Plainview, New York
Plainview is a hamlet (and census-designated place) located on Long Island in the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York, USA. The estimated population of the CDP as of 2007 was 27,677.[citation needed] The Plainview Post Office has the ZIP Code 11803.Plainview and its neighboring hamlet, Old Bethpage, share a school system, library, fire department, and water district. Law enforcement for the communities is provided by the Nassau County Police Department, with the Second Precinct serving areas north of Old Country Road and Eighth Precinct serving areas south of Old Country Road. Plainview is split between the 2nd congressional district of New York and the 3rd congressional district of New York.
Geography
Plainview is located at 40°46′48″N 73°28′46″W / 40.78°N 73.47944°W / 40.78; -73.47944 (40.779911, -73.479483).According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²), all land. Plainview is located in the middle of Long Island, bordering Suffolk County.The Long Island Expressway (I-495) and Northern State Parkway pass across the northern part of Plainview. The exits for Plainview from the Long Island Expressway are 45, 46, and 48. The exits for Plainview from the Northern State Parkway are 36S, 36A and B, 37, and 38. NY-135 (Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway) is a north-south route.
History
Plainview's history dates to 1648, when Robert Williams, a settler from Wales, bought land in the area. The land was considered desirable for farming because of a small pond named the Moscopas by local native Americans, meaning 'hole of dirt and water'. The remainder of the land in the area was purchased by Thomas Powell in 1695 as part of the Bethpage Purchase. The name 'Mannatto Hill' had already appeared on the 1695 deed of the Bethpage Purchase, and the settlement came to be called 'Manetto Hill'. 'Manitou' was the Native American word either for 'god' or for 'spirit'.The 1837 arrival of the Long Island Rail Road to nearby Hicksville brought a boom to local farming.[dead link] In 1885, residents of Manetto Hill petitioned the United States Postal Service for a local post office, but were turned down because, according to several accounts, a similar name was already in use upstate. The hamlet was then named 'Plainview', for the view of the Hempstead Plains from the top of the Manetto Hills.Plainview remained a farming community, famous for growing cucumbers for the huge Heinz pickle factories located in nearby Farmingdale and Hicksville. In the early 1900s blight destroyed the cucumber crop and many farmers switched to potatoes. After World War II, a potato blight combined with the desire of many returning GIs to leave New York City for the more rural Long Island, convinced many farmers to sell their property leading to massive development in the area, giving rise to so-called, suburban sprawl.[dead link] Between 1950 and 1960, the hamlet grew from a population of 1,155 to more than 35,000.
Demographics
As of a 2007 estimate, there were 27677 people, 8,556 households, and 7,315 families residing in the CDP.[citation needed] The population density was 4,478.2 per square mile (1,730.5/km²). There were 8,638 housing units at an average density of 1,508.9/sq mi (583.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 93.55% White, 0.38% African American, 0.02% Native American, 4.79% Asian, 0.39% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.57% of the population.There were 8,556 households out of which 39.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.2% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.5% were non-families. 13.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.22.In the CDP the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP was $106,045, and the median income for a family was $121,780. Males had a median income of $69,032 versus $41,480 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $36,634. About 1.7% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.
School and library system
The Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District operates one high school, Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, two middle schools, Howard B. Mattlin (named after a former president of the school board) and Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School, and four elementary schools Parkway (due to its proximity to the Northern State Parkway), Pasadena, Old Bethpage, and Stratford Road. There is also one Kindergarten Center, a school just for kindergarteners connected to Stratford Road Elementary School.
History
The Plainview-Old Bethpage School District was referred to as Central School District #4 until the 1970s.Two schools in Plainview have had the name Manetto Hill School. The original building was a one room school house, built in 1899. This building, which still stands, is adjacent to the much larger school of the same name, which was built in the 1950s. Today, both buildings are owned by the Mid-Island Y-JCC. The original building is immediately north of the JCC. The entrance to the building is on the front left side, but if you look closely on the right side opposite the entrance, you'll see the outline of what had been another door. When originally built, the building had separate entrances for boys and girls. The right door, now sealed off, was the girls entrance. The building now serves as an office for the Nassau-Suffolk Region Bnai Brith Youth Organization.Plainview once had two high schools, Plainview-Old Bethpage High School (opened February 23, 1960) and John F. Kennedy High School (built 1966); the schools were merged in 1992. Plainview-Old Bethpage High School is now Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School; the building which formerly housed the Plainview-Old Bethpage Middle School (formerly known as Plainview Junior High), now houses both Stratford Road Elementary School and the Kindergarten Center.Old Bethpage also had its own one room school house, named the Little Red Schoolhouse. This building, which stood until the 1970s, was located, appropriately enough, on Schoolhouse Road, just off of Round Swamp Road. The building was torn down and the property developed into several houses.
