Port Washington is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the community population was 15,846.
Port Washington is a hamlet within and directly governed by the town of North Hempstead. With rolling hills and a serpentine coastline in the northwest corner of Nassau County, Port Washington is studded with marinas, parks, yacht clubs and golf courses. The Great Neck peninsula is across Manhasset Bay to the west; Manhasset and Plandome are to the south; Roslyn lies southeast. Besides an unincorporated area of the Town of North Hempstead, Port Washington is home to four incorporated villages: Baxter Estates, Manorhaven, Port Washington North and Sands Point, plus part of the village of Flower Hill. According to Forbes, Port Washington is ranked as the 348th wealthiest place in the United States as of 2015, with a median home sale price of $1,191,865.
History
In the 1870s, Port Washington became an important sand-mining town; it had the largest sandbank east of the Mississippi, and easy barge access to Manhattan. Some 140 million cubic yards of local sand were used for concrete for New York skyscrapers like the Empire State and Chrysler buildings, according to Jon Kaiman, the Town Supervisor until 2013. In 1998 the sand mines were redeveloped as Harbor Links, a golf course for North Hempstead residents.
Port Washington is depicted as the area of East Egg in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby.
The Thomas Dodge Homestead, Execution Rocks Light, Gould-Guggenheim Estate, William Landsberg House, Main Street School, Monfort Cemetery, Sands-Willets Homestead, and John Philip Sousa House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Knickerbocker Yacht Club was a yacht club in Port Washington for over 100 years.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.6 square miles (15Â km2), of which 4.2 square miles (11Â km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6Â km2) (25.22%) is water.
Bar Beach
Bar Beach is a beach located on the North Shore (Long Island), in Port Washington. It is adjacent to Hempstead Harbor beach.
A fireworks display sometimes takes place at the beach on Memorial Day but not in 2007. The absence of fireworks has been blamed on the Americana Manhasset and Wheatley Plaza by the Town of North Hempstead. Fireworks returned to Bar Beach (renamed as North Hempstead Beach Park in 2008) on Memorial Day, with the Town of North Hempstead fully sponsoring the event. In late 2007, the Town assumed management of the neighboring beach, Hempstead Harbor, from Nassau County. After beginning renovations to this portion of the beach, the entire property was re-opened in the spring of 2008 as North Hempstead Beach Park.
In addition to the annual Memorial Day fireworks show, the beach is host to "Beachfest", an end of summer festival which is held each September. Beachfest features music, games, food vendors, and attractions for all ages.
Notable people
- Harry B. Anderson, former chairman of Merrill Lynch International
- Alva Belmont (1853â€"1933), socialite and suffragette
- Carlos Beltrán (born 1977), professional baseball player
- Len Berman (born 1947) television sportscaster and morning radio host.
- John Cassavetes (1929â€"1989), actor and film director, graduated from Port Washington High School in 1947
- Perry Como (1912â€"2001), singer
- John Fasano (1961-2014), screenwriter and director
- Howard Gould (1871â€"1959), financier
- Daniel Guggenheim (1856â€"1930), industrialist and philanthropist
- W. Averell Harriman (1896-1991), former Governor of New York
- William Randolph Hearst (1863â€"1951), publisher
- Craig M. Johnson (born 1971), Former New York State senator
- Dave Kerpen (born 1976), serial entrepreneur, NYT best selling author, global keynote speaker
- Kenneth Langone (born 1935), co-founder (financial backer) of The Home Depot
- Edgar F. Luckenbach (1868â€"1943), shipping magnate
- Margaret Marian McPartland (1918-2013), English-born jazz pianist
- Condé Montrose Nast (1873â€"1942), publisher
- Nancy Overton (1926-2009), singer
- Edmund T. Pratt, Jr.(1927-2002), chief executive of Pfizer Inc.
- Felix Sater, real estate developer and former managing director of Bayrock Group LLC
- Anthony Scaramucci (born 1964), founder of SkyBridge Capital and former White House Communications Director to President Donald Trump
- Richard Shindell (born 1960), singer-songwriter
- John Philip Sousa (1854â€"1932), composer
- Sean Spicer (born 1971), 30th White House Press Secretary
- Darryl Strawberry (born 1962) Former MLB player lived in Port Washington
- Jean Swain (1923-2000), singer
- Herbert Bayard Swope (1882â€"1958), editor and journalist
- Burl S. Watson (1893-1975), President and CEO of Cities Service Company
- Jon "Stugotz" Weiner (born 1972), co-host of ESPN Radio's The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
- Burt Young (born 1940), actor best known for appearing in Rocky and its sequels
Demographics
2010 Census
As of the 2010 census, the population was 82.2% White 74.7% Non-Hispanic White, 2.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 4.8% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.4% of the population.
