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Village in New York, US

Not to be confused with Lawrence, St. Lawrence County, New York.

 

Village in New York, United States

Lawrence, New York

Location within the state of New York

Show map of New York

Lawrence, New York
Village
Incorporated Village of Lawrence
Lawrence Village Hall in 2022
Location in Nassau County and the state of New York
Lawrence, New York Location on Long Island Show map of Long Island

Coordinates: 40°36′34″N 73°43′36″W / 40.60944°N 73.72667°W / 40.60944; -73.72667Country United StatesState New YorkCountyNassauTownHempsteadIncorporated1897^[1]Named afterThe Lawrence BrothersGovernment

 • MayorSamuel "Shlomo" NahmiasArea

4.64 sq mi (12.01 km²) • Land3.72 sq mi (9.63 km²) • Water0.92 sq mi (2.39 km²)Elevation

20 ft (6 m)Population

6,809 • Density1,831.6/sq mi (707.17/km²)Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)ZIP code

Area codes516, 363FIPS code36-41553GNIS feature ID0955101Websitewww.villageoflawrence.org

Lawrence is a village within the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in the U.S. state of New York. It is located adjacent to the border with the New York City borough of Queens to the west and is near the Reynolds Channel to the south. The population was 6,809 at the time of the 2020 census.

Lawrence is one of the "Five Towns," which consist of the villages of Lawrence and Cedarhurst, the hamlets (unincorporated areas) of Woodmere and Inwood, and "The Hewletts", which is made up of the hamlet of Hewlett together with the villages of Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor and Hewlett Neck, along with Woodsburgh.^[3]

Old Lawrence, or Back Lawrence, is a part of the village, comprising many large homes, mansions, beach side villas and former plantations with very large property, a few dating back to the time of the American Revolution. This area, like Hewlett is unique because its rural affluence is similar in character to the more well known Gold Coast of the North Shore instead of being more urbanized like the rest of the South Shore of Nassau County. One of the area's oldest structures, Rock Hall – once home to two prominent families, the Martins and Hewletts – was constructed during colonial times and is now an active museum.^[4]

Beginning in 1869, a railroad line was completed which originated in New York City and ran through the part of Long Island now called The Five Towns. Part of the land in that area was acquired by three brothers with the surname "Lawrence," which is who the Village was eventually named after. During the second half of the 19th century, it was a main vacation spot for the wealthy families until the 1890s. A series of hurricanes and nor'easters altered the coastline considerably and destroyed a large beachfront hotel. Lawrence could no longer boast direct access to the sands along the Atlantic Ocean. At the same time, Lawrence began to become a suburb, a village with schools, public facilities, better roads and a large town area that expanded into what it is now today.^[4]

In 1897, Lawrence incorporated as a village.^[4] This enabled it to gain local control of zoning and govern itself through municipal home rule.^[4]

Lawrence, or most notably Old Lawrence, was formerly home to a large upper class of White Anglo-Saxon Protestant families who lived there since the time of the American Revolution. From the 1940s to 1980s, it became a center of Reform and Conservative Jewish life that included the largest Reform synagogue on Long Island (Temple Israel). Many noteworthy residents grew up in Lawrence during this period.

In the late 1980s, Lawrence saw a large migration of Modern Orthodox Jews. The Orthodox Jewish communities are close to the more Haredi nearby center of Far Rockaway which has more yeshivas for the children and younger members as well as a variety of kosher restaurants and communal organizations. Central Avenue in Lawrence (and its continuation in Cedarhurst) has a large and growing number of kosher restaurants and other business catering to the Orthodox community.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12 km²), of which 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), or 17.91%, is water.

As of the 2000 United States census,^[6] there were 6,522 people, 2,113 households, and 1,629 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,694.6 inhabitants per square mile (654.3/km²). There were 2,287 housing units at an average density of 594.2 per square mile (229.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.2% White, 1.1% African American, <0.1% Native American, 1.7% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.0% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population.