Closed schools
After a period of significant increases in classroom space in the 1950s and '60s declining enrollment led to school closures in the 1970s. As a part of these school closings, the district also reorganized its schools from K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12, to K-4, 5-8 and 9-12, in process renaming its junior high schools as 'middle' schools.Central Park Road (July 1, 1976)(demolished, present site of the Residence Inn Marriott)
Fern Place (July 1, 1974)(now the Association for Children with Down Syndrome)
Jamaica Avenue (now houses 3 day care centers/preschools, a private school, and a senior center.)
Joyce Road (July 1, 1978)(now theHebrew Academy of Nassau County)
The Little Red School House (demolished)
Manetto Hill Road I (now the offices of the Mid-Island Y JCC of Plainview}
Manetto Hill Road II (now theMid-Island Y JCC of Plainview- Main Building)
Oak Drive (July 1, 1976)(demolished)
Other districts
Some parts of geographic Plainview belong to other school districts. Some areas located by Woodbury Road are part of the Syosset Central School District and some areas south of Old Country Road are part of the Bethpage Union Free School District.
Library
The Plainview Library was first established in 1956, in rented space in the Morton Village Shopping Center. Significant increases in population caused the library to outgrow this space. In March 1962, voters approved a $711,000 bond issue to pay for the purchase of a nearly three acre parcel of land and development of a new library building. Two years later, the library moved into its new facilities. Since its construction, the building has had two major expansions to better serve the community's needs, including increased audio/visual and internet demands. In 2008, the library was made eligible to receive financing from the New York State Dormitory Authority, furthering its ability to develop and modernize its facilities in the future.
Parks
Plainview has numerous community parks tucked in between homes. Its primary park is the 19-acre (77,000 m2) Plainview-Old Bethpage Community Park, located on Washington Avenue. Opened in 1960, this park features an Olympic size pool, a children's pool, baseball/softball fields, tennis courts, racquetball/handball courts, basketball courts, a newly-built children's recreation playground, and trails through its woods. During the summer the park runs a concession stand. Parks in Plainview are administered by either the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums or the Town of Oyster Bay. In addition, the town is home to a nature preserve called the Manetto Hills Park. This undeveloped parkland was the formerly known as the Shattuck Estate.
Sports
Hawks Youth Lacrosse is the local Boys and Girls Youth Lacrosse organization for Plainview-Old Bethpage with teams playing in the Nassau County PAL League.Greater Long Island Runners Club, formerly known as the Plainview-Old Bethpage Roadrunners Club, is the largest runners club on Long Island.Plainview-Old Bethpage Highlanders Soccer Club is the youth soccer league.The Mid Island Y JCC has many activities for youths as well as seniors. It also has an accredited pre-school and day-camp for children.
Television
The PBS television station, WLIW, channel 21, broadcasts from Plainview on Channel 21 Drive.
Movies
Until the 1980s there were several movie theaters in the community. When the mutliplexes built in Hicksville and Commack drew patrons away from the local theaters, they all were converted to office or retail use.Century's Morton Village, Morton Village Shopping Center. This theater, located at the western end of the shopping center, was converted to retail space.
Old Country Theater. Located at the intersection of Old Country Road and Manetto Hill Road. This theater was immediately west of the Shell gas station. The building was converted to an office building, housing mostly medical offices.
RKO Plainview Twin. This movie theater was located behind the Plainview Centre on South Oyster Bay Road. This building was converted (and expanded) into today'sShoprite.
The Plainview, A Century Theater. This theater was located on South Oyster Bay Road (facing the Plainview Centre, noted above) and, therefore, technically, was in Hicksville, South Oyster Bay Road being the boundary line between Plainview and Hicksville. It was converted into an office building, housing mostly medical offices.
Notable current and former residents
Lois Feinstein, a freelance copywriter at the time, originally from Plainview, who was a contestant on the first show of theAlex Trebekversion ofJeopardy!.
Brad Greenberg, a graduate of Plainview JFK High School (Class of '72), is the head coach of theRadford Universitymen's basketball team.
Seth Greenberg, a graduate of Plainview JFK High School (Class of '74), is the head coach of theVirginia Techmen's basketball team.
Marc Iavaroni, a graduate of Plainview JFK High School (Class of '74), is an assistant coach of theToronto Raptors.
Aaron Karo, a graduate of Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School (Class of '97), is a professional comedian.
Jeffrey Miller, one of four students killed in theKent State Massacre, was born and raised in Plainview.
Tommy Rainone, Welterweight boxer, a graduate of Plainview Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School (Class of '98).
Charles W. Shea, World War II veteran and recipient of the CongressionalMedal of Honor. Ordered to take a hill near Mount Damiano, Italy, Shea proceeded alone, lobbing grenades at the enemy and engaging in a fire fight. He killed three gunners and ultimately obtained the surrender of six enemy soldiers before completing his mission and taking the hill.
Jamil Soriano, a graduate of Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School (Class of '99) andHarvard University, had a brief career in the NFL as an offensive lineman. He was a member of theSuper Bowl XXXVIIIchampionNew England Patriots.
