Levittown is a
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 ...
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 counte ...
(CDP) in the
Town of Hempstead in
Nassau County, on
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. It is a suburb of
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, located halfway between the villages of
Hempstead and
Farmingdale. The CDP had a total population of 51,758 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the most populous unincorporated CDP in Nassau County and the second most populous CDP on Long Island, behind
Brentwood.
Levittown gets its name from its builder, the firm of
Levitt & Sons, Inc. founded by Abraham Levitt on August 2, 1929, which built the district as a
planned community
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
for returning
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
veterans between 1947 and 1951. Sons
William
William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...
and Alfred served as the company's president and chief architect and planner, respectively. Levittown was the first truly mass-produced
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
and is widely regarded as the archetype for postwar suburbs throughout the country.
William Levitt, who assumed control of Levitt & Sons in 1954, is considered the father of modern
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
ia in the United States.
There have been multiple proposals in the past to incorporate Levittown either as a village or as the third city in Nassau County.
History
Overview
The building firm, Levitt & Sons, headed by Abraham Levitt and his two sons, William and Alfred, built four planned communities called "Levittown", in
New York,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
(now
Willingboro Township), and
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
; the Levittown in New York was the first. Additionally, Levitt & Sons' designs are featured prominently in the older portion of
Buffalo Grove, Illinois;
Vernon Hills, Illinois
Vernon Hills is a suburb north of Chicago, Illinois in Lake County, Illinois, Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 26,850 at the 2020 census. Vernon Hills serves as a retail hub for its surrounding area (Libertyville, Illinois ...
; the Belair section of
Bowie, Maryland
Bowie () is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 58,329. Bowie has grown from a small railroad stop to the largest municipality in Prince George's County; i ...
; and the Greenbriar section of
Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia and the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 24,146.
Fairfax is pa ...
.
The Levitt firm began before World War II, as a builder of custom homes in upper middle-class communities on Long Island. During the war, however, the home building industry languished under a general embargo on private use of scarce raw materials. William "Bill" Levitt served in the Navy in the
Seabees
United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Forces (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Dependi ...
– the service's construction battalions – and developed expertise in the mass-produced building of military housing using uniform and interchangeable parts. He was insistent that a postwar building boom would require similar mass-produced housing, and was able to purchase options on large swaths of onion and potato fields in undeveloped sections of Long Island.
Returning to the firm after war's end, Bill Levitt persuaded his father and brother to embrace the utilitarian system of construction he had learned in the Navy. With his brother, Alfred, who was an architect, he designed a small one-floor house with an unfinished "expansion attic" that could be rapidly constructed and as rapidly rented to returning GIs and their young families. Levitt & Sons built the community with an eye towards speed, efficiency, and cost-effective construction; these methods led to a production rate of 30 houses a day by July 1948.
They used pre-cut lumber and nails shipped from their own factories in
Blue Lake, California, and built on concrete slabs, as they had done in a previous planned community in
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...
. This necessitated negotiating a change in the building code which, prior to the building of this community, did not permit concrete slabs. Given the urgent need for housing in the region, the town agreed. Levitt & Sons also controversially utilized non-
union contractors in the project, a move which provoked picket lines. On the other hand, they paid their workers well and offered multiple incentives that allowed them to earn extra money, so that they often could earn twice as much a week as elsewhere. The company also cut out middlemen and purchased many items, including lumber and televisions, directly from manufacturers. The building of every house was reduced to 26 steps, with sub-contractors responsible for each step. His mass production of thousands of houses at virtually the same time allowed Levitt to sell them, with kitchens fully stocked with modern appliances, and a television in the living room, for as little as $8,000 each (equal to $ today), which, with the
G.I. Bill
The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I. (military), G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in ...
and federal housing subsidies, reduced the up-front cost of a house to many buyers to around $400 (equal to $ today).
The planned 2,000-home rental community was quickly successful, with the ''
New York Herald Tribune
The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the '' New York Tribune'' acquired the '' New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and compet ...
'' reporting that half of the properties had been rented within two days of the community being announced on May 7, 1947. As demand continued, exceeding availability, the Levitts expanded their project with 4,000 more homes, as well as community services, including schools and postal delivery. With the full implementation of federal government supports for housing, administered under the
Federal Housing Administration
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), also known as the Office of Housing within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is a Independent agencies of the United States government, United States government agency founded by Pr ...