There were 2,113 households, out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.7% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.62.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 32.6% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $104,845, and the median income for a family was $129,779. Males had a median income of $99,841 versus $41,094 for females. The per capita income for the village was $51,602. About 4.3% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.^[7]

The Village of Lawrence is governed by an elected mayor and board of trustees.^[8][9][10] The Village of Lawrence Board of Trustees consists of a Mayor, a Deputy Mayor, and four Village Trustees (including the Deputy Mayor) – all of whom have term limits.^[10] The mayor may only serve three 2-year terms, and trustees are limited to four 2-year terms.^[10]

As of September 2025, the Mayor of Lawrence is Samuel "Shlomo" Nahmias, the Deputy Mayor is Aaron Felder, and the Village Trustees are Aaron Felder, Steven C. Gottesman, Aaron M. Parnes, and Tammy M. Roz.^[8][9]

In the 2024 United States presidential election, the majority of Lawrence voters voted for Donald Trump (R).^[11][12]

The Lawrence Union Free School District includes all of Lawrence.^[13] It serves the communities of Atlantic Beach, Cedarhurst, Inwood, and Lawrence – along with sections of North Woodmere, Woodmere, and Woodsburgh.^[14]

The Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway is a K-12 Modern Orthodox school where students study Jewish and secular subjects in a dual curriculum. The Pre-School, Kindergarten and Elementary schools are located on one campus on Frost Lane and Washington Avenue. The Brandeis School is a conservative Jewish Day School located in Lawrence.

Mesivta Ateres Yaakov is a yeshiva located in Lawrence. Rambam Mesivta, located on Frost Lane, is for grades 9–12 where students learn a dual curriculum of Jewish and secular studies. Lawrence is also home to the Shor Yoshuv Institute, a Rabbinical College with several hundred students.

The Lawrence and Inwood stations provides Long Island Rail Road service on the Far Rockaway Branch to New York Penn Station and Grand Central Madison in Midtown Manhattan and Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, with connections at Jamaica to other parts of Long Island.^[15]

The n31, n31x, n32 buses of Nassau Inter-County Express run along Central Avenue extending southwest into Far Rockaway (with a connection to the A train of the New York City Subway at Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue) and northeast to the Hempstead Transit Center in central Nassau County with connections to other parts of Long Island.^[15]

Lawrence is connected to Atlantic Beach to the south, across Reynolds Channel, via the Atlantic Beach Bridge.^[15]

The Nassau County Police Department provides police services in Lawrence and most of Nassau County. Lawrence is part of the force's Fourth Precinct.^[15][16]

Lawrence is served by the EMS group named Hatzalah of Rockaway Lawrence.

Lawrence is served by the Lawrence–Cedarhurst Fire Department.^[15] The LCFD consists of 85 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians^[17] and provides fire protection to the villages of Lawrence and Cedarhurst, as well as the North Lawrence Fire District and East Lawrence Fire District. The LCFD also responds to alarms such as car accidents and aided cases on the Atlantic Beach Bridge.^[15]

Notable current and former residents of Lawrence include:

• Ben Ashkenazy (born 1969), real estate developer^[18]
• Louis Auchincloss (1917–2010), lawyer, novelist, historian and essayist^[19]
• J. Stewart Baker (1893–1966), banker who served as the first president of Chase Manhattan Bank^[20]
• Stuart Beck (1946-2016), lawyer and diplomat for Palau who helped negotiate the Compact of Free Association, which established Palau as an independent nation in free association with the United States in 1994^[21]
• Avi Berkowitz (born 1988), Special Assistant to Jared Kushner and President Donald Trump, who participated in the formation of the Abraham Accords^[22]
• Bruce Blakeman (born 1955), First Presiding Officer of the Nassau County Legislature; Nassau County Executive^{[citation needed]}
• Benjamin Brafman (born 1948), criminal defense attorney^[23]
• Beatrice Burstein (1915-2001), first female New York State Supreme Court Justice on Long Island^{[citation needed]}
• John Burstein (born 1950), children's television personality who created the character Slim Goodbody^[24]
• Karen Burstein (born 1942), politician and former judge who was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for New York State Attorney General in 1994^[25]
• Michael Cohen (born 1966), personal attorney for Donald Trump, was raised in Lawrence^[26]
• William Denson (1913-1998), military prosecutor and former Mayor of Lawrence^[27]
• Marc Stuart Dreier (born 1950), lawyer convicted for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme^[28]
• Bill Etra (1947-2016), live video pioneer and the co-inventor (with Steve Rutt) of the Rutt/Etra Video Synthesizer^[29]
• Rockie Gardiner (1938-2008), psychic, was raised in Lawrence^[30]
• Karen Friedman Hill (born 1946), whose life with mobster Henry Hill was chronicled in the 1990 film Goodfellas^[31]
• Jacob H. Horwitz, (1892-1992), businessman, philanthropist and a fashion innovator who was one of the first to specialize in junior miss and teenage clothing^[32]
• Donna Karan (born 1948), fashion designer^[33]
• Arthur Kopit (1937–2021), playwright, best known for Wings, Nine and Oh Dad, Poor Dad^[34]
• Arthur L. Liman (1932-1997), lawyer and chief counsel for the Senate Iran-Contra hearings^[35]
• Peggy Lipton (1946-2019), actress best known for her roles in The Mod Squad and Twin Peaks^[36]
• Steve Madden (born 1958), shoe designer^[37]
• Nancy McCartney, third wife of Beatle Sir Paul McCartney lived in Lawrence with her first husband Bruce Blakeman^{[citation needed]}
• Alana Newhouse (born 1976), editor of Tablet Magazine^[38]
• Aaron Russo (1943–2007), entertainment businessman, film producer, director and political activist^[39]
• Israel Singer (born 1942), rabbi and professor who has held leadership posts in several international Jewish organizations^[40]
• Maxine Stuart (1918-2013), actress^[41]
• Spencer Suderman (born 1966), airshow pilot and Guinness World Record holder^[42]
• Lil Tecca (born 2002), hip hop and rap artist^[43]
• Bradley Tusk (born 1973), founder of Tusk Strategies, a political and strategic consulting firm based in New York City^[44]
• Rob Weiss, director/producer of Amongst Friends and Entourage^[45]
• Leslie West (1945-2020), of the hard rock group Mountain^[46]