2000 Census
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,215 people, 5,521 households, and 4,168 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,613.7 per square mile (1,395.4/km²). There were 5,662 housing units at an average density of 1,344.8/sq mi (519.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 85.97% White, 2.81% African American, 0.11% Native American, 6.07% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.15% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.20% of the population.
There were 5,521 households, out of which 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, and 24.5% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $105,837 and the median income for a family was $122,646. Males had a median income of $91,024 versus $59,299 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $53,815. About 3.1% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Systemax, Pall, Publishers Clearing House and NPD Group are among the companies based in Port Washington.
Real Estate
Homes in Port Washington vary from $600,000-$1,899,000 while small apartments are available from $20,000-$650,000 depending on many factors. The average residence costs around $895,000 in Port Washington, over the state average of $300,000 and the national average of $180,000. Some more luxury style homes are in nearby Sands Point, which also use the Port Washington school district and Manhasset.
Schools
Elementary schools
- Vincent Smith School (Private)
- John J. Daly Elementary School
- Manorhaven Elementary School
- Guggenheim Elementary School
- South Salem Elementary School
- John Philip Sousa Elementary School
- St. Peter of Alcantara School (private)
Junior high schools
- Vincent Smith School (Private)
- Carrie Palmer Weber Middle School
- St. Peter of Alcantara School (private)
High schools
- Vincent Smith School (Private)
- Paul D. Schreiber High School
Places of worship
Churches
- St Stephen's Episcopal Church (Episcopalian)
- Lutheran Church of Our Savior (Lutheran) â€" ELCA)
- 1st Church of Christ Scientist Port Washington (Christian Science)
- United Methodist Church of Port Washington (Methodist)
- Faith Korean Church of Long Island (Presbyterian)
- Our Lady of Fatima (Roman Catholic)
- St Peter of Alcantara (Roman Catholic)
- Bible Church-Port Washington
- New York Philadelphia Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian)
- Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church (Greek Orthodox)
Synagogues
- Temple Beth Israel (Conservative)
- The Community Synagogue (Reform)
- Port Jewish Center (Reform)
- Chabad of Port Washington (Orthodox)
- Chevrat Tefillah (conservative)
Fire department
The Port Washington Fire Department is a not-for-profit private corporation providing contractual public safety services to the area known as the Port Washington Fire Protection District. The Port Washington Fire Protection District is an 11-square-mile (28Â km2) area on the Northern Peninsula of Nassau County Long Island that includes:
- Incorporated Village of Sands Point
- Incorporated Village of Port Washington North
- Incorporated Village of Manorhaven
- Incorporated Village of Baxter Estates
- Portions of the Incorporated Village of Plandome Manor
- Portions of the Incorporated Village of Flower Hill
- Portions of the Unincorporated areas of the Town of North Hempstead
The Port Washington Fire Department is a volunteer department composed of four companies.
- Ladder Company: Atlantic Hook & Ladder Company #1
- Engine Company: Protection Engine Company #1
- Engine Company: Flower Hill Hose Company #1
- Emergency Medical Service Company: Fire Medic Company #1
Police district
The police district provides police protection for the unincorporated area of Port Washington in the Town of North Hempstead as well as the incorporated villages of Baxter Estates and Port Washington North.
Transportation
Port Washington is the terminus of New York State Route 101, and of the Port Washington Branch of the Long Island Rail Road built at the end of the 19th century at a station of the same name, opening for passengers in 1898. Anticipating growth due to the railroad, the community was renamed from Cow Neck. Shoreline roads connect it to Manhasset and Roslyn, New York. During part of the 1930s, before the opening of New York City's Marine Air Terminal, Port Washington was the New York base of the Yankee Clipper Boeing 314 seaplane.
The N23 bus operated by Nassau Inter-County Express from Manorhaven to either Mineola or Hempstead also serves Port Washington, running along Main Street and Port Washington Boulevard.
Gallery
See also
- Port Washington Play Troupe
References
External links
- Port Washington Website
- Port Washington Community Website
- Port Washington Vikings Varsity Lacrosse Website
- Port Washington Cycling Website
- Port Washington Public Library
- Port Washington Chamber of Commerce
- Port Washington Fire Department
- Port Washington Youth Activities (PYA) Youth Sports Programs
- Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society
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