(FHA), the Levitt firm switched from rental to sale of their houses, offering ownership on a 30-year mortgage with no down payment and monthly costs the same as rental. The resulting surge in demand pressed the firm to further expand its development, which changed its name from Island Trees to Levittown shortly thereafter.
Levittown was designed to provide a large amount of housing at a time when there was a high demand for affordable family homes. This suburban development would become a symbol of the "
American Dream
The "American Dream" is a phrase referring to a purported national ethos of the United States: that every person has the freedom and opportunity to succeed and attain a better life. The phrase was popularized by James Truslow Adams during the ...
" as it allowed thousands of families to become home owners.
Unsuccessful incorporation proposals
In 1952,
Carl Sigman, who was running as the
Democratic candidate for county executive, stated that he felt it would be wise for Levittown to become incorporated as a city.
If successful, this would have been the third city to be incorporated within Nassau County, joining
Glen Cove and
Long Beach
Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...
.
Previously, locals had proposed incorporating their hamlet as a village.
Discriminatory practices
As well as a symbol of the American dream, Levittown would also become a symbol of
racial segregation in the United States
Facilities and services such as housing, healthcare, education, employment, and transportation have been systematically separated in the United States based on racial categorizations. Notably, racial segregation in the United States was the leg ...
, due to clause 25 of the standard lease agreement signed by the first residents of Levittown, who had an option to buy their homes. This "
restrictive covenant
A covenant, in its most general and covenant (historical), historical sense, is a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action. Under historical English common law, a covenant was distinguished from an ordinary contract by the ...
" stated in capital letters and bold type that the house could not "be used or occupied by any person other than members of the
Caucasian race
The Caucasian race (also Caucasoid, Europid, or Europoid) is an Historical race concepts, obsolete racial classification of humans based on a now-disproven theory of biological race. The ''Caucasian race'' was historically regarded as a biologi ...
."
[Lambert, Bruce (December 28, 1997]
"At 50, Levittown Contends With Its Legacy of Bias"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''
Such discriminatory housing standards were consistent with government policies of the time. The Federal Housing Administration allowed developers to justify segregation within public housing. The FHA offered mortgages only to non-mixed developments, which discouraged developers from creating
racially integrated housing. Before the sale of Levittown homes began, the sales agents were aware that no applications from
black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
families would be accepted. As a result, American veterans who wished to purchase a home in Levittown were unable to do so if they were black.
[Kushner 2009, p.44.]
William Levitt attempted to justify their decision to only sell homes to white families by saying that it was in the best interest for business.
He claimed their actions were not discriminatory but intended to maintain the value of their properties. The company explained that it was not possible to reduce racial segregation while they were attempting to reduce the housing shortage. Levitt said, "As a Jew, I have no room in my heart for racial prejudice, but the plain fact is that most whites prefer not to live in mixed communities. This attitude may be wrong morally, and someday it may change. I hope it will." The Levitts explained that they would open up applications to blacks after they had sold as many homes to white people as possible.
They believed that potential white buyers would not want to buy a house in Levittown if they were aware that they would have black neighbors.
An opposition group was formed, the Committee to End Discrimination in Levittown, to protest the restricted sale of Levittown homes, and to push for an integrated community. In 1948 the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
, in ''
Shelley v. Kraemer'', declared that property deeds stipulating racial segregation were "unenforceable as law and contrary to public policy".
Only well after the 1954 racial integration decisions, including ''
Brown v. Board of Education
''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the ...
'', was Levittown racially integrated, and even as late as the 1990 census, only a tiny fraction of the community was non-white.
Starting primarily in the 2010s, Levittown's demographics have been shifting as it has been attracting middle-class
South Asia
South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
n and Hispanic residents to the community.
Spread of the planned community
While the Levitts are generally credited with designing a postwar "planned community," with common public amenities such as swimming pools and community centers, they were quick to release these high-maintenance, low-profit elements to the surrounding towns; the development sprawled across municipal boundaries, causing legal and administrative difficulties and requiring major initiatives within those existing municipalities to provide for and fund schools, sewage and water systems, and other infrastructure elements.
In 1949, Levitt and Sons changed focus, unveiling a new plan which it termed a "
ranch
A ranch (from /Mexican Spanish) is an area of landscape, land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of farm. These terms are most often ap ...
