Garden City, New York

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Garden City, New York
settlement_type = Village
nickname =
motto =

imagesize = 250px
image_caption = Cathedral of the Incarnation located in the Central Section of the Village.


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pushpin_

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


mapsize1 =
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = New York
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Nassau
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 13.8
area_land_km2 = 13.8
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 5.3
area_land_sq_mi = 5.3
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 21672
population_density_km2 = 1567.4
population_density_sq_mi = 4059.5

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 27
elevation_ft = 89
latd = 40 |latm = 43 |lats = 37 |latNS = N
longd = 73 |longm = 38 |longs = 59 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 11500-11599
area_code = 516
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 36-28178
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0950875
website =
footnotes =

Garden City, New York, is a village in central Nassau County, New York, in the USA, which was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869. The village is convert|18.5|mi|km to the east of mid-town Manhattan, on Long Island. Garden City is in central Nassau County in the Town of Hempstead just south of the Town of North Hempstead.

As of the 2000 census, The Incorporated Village of Garden City population was 21,672. The village is an upper middle-class, predominantly white, Catholic and Protestant community. Many families can trace their heritage to Italian and Irish immigrants from New York City.

The Garden City name is also applied to unincorporated areas in the region such as Garden City South, Garden City Park and East Garden City. Roosevelt Field, the current shopping center and former airfield from which Charles Lindbergh took off on his landmark 1927 flight, is located in East Garden City.

History

In 1869, Irish-born, self made multi-millionaire, Alexander Turney Stewart, bought a portion of the relatively unpopulated Hempstead Plains, and founded the Village of Garden City. The village was created as an upscale community for those seeking respite from New York City. The main attraction of the community was the Garden City Hotel, designed by the acclaimed firm of McKim, Mead, and White. Although the original structure as well as the one that replaced it at the end of the 19th century were torn down many years ago, a hotel still stands on the original grounds, as do many nearby Victorian homes.

Stewart's wife Cornelia founded the St. Paul's School for boys, St. Mary's School for girls, a Bishop's Residence and the Gothic Cathedral of the Incarnation, which is today the center of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, as well as the final resting place of Alexander Turney Stewart and Cornelia Stewart. This elaborate memorial was completed in 1885. Mrs. Stewart died the following year. The Cathedral of the Incarnation is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation, which is scheduled for completion by 2012.

The early village did well due to its proximity to Hempstead, at that time the commercial center of Long Island. In time, thanks both to the railroad and automobiles, Garden City's population increased. In 1915, the Village of Garden City merged with the Village of Garden City Estates to its west. It became an incorporated village in 1919. Garden City's growth promoted the development of many nearby towns, including Stewart Manor, Garden City Park, Garden City South and East Garden City.

In the 1920s, the community continued to grow, with houses built in Garden City Estates as well as the Eastern Section of Garden City. This development included the Mott Section, developed by the heirs to the Mott's apple juice fortune, which was spurred by easy access to the now defunct Long Island Motor Parkway, as well as the establishment of the Doubleday publishing group's corporate headquarters. They remained in Garden City until Bertelsmann took over the firm in the mid-1980s. The plant closed in 1988 and has since been converted to offices for Bookspan, a media firm partly owned by Doubleday.

Housing construction slowed after the 1929 stock market crash. But in the 1930s, hundreds of houses were built to accommodate a population boom, though Garden City used a strict zoning code to preserve Stewart's vision. Alone in central Nassau, the village retained a sense of orderly development, true to its rigorously planned roots. Mitchel Air Force Base, located on the far east side of Garden City, served as a United States Air Force Base from 1918 through 1961. Today, the military still retains a limited physical presence there, with the rest of the base occupied by housing, Hofstra University, Nassau Community College, the Long Island Children's Museum, the Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center, a Sony IMAX theater and the Cradle of Aviation Museum.

After World War II, following a trend of urban flightwhat, Garden City continued to grow. Post War construction filled out the present borders of Garden City with many split and ranch style homes, with construction occurring in the far eastern, northern and western sections of the town. The Waldorf School of Garden City was founded in 1947 (one of the first Waldorf Schools in the United States), originally as a part of Adelphi University. The village's public high school was also constructed during this time.

In the 1970s, the old Garden City Hotel declared bankruptcy, and subsequently closed. The hotel was later demolished, and Garden City lost one of its grandest and most historical landmarks. A new Garden City Hotel was constructed on the previous site of the old Garden City Hotel.