Robin Young(born Robin Cardwell Youngs), (Class of '68), is a well-known television and radio personality in theBoston, Massachusetts area. She currently hostsPublic Radio International'sdaily news magazineHere and Nowwhich is produced atWBURin Boston.
Karen Montemarois a very highly regarded spokesperson for the fight against Breast Cancer. She has been a guest on shows such as Rosie O'Donnel and has been in multiple commercials. She has raised a great deal of money towards the cause, and has been the face of Avon, as a certified Beauty Advisor and excels at an Executive position. She was awarded the salesperson of the year back to back years, the first of the company. She supervises a small Long Island unit that sold more than $1 million in beauty products last year.
Scott Ullgeris the third base coach of the Minnesota Twins of the American League
ActorJohn Savage(born John Youngs; August 25, 1949) best known for his performances inThe Deer Hunter&Hairgraduated from Plainview-Old Bethpage High School in 1966.
ActressDiane Franklinwho has appeared in several made-for-television movies, as well as the film,The Last American Virgingraduated in 1980 from Plainview Old-Bethpage High School. At POBHS, Diane showed her dramatic & musical talents when she starred in school productions ofAnything GoesandGuys and Dolls.
Jessica Brungo, basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA
ActorHarrison Chad, most notably played Boots the Monkey onDora the Exploreron Nickelodeon and starred inCaroline, or Change.
Interesting facts
Plainview was home to at least two grandGold Coastestates.The Schwarzenbach Estate. Robert Schwarzenbach was a very successful textile manufacturer, who purchased an estate on Manetto Hill. The house was demolished long ago to make way for homes, however, one outbuilding still exists. It is located in the Manetto Hills Shopping Center. This building, originally the home provided to the estate's gardener, operated for many years as Malarkey's Tavern. The building presently houses a veterinarian's office. In addition, until the 1990s, a second building was still standing. This building, which had been the estate's chicken coop, was converted into a residence, where the gardener mentioned above eventually moved with his wife. It was located on Manetto Hill Road, just across from Nick Place.
The Shattuck Estate. The Shattuck Estate was purchased by successful New York City attorney, Edwin Paul Shattuck, who lived there until he died in the 1960s. He was a member of the Shattuck family who owned theFrank G. Shattuck Company, which operated, among other things, a restaurant chain known asSchrafft Foods.Mr. Shattuck was personal attorney for President Herbert Hoover. They were best friends and died within three days of each other. The property, which totals approximately 138 acres (0.56 km2), was almost developed in the 1970s until community activists forced the county to purchase the property and leave it as a nature preserve.It is located on Washington Avenue and has no signage to indicate its presence. The property's main house still exists.
The property known as the Nassau County Office Complex, located between the split of Old Country Road and Round Swamp Road, was once home to the Nassau County Sanitarium, a tuberculosis ward. Built on the Taliaferro Estate, primarily in Old Bethpage, the sanitarium was authorized by theNassau County Board of Supervisorsin 1930, and was completed in the early part of the same decade.As tuberculosis was brought under control, the complex ofGeorgian stylebuildings was closed in the 1960s.Following its closure, the facility was given over to mixed use, including the establishment of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in 1976 and a branch of theCornell Cooperative Extension.In 1999,Charles Wang, founder ofComputer Associatespurchased the 144-acre (0.58 km2) property from the county for $23 million.Included in the purchase was 1535 Old Country Road, which now houses the corporate offices of theNew York IslandersandNew York Dragons, both of which are owned by Wang. In addition, the building is home to the Wang-created, Plainview Chinese Cultural Center.
At least one movie is known to have partially filmed in Plainview, 1998'sJudy Berlindirected by Eric Mendelsohn.
The Mormon Church Pavilion from the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair was relocated to the town and is still in use.
Sources
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^There is a small community inPutnam County, New Yorkthat is namedManitou, in the 10524 ZIP code and presently served by the Garrison Post Office. There is also a town and a hamlet in Oswego County, NY, namedMinetto, with its own post office and 11315 ZIP code.
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^Plainview Library Voted
^L.I. Library Seeks $190,000 to Buy Site
^Plainview Library to Be Closed
^Expansion Planned at POB Library
^Update for Residents on Plainview Old Bethpage Public Library Expansion
^Key Support Obtained for Plainview-Old Bethpage Library
^Town of Oyster Bay- Parks Division
^',000,000 Park Dedicated'.The New York Times. 1962-05-21.http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F30C11FC3D5C177A93C3AB178ED85F468685F9.
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^Save Americas Forests: Carl Ross
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^abMcMorrow, Fred (1976-11-07).'Beyond the Drunk Tank'. NY Times.http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FB0911F83C5A13738DDDAC0994DC405B828FF1D3. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
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^Charles Wang Foundation Donates Plainview Chinese School to Enrich Asian Cultural Offerings For Long Islanders
Our Town: Life in Plainview-Old Bethpage 1600 Through Tomorrow, by Richard Koubek, published in 1987
