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 and towns

Nassau County is divided into three towns and two cities:

• 1 North Hempstead, on the western portion of the North Shore, contains the "West Egg" and "East Egg" of Great Gatsby fame. Being that it borders Queens, it has a fair amount of development as well. It also includes the villages of 2 Flower Hill and Mineola.
• 3 Glen Cove, a small city on the North Shore, contains a lively downtown as well as several historic mansions.
• 4 Oyster Bay is on the eastern side of the county, and is centered on its eponymous harbor, and is again the site of many historic buildings. The 5 South Oyster Bay section is more densely developed and has many shopping districts and points of interest. It also includes the village of 6 Farmingdale and the hamlets of 7 Bayville, 8 Bethpage, 9 Massapequa and 10 Plainview.
• 11 Long Beach, Nassau County's other city, is prime beach territory right on the Atlantic Ocean.
• 12 Hempstead is the nation's most populous town, the most urbanized part of Long Island, and the second most populous municipality in New York. It is the site of Freeport's Nautical Mile, the "original suburb" of Levittown, and the famous Jones Beach. The 13 Garden City area is known as the "Nassau Hub" due to its central location and concentration of shopping, athletic, and cultural activities. It also includes the charming neighborhood of 14 Merrick and the village of 15 Rockville Centre

Understand

Nassau County is the second largest county by area 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) , 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

• Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. The Cove Neck home of 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt, from 1855 until his death in 1919.
• Old Westbury Gardens. Mansion and extensive gardens included on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park. Gold Coast mansion and surrounding gardens.

Do

Approaching Point Lookout, from the Freeport Water Taxi

• 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.
• Roosevelt Field Mall. Tenth largest mall in the United States. Located in Garden City.
• NYCB Live, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Multi-purpose indoor arena and former home of the New York Islanders. Located in Uniondale.
• Belmont Park. Thoroughbred horse racing track and home of the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the US Triple Crown. Located in Elmont on the border of Queens.
• UBS Arena. The new home of the NHL's New York Islanders, right next to the track, opened in November 2021.

Eat

• All American Burger, Massapequa, ☏ +1 516-627-7270. Old-school fast food known for its burgers, fries, and shakes at very affordable prices. (updated Apr 2023)
• Bryant & Cooper, 2 Middle Neck Road, Flower Hill, ☏ +1 516-627-7270. A very popular and highly-rated steakhouse in Flower Hill. Being regarded as one of the best steakhouses on Long Island, people come here to eat from all over the region. (updated Apr 2023)
• Cipollini, 2110C Northern Boulevard, Manhasset, ☏ +1 516 627 7172. A super popular, upscale Italian restaurant located at the Americana Manhasset. (updated Apr 2023)
• Louie's, Port Washington, ☏ +1 516-883-4242. A famous and long-standing, treasured waterside restaurant in Port Washington. It was featured in "Meet the Parents". When eating here, you are guaranteed to have a great, memorable meal. (updated Apr 2023)

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. Also take caution in the Green Acres area of Valley Stream.

Go next

• Queens, New York City
• Suffolk County