Strathmore is an unincorporated,
Levitt & Sons
Levitt & Sons was a real estate development company founded by Abraham Levitt and later managed by his son William Levitt. The company built the town of Levittown, New York. The company's designs and building practices transformed the home building ...
-developed
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
in the
Town of North Hempstead
North Hempstead (officially known as the Town of North Hempstead) is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 237,639 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the 7th largest city or town i ...
in
Nassau County, on the
North Shore of
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
, in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, United States, within the
census-designated place (CDP) of
Manhasset
Manhasset is an affluent hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is considered the anchor community of the Greater Manhasset area. The population was 8,176 ...
.
Although presently considered part of the Manhasset CDP, Strathmore remains distinct from the other areas of the CDP, and the hamlet's name continues to be widely-used and accepted both socially and politically.
The hamlet, which consists of four large, Levitt-developed housing subdivisions, is also often referred to as The Strathmores.
The southern parts of Strathmore once attempted to incorporate as the Incorporated Village of Strathmore – but the proposal was voted down in a referendum vote. Because of the outcome of the referendum, all of Strathmore remains part of the unincorporated Manhasset CDP to this day.
History
The southern Strathmores (South, Vanderbilt, & Village)
Much of what is now the southern part of Strathmore was once part of the estate of
Frank A. Munsey.
Following his death, the land was given to the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
, per his will.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art ultimately developed some of the land as
Munsey Park and sold the area south of
Northern Boulevard (NY 25A) to the
Vanderbilt family
The Vanderbilt family is an American family who gained prominence during the Gilded Age. Their success began with the shipping and railroad empires of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and the family expanded into various other areas of industry and philanth ...
, and the land remained in Vanderbilt family ownership for roughly a decade; their mansion, which had previously been owned by
Louis Sherry
Louis Sherry (June 6, 1856 – June 9, 1926) was an American restaurateur, caterer, confectioner and hotel, hotelier during the Gilded Age and early 20th century. His name is typically associated with an upscale brand of candy and ice cream, and a ...
, is now the Strathmore–Vanderbilt Country Club.
The residents in the Strathmore–Vanderbilt subdivision have deeded memberships to the country club.
Other portions of Strathmore south of Northern Boulevard – including much of what is now the
Americana Manhasset
Americana Manhasset (also known as Americana Mall, Americana Center, or simply as The Americana) is an upscale, open-air shopping mall located in the Strathmore, New York, Strathmore area of Manhasset, New York, Manhasset, in Nassau County, New Y ...
and the Strathmore Village section of the hamlet – was developed over the estates of Robert G. Elbert and
Genevieve Macaulay
Genevieve Brady, Duchess of the Holy Roman Church (later Macaulay, née Garvan; April 11, 1880 – November 24, 1938) was an American philanthropist and patron of Catholic charities. She served as the Vice President of the Welfare Council of New ...
.
In February 1944, a massive fire broke out in the shopping area of Strathmore Village.
The fire severely damaged 15 shops, along with the Levitt & Sons real estate office which was built only 2 years prior.
The cost of the damage was estimated to be roughly $250,000 (1944 USD).
In the 1990s, residents in Strathmore grew concerned over the fate of the former Manhasset Club (which was originally known as the Village Bath Club).
More than 1,000 residents petitioned for the club to be purchased by the
Manhasset Park District
The Manhasset Park District is a park district serving much of the Greater Manhasset area of Nassau County, Long Island, New York, United States. It is headquartered at 62 Manhasset Avenue, Manhasset, NY 11030.
History
The Manhasset Park Di ...
to keep it operating as a public park.
After that failed, residents attempted to have the Town of North Hempstead landmark the club's main building, which was designed to resemble a California hunting lodge designed by
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...
.
The North Hempstead Landmarks Commission ultimately denied their requests, claiming that the building was not a landmark. Ultimately, the building – along with the rest of the 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) property – was soon demolished and replaced with new homes.
