South Oyster Bay

South Oyster Bay is the portion of the Town of Oyster Bay roughly south of the Long Island Expressway, in Nassau County, New York. Its most prominent communities are Hicksville, Plainview, Bethpage, Farmingdale, and Massapequa.

Understand

This southern portion of the Town of Oyster Bay is very different from its northern half, in terms of feel. Unlike North Oyster Bay (much of which feels very secluded and rural and is mostly hilly), South Oyster Bay is a dense, bustling suburban area, which is mostly flat (spare for much of the Plainview–Old Bethpage area). While the northern half of Oyster Bay only has a few communities with large, busy downtown areas (i.e., Oyster Bay hamlet and Sea Cliff), South Oyster Bay is packed with them (i.e., Farmingdale, Hicksville, Massapequa, and Massapequa Park). In fact, one of the trendiest and most popular scenes for nightlife and young adults on suburban Long Island is the downtown area of the Village of Farmingdale.

Hicksville Gregory Museum

Get in

• 1 Farmingdale LIRR station. (updated Nov 2023)
• 2 Hicksville LIRR station. (updated Aug 2021)
• 3 Massapequa LIRR station. (updated Nov 2023)

Get around

You will find that many transportation options exist in the southern half of the Town of Oyster Bay – which is the polar opposite from the northern half. Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE), which is Nassau County's public bus system, has many routes to take you around the area. Similarly, the Long Island Rail Road offers many train services from New York City and points east which serve South Oyster Bay. Drivers can maneuver about South Oyster Bay with ease, too – the roadway network is vast and can take you anywhere.

See

• 1 Bethpage State Park, 99 Quaker Meeting House Road, Farmingdale. 1477-acre park known for its five golf courses, including the Black Course  
• 2 Hicksville Gregory Museum, 1 Heitz Place, ☏ +1 516-822-7505, fax: +1 516-822-3227, mail@gregorymuseum.org. Tu-F 9:30AM-4:30PM; Sa Su 1-5PM. Also called the Long Island Earth Science Center, this museum has hundreds of scientific specimens. Adult $5, child (4-14) or senior $3, Free to Hicksville residents with proof of residence. 
• 3 Old Bethpage Village Restoration, 1303 Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage. A restored mid-19th-century Long Island farming village.  
• 4 Tobay Beach. Next to the more-famous Jones Beach. Open to non-residents of the Town of Oyster Bay on weekdays only. (updated Apr 2016)

Buy

• 1 Broadway Mall, 358 Broadway Mall, Hicksville, ☏ +1 516 939-0679. A regional shopping mall containing about 85 stores, a food court, and a movie theater.  

Stay safe

In terms of crime, there really is not too much you need to worry about. South Oyster Bay is, for the most part, extremely safe at all times of the day and night. That said, there are some areas which may feel a little seedy even though they are generally very safe. While Hicksville is a great, safe community, the west end of Hicksville borders the hamlet of New Cassel (which is a dangerous community and suffers from gang violence and other criminal activities). However, this section of Hicksville (which consists of the West John Street and Duffy Avenue corridors, between the Wantagh Parkway and Newbridge Road) is very industrial and is of zero interest to tourists; while this area is not inherently dangerous and is vigorously monitored by the Nassau County Police Department (just like all other areas patrolled by the NCPD), it has that grimy feeling typical of industrial areas (especially at night).

The locals in South Oyster Bay take pride in their community and are very serious when it comes to crime – just like in the northern half of the town. Any inappropriate or malicious behavior will be noticed very quickly and will not be tolerated.

In an emergency, just as you would anywhere else in the United States, dial 911.

Respect

South Oyster Bay has a diverse population. Hicksville is home to a large Indian-American population and is rich in Indian culture. Plainview and Old Bethpage has a tremendous Jewish-American population and are rich in Jewish culture. The Massapequas all have enormous Italian-American populations and are rich in Italian culture. Do not make a fool of yourself: be respectful of the various cultures found in the area and do not be a bigot – everyone respects one another in these parts, and when one cultural group in the area is hurt, all the others grieve in solidarity. Any bigoted behavior (including mockery and stereotypes) or statements are not tolerated and you will immediately find yourself in a load of trouble. Just be respectful and treat others how you would want to be treated – that is the mindset which the locals all live by.

The terrorist attacks of 9/11 remain a very sensitive topic to many locals. Being a bedroom community of New York City, many locals were killed in the terrorist attacks. Hurricane Sandy is another topic which some may feel uncomfortable talking about, as many locals who live along the shore were severely impacted by the 2012 storm. Many are open about these topics while others are not and prefer to not discuss them. Unless a local is the one who brings up these topics, it is best to either ask them if they are ok discussing such a topic, or to otherwise to avoid the topic; it is the polite thing to do.

Go next

• Oyster Bay
• Garden City
• Hempstead
• Babylon

Routes through South Oyster Bay

Manhattan ← Mineola ←	W  E	→ Splits into Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma Branches
Merges with Main Line ←	W  E	→ Oyster Bay → Port Jefferson
Merges with Main Line ←	W  E	→ Bethpage → Greenport