Howard Wool Discusses Riverhead Development Challenges

Riverhead is a town on the North Shore of Long Island. It rests on the mouth of the Peconic River, and it is the county seat of Suffolk County The town of Riverhead has nine hamlets, three of which are Baiting Hollow, Calverton, and Riverhead. Howard Wool, who lives in Baiting Hollow, says that this agricultural area is attracting increasing residential and commercial development. Some residents are afraid that the rural, scenic beauty of the area is going to disappear.

For many years Riverhead was agricultural and produced mainly potatoes. Poor potato prices made farmers turn to other crops such as grapes for wine production. The threat to farmland in the United States is mirrored in Suffolk County, but the Farmland Preservation Program is intent on keeping Suffolk a top agricultural county in New York State.

The hamlet of Riverhead lies within the town of Riverhead and is its main economic center. In recent years, several long-neglected buildings in Main Street have been restored. The art deco Suffolk Theater is one of these. Tweed’s Restaurant in the J.J. Sullivan Hotel, probably the oldest restaurant in Riverhead and the North Fork, is another.

Polish Town is a small neighborhood in Rivertown hamlet. This neighborhood developed when the town saw an influx of Polish immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century. A Polish Town Fair is held annually that attracts many visitors.

The commercial area of Riverhead is the home of Tanger Outlet Mall, with more than 165 discount outlets. If you’re looking for bargains on designer items, this is where you will find them.

Howard Wool says that not many residents of Riverhead brave a daily commute to New York City– it can take 90 minutes each way in off hours. Riverhead is, however, within a reasonable commuting distance from other industries that have sprung up around the town.

The bluffs that overlook Long Island Sound in the North are being targeted by condominium developers. The Bluffs is a luxury development that was built a couple of years ago, and other condominiums are in the planning stages.

Some of the best real estate bargains are thought to be found in Riverhead Village. These older homes have held their own in the face of commercial development. Many of them are undervalued, and an older, two-story bungalow may go for about $125,000. At the opposite end of the scale are prices for houses on the shoreline which have increased greatly over the past few years.

Some of the people living in Riverhead believe that the Riverhead School District may be one of its best-kept secrets. People see diversity and automatically assume it’s a troubled district, but the schools provide a great education. Approximately 3,700 pupils are enrolled in these schools, and 61% of them go on to higher education.

One of the attractions of Riverhead is its beaches. Iron Pier Beach is considered by many to be the most beautiful swimming beaches along the Riverhead shoreline. Indian Island County Park beach with its expansive white sands is popular with campers and fishermen. South Jamesport Beach is a semi-private beach off of Peconic Bay that is open all year round. Wading River beach is a small public beach right next to the heart of Riverhead.

Over 20,000 acres of Riverhead is devoted to agriculture. Orchards, vineyards, stables and farm stalls are dotted across the landscape. Howard Woolsays that Riverhead is also famous for its fresh fish, shellfish, and duckling. Harry Wool says that many establishments offer "pick your own" fresh fruits and vegetables in season. From May through to September, the Riverhead Farmers’ Market is open on a Saturday morning in downtown Riverhead.