Long Island's Top 5: Our Most Popular Facebook Stories This Week

From a $635,000 verdict for a former fire commission and his firefighter son to Long Island counties ranked the most expensive places to live in America, check out the stories Long Island readers were sharing, reading and commenting on for the week of March 27.

Shake Shack In Melville To Open Thursday

Shake Shack's new Melville location has officially opened as of Thursday, March 30, making it the fourth Shake Shack to open on Long Island. The fast-casual restaurant opened its doors at 11 a.m. The store is located at 849 Walt Whitman Rd. next to 7-Eleven and across the street from the Melville Mall.

Northport Homes Priced The Same As Entire Pennsylvania Town

An entire town in Pennsylvania is up for sale for a cool $1.5 million, which is around the same price as many Northport homes currently on the market. In Westmoreland County, Penn., you can get a 75-acre village with 19 single-family homes, a duplex, a 1914 one-room schoolhouse and some farmland along the Youghiogheny River.

Couple Receives Ultimate Gift From Friends' Selfless Act

St. James couple Kevin and Nicole Barattini used to think they might never have children, but now they have twins, thanks to a selfless act from their friends. Right before the two married in 2010, they learned that Nicole had a rare autoimmune disease, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). After receiving the news that Nicole couldn't get pregnant, the couple started looking into having Nicole's eggs removed in order to be able to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF), removing a total of 57 eggs.

$635K Jury Verdict For Former Fire Commissioner, Firefighter Son

The former New Hyde Park Fire Department Commissioner and his firefighter son who were falsely accused of stealing a large amount of donated smoke detectors intended for senior citizens will receive a total of $635,000 in emotional and punitive damages, their lawyers recently announced.

Suffolk, Nassau Counties Ranked 'Most Expensive Place to Live in America'

Suffolk and Nassau counties recently received the number one spot in FindTheBest’s list of "The 15 most expensive places to live in America." The rankings were determined by a cost of living index created by FindTheBest based on 2013 family budget estimates for housing, taxes, healthcare, childcare, transportation and other necessities amid more than 600 counties and metro areas across America.

Photo credit: Kevin Barratini