Nassau County
- For other places with the same name, see Nassau County (disambiguation).
Nassau County is in New York state, USA.
Regions
- North Shore. Often called the "Gold Coast" for its proliferation of early twentieth-century mansions, the North Shore is known for its hilly roads and rocky beaches.
- Nassau Hub. This region near the center of the county is a busy shopping district with multiple points of interest. It occupies the site of two historic former airfields: Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field.
- South Shore. The South Shore of the County is flat and is known for its sandy ocean beaches.
Long Island Sound separates the North Shore of Nassau County from Connecticut, while the South Shore borders the Atlantic Ocean
Cities
- Albertson
- Bellmore
- Bethpage
- Farmingdale
- The Five Towns
- Floral Park
- Freeport
- Garden City
- Glen Cove
- Hempstead
- Hicksville
- Long Beach
- Lynbrook
- Malverne
- Manhasset
- Massapequa
- Merrick
- Melville
- Mineola
- Oceanside
- Plainview
- Port Washington
- Rockville Centre
- Valley Stream
- Wantagh
- West Hempstead
Other destinations
Understand
Nassau County is the second largest county by square mile on Long Island (Suffolk being the largest by far). It is sandwiched between Suffolk County and Queens County. The County Seat is in Mineola. Nassau County also has several beaches, including Jones Beach and Long Beach. You can also visit the downtown areas of each village. There are typically many shops and sometimes even restaurants in those areas.
Talk
English is the main language. Hempstead, Uniondale, New Cassel, Westbury and Freeport have large Spanish-speaking populations.
Get in
Take the Long Island Rail Road, Nassau Inter County Express (formerly Long Island Bus) [1], or drive in via the Long Island Expressway, Northern State Parkway, Southern State Parkway, or Sunrise Highway.
Get around
Getting around is very easy by car, especially with the presence of the Long Island Expressway (commonly referred to as the LIE in the area) and several other parkways.
See
North Shore
- 1 Cedarmere, 225 Bryant Avenue, Roslyn Harbor, New York. Estate and home of poet and journalist William Cullen Bryant, located right on Hempstead Harbor. Now a county park.
- 2 C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, NY 11548. A university built on the former estate of C. W. Post of breakfast cereal fame
- 3 Nassau County Museum of Art, One Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor, New York 11576. Located in the mansion of Congressman and magazine editor Lloyd Stephens Bryce
- 4 Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, Nassau County, New York. Former 1906 home and estate of steel magnate John Shaffer Phipps
- 5 Planting Fields Arboretum (http://www.plantingfields.org/), 1395 Planting Fields Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771. The estate and home of industrialist William Robertson Coe, now a State Historic Park. The mansion, completed in 1921 and constructed in the style of an English castle, has been restored to its early twentieth century appearance and is open to the public.
- 6 Sagamore Hill, 20 Sagamore Hill Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771. The home of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, now a National Historic Site
- 7 , 298 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove, NY 11542. Small college specializing in marine engineering. Its grounds are the former home of industrialist Herbert L. Pratt, known as "The Braes", and its main building is Pratt's 1914 mansion.
- 8 Welwyn Preserve, 100 Crescent Beach Road, Glen Cove, NY 11542. Estate and home of industrialist Harold I. Pratt, now a county park with woodland trails and a beach. The mansion itself is now the Nassau County Holocaust Museum.
Nassau Hub
- 9 Cradle of Aviation Museum, Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Garden City, NY 11530. Museum devoted to the history of aviation on Long Island
- 10 Eisenhower Park, 1899 Hempstead Turnpike, East Meadow, NY 11554. Long Island's central park; at 930 acres it's larger even than Manhattan's Central Park. Besides the normal park amenities, it also includes an ice rink, an aquatic center built for the 1998 International Goodwill Games, and three 18-hole golf courses.
- 11 Hofstra University, Charles Lindbergh Blvd, Garden City, NY 11530. 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
- 12 Mitchel Athletic Complex, 1 Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, Uniondale, NY 11553, ☏ +1 516 742-8000. 49-acre athletic complex used for local sports
- 13 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale, New York 11553. Former home of the New York Islanders; currently under renovation
- 14 Old Nassau County Courthouse, 1550 Franklin Avenue, Garden City, NY. Completed in 1901, now the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building
- 15 Roosevelt Field Mall, 630 Old Country Road, Garden City, NY 11530, ☏ +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 have numerous shopping centers and a smaller mall, 'The Source Mall'.
South Shore
- 16 Jones Beach State Park. 6.5 miles/10.5km of white sand beach along the Atlantic Ocean, and another beach along calm Zachs Bay.
- Long Beach Boardwalk.
- 17 Old Bethpage Village Restoration, 1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage, NY 11804. A restored mid-19th-century Long Island farming village
Do
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- Freeport Water Taxi. Summers, the water taxi connecting Freeport's Nautical Mile to Point Lookout is worth doing just for the ride. $20 adult fare, $10 for kids under 10, bar on board. They also operate a sunset cruise.
Eat
The Nautical Mile along Woodcleft Avenue in Freeport features several dozen bars and restaurants.
All American Hamburger Drive-In in Massapequa is a vintage, 1950's-style burger joint.
- Five Guys Burgers & Fries, 3497 Hempstead Tpke, Levittown, NY 11756, ☏ +1 516 796-1237. Great burgers, fries and sandwiches. Also located in Long Beach.
- Spasso's Pizzeria, 1159 Wantagh Ave, North Wantagh, NY 11793, ☏ +1 516 785-8560. 11:00-10:00, Open 7 Days/week. Considered the best pizza in Wantagh, Spasso's has over 15 different "specialty" pizzas and great authentic Italian food.
- My Hero, 1005 Jerusalem Ave, North Merrick, NY 11566, ☏ +1 516 785-9226. Some would argue that they have the best sandwiches and heroes on Long Island, My Hero has been here for years and is extremely popular. It is advised to call ahead as there is always a line.
Drink
Stay safe
Nassau County is in general a safe place to visit. As anywhere, just use basic common sense; this is the average suburban county. Crimes, if any, usually occur in Hempstead, Freeport, Roosevelt, Uniondale, New Cassel/Westbury and Elmont. The Island Trees/Plainedge area of Levittown has seen an increase in crime lately, as well as the western part of Hicksville south of Cantiague Park. Gang violence is rampant in New Cassel, Hempstead, Uniondale, Roosevelt and Freeport. The only safe areas of Hempstead are west of Cathedral Ave, north of Hempstead Tpke and east of Westbury Rd, north of Hempstead Tpke. Uniondale and Roosevelt are safe in the daylight, but be extra careful at night. New Cassel is relatively safe during the day but very dangerous at night. Freeport south of Sunrise Hwy is very safe.