" house. Larger, , and more modern, these homes were only offered for sale, with a planned price of $7,990 (equal to $ today). The ranch homes were similar to the rental properties in that they were built on concrete slabs, included an expandable attic but no garage, and were heated with hot-water
radiant heating pipes. Five models were offered that were effectively identical with differences in details such as exterior color and window placement. Again, demand was high, requiring that the purchasing process be streamlined as the assembly process had been, reaching the point that a buyer could walk through the process of selecting a house through contracting for its purchase in three minutes. This ranch model was altered in 1950 to include a carport and a built-in television. In 1951, a partially finished attic was added to the design.
Levittown proved successful. By 1951, it and surrounding regions included 17,447 homes constructed by Levitt & Sons.
On November 9, 2007, Levitt & Sons of
Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...
became the nation's largest builder to file for
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...
as the housing market boom of the early 21st century continued to crumble.
Timeline
*February 12, 1664: Jerusalem Purchase between John Seaman and Takapausha of the Massapequan Indians whereupon the English were granted rights to settle in on lands that now comprise southern and easternmost Levittown (south of Hempstead Tpke.), northern and eastern Wantagh, and most of Seaford. As Seaman established his farm, Cherrywood, two years later, near the current location of Salk Middle School and MacArthur High School, he was the first European to live in what's now Levittown. This is the start of the use of the word "Jerusalem" to describe the aforementioned areas.
* March 22, 1747: Land deed between the Seaman and Weeks families first to mention the Island of Trees endowing the general area of northern Levittown with the name "Island Trees".
* March 1, 1837: Rail service arrives at
Hicksville under the supervision of Valentine Hicks. The ensuing influx of German immigrant farmers and artisans opens the future Levittown area up to potato farming and other forms of development.
* February 11, 1907: William Levitt born to Abraham Levitt and Pauline Biederman Levitt in Brooklyn.
* May 21, 1947: Local governing board approves of the construction of a community that would become Levittown.
* October 1, 1947: Levittown's official beginning as a suburban entity with the first three hundred families – beginning with the Bladykas family – moving into their brand-new Levitt & Sons homes.
* January 1, 1948: The Jerusalem/Island Trees area is officially named "Levittown".
Place in American culture
As the first and one of the largest
mass-produced suburbs, Levittown quickly became a symbol of postwar suburbia. Although Levittown provided affordable houses in what many residents felt to be a congenial community, critics decried its homogeneity and blandness. Today, "Levittown" is used as a term to describe overly sanitized suburbs consisting largely of identical housing. Similarly, places have earned names like "Levittown-of-X" or "Levittown-on-the-X" as seen in Long Island's
Bayville "Levittown on the Sound" and Fire Island's
Dunewood "Levittown on the Bay." Oddly enough, although Levittown is remembered largely for its homogeneity, the majority of houses in Levittown have by now been so thoroughly expanded and modified by their owners that their original architectural form can be somewhat difficult to see; however, with diligent observation, several original examples can still be seen today. Levittown continues to hold a reputation of being an affordable, family-centered community.
Levittown has become so ingrained in American culture that the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
in Washington has expressed interest in displaying an entire Levittown house. Bill Yeingst, a historian with Smithsonian's
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center is a historical museum in Washington, D.C. It collects, preserves, and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific, and m ...
Domestic Life Division, said "An original ranch model would be ideal. We would like someone to donate their Levittown house, or we would like to find a donor to provide the funds so that we could secure a Levittown house." He noted that "The stories played out in suburban Levittown are the stories of America. They are stories important to everyone." Although "None of this is set in concrete," according to Yeingst, "the Levittown house would be dismantled at the site, transported to Washington and reconstructed. Then it would be exhibited along with other innovations in American home life."
Geography

According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.9 square miles (17.8 km
2), all land.
It does not conform to the U.S. Postal Service boundaries nor to the extent of the development built by Levitt & Sons; it also includes areas built by other developers.
Levittown, New York, is an
unincorporated area
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in Nassau County, New York. It can be defined in three overlapping but non-conforming ways.
The most common use is Levittown as defined by the
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...
's
Zip Code 11756. Another definition is the extent of the Levitt & Sons development built from 1947 to 1951. A third is the Census Designated Place (CDP) called Levittown as defined by the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
.
