Sometimes a move happens after months of careful planning. And sometimes it happens because of a ping on your phone.
For Great Neck resident Irene Gabo and her family, the journey from Brooklyn to Great Neck was a little bit of both: thoughtful background research and a dash of real estate destiny.
Back in 2019, Irene and her husband, Baruch, were planning their oldest son’s academic future, who was finishing eighth grade at a Brooklyn Jewish day school. They had heard about North Shore Hebrew Academy from their Brooklyn friends whose kids commuted to the school daily.
“We went to tour the school,” Irene recalled, “and that’s when we first started looking into Great Neck as a place to live. We didn’t want the commute for the kids.”
The Gabos spent the winter of 2020 earnestly house-hunting around town. But like so many plans of that time, the search was hampered by the COVID pandemic. By spring, the family had nearly resigned themselves to staying in Brooklyn and sending their son to Yeshivah of Flatbush High School. Then came the Zillow alert, on a day they happened to be in Great Neck. “A new listing popped up, 5 minutes before. It was exactly the location and the size house we had been looking for,” Irene said.
The Gabos already knew Diane Polland, the listing agent, from a previous property tour. “I called her immediately,” Irene laughed. Upon viewing the property, they acted decisively and made a firm offer. The very next day, their offer was accepted. Less than a month later, the Gabos became Great Neck homeowners.
From Brooklyn Apartment to Backyard Dreams
Irene never imagined her fate. A Jewish immigrant from Leningrad, Russia, she was a Brooklynite since 1989 and imagined that one day they might move to Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, closer to the water. Everything was nearby: her bustling personal injury law practice, the children’s school, and JCH of Bensonhurst, where the kids spent summers learning to swim and making friends, and of course, her parents.
But the pandemic changed their perspective. “Once we were all locked in an apartment together, everyone on Zoom at the same time,” she said, “we realized it might be time for a little more space—and maybe some land.”
Great Neck checked many boxes: a quick commute to Manhattan via the Long Island Rail Road. Check. A strong Jewish community with kosher stores and synagogues. Check. A highly regarded school system. Check. In other words, it was a move made with both the head and the heart.
Gatsby Dreams Meet Suburban Reality
Before arriving here, Irene admits she had a slightly lofty image of Great Neck. “It always felt like this grand idea to me,” she said, “in The Great Gatsby sort of way.”
Reality, as it turns out, has been even better. Irene was happy to see how diverse our town was, well aware of the Persian and Chinese communities. She was “thrilled” to find so many Russians and Israelis on the peninsula, too. Oh, and the stillness.
“The first few weeks we couldn’t sleep,” she said. “We were so used to traffic outside our Brooklyn apartment and buses pulling up to the corner. Here, all we heard were birds.” Eventually, the serenity became one of the town’s biggest charms. “Life feels more deliberate here: neighbors linger in bakeries, friends walk to the shul together, and people greet each other on the street.”
One of the couple’s favorite rituals? Library dates. “We meet after work at the Great Neck Library, sit across from each other in the comfy chairs, and read in each others’ company,” she said. How quaint!
Neighborhood Bonds and Friday Morning Challah
One of the moments when Irene truly felt “kismet” happened early on a Friday morning. She walked into Noir Bakery & Café for the first time. “The smell of fresh challah was everywhere,” she remembers. “People were wishing each other “Shabbat Shalom.” My husband looked around and said, ‘We’re home.’”
Over time, new friends introduced the family to local favorites. Irene gushes about Shelly at Terracotta, her favorite florist. Other community connections followed quickly—including Irene’s involvement with Destination Great Neck, Ltd., whose logo, incidentally, was designed by Baruch. And then there are the Gabo’s neighbors. “We call ourselves the ‘Bermuda quadrangle,’” she jokes of the tight-knit group around their home. “If anyone needs anything, we’re there for each other.”
Summertime in the Hood
For Irene, if there’s a season that captures the best of Great Neck, it’s summer. There are concerts at Steppingstone Park, kayaking at the marina, evenings at the pool with celebrations of Israel, and casual al fresco dining along Middle Neck Road.
Of course, the family still ventures into Manhattan for theater or opera, and occasionally drives to nearby towns for a night out. But more often than not, the action is right here. Dining favorites include Paprika, Rothschild’s Kitchen, Bistro Burger, Sea Bar, and a family classic: Francesca’s Pizzeria near the train station. On warmer weekend days, you might spot the Gabos at nearby Cipolini’s, with an Aperol Spritz in hand. They know how to live, and they live well, thank you very much.
Wishful Thinking
Like any engaged resident, Irene has thoughts about what the town could use more of. Empty storefronts concern her, as does the lack of part-time jobs for teenagers. “I’d love to see a bowling alley, a ping-pong/billiards hall, something for older kids to do,” she said. “And more support for local businesses by our residents and nearby towns.”
Still, when asked what advice she would give to other New Yorkers thinking of making the same leap she once made, her answer is simple. “Move sooner,” she said with a smile. “And consider Great Neck”.
Janet Nina Esagoff founded Destination: Great Neck Ltd. in 2021, aiming to fortify and celebrate her hometown. Follow @greatneckbiz. In 2017, Janet launched Esagoff Law Group PC, with offices “in town” on Middle Neck Road. Prior to her law practice, Janet designed special–occasion wear for girls/teens at her Bond Street atelier, Party Girl.
