Living in Florida's Space Coast
Glen Isles
Glen Isles is a single dead end street west off North Banana River Drive where every house was finished in 1967. Island Drive carries almost all of the addresses, with Anchor Lane at the corner. Four of the last five properties to change hands were canal front with a seawall, a dock or a boat lift, and there is no association here at all.
Glen Isles In Merritt Island, Florida
Glen Isles is about as simple as a neighborhood gets. You turn north off State Road 520 onto North Banana River Drive, then west onto Island Drive, and that is the neighborhood. The street dead ends, which means no traffic arrives that is not coming to a house on it. Anchor Lane picks up a parcel at the corner. Everything else is Island Drive, and every house on it was completed in the same year, 1967.
That single build year makes the housing stock unusually consistent, at least structurally. All of them are concrete block, several with brick accent and stucco, under shingle roofs with one metal exception. Where they differ is what has happened since. Living area ranges from 1,620 to 3,326 square feet, and the top of that range is a heavily reworked property with eight bedrooms, six baths, two primary suites and a separate in law suite with its own entrance, kitchenette and laundry. The rest sit near 1,697.
Four of five are canal front. The water features here include seawalls, covered docks, boat slips and at least one boat lift, with one property carrying 75 feet of direct frontage. The canal runs out to Sykes Creek, and from there you go north to the Canaveral Barge Canal and east through the Canaveral Lock to reach Port Canaveral and the Atlantic. The lock is free to use and the transit runs about twenty to thirty minutes. Fixed spans over Sykes Creek keep air draft modest, so plan on a powerboat.
There is no association, no assessment and no architectural committee. County code governs since Merritt Island is unincorporated, and marine work runs through Brevard County Planning and Development as a Residential Marine Construction permit with a separate Natural Resources review and a survey under 180 days old. Public water serves the street and most of the parcels are on public sewer. Lots run 0.19 to 0.26 of an acre, generous for a canal street of this vintage.
Per square foot pricing here runs about $326, the highest of the Sykes Creek canal streets in this part of the island, and that is what the waterfront share and the renovation quality buy. Asking prices have covered $375,000 to $939,999 with the middle near $674,900. Homes take around 51 days to go under contract and sellers have been settling near 96 percent of original asking, so there is a little room but not much. Annual tax bills have run $3,202 to $6,150 with the middle around $4,262.
Glen Isles At A Glance
Glen Isles at a glance, one street and a lot of water.
| Detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Location | Central Merritt Island, Island Drive west off North Banana River Drive, ZIP 32952 |
| Built | 1967, the entire street |
| Home size | 1,620 to 3,326 square feet, about 1,697 typical |
| Bedrooms | 3 to 8, most commonly 4 |
| Bathrooms | 2 to 6 |
| Lot size | 0.19 to 0.26 acre, about 0.19 typical |
| Construction | Concrete block, some with brick accent and stucco, shingle roofs with a metal exception |
| Association | None. No dues, no board, no covenants enforced by an association |
| Waterfront | Four of five parcels are canal front with navigable water and river access to Sykes Creek |
| Docks | Covered docks, boat slips and a boat lift on several parcels, one with 75 feet of frontage |
| Pools | In ground pools on a portion of the homes, several overlooking the canal |
| Garage | 1 to 2 bays, including oversized garages |
| Street type | Dead end, no cut through traffic |
| Streets | Island Drive and Anchor Lane |
| Utilities | Public water, public sewer on most parcels |
| Gated | No, and not age restricted |
| Price range | $375,000 to $939,999, around $326 per square foot |
Glen Isles Details
Almost Everything Is On The Water
Four of the five most recent transfers on this street were canal front. That concentration is unusual even on Merritt Island, where most plats mix waterfront and dry lots. Here the dry lot is the exception rather than the rule.
Docks, Slips And Lifts Already In Place
Existing covered docks, boat slips and a boat lift mean you are buying infrastructure rather than a permit application. Confirm what is permitted and what condition the pilings are in, but the hard part is often already done.
A Street That Ends
Island Drive does not connect through to anything. The only vehicles on it belong to residents and their visitors, which changes how the street feels in a way that no gate at the entrance of a larger subdivision can replicate.