Failed incorporation attempt
Between 1949 and 1950, the residents in the southern portions of Strathmore proposed incorporating their three sections – South Strathmore, Strathmore–Vanderbilt, and Strathmore Village – as a single
village
A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
, which would have been known as the "Incorporated Village of Strathmore."
These plans were unsuccessful, as voters rejected the plan 742-to-248 during the referendum vote.
Under standard protocol in New York, more than half of the voters would have had to approve of the plan in order for Strathmore to be incorporated.
Northern Boulevard Bypass controversy, 1956
In the 1950s, the
New York State Department of Public Works
The office of Superintendent of Public Works was created by an 1876 amendment to the New York State Constitution. It abolished the Erie Canal Commission, canal commissioners and established that the Department of Public Works execute all laws relat ...
proposed constructing a Manhasset Bypass (also known as the Miracle Mile Bypass) from East Shore Road to
Manhasset Woods Road
Manhasset Woods Road is a 1.16-mile (1.87 km) road in the incorporated villages of Flower Hill and Munsey Park in the Town of North Hempstead, in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It serves a ...
, crossing Whitney Pond and
Shelter Rock Road, and its easternmost portions would have sliced diagonally through the southwestern part of South Strathmore.
The bypass would have carried
New York State Route 25A
New York State Route 25A (NY 25A) is a state highway on Long Island in New York (state), New York, United States. It serves as the main east–west route for most of the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, running ...
, shifting its alignment slightly south of its current one.
The proposal would have created a four-lane or six-lane bypass of the western half of the
Miracle Mile, and would have cost roughly $5,000,000 to $8,000,000 (1956
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
).
Roughly 10 homes in South Strathmore would have been acquired through
eminent domain
Eminent domain, also known as land acquisition, compulsory purchase, resumption, resumption/compulsory acquisition, or expropriation, is the compulsory acquisition of private property for public use. It does not include the power to take and t ...
– in addition to the taking of portions of property from two churches as well as from the Munsey Park Elementary School in neighboring Munsey Park.
It also would have severed one of the South Strathmore subdivision's major entrances/exits.
The impacts which the highway would have had on the community and the surrounding areas caused many Strathmore residents to protest its construction, and ultimately the proposal was scrapped by politicians in
Albany.
North Strathmore
The area which is now North Strathmore was formerly owned by Horatio Gates Onderdonk, who was of the prominent Long Island family of the same name.
It was sold to Levitt & Sons in 1933; the firm soon would begin developing the area.
In the late 1940s, there was a controversial, failed proposal to build a 3-acre park in the North Strathmore area.
It was argued by many Manhasset residents that all of Greater Manhasset would be paying for a park which only North Strathmore residents would be able to use.
The $45,000 (1949
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
) bond referendum was ultimately voted down, and subsequently the Manhasset Park District never built the park.
The historic
Horatio Gates Onderdonk House, which was turned into the neighborhood's centerpiece by Levitt & Sons, underwent an extensive rehabilitation in the 1980s.
Geography
Strathmore has a total area of roughly , all land.
Strathmore consists of 4 well-defined
subdivisions
Subdivision may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Subdivision (metre), in music
* ''Subdivision'' (film), 2009
* "Subdivision", an episode of ''Prison Break'' (season 2)
* ''Subdivisions'' (EP), by Sinch, 2005
* "Subdivisions" (song), by Rus ...
: North Strathmore, South Strathmore, Strathmore–Vanderbilt, and Strathmore Village.
The southern portions of the hamlet form the Manhasset CDP's long, eastern
panhandle
A salient, panhandle, or bootheel is an elongated protrusion of a geopolitical entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state.
While similar to a peninsula in shape, a salient is most often not surrounded by water on three sides. Ins ...
, which extends as far east as
Searingtown Road (CR 101), at the border with
Roslyn Estates.
The hamlet is within the Manhasset CDP, and it is part of the Greater Manhasset area.