• List of municipalities in New York

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lawrence, Nassau County, New York.

• Official website
• Lawrence Public Schools
• Lawrence: Always a Bastion of Quiet Elegance

 

Place in New York, United States

Hempstead, New York

Location within the state of New York

Show map of New York

Hempstead
Village Town Seat of Hempstead
Incorporated Village of Hempstead[1][2]
Hempstead in 2019, as seen from the air.
Seal
Location in Nassau County and the state of New York.
Hempstead, New York Location on Long Island Show map of Long Island

Coordinates: 40°42′17″N 73°37′2″W / 40.70472°N 73.61722°W / 40.70472; -73.61722Country United StatesState New YorkRegionLong IslandCountyNassauTownHempsteadSettled1643Incorporated1853Named afterHeemstede, Netherlands
Hemel Hempstead, UKGovernment

 • MayorWaylyn Hobbs, Jr. (D)^[3] • Deputy MayorJeffery DanielsArea

3.69 sq mi (9.57 km²) • Land3.69 sq mi (9.56 km²) • Water0.0039 sq mi (0.01 km²)Population

59,169 • Density16,032/sq mi (6,189.9/km²)Time zoneUTC-5 (EST) • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)Zip Code

Area codes516, 363FIPS code36-33139GNIS feature ID0952574Websitevillageofhempstead.org

New Netherland series
Exploration
Fortifications:
Fort Amsterdam Fort Nassau (North) Fort Orange Fort Nassau (South) Fort Goede Hoop De Wal Fort Casimir Fort Altena Fort Wilhelmus Fort Beversreede Fort Nya Korsholm De Rondout
Settlements:
Noten Eylandt Nieuw Amsterdam Rensselaerswijck Nieuw Haarlem Beverwijck Wiltwijk Bergen Pavonia Vriessendael Achter Col Vlissingen Oude Dorpe Colen Donck Greenwich Heemstede Rustdorp Gravesende Breuckelen Nieuw Amersfoort Midwout Nieuw Utrecht Boswijk Swaanendael Nieuw Amstel Nieuw Dorp
The Patroon System
Charter of Freedoms and Exemptions
Cornelius Jacobsen May (1620–25) Willem Verhulst (1625–26) Peter Minuit (1626–32) Sebastiaen Jansen Krol (1632–33) Wouter van Twiller (1633–38) Willem Kieft (1638–47) Peter Stuyvesant (1647–64)
People of New Netherland
New Netherlander Twelve Men Eight Men Nine Men
Flushing Remonstrance

Hempstead is a village located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 59,169 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous village in New York.^[5]

The Incorporated Village of Hempstead is the site of the seventeenth-century "town spot" from which English and Dutch settlers developed the Town of Hempstead, the Town of North Hempstead, and ultimately Nassau County. It is the largest community by population in both the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County.