The United States Postal Service ZIP code called Levittown, New York, is 11756 and what is most commonly used to mean Levittown, New York. It does not include all the houses built in this area by Levitt & Sons and it does include houses built by other developers. The actual Levitt built development sprawls over three other postal zones,
Wantagh NY (11793) and
Westbury, NY (11590) in the
Town of Hempstead, and
Hicksville, NY (11801) in the
Town of Oyster Bay.
Climate
Levittown has a hot-summer
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(''Dfa'') and average monthly temperatures in the central CDP in the vicinity of
Hempstead Turnpike (NY 24) and Jerusalem Avenue range from in January to in July. The
hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...
is borderline between 7a and 7b, meaning that the average annual absolute minimum temperature is approximately .
Demographics
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 51,758 people, 16,833 households, and 14,031 families residing in the community. The population density was . There were 17,447 dwelling units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 75.7%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 9.3%
Asian, 1.3%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
, less than 0.1%
Native American, and less than 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
.
Hispanics
The term Hispanic () are people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an ethnic or meta-ethnic term.
The term commonly appli ...
or
Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spanish or Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race. According to th ...
of any race made up 16.3% of the population.
By the 1960s, Levittown's population was one-third Roman Catholic, one-third Jewish, and one-third Protestant.
[Manton, Paul (May 9, 2013]
"The Ecclesiastical History of the Levittown People "
'' Levittown Patch''
In the community, the population was spread out, with 18.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the community was $124,995, and the median income for a family was $132,887 (these figures had risen from $95,979 and $99,845 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $94,803 versus $79,962 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the CDP was $45,917. 1.0% of the population and 0.1% of families 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 ...
. Out of the total population, 0.2% of those under the age of 18 and 0.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Education

Levittown is served primarily by two public school districts, the
Island Trees Union Free School District with approximately 2,574 students and the
Levittown Union Free School District with approximately 7,380 students.
A small portion of the northwest corner of the hamlet is served by the
East Meadow Union Free School District.
The Island Trees Union Free School District serves northeastern Levittown, and portions of
Bethpage,
Seaford and
Plainedge. The district hosts
Island Trees High School, Island Trees Memorial Middle School, Michael F. Stokes Elementary School, and J. Fred Sparke Elementary School.
In 1982, Island Trees gained national attention from the United States Supreme Court case ''
Board of Education v. Pico''. The case determined that students' first amendment rights were violated when the school board removed several books it found objectionable from the high school's library.
The Levittown Union Free School District, which also serves
North Wantagh and the northern portion of Seaford, has two high schools:
Division Avenue and
General Douglas MacArthur, one career and technical institute: Gerald R. Claps Career & Technical Center, two middle schools: Wisdom Lane and Jonas Salk, and six elementary schools: Abbey Lane, East Broadway, Gardiners Avenue, Lee Road, Northside, and Summit Lane.
The Levittown School District dates back to the 19th century, originally called the Jerusalem School District of the Town of Hempstead.
Private schools include the Maria Montessori School, The Progressive School of Long Island,
and the South Shore Christian Elementary and Secondary School located in the former Geneva M Gallow Elementary School building.
Vocational schools available are the Brittany Beauty School, Hunter Business School,
and the
New York Chiropractic College.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Although there is no passenger rail service in Levittown proper, the
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 ...
provides service from the
Hicksville and
Bethpage stations on its
Main Line and from the
Wantagh and
Bellmore stations on the
Babylon Branch.
Levittown, along with the remainder of Nassau County, is served by the
Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) bus system along
Hempstead Turnpike.
Republic Airport, in neighboring
East Farmingdale, handles general aviation and charter services; the nearest commercial airports are
Long Island MacArthur Airport in
Ronkonkoma and
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is ...
and
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport ( ) – colloquially known as LaGuardia or simply LGA – is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, situated on the North Shore (Long Island), northwestern shore of Long Island, bord ...
in New York City proper.
Major roads
NY 24 runs west–east directly through the town, otherwise known as Hempstead Turnpike. This road features locally owned family businesses as well as many prominent chains, and it is the busiest and most congested road in Levittown.
Wantagh Parkway marks the western border of Levittown, with an exit onto Loring Road, a north–south local roadway. Gardiners Avenue also runs north-south through the center of the town, which becomes Jerusalem Avenue north of NY 24.
Wantagh Avenue is the main north-south road on the eastern edge of Levittown.
