What are the best Long Island neighborhoods for dog owners?
The five best Long Island neighborhoods for dog owners are Port Washington, Huntington, Babylon Village, Roslyn and East Hills, and Smithtown — ranked on off-leash access, trail variety, walkability, pet services, housing fit, and how much red tape stands between your dog and a good walk. The pattern behind the list is simple: Suffolk County and a few pockets of Nassau give dogs room to actually be dogs, while most of Nassau's parks quietly shut them out. Get the town right and every morning walk for the next ten years gets easier.
By Eric Berman · July 9, 2026
Most people buying on Long Island with a dog never factor the dog into the town decision.
They obsess over schools, taxes, and commute times — all of which matter — and then move in and discover the nearest park bans dogs outright, the sidewalks give out two blocks from the house, and the closest place to let the dog off-leash is a 25-minute drive away. You feel that gap on every single walk, in every kind of weather, for as long as you own the home.
So I ranked the towns the way a dog owner would actually experience them. Here's the full breakdown in the video, and then I'll walk through what earned each town its spot.
The 5 Best Long Island Neighborhoods For Dog Owners
The one Nassau County rule that changes everything
Before any ranking makes sense, you have to understand how differently the two counties treat dogs.
Most Nassau County preserves and parks don't allow dogs at all. In the ones that do, your dog has to stay leashed unless you're standing inside a designated dog run. Suffolk County and New York State parks are far more permissive by comparison — the Town of Huntington alone allows leashed dogs in more than 140 of its parks.
That's not a small footnote. It's the rule that shapes the entire list. It's why Suffolk towns climb toward the top on trail access and walking variety, and why the Nassau towns that made the cut earned it by having a specific, rare exception nearby. Watch Eric break this down at 1:00.
If you're weighing where to land more broadly, this same north-vs-south, Nassau-vs-Suffolk divide drives a lot of lifestyle decisions — I go deeper on it in North Shore vs South Shore Long Island: Which One Is Right for You?
How I ranked every town
Every town got scored on six factors, not just "does it have a park":
Off-leash access — can your dog actually run, or is it leashed everywhere?
Walking and trail variety — one loop you'll get bored of, or real range?
Walkability — can you walk the dog from your front door, or drive to every walk?
Pet services — vets, groomers, daycare, and supply within reach.
Housing fit — do the yards and home types match how dog owners actually live?
Restriction friction — how much do local rules fight you on a normal day?
That last one is the quiet dealbreaker. A town can look great on paper and still make you feel like you're breaking a rule every time you leave the house. See the full scoring framework at 2:30.
#5 — Smithtown
Smithtown lands on the list on the strength of Blydenburgh County Park, which pairs fenced dog runs with miles of trails around the lake. That combination is exactly what the active owner — or the big-dog owner who needs real distance, not a quick loop — is looking for.
This is the pick for the person whose dog isn't satisfied by a lap around the block. You want somewhere the dog can genuinely tire itself out, and Smithtown delivers that without a long drive. Watch the Smithtown breakdown at 3:30.
#4 — Roslyn and East Hills
Here's the rare Nassau exception. The Park at East Hills offers off-leash access in a county where that's genuinely hard to find — and that scarcity is exactly why it ranks.
If you love the North Shore, want to stay in Nassau, and refuse to give up letting your dog run, Roslyn and East Hills is one of the few places you don't have to compromise. The catch is that access to the best amenity here is tied to the community, so it's worth understanding exactly what you're buying into before you commit.
#3 — Babylon Village
Babylon Village is the South Shore answer: walkable village life where you can stroll into town with the dog, plus Gardiner County Park nearby for something bigger.
Gardiner is a standout — 231 acres on the Great South Bay with two fenced dog runs and views toward the Fire Island Lighthouse. It matters even more once you realize the obvious South Shore options are off the table: both Jones Beach and Robert Moses State Park ban dogs on the beach year-round. Babylon gives South Shore dog owners a real place to go. Watch the Babylon breakdown at 7:30.
If you're trying to match a specific town to how you and your dog actually live — off-leash needs, yard size, walkability, the works — that's exactly the kind of thing my team sorts out with buyers every week. Reach out at eric@ericbermanre.com, call 917-225-8596, or visit theericbermanteam.com.
#2 — Huntington
Huntington almost took the top spot, and it's easy to see why. You get a genuinely walkable downtown paired with that staggering number — more than 140 dog-permissive parks across the town. That's not one good option; it's a town built so that wherever you land, a dog-friendly walk is close.
For the owner who wants variety — different walks, different terrain, the ability to never do the same route twice in a week — Huntington is hard to beat. Watch the Huntington breakdown at 9:30.
#1 — Port Washington
Port Washington takes the top spot by pairing waterfront walkability with the Manhasset BayWalk — the kind of everyday walk that makes owning a dog here feel effortless. It's the rare Nassau town that gives you a real, scenic, front-door-accessible walking experience without having to load the dog in the car first.
What pushes it to number one isn't a single amenity. It's the combination: you can live a walkable life, the water is right there, and the day-to-day friction of owning a dog is about as low as Nassau gets. Watch why Port Washington ranks #1 at 11:30.
Three honorable mentions — and the mistake almost everyone makes
Three more towns just missed the top five. They're strong, and depending on your dog and your priorities, any of them could be your number one — worth hearing me lay out at 13:30.
But the bigger lesson is the mistake I see over and over: buyers pick the town first and think about the dog last. They fall for a house, close, and only then find out the walking situation doesn't fit their dog's life — or their own. By then it's too late to change without moving again.
Do it in the other order. Figure out how your dog actually lives — does it need to run, or is it happy on leash? Do you want to walk from your door, or are you fine driving to a trailhead? Then let that shape which towns you even tour. It's a small shift in sequence that pays off on every walk for the next decade.
This isn't unique to dogs, either. The buyers who are happiest long-term are the ones who match the town to how they actually live — the same principle I write about for downsizers choosing the best 55+ communities on Long Island, and for first-timers avoiding the Long Island homes they should never buy.
The bottom line
The best Long Island neighborhood for your dog is the one that matches your dog's actual needs — off-leash freedom, walkable streets, or big-park distance — not the one with the prettiest listing photos. Port Washington, Huntington, Babylon Village, Roslyn and East Hills, and Smithtown each win for a different kind of owner, and the Nassau-versus-Suffolk rule is the thread running through all of it.
If you're buying on Long Island and your dog is part of the family, let's make sure the town fits both of you before you fall for a house. I do this with buyers across Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk every week — mapping the right neighborhoods to how you really live. Reach out at eric@ericbermanre.com, call 917-225-8596, or start at theericbermanteam.com.
About Eric Berman
Eric Berman is a top 1% REALTOR® with Compass Greater NY, helping buyers and sellers across Queens and Long Island navigate the market with clarity and confidence. Known for his local expertise and solutions-driven approach, he leads a full-service team based in Manhasset and delivers a high-touch, concierge-level experience from start to finish. To connect with Eric, visit theericbermanteam.com, email eric@ericbermanre.com, or call 917-225-8596.
