Brookville offers the best of both worlds for those who enjoy (and can afford) living in a bucolic North Shore setting, while having quick access to shops, services, restaurants and major highways.

The village has a bird sanctuary and horse farms, as well as a nature park with trails and walking paths.

Within the village, narrow winding roads are marked by white and green posts. Two-acre zoning offers residents privacy and the property to accommodate amenities such as built-in pools, tennis courts, gazebos and horse barns. Homes vary from modest to colossal in size.

Prices range from $1.4 million to more than $5 million, according to Michelle N. Cohen, executive vice president and broker of Century 21 Laffey Associates in Greenvale.

Buyers coming into Brookville often are Jericho residents looking to upgrade as well as those from other communities who want larger pieces of property, Cohen said. "The most sought-after homes are center hall Colonials or ranches that can become one," she said. Cohen also noted that there's been some resistance recently from buyers to houses priced at more than $2 million.

The C.W. Post campus of Long Island University offers many cultural and recreational venues for the public. The Tilles Center for the Preforming Arts stages concerts and dance productions; the Hillwood Art Museum offers exhibits.

Brookville has a mayor and four trustees and a police force.

- Lisa Doll Bruno (9/3/2004)