North Jerusalem Road (Old Jerusalem Road east of Gardiners Avenue) is a major west–east road that marks the southern border of Levittown to Wantagh.
Emergency services
Ambulance
The Wantagh-Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corps provides
paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional trained in the medical model, whose main role has historically been to respond to emergency calls for medical help outside of a hospital. Paramedics work as part of the emergency medical services (EMS), ...
level of care.
Founded in 1956 by Homer K. Moore as a means for transport for the residents of Wantagh and Levittown, WLVAC provides emergency care on ambulances staffed with trained volunteers.
Fire
Levittown is protected by three
volunteer fire department
A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respo ...
s, the Levittown Fire Department with 231 members operating out of 3 stations, Station 3 of the
East Meadow Fire Department which covers portions of Levittown west of Division Avenue, and Station 2 of the
Wantagh Fire Department which serves portions of Levittown South of Abbey Lane School.
Police
Levittown is patrolled by the eighth precinct of the
Nassau County Police Department
The Nassau County Police Department (also referred to as the Nassau Police & Nassau County Police and abbreviated as NCPD) is the law enforcement agency of Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on Long Island, New York (state), New York, Unit ...
.
Notable people
People born in Levittown:
*
Stephan Barea (1991– ), soccer player
*
Brand New band members
Jesse Lacey (1978), Vin Accardi, Brian Lane, and Garrett Tierney
*
Dan Cantor (1955– ), Socialist political leader and founder of the
Working Families Party
The Working Families Party (WFP) is a progressive minor political party in the United States, founded in New York in 1998. There are active chapters in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois ...
*
Kevin Covais (1989– ),
5th season ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' contestant, singer, actor
*
Tom Kapinos (1969– ) screenwriter (''
Dawson's Creek
''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college. It aired from January 20, 19 ...
''), executive producer and creator of ''
Californication''
*
David Falk (1950– ), American sports agent who primarily works with basketball players in the National Basketball Association; Michael Jordan's agent for the entirety of his NBA career
*
Brian Kilcommons (1953– ), famous American dog trainer
[Hamilton, Anita (April 30, 2006]
"He's a Dog's Best Friend"
''Time
Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
''
*
Miss Understood (Alex Heimberg),
drag artist, actor and businessperson
*
Adam Wurtzel (1985– ), television personality
People at one point living in Levittown:
*
Marshall Avener, gymnast, attended
Island Trees High School
*
"Irish" Bobby Cassidy (1944– ), professional boxer
*
David Catapano (1973– ), celebrity chef (''
Chopped''), lived in Levittown, New York for much of
his grade school years.
*
John A. Gambling (1930–2004), morning radio host on
WOR-AM
*
Ellie Greenwich
Eleanor Louise Greenwich (October 23, 1940 – August 26, 2009) was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Da Doo Ron Ron", " Be My Baby", " Maybe I Know", " Then He Kissed Me", " Do Wah Diddy Did ...
(1940–2009),
Songwriter Hall of Fame, songwriter
*
Bill Griffith
William Henry Jackson Griffith (born January 20, 1944) is an American cartoonist who signs his work Bill Griffith and Griffy. He is best known for his surreal daily comic strip '' Zippy''. The catchphrase "Are we having fun yet?" is credited t ...
(1944– ), cartoonist (''
Zippy'')
*
Steve Israel (1958– ), politician, attended
MacArthur High School
*
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...
(1949– ), musician, lived in a Levitt-built house in
Hicksville
*
Brian Kenny (1963– ), sportscaster on the
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television sports channel dedicated to baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball, with TNT Sports (United States), TNT Sports, Comcast's NBC Sports Group, Charter Communications, and Cox Communications h ...
, ''
SportsCenter
''SportsCenter'' (SC) is an American television sports news broadcasting show broadcast by ESPN. Originally anchored by Chris Berman, George Grande, Greg Gumbel, Lee Leonard, Bob Ley, Sal Marchiano and Lou Palmer, it premiered on Septem ...
'', ''
Friday Night Fights''
*
Donnie Klang (1985– ), hip-hop singer (''
Take You There'')
[ ]
*
Cyril M. Kornbluth (1923–1958),
Hugo- and
Prometheus Award
The Prometheus Award is an award for libertarian science fiction given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society. American author and activist L. Neil Smith established the Best Novel category for the award in 1979; however, it was not award ...