Hofstra University is partially located in Hempstead.^[6]

Hempstead may have been named after Hemel Hempstead in the English county of Hertfordshire, where village founder John Carman was born.^[7] Another theory regarding the origin of the village's name is that it is derived from the town of Heemstede in the Netherlands, as this was an area from which many Dutch settlers of New Netherland originated.

In 1664, the new settlement adopted the Duke's Laws, an austere set of laws that became the basis upon which the laws of many colonies were to be founded. For a time, Hempstead became known as "Old Blue," as a result of the blue laws.^[2]

The land on which the Village of Hempstead stands was under Dutch control from the early 1620s. In the fall of 1643, two followers of the Presbyterian minister Richard Denton, Robert Fordham and John Carman, crossed Long Island Sound by rowboat to negotiate with the local Native Americans for a tract of land upon which to establish a new community. Representatives of the Marsapeague (Massapequa), Mericock (Merrick), Matinecock and Rekowake (Rockaway) tribes met with the two men at a site slightly west of the current Denton Green in Hempstead Village. Tackapousha, who was the sachem (chief spokesman) of the Marsapeague, was the acknowledged spokesman for conducting the transaction.^[7] The Indians sold approximately 64,000 acres (260 km²), the present day towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead, for an unknown quantity of items; a 1657 revisit of this agreement names large and small cattle, stockings, wampum, hatchets, knives, trading cloth, powder, and lead given as payment by the English.^[8] Some items may have been valuable to the Native Americans in terms of the contemporary markets for European "trinkets," which may have held symbolic and spiritual importance to Native America peoples in the Northeast.^[9]

In the spring of 1644, thirty to forty families left Stamford, Connecticut, crossed Long Island Sound, landed in Hempstead Harbor and eventually made their way to the present site of the village of Hempstead where they began their English settlement within Dutch-controlled New Netherland. The settling of Hempstead marked the beginnings of the oldest English settlement in what is now Nassau County. Subsequent trips across the Sound brought more settlers who prepared a fort here for their mutual protection. These original Hempstead settlers were Puritans in search of a place where they could more freely express their particular brand of Protestantism. They established a Presbyterian church that is the oldest continually active Presbyterian congregation in the nation.^[7] In 1843, Benjamin F. Thompson wrote and published a history of the village, and an account of contemporary Hempstead Village. Thompson reported that there were 200 dwellings, and 1,400 residents; that the village was connected to New York City by a turnpike and a railroad; that it had dry soil, excellent water, and pure air; and that it was the principal place of mercantile, and mechanical business, in the county. The village of Hempstead was incorporated on May 6, 1853, becoming the first community in Queens County (Nassau County did not exist as a separate county until 1899) to do so.^[2]

As the years passed, the population of Hempstead increased, as did its importance and prestige. Between 1703 and 1705, the newly formed St. George's Church received a silver communion service from England's Queen Anne.^[2]

During the American Revolution, Hempstead was a center of British sympathizers.^[10] The British attempted to occupy Hempstead after the Battle of Long Island,^[10] and used St. George's as a headquarters as well as a place to worship. Judge Thomas Jones faulted a lax peace treaty for forcing the evacuation of the loyalists.^{[citation needed]}

In the 19th century, Hempstead became increasingly important as a trading center for Long Island. In 1853 it became the first self-governing incorporated village. Many prominent families such as the Vanderbilts and the Belmonts built homes here, making Hempstead a center of Long Island society. Hempstead merchants established routes out to outlying farms and served as a distribution point for many firms. Wagons would leave Hempstead loaded with tobacco, candy, and cigarettes and return in a week to restock. Bakeries covered routes from Baldwin to Far Rockaway daily. Butchers ran routes to Seaford, Elmont, Valley Stream, Wantagh, East Meadow, Creedmoor, East Rockaway and Christian Hook. Drugs, medicines, perfumes, extracts, aprons, children's coats and dresses and men's clothes were peddled about the country by Hempstead merchants. People came from all sections of Queens to purchase stoves, and there were few places outside Hempstead where stoves could be purchased. Hempstead was the shopping center for Nassau County and the eastern portion of Queens, those settlements east of Jamaica before 1900 when Nassau County was established, following the creation of the City of Greater New York in 1898. Hempstead has historically been the center of commercial activity for the eastern counties of Long Island. In Nassau County, all major county roads emanate from this village. During the 18th and 19th centuries, all stagecoaches en route to eastern Long Island from Brooklyn passed through Hempstead. Today, seventeen bus routes and three interstate buses leave from the village every day. In addition, the Hempstead Branch of the Long Island Rail Road has its terminal here. At one time, there were three railroad companies with terminals within the village.^[11]