Topography
Like the rest of Long Island's
North Shore, Strathmore is situated on a
terminal moraine
A terminal moraine, also called an end moraine, is a type of moraine that forms at the terminal (edge) of a glacier, marking its maximum advance. At this point, debris that has accumulated by plucking and abrasion, has been pushed by the front e ...
, which is named the
Harbor Hill Moraine
The Harbor Hill Moraine, in the geography of Long Island, forms the northern of two ridges along the "backbone" of Long Island.
Description
The Harbor Hill Moraine, skirting the North Shore, represents the terminal moraine of the most recent ...
.
This moraine was formed by
glaciers
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
during the
Wisconsin Glacial Episode, and is named for
Harbor Hill
Harbor Hill was a large Long Island mansion built from 1899 to 1902 in the present-day Village of East Hills, New York, for telecommunications magnate Clarence Hungerford Mackay.
It was designed by McKim, Mead & White, with Stanford White supe ...
in
Roslyn; Harbor Hill is the highest geographic point in Nassau County.
Drainage
Strathmore, in its entirety, is located within the
Manhasset Bay
Manhasset Bay, New York, is an embayment in western Long Island off Long Island Sound.
Description
Manhasset Bay forms the northeastern boundary of the Great Neck Peninsula and the southwestern boundary of the Cow Neck Peninsula ( Port Was ...
Watershed
Watershed may refer to:
Hydrology
* Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins
* Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage)
Music
* Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...
– along with the larger
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...
/
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
Watershed.
Government
Town representation
As an unincorporated area within North Hempstead, Strathmore is governed directly by the Town of North Hempstead, which is headquartered in Manhasset.
Strathmore is located within North Hempstead's 5th Council District, which as of April 2024 is represented on the
North Hempstead Town Council by David A. Adhami (
R–
Great Neck
Great Neck is a region contained within Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, which covers a peninsula on the North Shore and includes nine incorporated villages, among them Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza, Kings Poin ...
).
Representation in higher government
County representation
Strathmore is located within the
Nassau County Legislature
The Nassau County Legislature is the lawmaking body of Nassau County, New York. The county is divided into 19 legislative districts, each represented by an elected legislator. It was formed in 1996 to succeed the Nassau County Board of Superviso ...
's 10th Legislative district, which as of April 2024 is represented by
Mazi Melesa Pilip
Mazi Melesa Pilip (born ) is an American politician in the Nassau County Legislature representing the 10th district. A Republican, she is an Ethiopian Jew who immigrated to Israel when she was 12 years old, and later served as a gunsmith in the ...
(R–Great Neck).
State representation
= New York State Senate
=
Strathmore is located entirely within
New York's 7th State Senate district
New York's 7th State Senate district is one of 63 districts in the New York State Senate. It has been represented by Republican Jack Martins since 2023, following his defeat of incumbent Democrat Anna Kaplan.
Geography
District 7 covers northw ...
, which as of April 2024 is represented by
Jack M. Martins (R–
Old Westbury).
= New York State Assembly
=
Strathmore is located entirely within
New York's 16th State Assembly district
New York's 16th State Assembly district is one of the 150 districts in the New York State Assembly. It has been represented by Republican Daniel Norber since 2025, who defeated Gina Sillitti in the November 5, 2024, New York State Assembly elect ...
, which as of April 2024 is represented by
Gina L. Sillitti (
D–
Manorhaven).
Federal representation
= United States Congress
=
Strathmore is located entirely within
New York's 3rd Congressional district
New York's 3rd congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in the New York (state), State of New York. It is represented by Democratic Party (Un ...
, which as of April 2024 is represented in the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
by
Thomas R. Suozzi (D–
Glen Cove).
= United States Senate
=
As with the rest of New York, Strathmore is represented in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
by
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D) and
Charles E. Schumer (D).
Politics
In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Strathmore voters voted for
Donald J. Trump (R).
Education
School district
Strathmore in its entirety is served by the
Manhasset Union Free School District
The Manhasset Union Free School District, also known as Manhasset Public Schools, is a State school, public school district serving the Greater Manhasset, New York, Manhasset area of Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the North Shore (L ...
