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Here are a couple secrets about the waterfront Harbour Club apartments complex in West Babylon.
Secret #1: It’s there.
You can live in an apartment and still keep a boat in your backyard.
Secret #2: The Harbour Club has been owned and operated by the same two families from Long Island since its buildout in the mid- to late-1960s.
The community was a revelation for apartment life — here or anywhere.
“Garden apartments of the 1960s vintage typically consisted of buildings and parking lots, and that was it,” said Susan Barbash, whose father, Murray Barbash of Brightwaters, and his partner, Saul Seiff of Huntington, teamed up to build The Harbour Club at a time when no one knew what to make of it.
It can best be described as resort-style living, complete with a full sized pool, marina, on-site lake, club house, fitness center, and the neighboring golf course.
Not to mention the spacious apartments.
“The Harbour Club was built years before the age of upscale apartment complexes. It was unlike anything that had ever been built before.” Barbash said. “So it was a running joke that a good number of our first tenants were divorced, affluent men who had been kicked out of their homes.
“It became the obvious choice, because it was so much better than everywhere else. You can keep your boat here. And you were right next to a public golf course.”
Even today, she said, The Harbour Club has its fair share of divorcées. But the residents vary greatly, from those who’ve stayed for decades and never want to leave, to newly-weds saving up for their first home, or single people who enjoy the convenience of living in Western Suffolk County.
No matter the background, nearly everyone can enjoy all the shopping and restaurant choices right on Montauk Highway and nearby Babylon Village. It’s also a short drive to the LIRR, Sunrise Highway and the Southern State Parkway.
Susan Barbash has been a Harbour Club managing owner for over two decades.
She and any resident there can attest to the management’s pride in speedy responses to any type of maintenance issue, large or small. Even a blown lightbulb warrants a call to the office.
“We have a great staff,” Barbash said. “It really differentiates us. And we really do want to have the best of everything: the best grounds and the best service.”
Units start at $1,740/month.
Visit harbourclubapartments.com or call 631-669-2680 for more.
Take a jog through The Harbour Club:
