East Meadow is a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

(CDP) in the

Town of Hempstead The Town of Hempstead (also known historically as South Hempstead) is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) in the U.S. state of New York. It occupies the southwestern part of the county, on t ...

in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York. The population was 38,132 at the 2010 census. Many residents commute to

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, which is away.

History

In 1655, two surveyors for Hempstead reported that the "east meadow" would be suitable for grazing. The area quickly became a grazing area for cattle and later, in the 18th century, for sheep. The sheep of the East Meadow area provided the country with more than 50% of the United States' wool needs during that time. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, East Meadow was occupied by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

forces when they discovered the vast amounts of livestock herded there, and remained under their control until the end of the war. Two large farms existed in what is now East Meadow: the Barnum farm (Barnum Woods), and the Carman farm. It is rumored that President

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

spent a night on the Barnum estate during a trip across Long Island in 1790. A toll booth was operated near the Carman homestead on the Hempstead Turnpike. Another early settlement was located near what is now the intersection of East Meadow Avenue (formerly called Newbridge Avenue; not to be confused with nearby Newbridge Road) and Prospect Avenue. The community was home to many Gilded Era estates. The old Hoeffner homestead is now the site of Veterans Memorial park, and East Meadow's Post Office. The Barnum estate was rented by the Hoeffner family in 1914. Part of the old Barnum farm is now the site of Barnum Woods Elementary School, and the main road that passes by the school, Merrick Avenue, was originally called Barnum Avenue. The Oliver and Alva Belmont (formerly Alva Vanderbilt) estate of Brookholt once stretched across several hundred acres on both sides of Front Street to the west of Merrick Avenue, and for a short while, included the Brookholt School of Agriculture for Women. Carman Avenue is home to

East Meadow High School East Meadow High School is a public high school in the East Meadow Union Free School District in East Meadow, New York. The school was founded in 1953 and serves students in grades 9−12. School As of the 2018–19 school year, the school ...

, the

Nassau County Correctional Facility Nassau may refer to: Places Bahamas * Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792 *Nassau Street (Winnipeg ...

, and the

Nassau University Medical Center Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC) is a public teaching hospital affiliated with the Health Sciences Center of Stony Brook University and with Northwell Health. The 19-story, 631-bed Level I Trauma Center is located at 2201 Hempstead Turnpik ...

, the tallest building in Nassau County. On March 11, 2004, President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

made a visit to East Meadow for the groundbreaking of a new memorial for the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. East Meadow's name is derived from being the meadow of

Hempstead Plains The Hempstead Plains is a region of central Long Island, in what is now Nassau County, in New York State. It was once an open expanse of native grassland estimated to once extend to about . It was separated from the North Shore of Long Island by ...

east of the Meadow Brook (originally a brook, now replaced by a parkway of the same name).

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and 6.3% is water. East Meadow is generally flat, and according to the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

and the

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it ...

, the

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Ver ...

ranges from near its southwestern edge, to along Hempstead Turnpike to the north. Almost no actual meadow remains in East Meadow or the Hempstead Plain, due to the boom of post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

development and later, unchecked suburban sprawl.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 38,132 people and 12,062 households residing in the CDP. (759.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was according to the 2010 census, 77.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 5.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 11.6%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.04%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.0% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, 1.9% from two or more races, 12.2%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

. Non Hispanic whites were 69.8% of the population. The ancestries of residents of East Meadow are Italian (28.5%), Irish (17.5%), German (11.8%), Polish (8.8%), Russian (5.8%), United States (5.0%). Of the 12,186 households, 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.2% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 20.8% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94, and the average family size was 3.34. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $67,185, and the median income for a family was $74,691 (these figures had risen to $86,582 and $97,057 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,325, versus $35,422 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $27,076. About 2.3% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Getty Oil Getty Oil was an American oil marketing company with its origins as part of the large integrated oil company founded by J. Paul Getty. History J. Paul Getty incorporated Getty Oil in 1942. He had previously worked in the oil fields of Oklaho ...

is based in East Meadow.

Snapple Snapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Keurig Dr Pepper and based in Plano, Texas, United States. The company (and brand), which was originally known as Unadulterated Food Products, was founded in 1972. The brand achieved som ...

was previously headquartered in East Meadow, prior to moving their corporate office. The office space is now currently occupied by the Epilepsy Foundation of Long Island. Lufthansa United States had its headquarters in East Meadow beginning in the 1970s, after it moved from

Park Avenue Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Av ...

, in order to save money. In 2019, the office had 206 employees; that year the headquarters moved to Uniondale.

Education

East Meadow's nine public schools are operated by the

East Meadow Union Free School District East Meadow Union Free School District (EMUFSD) is a school district headquartered in the Leon J. Campo Salisbury Center in Salisbury, New York. The district was first established as the Common School District #3 in 1812, with a change in organiz ...

