Stretching from north of Sunrise Highway down to the Great South Bay, the hamlet of Copiague is a culturally diverse community of civic and fraternal organizations, commercial areas and a popular waterfront park.

Tanner Park, the largest public park in the Town of Babylon, features a beach on the bay, playing fields, bike paths, a playground, a marina and senior center. The park is also the site of numerous events.

The Copiague Memorial Public Library on Deauville Boulevard sits near a spot that once had an inn where George Washington stayed on a visit to Long Island during the Revolutionary War. The library offers an impressive roster of programs and bus trips.

"The town has been very cooperative with civic members in making improvements," said Copiague Chamber of Commerce treasurer, Jerry O'Neill, who is also the owner-broker of Coldwell Banker Harbor Light in Amityville. "The commercial areas were flat for years. Now there are very few vacancies," O'Neill said.

Copiague's housing stock ranges from capes, ranches and high ranches to split-levels, Colonials and contemporaries. There are a few canals south of Montauk Highway, as well as a lagoon and Copiague Harbor.

Although a buyer can find a home near the water in the $400,000 range, prices there usually start in the $600,000s, O'Neill said.

There are a few complexes for residents 55 years and older, including Cambridge Square, Lakeside Manor Apartments and Nu Horizons.

To learn more about Copiague visit www.copiague.com

-Lisa Doll Bruno (6/10/2005)