A small business district sprouted around the LIRR station in Locust Valley after it was established in 1869, and the community became the nucleus for surrounding Gold Coast villages like Matinecock, Mill Neck, and Lattingtown. Today stores in the genteel hamlet’s downtown include antique and home décor shops in Tudor-style buildings and an old-fashioned toy store. Gracious clapboard Colonials and other traditional homes dot much of the hilly landscape, which is off the beaten path, away from major roads. Residents socialize at private clubs Piping Rock and the Creek Club with their top-rated golf courses, and Beaver Dam Winter Sports Club, which provides ice skatinghockey rinks.