, Town of Hempstead School District #3. The district was originally organized in 1812 and then formally organized as Town of Hempstead Common School District #3 in 1814 under the name "Brushy Plains", and at one time was the third largest school district in New York State. The first school building was on Front Street (where the East Meadow Public Library building stands today). Four successive schoolhouses stood at the corner of Newbridge Avenue (now East Meadow Avenue) and Front Street between 1814 and 1950.

Elementary schools

* Barnum Woods * Bowling Green * George H. McVey (previously Meadowlawn) * Meadowbrook * Parkway

Middle schools

* Woodland * W. Tresper Clarke

High schools

W. Tresper Clarke High School W. T. Clarke High School is a high school in Salisbury, New York. It is operated by the East Meadow Union Free School District, also known as the East Meadow School District. The school serves students living in Salisbury, East Meadow, and Levit ...

Closed schools

* ''Front Street School'', once located at the corner of Front Street & East Meadow Avenue, burned down and replaced by the East Meadow Public Library. * ''Prospect Avenue School'', once located on the corner of Coakley Street & Prospect Avenue; students now go to Barnum Woods. * ''Newbridge Road Elementary School'', once located on Newbridge Road, between 7th Avenue & Lawn Drive, has been converted to condominiums. The concrete engraving reading "District No. 3 Public School" remains intact on the front of the building, now the Heritage Square apartments. * ''McCleary Junior High School'', previously Meadowbrook Junior High School, was located on Newbridge Road, in the lot adjacent to East Meadow's

Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...

. Has been replaced by a housing development. * ''Salisbury School'', building now serves as th
district offices
and alternative school

Houses of worship

* Christ Alive Church, 493 East Meadow Avenue * East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center, 1400 Prospect Avenue,

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

synagogue * East Meadow United Methodist Church, 470 East Meadow Avenue * Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, 369 Green Avenue * Long Island Muslim Society, 475 East Meadow Avenue * St. Raphael Parish, 600 Newbridge Road, Roman Catholic Church

Landmarks

East Meadow water tower *

, which dominates the "skyline." * Nassau County Jail * East Meadow Public Library * Mitchel Manor military housing complex * Eisenhower Park, which holds many events such as cultural nights, free concerts, the Carltun, and the attraction

Safety Town Safety Town is a program for children that teaches safety lessons about fire, pedestrians/traffic, water, guns, and poisons/drugs. It is also the name given to a replica town created to instruct children about safety measures. The Safety Town pro ...

Movies filmed in East Meadow

* ''The Hot Rock'' (1972), aka "How to Steal a Diamond in Four Uneasy Lessons", footage filmed at the prison, showing the high school in the background. * '' Let the Good Times Roll'' (1973), footage filmed in

Modell's Modell's Sporting Goods is an American online sporting goods retailer that had locations in the Northeastern United States. Modell's carries both sporting goods and related apparel. Modell's had more than 150 retail locations in ten states and th ...

. * ''

Compromising Positions ''Compromising Positions'' is a 1985 American film released by Paramount Pictures and directed by Frank Perry. The screenplay, by Susan Isaacs, was adapted from her 1978 novel. The plot concerns a Long Island housewife and former journalist who b ...

'' (1985) * ''

Married to the Mob ''Married to the Mob'' is a 1988 American crime comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, and starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Modine, Dean Stockwell, Mercedes Ruehl, and Alec Baldwin. Pfeiffer plays Angela de Marco, a gangster's widow from B ...

'' (1988) * '' Pieces of April'' (2003), scene in car with

Krispy Kreme Krispy Kreme, Inc. (previously Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.) is an American multinational doughnut company and coffeehouse chain. Krispy Kreme was founded by Vernon Rudolph (1915–1973), who bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans c ...

and

in background on Hempstead Turnpike. * ''Enjoy the Show'' (2005) * '' September 12th'' (2005) * ''Knight of the Peeper'' (2006) * ''Scum'' (2009) * ''

The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and int ...

'' (2011) * ''I Am Here'' (2016)

Notable people

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

, First Lady of the United States *

Criss Angel Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos ( el, Χριστόφορος Νικόλαος Σαραντάκος; born December 19, 1967), known professionally as Criss Angel, is an American magician, illusionist and musician. Angel began his career in New ...

, magician-illusionist, stunt performer *

Arjun Atwal Arjun Singh Atwal (born 20 March 1973) is an Indian professional golfer who has played on the Asian Tour and the European Tour and is the first player born in India to become a member of, and later win a tournament on the U.S.-based PGA Tour. ...

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also ...

golfer * Adam Busch, actor-singer * John Danowski, Duke lacrosse coach, three NCAA Championship titles * Jim Drucker, former Commissioner of the Continental Basketball Association, former Commissioner of the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

, and founder of NewKadia Comics *

Julius Erving Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...