Renovation Has Already Happened
Several of these houses have been taken apart and rebuilt inside: open kitchens, updated baths, new electrical, new flooring throughout. Buying a 1967 block shell that somebody else already modernized is usually cheaper than doing it yourself.
Room For More Than One Household
The largest property on the street runs eight bedrooms and six baths with two primary suites and a separate suite carrying its own entrance, kitchenette and laundry. Configurations like that are rare and they do not stay available long when they appear.
Straight Out To The Barge Canal
From the canal you are in Sykes Creek, then north to the Canaveral Barge Canal and east through the Canaveral Lock to Port Canaveral. The lock is free and the transit is twenty to thirty minutes, which puts the Atlantic within a comfortable morning.
Homes For Sale In Glen Isles
Current availability on Glen Isles. There are only a handful of houses on this street, so anything that appears is worth looking at the same week.
Glen Isles Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an HOA in Glen Isles?
No. There is no association, no dues and no architectural review committee. Brevard County code governs because Merritt Island is unincorporated, which is also true of the surrounding canal streets.
Are the homes on the canal?
Most of them. Four of the five most recent transfers were canal front with navigable water, seawall and river access to Sykes Creek. Existing improvements include covered docks, boat slips and at least one boat lift.
Were all the houses really built in the same year?
Yes, 1967, which is why the block construction and the original floor plans are so consistent. What varies is how much renovation each one has seen since, and that difference now accounts for most of the price spread on the street.
What does a boat get you from here?
The canal opens into Sykes Creek. Run north to the Canaveral Barge Canal and east through the Canaveral Lock and you are at Port Canaveral and the Atlantic. The lock is free, the largest navigation lock in Florida, and takes about twenty to thirty minutes to pass.
How big are the lots?
Between 0.19 and 0.26 of an acre, with the middle near 0.19. That is a good size for a canal street built in the sixties, and on the waterfront parcels it translates to a usable back yard between the house and the seawall rather than just a walkway.
How quickly do homes sell here?
About 51 days to contract, with sellers settling near 96 percent of their original asking price. That is a moderate pace with limited negotiating room, which is what you would expect on a street where the supply is this thin.
What are property taxes?
Annual county bills have run about $3,202 to $6,150 with the middle near $4,262. Because a sale resets the assessed value, plan your budget from the purchase price rather than from the figure the current owner is paying.
Sewer or septic?
Public water serves the street and most parcels are on public sewer. Confirm the connection for the specific property during due diligence, and if a septic system is present have the tank and drainfield located and inspected.
Island Drive, Merritt Island 32952
Glen Isles sits in central Merritt Island in the 32952 ZIP code, on the Sykes Creek side of North Banana River Drive a short distance north of State Road 520. North Banana River Drive runs three and a half miles between State Road 520 and State Road 528, with short canals reaching east to the Banana River and west to Sykes Creek. Island Drive branches west off it into the Sykes Creek canal system and dead ends there.
For a street this quiet the access is very good. State Road 520 is a minute or two south and takes you east over the Banana River to Cocoa Beach or west to Cocoa, US 1 and Interstate 95. State Road 528 sits at the far end of North Banana River Drive and connects to Port Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center and, about an hour out, Orlando International Airport. Kelly Park near that end offers a public ramp onto the Banana River.
Near Glen Isles In Merritt Island
Considering Glen Isles?
Island Drive holds only a handful of houses, and a canal parcel with an existing dock and lift is not something that appears every season. My partner Nichole and I keep this street on a short list and can get you in front of one the week it becomes available, along with an honest read on the seawall and the dock. Call or text (321) 212-7676.
EXCELLENT PRICE IMPROVEMENT!! Looking for that large multi-generational family home with all the bells and whistles? Look no further! This updated waterfront home centra...
- 8 Beds
- 6 Baths
- 1081167 MLS
Canal-front Merritt Island home with private dock. 4BR/2BA split floor plan on a spacious lot in Glen Isles, close to beaches and shopping.
- 4 Beds
- 2 Baths
- 1075644 MLS
