A peninsula roughly shaped like the head of a longhorn bull, Nissequogue is crisscrossed by weathered country lanes that would not be out of place in West Virginia, subtly masking the genteel wealth of a village where most homes start at over $1 million and can reach as high as $14 million.

Indeed, that specific number has been attached to Swan Manor, home for a quarter-century to entrepreneurial mogul Joy Mangano. And though she is relocating — possibly nearby — since the 22,000-square-foot abode is now more than she needs with her children grown, she extols the beauty of her village.

"It's a hidden gem," said Mangano, 69, whose life provides the basis for the Off-Broadway revival "Joy: A New True Musical," currently in previews that open Sunday.

"There's a real feeling of community and tranquility" in the 3.8-square-mile enclave, she said. "It's so private and so beautiful — I walk down the block to Stony Brook Harbor. Two minutes away are beaches... I have the Nissequogue Golf Club nearby. And it's horse country, for people who love that."

The private Nissequogue Golf Club is among the small number of businesses allowed under a special-use permit in the otherwise all-residential village. Others include Silver Oak Stable, once home to the famed champion show horse Snowman, and The Knox School, which bills itself as "the oldest established private school on Long Island."

"There's a small section of the village near the beach that's 1-acre-minimum zoning, but the vast majority is 2-acre," said longtime mayor Richard B. Smith, 70, a banker by profession and a member of the volunteer Nissequogue Fire Department. "And homes are required to be set far back from the road."

Because of that and "the very significant tree cover, you don't see many of the houses," he said. "I often hear from people who grew up here in the fifties and sixties who are back to visit, and they often remark it still looks as it did then."

Nissequogue became its own village in 1926, though remaining part of Smithtown — founded by Smith's 10th-generation ancestor, Richard Smith, in 1665. In fact, the mayor said, who is involved with the local historical society, "The first homes in Smithtown were in Nissequogue, and several of them still stand today."

On Long Island Sound are Short Beach, Long Beach and Schubert's Beach, which variously offer such amenities as camping, fishing, picnicking and, using your own equipment, kayaking and paddle boarding. Long Beach has the public Smithtown Marina, and nearby is the private Smithtown Bay Yacht Club. (Note that Nissequogue uses Smithtown or St. James mailing addresses, since the village has no post office.)

Nissequogue is in the Smithtown School District, and students attend schools in East Setauket, St. James and Stony Brook. The nearest Long Island Rail Road station and the nearest supermarket, King Kullen, are both in St. James. Several other supermarkets are just a bit farther away.

Nissequogue, Mangano said, "has been a beautiful place to raise my family and just enjoy the beauty of Long Island."

Between July 3, 2024, and July 2, 2025, there were 17 home sales with a median sale price of $1.3 million, according to OneKey MLS. During that period a year earlier, there were 21 home sales with a median sale price of $1.13 million.

There are no condos or co-ops on the market.

1,634

46.8

Median home value $1.3 million

from St. James $378

Smithtown (97%)

Smithtown

 Closest is Suffolk Transit Route 5, 51 in St. James

Sources: 2023 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR, data.nysed.gov, Suffolk County Transit

The 10.62-acre Somerset Estate, built in 1935, sits atop a bluff with 700 feet of shoreline and a Long Island Sound panoramic view. The 9,000-square-foot house has seven bedrooms, five full bathrooms and one half-bath. The property features manicured gardens, two engineered seawalls, four fireplaces, an in-ground pool with pool house, a wine cellar and more. Taxes are $131,189. Bonnie Glenn, Daniel Gale Sotheby's International, 631-921-1494.

A 2022 construction, this 5,000-square-foot house on 2.55 acres has six bedrooms, four full baths and two half-baths. It features an eat-in kitchen with additional breakfast bar, as well as a formal dining room, a living room with fireplace and a downstairs gym and home theater. Outdoor amenities include an in-ground pool, outdoor kitchen and fire pit. Taxes are $45,318. A sale is pending. Maria Orlandi, Compass Greater NY, 631-697-0474.

Fox Point Drive

Colonial

6

5½

1999

2.04 acres

$45,749

-$249,000

205

Wilderness Road

Colonial

4

3 full, 2 half

1968

2 acres

$20,586

-$50,000

80

Woodcutters Path

Ranch

4

2½

1979

2.03 acres

Taxes $18,601

+/- List price +$16,000

Days on market 96

ON ONEKEY MLS

Number of listings 7

Price range $1.35 million to $12 million

Tax range $18,857 to $131,189