, basketball player * Sam Farber, industrial designer and businessman *

William Fichtner William Edward Fichtner (born November 27, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Sheriff Tom Underlay on ''Invasion'', Alexander Mahone on ''Prison Break'', Carl Hickman on '' Crossing Lines'', and Adam Janikowski o ...

, actor * Raymond Gniewek, violinist *

Richard Greenberg Richard Greenberg (born February 22, 1958) is an American playwright and television writer known for his subversively humorous depictions of middle-class American life. He has had more than 25 plays premiere on and Off-Broadway in New York City ...

, Broadway playwright * Ron Heller, NFL coach and former offensive tackle *

Donald E. Ingber Donald E. Ingber (born 1956) is an American cell biology, cell biologist and bioengineering, bioengineer. He is the founding director of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University,Crow, James Mitchell (19 Janua ...

, cell biologist and bioengineer *

Arthur Kurzweil Arthur Kurzweil (born 1951) is an American author, educator, editor, writer, publisher, and illusionist. Kurzweil was born in New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States ci ...

, author, educator, editor, writer, publisher, and illusionist *

Annet Mahendru Anita Devi "Annet" Mahendru (born November 5, 1985) is an American actress. She is known for playing Nina Krilova, Nina Sergeevna Krilova on the FX (TV channel), FX period drama series ''The Americans'' (2013–2016), for which she garnered a n ...

, actress *

Joy Mangano Joy Mangano (; born February 1, 1956) is an American inventor and entrepreneur known for inventions such as the self-wringing Miracle Mop. She was the president of Ingenious Designs, LLC, and appeared regularly on the U.S. television shopping c ...

, entrepreneur, inventor of "Miracle Mop" * Brandon Moore, NFL linebacker * Rob Moore, NFL wide receiver *

Sterling Morrison Holmes Sterling Morrison Jr. (August 29, 1942 – August 30, 1995) was an American guitarist, best known as one of the founding members of the rock group the Velvet Underground, usually playing electric guitar, occasionally bass guitar, a ...

, guitarist & back-up singer with

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...

* Rich Ohrnberger, NFL football offensive lineman for the San Diego Chargers *

Denis Peterson Denis Peterson (born New York, 1944) is an American hyperrealist painter whose photorealist works have been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Butler Institute of American Art, Tate Modern, Springville Museum o ...

, Hyper-realist painter *

Jan Rabson Jan Rabson (June 14, 1954 – October 13, 2022) was an American actor. Life and career Rabson was born in East Meadow, New York, on June 14, 1954. Jan's voice has been heard on thousands of commercials, films, TV shows, and animated films and se ...

, voice over actor * Fred Reinfeld, chess player, author * Joel Rifkin, serial killer *

Louis Sachar Louis Sachar ( ; born March 20, 1954) is an American young-adult mystery-comedy author. He is best known for the ''Wayside School'' series and the novel '' Holes''. ''Holes'' won the 1998 U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature< ...

, author *

Matt Serra Matthew John Serra (born June 2, 1974) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the co-star of Dana White: Lookin' for a Fight and co- ...

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

, former

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

Welterweight Champion * Stereo Skyline, former

pop punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other p ...

band *

Melinda Sullivan Melinda Sullivan (born September 30, 1987) is an American dancer, choreographer and actress. She is known for her work on the U.S. version of ''So You Think You Can Dance'', where she was a finalist in the television series' seventh season, and ...

, dancer, choreographer, and actress * Jenna Ushkowitz, actress (''

Glee Glee means delight, a form of happiness. Glee may also refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...

'') *

Frank Viola Frank John Viola Jr. (born April 19, 1960) is an American former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins (1982–1989), New York Mets (1989–1991), Boston Red Sox (1992–1994), Cincinnati Reds (1995), and To ...

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher, winner of 1988 Cy Young Award *

Leslie West Leslie West (born Leslie Abel Weinstein; October 22, 1945 – December 23, 2020) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the co-founder, guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Mountain. Life and career Early years: 1 ...

, musician, member of hard rock group

Mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

Lee Zeldin Lee Michael Zeldin (born January 30, 1980) is an American attorney, politician, and officer in the United States Army Reserve. A Republican, he has represented New York's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives ...

, Republican United States Congressman, former New York state senator

References

Sources

* ''East Meadow, Its Past and Present'', published in 1976 by the East Meadow Public Library * ''East Meadow, Yesterday & Today,'' by Mary Louise Clarke, available at the East Meadow Public Library

External links

East Meadow Chamber of Commerce official website
{{authority control Hempstead, New York Census-designated places in New York (state) Hamlets in New York (state) Census-designated places in Nassau County, New York Hamlets in Nassau County, New York