In March 1898, Camp Black was formed on the Hempstead Plains (roughly the shared location of Hempstead and Garden City), in support of the impending Spanish–American War. Camp Black was bounded on the north by Old Country Road, on the west by Clinton Road, and on the south by the Central Line rail. Camp Black was opened on April 29, 1898, as a training facility and a point of embarkation for troops.^[12]

Early Long Islanders made their living in agriculture or from the sea. Hempstead, with its central location, became the marketplace for the outlying rural farming communities. It was a natural progression, as the surrounding areas developed from small farms into today's suburbia, that Hempstead Village would remain as the marketplace. Chain department stores such as Arnold Constable and Abraham & Straus called Hempstead home for many years. Hempstead's Abraham & Straus was the largest grossing suburban department store in the country during the late 1960s. Hempstead was Nassau's retail center during the 1940s through the 1960s. The advent of regional shopping malls such as the one at nearby Roosevelt Field, the demise of nearby Mitchel Air Force Base in 1961 as well as the changing demographics put the retail trade in the village into a downward spiral that it was unable to recover from during the recessions of the 1970s and 1980s. A plethora of businesses left the village in the 1980s and early 1990s, including Abraham & Straus.^[13]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Hempstead (village), New York" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

In the course of the 1990s the village saw redevelopment as a government center as well as business center.^[14][15] There are more government employees from all levels of government in the village than there are in Mineola, the county seat. According to James York, the municipal historian, writing in 1998, the population during the day might rise to nearly 200,000, from a normal census of 50,000.^[7] Retailers' interest in the village was rekindled, due to the aggressive revitalization efforts of former Mayor James Garner, who served from 1989 to 2005, and former Community Development Agency Commissioner, Glen Spiritis, who served under Garner's administration.^[14][15] Specifically, two large tracts of retail property have recently undergone redevelopment. The former 8.8-acre (36,000 m²) Times Squares Stores (or TSS) property on Peninsula Boulevard and Franklin Street has been redeveloped as Hempstead Village Commons, a 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m²) retail center.^{[citation needed]} The former Abraham & Straus department store on 17 acres (69,000 m²) has recently undergone demolition and been replaced by a large retail development and many other smaller establishments.^{[citation needed]} A considerable infusion of state and federal funding as well as private investment have enabled the replacement of blighted storefronts, complete commercial building rehabilitations and the development of affordable housing for the local population. The replacement of the 1913 Long Island Rail Road Hempstead Terminal with a modern facility was completed in 2002,^[16] and a four-story, 112-unit building for senior housing, with retail on the ground level was completed at Main and West Columbia Streets in January 1998. Thirty-two units of affordable townhouses known as Patterson Mews at Henry Street and Baldwin Road was completed and fully occupied in 1997.^{[citation needed]}

In 1989, Hempstead residents elected James A. Garner as their mayor.^[15] He was the first Black or African-American mayor ever elected to office on Long Island, and he served for four consecutive terms.^[15] Subsequently, Wayne Hall, a former Village of Hempstead trustee who is also African American, served as mayor for three terms, from 2005 to 2017.^[17][18]

The first African-American male judge, Lance Clarke, was elected in 2001. Cynthia Diaz-Wilson was the first female justice in the Village of Hempstead and first African American village justice in the state of New York.^{[citation needed]}

In recent years, there has been concern regarding ongoing gang activity in certain neighborhoods, notably the "Heights", in addition to the issue of illegal rentals (homes/apartments that are illegally-subdivided by slumlords) and racial steering.^[19] Hempstead was also one of the first Long Island communities to contend with the Salvadoran gang, MS-13.^[20] The continual intra-violence this gang has exhibited has led to the formation of their arch-rivals, "SWP" or "Salvadorans with Pride". These issues have contributed to Hempstead's high crime rate as compared to other communities in the area.^[20]

A 2019 investigation by Newsday revealed widespread racial discrimination by real estate agents on Long Island, including in Hempstead.^[21]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.5 km²), all land.^[22]

The Village of Hempstead differs from the majority of Nassau County as its population density is about 15,000 people per square mile—almost four times that of its neighbor on its northern border, Garden City.^[23]

As of the census of 2010, there were 53,891 people, 15,234 households, and 10,945 families residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 21.9% White, 44.2% Hispanic, 48.3% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 22.8% from other races, and 5.0% from two or more races.