.
Elementary school students in grades K–6 either attend Munsey Park Elementary School or Shelter Rock Elementary School, depending on where they live within the hamlet.
All students attend the
Manhasset Secondary School for grades 7–12.
Library district
Strathmore is located entirely within the boundaries of the Manhasset Library District, which is served by the Manhasset Public Library.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Roads
Northern Boulevard (New York State Route 25A) passes through and serves Strathmore and forms portions of its northern border with Munsey Park.
Other major streets and roads which are either partially or wholly within the hamlet include Andrew Road, Country Club Drive, East Gate, Harrow Lane, Pickwick Road,
Searingtown Road (Nassau County Route 101), Strathmore Road, The Gate, and Village Road.
Rail
No rail lines pass through Strathmore.
The nearest
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
station to the hamlet is
Manhasset
Manhasset is an affluent hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is considered the anchor community of the Greater Manhasset area. The population was 8,176 ...
on the
Port Washington Branch
The Port Washington Branch is an electrified, mostly double-tracked rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It branches north from the Main Line at the former Winfield Junction stat ...
.
Bus
Strathmore is served by the
n20H,
n20X, and
n21 bus routes, which are operated by
Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE).
These three bus routes travel through the area via Northern Boulevard.
Utilities
Natural gas
National Grid USA provides
natural gas
Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
to homes and businesses that are hooked up to natural gas lines in Strathmore.
Power
PSEG Long Island provides power to all homes and businesses within Strathmore.
Sewage
Strathmore is primarily unsewered, although some portions of the hamlet zoned for business & commercial uses, such as the Americana Manhasset, are connected to the
Great Neck Water Pollution Control District
The Great Neck Water Pollution Control District (abbreviated as GNWPCD) is a public sewer district in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. It serves large portions of the Great Neck Peninsula and portions of Manhasset.
His ...
's
sanitary sewers via a sewer main underneath Northern Boulevard.
All unsewered areas of the hamlet rely on
cesspools
Cesspit, cesspool and soak pit in some contexts are terms with various meanings: they are used to describe either an underground holding tank (sealed at the bottom) or a soak pit (not sealed at the bottom). A cesspit can be used for the tempor ...
and
septic systems
A septic tank is an underground chamber made of concrete, fiberglass, or plastic through which domestic wastewater (sewage) flows for basic sewage treatment. Settling and anaerobic digestion processes reduce solids and organics, but the treatment ...
, as opposed to sanitary sewers.
Water
Strathmore is located within the boundaries of the
Manhasset–Lakeville Water District
The Manhasset–Lakeville Water District (MLVWD) is a public Water district, water utility district serving a large portion of Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York (state), New York, United States.
History
The Ma ...
, which provides the entirety of the hamlet with water.
Landmarks
*
Horatio Gates Onderdonk House – a historic home formerly owned by Horatio Gates Onderdonk; it is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
and is the centerpiece of the North Strathmore section of the hamlet.
Notable people
*
Jennifer S. DeSena – Attorney, civic leader, and politician serving as the 38th
Town Supervisor
The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the American state of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, towns, and villages. (The only boroughs, the f ...
of
North Hempstead; lives in North Strathmore.
*
Michael Hawkins – Actor.
*
Norman F. Penny – Banker, broker, and politician who served in the
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits.
The Ass ...
from 1938 to 1942; major
Republican figure in Nassau County.
Lived on Rocky Wood Road in North Strathmore.
See also
*
List of Levitt & Sons housing developments on Long Island
*
Locust Grove, New York
Locust Grove is a hamlet and former census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. It is located within the CDP of Syosset, which absorbed it for the 1990 United States Cens ...
References
External links
North Strathmore Association websiteStrathmore–Vanderbilt Country Club website
{{NorthHempsteadNY
Manhasset, New York
Town of North Hempstead, New York
Levittown