This Colonial Is Apocalypse-Ready

By Peter Sloggatt
psloggatt@longislandergroup.com

If surviving a nuclear blast is on your to-do list, this colonial split on a hilltop acre in Greenlawn could be for you. The four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home, on the market for the first time since it was built in the late 1950s, comes complete with a Cold War-era fallout shelter and survival bunker.

The home was part of the Mountainvale Estates subdivision built on former farmland by J.F. Carillo and Sons and marketed as a community that has it all — comfortable homes, proximity to nearby villages, recreational areas, houses of worship and just a train ride away from New York City.

The home’s present owner, an engineer, picked the best parcel, choosing a full acre at the top of a hill, said listing agent Luciano Nemes of Douglas Elliman Realty. The parklike acre abuts a nature preserve featuring nature trails and tennis courts.

“It’s very tranquil and peaceful,” Nemes said.

The only thing missing for this Cold War era homeowner was a fallout shelter, which the engineer built himself. A sub-basement under the home’s existing basement and a slate patio, the concrete-walled multi-room bunker has bunk beds, pantry with shelving, water tank, bathroom facilities and an air filtration system throughout. It is accessible by a crawlspace in the homes laundry room, or through steel doors leading to the outdoor patio.

For everyday living, the split-level, built in 1958, features four bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths, kitchen, living and dining rooms, fireplace with built in bookcases and hardwood floors throughout. A large sunroom was also a later addition.

While Nemes lists desirable Harborfields schools, the landscaped hilltop acre and $587,000 price tag among the selling points, the fallout shelter has attracted more than a few potential buyers.

“I had three people come just because they heard it had a fallout shelter,” Names said.

Nemes will host an open house this Saturday, Sept. 2, 12 noon-4 p.m.

The property is at 22 Monett Place, Greenlawn.