Sound Beach, NY

102 Apartments for Rent

Sound Beach started out as a clever marketing stunt by New York newspaper, "The Daily Mirror," which was a great hit. The hamlet lasted, but the newspaper unfortunately didn't.

Sound Beach, New York is a beautiful, peaceful hamlet with rolling hills and green neighborhoods with an abundance of trees. Sound Beach has been known as a resort town, with residents mostly flocking to the area in summer. The first proud landowners pitched tents or created holes in the ground, which they covered with tarpaulins. These holes often became basements once the owners eventually decided to build bungalows and houses. Because of this history, no two houses in Sound Beach are the same, giving the town its own, unique character. There was no building scheme, but individual owners built something to their own taste so you will find upgraded cottages, ranches, colonials, Tudors, Victorian-style homes and the newer post-modern houses. As a result, there are not many apartment blocks in the area, which may make the search for rental properties a bit challenging -- you will need all the help you can get.

Finding a Rental Home in Sound Beach

Availability

Most homes in Sound Beach are owner-occupied, there is not much left for prospective tenants. A 2 bedroom apartment for rent is slightly easier to come by, but you may find yourself settling for a 3 bedroom house rental in the end if you are of the picky kind. Even then, brace yourself for a very challenging search, as there are often only about 10 to 15 rental properties available at any given time in Sound Beach.

Costs

Because of the low availability of smaller rental apartments, the average rent in Sound Beach is statistically higher than for the rest of New York. Rental prices are, in fact, fairly reasonable (compared to other New York homes) considering the amount of bedrooms.

Tips

With the low availability of apartments, landlords can pick and choose between tenants -- and believe me, they will. You really need to impress in order increase your odds. This may sound like something your grandma would say, but a neat appearance, friendly demeanor and good manners will get you a long way in convincing your landlord that you are the perfect candidate. Having all the required documents and a fat security deposit available immediately can also count heavily in your favor.

Neighborhoods

While Sound Beach is too small for real neighborhoods, if you enjoy peace and quiet, you may prefer something farther from Echo Ave. and New York Ave. These are the main routes where drivers don't always abide by the street limits and can be quite noisy. However, in winter, you do want to live close to these streets if you are commuting to work using a car, as these are the only ones that are guaranteed to be snow-free.

Life in Sound Beach

Sound Beach has some beautiful small parks, where you can go for relaxing stroll or a jog. As the name implies, Sound Beach also offers a private beach for the use of residents, although you will be required to pay an annual fee to get access to this beach. There are also some strip malls along Route 25A, but real shopaholics may need to take the 40 minute drive to Smith Haven Mall, which is the nearest major mall, to get their fix.

Sound Beach is a great place to live. People who end up there are captured by this hamlet's charm and tend to stay. Good luck with your search, may you also soon pitch your tent in this lovely town.