There were 16,034 households, out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 27.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.41 and the average family size was 3.76.^[28]

In the village, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 16.3% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.^[28]

The median income for a household in the village was $45,234 and the median income for a family was $46,675. Males had a median income of $29,493 versus $27,507 for females. The per capita income for the village was $15,735. About 14.4% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.^[28]

As of August 2022, the Mayor of Hempstead is Waylyn Hobbs, Jr, the Deputy Mayor is Jeffery Daniels, and the Village Trustees are Kevin Boone, Noah Burroughs, Jeffery Daniels, and Clariona D. Griffith.^[29][30]

In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Hempstead voters voted for Kamala D. Harris (D).^[31][32]

The community is served by the Hempstead Union Free School District.^[23] Students attend Alverta B. Gray-Schultz Middle School and Hempstead High School for their secondary years of K-12 education.^[33]

There is one private high school in Hempstead: Sacred Heart Academy, a private all-girls Catholic school.^[23][34]

There are two charter schools located within the village: the Academy Charter School and Evergreen Charter School.^[23]

Hofstra University's campus is partially located within the Village of Hempstead and is split between the village and its unincorporated neighbor, Uniondale.^[6][23]

The Rosa Parks Hempstead Transit Center is one of the largest hubs in Nassau County.^[35] It serves as the terminus of the Long Island Rail Road's Hempstead Branch, and is served by a number of Nassau Inter-County Express routes.^[35][36]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Hempstead (village), New York" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

• Hofstra University^[6]
• Hofstra University Arboretum^[6]
• Hempstead Bus Terminal^[37]
• Nassau County African American Museum
• St. George's Episcopal Church
• Christ's First Presbyterian Church – First Presbyterian church established in the US

Residents (native or lived) about whom an article exists, by date of birth:

• Thomas Truxtun (1755-1822), sea captain, U.S. Navy officer; born in Hempstead
• Samuel L. Mitchill (1764–1831), physician, naturalist, and politician; born in Hempstead
• Walt Whitman (1819–1892; resident 1836–1838), poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist
• William S. Hofstra (1861–1932), entrepreneur
• Christopher Morley (1890–1957; resident during the 1910s), journalist, novelist, essayist, and poet
• Frank Field (1923–2023), television meteorologist
• Francis E. Dec (1926–1996), disbarred lawyer and outsider writer
• Joe Tex (1935–1982), singer
• Walter Hudson (1944–1991; life resident), 4th most obese human, Guinness World Record for the largest waist
• Julius Erving (born 1950), basketball star, lived in the village of Hempstead as a child for at least two or three years from around 1953 to 1955 or 1956^[38]
• Sheryl Lee Ralph (born 1956), actress and singer
• Eric "Vietnam" Sadler (born 1960; native 1960–87, music producer, Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Slick Rick, Bell Biv Devoe, Vanessa Williams)
• Rob Moore (born 1968; native), NFL football player
• Method Man (born 1971), rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor; spent his childhood living between Hempstead and Staten Island
• Trevor Tahim "Busta Rhymes" Smith, Jr. (born 1972), resident, rapper, producer, and actor
• Prodigy (1974–2017; native), member of hip-hop duo Mobb Deep
• Craig "Speedy" Claxton (born 1978; native), NBA basketball player
• Tavorris Bell (born 1978), Harlem Globetrotter
• Roc Marciano (born 1978), rapper and producer
• The Product G&B, hip hop/R&B vocal duo consisting of David McRae (also known as Sincere Gubano) and Marvin Moore-Hough (also known as Money Harm), both born circa 1980
• Scott Lipsky (born 1981), tennis player
• Hykiem Coney (1982–2006), anti-gang activist
• A+ (born 1982; native and childhood), rapper, made albums in 1996 and 1999 during his school years
• Tu Holloway (born 1989), basketball player for Maccabi Rishon LeZion in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.

• Suburban Technical School

Media related to Hempstead (village), New York at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• Village Code