Garden City
Garden City is a large area in the heart of Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, consisting of the Village of Garden City (the area's anchor community), the Village of Stewart Manor, and three hamlets: East Garden City, Garden City Park (also associated with the New Hyde Park and Mineola areas), and Garden City South.
Understand
The Garden City area is known as the "Nassau Hub" due to its central location and concentration of shopping, athletic, and cultural activities. Much of the development is in the hamlet of East Garden City (just outside of the Village of Garden City, within the Uniondale CDP), formerly the site of historic airfields, such as Mitchel Field (also known as Mitchel Air Force Base) and Roosevelt Field. The Village of Garden City holds the main government buildings for Nassau County – although due to a historical anomaly, neighboring Mineola is the county seat.
The development of the Village of Garden City and much of the surrounding area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was largely thanks to the innovative and creative thinking of a wealthy businessman named Alexander Turney Stewart, who built the railway line serving the area (the Hempstead Branch, then the Central Railroad of Long Island) and creating the massive, gorgeous planned community of Garden City.
Considered such a prime, important area, the name of the old hamlet of Plattsdale was changed to Garden City Park around same time as the latter's development – despite also being closely associated with New Hyde Park. Former Nassau County Historian, Richard Winsche, said so.
Get in
By train
There are five Long Island Rail Road stations in the Garden City area:
- Country Life Press. Part of the Hempstead Branch. Located in a residential area in southeastern Garden City near Hempstead.
- Garden City. Part of the Hempstead Branch. Located in central Garden City. Within walking distance of the Garden City Hotel, the Garden City Public Library, and the shops and restaurants on 7th Street and Franklin Avenue.
- Merillon Avenue. Part of the "Main Line" (Port Jefferson, Oyster Bay, and Ronkonkoma Branches), in a mostly residential area in the northwest corner of Garden City, on its border with Garden City Park.
- Nassau Boulevard. Part of the Hempstead Branch, in a residential area in the southwest corner of Garden City. Adelphi University is within walking distance.
- Stewart Manor. Part of the Hempstead Branch, in a residential area on the border of the Villages of Garden City and Stewart Manor.
By car
Garden City is easily accessible by car.
Parking on the streets between 2AM and 6AM within the Village of Garden City is prohibited. Offending cars are ticketed by the Village of Garden City Police Department. Exceptions to this rule are sometimes granted by request made in person at the Garden City Police Department, located at 349 Stewart Avenue.
Get around
By train
The Hempstead Branch of the Long Island Railroad is the easiest way to get around Garden City by train. Four of Garden City's five Long Island Railroad stations are on the Hempstead Branch. The stations are, from west to east: Stewart Manor, Nassau Boulevard, Garden City, and Country Life Press.
By car
Garden City is easily navigable by car, and the Meadowbrook State Parkway passes through East Garden City.
In the Village of Garden City, the Village speed limit is 30 miles per hour.
See
- 1 Adelphi University, 1 South Ave, Garden City. A private university in the Village of Garden City.
- 2 Cradle of Aviation Museum, Charles Lindbergh Blvd, East Garden City, ☏ +1 516-572-4111. Tu-Su 9:30AM-5PM, and Mondays that fall on holidays and school breaks. Museum devoted to the history of aviation on Long Island. Adult $14, child/senior $12; planetarium shows & dome theater shows: adult $8, child/senior $7; museum and show combo: adult $19, child/senior $17.
- 3 Hofstra University, Charles Lindbergh Blvd, East Garden City & Hempstead. A private university known for holding several presidential general election debates. The campus, formerly the estate of entrepreneur William S. Hofstra, is maintained as an arboretum
- 4 Mitchel Athletic Complex, 1 Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, East Garden City, ☏ +1 516 742-8000. 49-acre athletic complex used for local sports.
- 5 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, East Garden City. Former home of the New York Islanders, which was reopened in 2017 after renovations.
- 6 Old Nassau County Courthouse, 1550 Franklin Avenue, Garden City. Completed in 1901, now the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building.
- 7 Roosevelt Field Mall, 630 Old Country Road, East Garden City, ☏ +1 516 742-8000. Ask any Long Islander and they will tell you that one of the best shopping areas in Nassau County is Roosevelt Field Mall and the numerous outlets surrounding it. The areas of Garden City, East Meadow, and Carle Place all have numerous shopping centers and two smaller malls: Samanea New York and the Gallery at Westbury Plaza.
