Amityville, New York

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Amityville, New York
settlement_type = Village
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
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pushpin_label_position =
pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of New York
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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = U.S. Census Map
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New York
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Suffolk
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 6.4
area_land_km2 = 5.4
area_water_km2 = 1.0
area_total_sq_mi = 2.5
area_land_sq_mi = 2.1
area_water_sq_mi = 0.4

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 9441
population_density_km2 = 1740.7
population_density_sq_mi = 4508.4

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 6
elevation_ft = 20
latd = 40 |latm = 40 |lats = 18 |latNS = N
longd = 73 |longm = 24 |longs = 54 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 11701, 11708
area_code = 631
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 36-02044
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0942440
website = [http://www.amityville.com/ www.amityville.com]
footnotes =

Amityville is an upscale village in the town of Babylon in Suffolk County, New York, in the United States.

The population was 9,441 at the 2000 census.

History

Huntington settlers first visited the Amityville area in 1653 as a source of salt hay. Chief Wyandanch granted the first deed to land in Amityville in 1658. [ [http://www.amityvillehistoricalsociety.org/Hist.Chronological.htm amityvillehistoricalsociety.org] ]

The area was originally called "Huntington West Neck South" (it is on the Great South Bay and Suffolk County, New York border in the southwest corner of what once called Huntington South but is now the Town of Baylon. According to village lore, the name was changed in 1846 when residents met to find a better name for its new post office. The meeting turned into bedlam and one participant was to exclaim, ``What this meeting needs is some amity." Another version says the name was first suggested by mill owner Samuel Ireland to name the town for his boat the "Amity". [ [http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-historytown-hist0043,0,3181838.story Amityville: Al Capone Was in the Lineup - Newsday - Retrieved November 7, 2007] ]

The place name is strictly speaking an incident name, marking an amicable agreement on the choice of a place name [Room A. "Placenames of the world: origins and meanings", p. 6]

The village was formally incorporated on March 3rd, 1894.

In the early 1900s Amityville was a popular tourist destination with large hotels on the bay and large homes.

Annie Oakley was said to be a frequent guest of vaudevillian Fred Stone. Will Rogers had a home across Clocks Boulevard from Stone. Gangster Al Capone also had a house in the community.

"The Amityville Horror"

Amityville is best known as the setting of the novel "The Amityville Horror" by Jay Anson which was published in 1977, and has been turned into a series of films made between 1979 and 2005. The story of "The Amityville Horror" can be traced back to a real life murder case in Amityville in November 1974, when Ronald DeFeo, Jr. shot dead six members of his family at 112 Ocean Avenue. In December 1975 George and Kathy Lutz and their three children moved into 112 Ocean Avenue but left after twenty-eight days, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomena produced by the house. Jay Anson's novel is said to be based on these events but has been the subject of much controversy. The house featured in the novel and its film versions still exists, but has been renovated and the address changed in order to discourage tourists from visiting it.

Amityville High School

Hip-Hop group De La Soul also got their start here, as students of Amityville High School, and released their debut LP 3 Feet High and Rising soon after (1989). Most were still high school students when their first album was released. Also hailing from Amityville, is Taking Back Sunday founder, Eddie Reyes.Amityville is also the home of legendary high school football coach Lou Howard. In the 1950s and 1960s, Howard's Amityville teams were nearly unbeatable.

Amityville is also the home of the Amityville Warriors Basketball team. The warriors won the New York state championship four years in a row from 1999 to 2003. The warriors also made the trip in 2004 attempting to make US history as the first team to win 5 state titles in a row, but lost to the would be champions, Jamesville- Dewitt. The roster included, AJ Price, Mark Johnson, Craig Stewart, PJ Smith, Courtney Cooke, Mat Devot, Sam Duncan, Keith Burgess, Ray Jones, Darrell Young, Brian Clinton, and Gamble Dickerson. Notable Warriors, NBA player Mike James, Shelton Jones, Jason Fraser, and current UCONN starting point guard AJ Price

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 9,441 people, 3,434 households, and 2,266 families residing in the village. The population density is 1,744.1/km² (4,508.4/sq mi). There are 3,577 housing units at an average density of 660.8 persons/km² (1,708.1 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the village is 84.34% White, 8.54% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 3.32% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. 9.18% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 3,434 households out of which 27.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% are married couples living together, 10.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 34.0% are non-families. 27.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.57 and the average family size is 3.15.

In the village the population is spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 18 years. For every 100 females there are 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village is $61,885, and the median income for a family is $72,632. Males have a median income of $52,011 versus $35,055 for females. The per capita income for the village is $27,750. 7.5% of the population and 5.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 9.1% are under the age of 18 and 8.7% are 65 or older.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.4 km²), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it is water. The total area is 15.38% water.

Points Of interest

*The Triangle - The fork of Broadway and Park Avenue, along with Ireland Place create a triangular plot of land at the center of the village. The Triangle building was built in 1892, the same year that Ireland Place opened. A Gazebo was added to the north point of The Triangle in 1988. In 1994, The Triangle was officially designated “Memorial Triangle” in memory of all who have served the village. [ [http://www.amityvillehistoricalsociety.org/Hist.Chronological.htm The Chronological History of Amityville ] ]
* The Lauder Museum is located at the corner of Broadway and Ireland Place, just south of The Triangle. The historic building was built for the Bank of Amityville in 1909. The Amityville Historical Society opened the Lauder Museum in 1972. [ [http://www.amityvillehistoricalsociety.org/Hist.Chronological.htm The Chronological History of Amityville ] ]
* [http://www.nycsail.com Narrasketuck Yacht Club] is located at 15 Berger Avenue in Amityville. The club has a tradition of teaching adults and children to sail. Fleets actively racing include the Narrasketuck, O'Day Mariner, Lightning, El Toro, Blue Jay, 420, and Opti. New members are welcome. 2008 is the club's 75th anniversary. [ [http://www.nycsail.com Narrasketuck Yacht Club] ]
*112 Ocean Avenue, location of the "The Amityville Horror" house.
*The Mike James Courts at Bolden Mack Park.

Notable residents

*Henry Austin
*Benjamin Britten - world renowned British classical composer from 1939-1942.
*Tony Graffanino - MLB Player
*Mike James - NBA Player
*Kevin Kregel - Astronaut
*Donnie McClurkin - Gospel Singer
*Robert Phillips - classical guitarist
*George Ross
*Eddie Reyes - Founder of Taking Back Sunday
*Ronald DeFeo, Jr. - Convicted mass-murderer
*George Lutz- Former owner of 112 Ocean Avenue from 1975-1976

References

External links

* [http://www.amityville.com/ Official website]