic characteristics constitute the village. The central area from Montauk Highway going north to Union Boulevard is called the Lakes District for the four lakes located in this region: Lagoon Lake, Cascade Lakes (Upper and Lower), Mirror Lake and Nosrekca Lake, which is Ackerson spelled in reverse. The northern part, which is home to Wohseepee Park, is known as the Wohseepee Park District, and the southern region is the Canal District. All three use the Brightwaters, NY 11718 ZIP code.

Volunteer members of the Bay Shore Fire Department provide the village with fire protection and rescue services, and the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance provides emergency medical care. The 3rd Precinct of the Suffolk County Police Department patrols its neighborhoods.

Brightwaters is approximately 40 miles east of Manhattan, New York City, and served by the Bay Shore Station via the Montauk Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. Traveling to or from the city by car takes about an hour and 13 minutes to an hour and 20 minutes via the Southern State Parkway or Long Island Expressway.

General Information

Township: Town of Islip | Islip, New York

County: Suffolk County

Population: 3,181 (2020)

Classification: Upscale Village

LIRR Train Station/Schedule: MTA.info/lirr
The LIRR serves Brightwaters via the Bay Shore Station.
Travel time to Manhattan, Penn Station is about
1 hours 3 minutes to 1 hour 33 minutes.

Beaches & Parks

Gilbert Park is a large waterfront property with lots of grassy open space and a charming gazebo. There are also a few benches along the park’s perimeter where visitors may sit and relax while watching the sunset or occasional boats as they sail across the Great South Bay.

Like Gilbert Park, Walker Beach is also a sizable waterfront recreational park. Aside from the sandy beach, its amenities include an outdoor basketball court, a playground, pier, some picnic tables, and parking slots for several cars, with a gated entrance on West Shore Road.

• Bay Shore Homes
• Bayport Homes
• Baywood Homes
• Bohemia Homes
• Brentwood Homes
• Brightwaters Homes
• Central Islip Homes
• East Islip Homes
• Fire Island Homes
• Great River Homes
• Hauppauge Homes
• Holbrook Homes
• Holtsville Homes

• Islandia Homes
• Islip Homes
• Islip Terrace Homes
• Kismet Homes
• Lonelyville Homes
• Oakdale Homes
• Ocean Beach Homes
• Ronkonkoma Homes
• Saltaire Homes
• Sayville Homes
• West Islip Homes
• West Sayville Homes