Do
Buy
- 1 Roosevelt Field Mall, 630 Old Country Road, East Garden City, ☏ +1 516 742-8000. One of the largest shopping malls in the entire region. Contains many big-name stores, such as Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom's, J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus, etc.
Eat
- Asian Moon. 825 Franklin Avenue. Asian cuisine.
- B.K. Sweeney's Uptown Grille. 636 Franklin Avenue. Pub food and bar.
- Grimaldi's Garden City. 980 Franklin Avenue. Coal-brick oven pizzeria.
- Leo's Restaurant and Bar. 190 7th Street. Pub food and bar.
- Novitá. 860 Franklin Avenue. Italian trattoria and wine bar.
- Orchid. 730 Franklin Avenue. Upscale Chinese cuisine.
- Plancha. 931 Franklin Avenue. Tapas and wine bar.
- Polo Steakhouse[dead link]. 126 7th Street. Upscale steakhouse located inside the Garden City Hotel.
- Revel Restaurant & Bar. 835 Franklin Avenue. American bistro.
- Rustica Brick Oven Cafe. 1 Nassau Boulevard. Italian restaurant.
- Seventh Street Cafe. 126 7th Street. Italian-American cafe.
- Sushi Ya. 949 Franklin Avenue. Japanese cuisine.
- The Burger Spot[dead link]. 150 7th Street. Casual burger restaurant with outdoor seating.
- Walk Street Restaurant. 176 7th Street. American bistro.
- Waterzooi Belgian Bistro & Oyster Bar [formerly dead link] . 850 Franklin Avenue. Belgian bistro featuring oysters, mussel pots, and beers.
Drink
Sleep
There are many great hotels available in the area. Some of those hotels include:
- 1 The Garden City Hotel, 45 7th St, Garden City, ☏ +1 877 549-0400. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. A luxurious, famous hotel in the heart of the Village of Garden City. Charles Lindbergh even stayed here before his historic transatlantic flight!
- 2 Hilton Garden Inn Westbury, 1575 Privado Rd, East Garden City, ☏ +1 516 683-8200. A great hotel down the block from the Samanea New York Mall (formerly known as the Mall at the Source).
- 3 Hyatt Place Garden City, 5 North Ave, East Garden City, ☏ +1 516 222-6277. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon.
- 4 Red Roof Plus Long Island - Garden City, 699 Dibblee Dr, East Garden City, ☏ +1 516 794-2555. An economy hotel down the road from Roosevelt Field.
- 5 Residence Inn by Marriott Long Island Garden City, 700 Garden City Plaza, Garden City, ☏ +1 516 742-2500. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Across the street from Roosevelt Field.
Connect
Stay safe
The Village of Garden City is a very safe community to visit – both during the day and at night. The same can be said about the hamlet of Garden City South.
A little more caution, however, should be exercised in East Garden City, especially at night. While by not a dangerous place, much of the area is very industrial and commercial, and they may seem sketchy to someone unfamiliar with the area. Pockets of East Garden City see a little more crime than the rest of the area. Follow your instinct. The "Museum Row" area, Roosevelt Field, the Mitchel Athletic Complex, the Nassau Coliseum, Nassau Community College, and Hofstra University are very safe; the colleges are patrolled 24/7 by on-site public safety departments, and Roosevelt Field is constantly patrolled by mall security.
You may encounter homeless people in East Garden City. They are mostly harmless, middle-aged people and they should not cause you any issues. Most of the time, you will encounter them along the median or the sidewalks of roads like Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Early Ovington Boulevard, and Hempstead Turnpike; should you encounter any homeless people in East Garden City, you will likely see them holding signs which explain their situation and respectfully ask for food or some spare change.
Police departments
The Village of Stewart Manor and the hamlets of East Garden City, Garden City Park, and Garden City South are all patrolled regularly by the Nassau County Police Department, while the Village of Garden City has its own police department, which regularly patrols the village.
Go next
| Routes through Garden City |
| Merges with Main Line ← Floral Park ← | W  E |
→ Hempstead → END |
| Manhattan ← Floral Park ← | W  E |
→ Mineola → Hicksville |