-winning science fiction writer (''
The Syndic
''The Syndic'' is a 1953 science fiction novel by Cyril M. Kornbluth.
Plot summary
The prologue introduces the setting, a future North America divided between rival criminal gangs, the Syndic on the East Coast and the Mob in Chicago
Chi ...
'')
*
Damian Maffei (1977– ), actor (''
Closed for the Season'')
*
Eddie Money
Edward Joseph Money ( Mahoney; March 21, 1949September 13, 2019) was an American singer and songwriter who, in the 1970s and 1980s, had eleven Top 40 songs, including " Baby Hold On", " Two Tickets to Paradise", " Think I'm in Love", " Shakin' ...
(1949–2019), musician (''
Two Tickets to Paradise''), attended
Island Trees High School though he lived in adjacent
Plainedge, New York
*
Sterling Morrison (1942–1995), guitarist with
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...
*
Bill O'Reilly (1949– ), political commentator, raised in a Levitt-built part of the adjacent community of
Salisbury
Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...
, also called South
Westbury
*
Harold R. Story (1919–1987), US Army major general
*
Moe Tucker (1944– ), drummer for
the Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...
In popular culture
* The 1954 Levittown documentary ''A City Is Born'' featured an interview with creator William J. Levitt, aerial views of the development, and a 45-second time-lapse sequence showing one of the houses being constructed.
* In a 1960 ''
Leave It to Beaver
''Leave It to Beaver'' is an American television sitcom that follows the misadventures of a suburban boy, his family and his friends. It starred Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers.
CBS first broadcast the show ...
'' episode titled "Larry's Club" (Season 3, Episode 22), Ward Cleaver told his son, Beaver, a story about groups of villagers long ago who built castles to exclude fellow villagers in order to teach Beaver that it was wrong to exclude others from joining clubs. In the next scene, in response to Ward's question about what stories people in castles told their children, his wife, June, responded, "Probably stories about Levittown."
* In 1962, singing comedian
Allan Sherman poked fun in his album ''
My Son, the Folk Singer'' with a parody of
Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...
's ''
Jamaica Farewell'': "I'm upside down. My head is turning around. Cause I've got to sell the house, in Levittown."
* In 1968, cartoonist
Bill Hoest created ''The Lockhorns of Levittown'' – which was later shortened to ''
The Lockhorns'' – a single-panel cartoon now syndicated to 500 newspapers in 23 countries.
*
''Mad'' magazine's June, 1970, parody of ''
Easy Rider'', named "Sleazy Riders", has a character who muses about a commune, "Ain't America people livin' together, an' sharin' homes together, an' sharin' kids together, and sharin' backyards and wives together?", to which another replies, "That ain't America, Man! That's Levittown!"
* In 1978, Bill Griffith wrote ''Is There Life After Levittown?'', a comic story about growing up in Levittown featured in "Lemme Outa Here Comics"
* Local high school teacher Gene Horowitz wrote the 1980 novel, ''The Ladies of Levittown,'' which "featured a titillating account of America's most famous suburb, scandalizing many residents, who recognized their own lives depicted in the pages."
* In the 1982 musical, ''
Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors may refer to:
* '' The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 American film
* ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film
* ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986 film), a 1986 American film based on th ...
'', Audrey, the slum dwelling heroine, dreams of a home "Somewhere that's Green", in which she sings "not fancy like Levittown"
*
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...
's 1982 album ''
The Nylon Curtain
''The Nylon Curtain'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released on September 23, 1982, and produced by Phil Ramone.
''The Nylon Curtain'' peaked at on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Billboard charts ...
'' shows an aerial view of Levittown on the inner sleeve. His 1989 song "
Leningrad
Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
" mentions Levittown.
* The 1985 W. D. Wetherell published short story, ''The Man Who Loved Levittown'', was published in a collection of the same name. The ''
Library Journal
''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...
'' reviewed the story (an O'Henry prizewinner) as "a World War II vet buys a house in Levittown where he spends the best years of his life. His wife has died, his grown children have left, and one by one his neighbors are selling out and moving to Florida. Beneath the talky, narrative voice of this story you discover the internal logic of a man pushed beyond reason to a desperate act".
*
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...
's 1989 movie ''
Born on the Fourth of July'', has two marines from the U.S. Marine "recruiting station in Levittown" do a recruitment presentation in protagonist
Ron Kovic's high school class.