In 1989s, the St. Paul's School also closed and in 1993 was purchased by the Village of Garden City. Recently, the Village voted to designate St. Paul's and its property as "park land." Although still a controversial topic in Village politics. St. Mary's School, the sister school of St. Paul's was demolished in 2002. Since then, six large single family houses have been built on the property.

In the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, the village's downtown areas (Seventh Street, New Hyde Park Road and Franklin Avenue) benefited from a renewal campaign and new construction. Many upscale department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's and A&S have moved from Franklin Avenue to the Roosevelt Field Mall. Lord and Taylor has a large freestanding location that opened in 1956 on Franklin Avenue, which is still there today. Sears now occupies the building that was once home to Bloomingdale's. Several luxury restaurants have also opened in recent years along this avenue.

Garden City's Role in the History of Aviation

see also|Cradle of Aviation Museum, Mitchel Air Force Base, Charles Lindbergh, Garden City Hotel, St. Paul's School (Garden City, New York).In 1927, Charles Lindbergh departed on his famous solo transatlantic flight from Roosevelt Field in East Garden City. Today, Roosevelt Field is one of the largest shopping malls in the world. In 1929 Adelphi College, later upgraded to university, moved from Brooklyn to its present 76 acre campus in Garden City, becoming the first four-year college in Nassau or Suffolk counties.

Commuter Information

There are five Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train stations in the town that service Manhattan, Brooklyn and Long Island City. The stops on the LIRR Hempstead line are (moving eastward) Stewart Manor, Nassau Boulevard, Garden City and Country Life Press. There are additional stops on the LIRR Port Jefferson Branch at Merillon Avenue and just over the Garden City border at New Hyde Park and Mineola. Travel time to Manhattan ranges from 30 to 54 minutes, depending on the branch used.

Schools

There are seven schools in the Garden City School District: three primary schools (Hemlock School, Homestead School and Locust School), two elementary schools (Stewart School and Stratford School),the Garden City Middle School (grades 6-8), and finally, the Garden City High School (grades 9-12). The primary schools function as a single unit, with three campuses spread across the village.

One independent school, the Waldorf School of Garden City (grades n-12), and two (2) Roman Catholic elementary schools (n-8), St. Joseph School and St. Anne's School are located in Garden City.

Geography

Garden City is located at coor dms|40|43|37|N|73|38|59|W|city (40.726885, -73.649720).GR|1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 13.8 km² (5.3 sq mi), all land.

Garden City is located in central Nassau County, New York.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2006, there were 21,811 people. The population density was 1,567.0/km² (4,059.5/sq mi). There were 7,555 housing units at an average density of 546.3/km² (1,415.2/sq mi). The racial makeup of the village was 94.2% White, 1.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 3.30% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.4% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8% of the population.

There were 7,386 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.8% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.7% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the village the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 20 to 24, 7.2% from 25 to 34, 42.6% over 45, 21.6% over 60 and 1.9% who were over the age of 85. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $104,176, and the median income for a family was $120,305. The per capita income for the village was $53,196. The average earnings for a full time year round male is $93,144 and for a full time year around female the average earning is $49,954. About 104 families and 476 individuals below the poverty line poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

Notable landmarks

*Cathedral of the Incarnation
*St. Paul's School

*Adelphi University
*Apostle Houses

Notable Current and Former Residents

* Dave Debusschere, NBA Hall of Famer
* Nelson DeMille, Author
* John Gibson, Journalist
* Kemp Hannon, New York State Senator
* Susan Lucci, Actress
* Curtis Martin, New York Jet
* Bill Moyers, journalist
* Telly Savalas, Actor
* John Tesh, Musician, news anchor
* Zigmund Palffy, 4-time NHL All-Star
* Mark Parrish, NHL All-Star
* Jason Blake, NHL All-Star
* Danny Masterson, Actor
* Christopher Masterson, Actor
* Elliott Murphy, singer-songwriter
* Richard Migliore, Horse Jockey
*Kent Desormeux, Jockey of Big Brown
* Leslie Segrete, Trading Spaces carpenter, designer

Community
* [http://www.gardencityny.net/ Garden City Village Homepage]
* [http://www.gardencitychamber.org/ Garden City Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.gcnews.com/ The Garden City News Online]
* [http://www.antonnews.com/gardencitylife/ Garden City Life Online]
* [http://www.gardencityhistoricalsociety.org/ Garden City Historical Society]
* [http://www.thegardencitywelcomingclub.org/ The Welcoming Club of Garden City] Education
* [http://www.adelphi.edu/ Adelphi University]

Area maps

References