*
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...
's 1990 movie ''
Edward Scissorhands
''Edward Scissorhands'' is a 1990 American gothic romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton. It was produced by Burton and Denise Di Novi, written by Caroline Thompson from a story by her and Burton, and starring Johnny Depp as the title ...
'' featured a suburbian plot that should replicate the look and feel of Levittown ("The director had envisioned replicating Levittown, New York, the archetype of postwar suburbanization
.. Carpenters Run
..matched that 1950s design.").
* Stewart Bird's 1994 documentary ''Building The American Dream: Levittown, NY'' explores Levitt's vision of rapidly constructing inexpensive tract homes, including rare archival footage and photos, an interview with Levitt and the reminiscences of numerous Levittown residents (including singer
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...
).
* October 24, 1997,
''Wonderland'', a satirical
documentary film
A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
about Levittown, produced and directed by John O'Hagan, premiered at the
TriBeCa Film Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...
. A review in ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' said of it: "The collective picture that emerges suggests a smug city slicker's condescending view of what could be almost any American small town."
*
Michael Chabon
Michael Chabon ( ;
born May 24, 1963) is an American novelist, screenwriter, columnist, and short story writer. Born in Washington, D.C., he spent a year studying at Carnegie Mellon University before transferring to the University of Pittsburgh, ...
's 2000 novel, ''
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay'', has Levittown paralleled by the fictional suburban community of "Bloomtown"
* The 2003 PBS series ''
Race: The Power of an Illusion'' by
California Newsreel, documents systemic racism in the development of early suburbs including Levittown and nearby Roosevelt.
* In
Gilmore Girls
''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. The show debuted October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flagship series for the network. The show ran fo ...
Season 3 episode 14 "Swan Song" Lorelai, Alex, Sookie, and Jackson attend a fictional musical called ''Levittown'' in Manhattan, after which they mock the show's quality.
* Anna Shapiro published a 2006 teen oriented book ''Living on Air''. It's described by the publisher as about a girl "raised in Levittown, Long Island. By the time she attended high school she concluded her parents were colossal failures who hid in a community in which all exterior houses were identical to one another."
* In 2006, Marc Palmieri's play ''Levittown''
was performed at the Axis Theater in New York. A review in the ''
Village Voice'' wrote: "We don't typically quibble with
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...
, but are unhappy families really so different? Or are they rather like the endless rows of postwar homes that William Levitt built on Long Island?" In July 2009 a to-scale reproduction of an original Levitt house was constructed at the Theatre at Saint Clement's in New York City for a revival of the play.
The set was designed by Michele Spadaro. Steven McElroy of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote an article in the Sunday Arts and Leisure section, "That Family Room? It Has a Certain Star Quality" on July 8, 2009.
* Levittown appeared on the February 2, 2010, episode entitled "Home Wrecked Home" of ''
Life After People: The Series'' on the History Channel.
* The song "The L-Town Shakedown (Levittown is for Lovers)" was released by the Long Island band
Patent Pending on their 2006 album "Save Each Other, the Whales Are Doing Fine"
* In 2008, Levittown was mentioned in the
Planet P Project
Planet P Project is a pseudonym used by American rock musician Tony Carey for his science-fiction themed, progressive rock/space rock music. Carey has released six albums under the Planet P Project name: ''Planet P'' (1983, later retitled ''Plan ...
album ''Levittown (Go Out Dancing, Vol. II)'', an album based upon life in post-war America and the early
space age
The Space Age is a period encompassing the activities related to the space race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events, beginning with the launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, and co ...
and
atomic age
The Atomic Age, also known as the Atomic Era, is the period of history following the detonation of the first nuclear weapon, The Gadget at the '' Trinity'' test in New Mexico on 16 July 1945 during World War II. Although nuclear chain r ...
. The title song paints Levittown as an "American Dream" of conformity.
* In 2014, Levittown appeared in the short documentary, ''Cash Mob for Avi,''
[Bolger, Timothy. "Center Lane Stationery in Levittown Closing Despite Cash Mob." Long Island Press, 2014. https://www.longislandpress.com/2014/12/24/center-lane-stationery-in-levittown-closing-despite-cash-mob/] about a struggling stationery store owner and the community that banded together to help him.
See also
*
Levittown, Pennsylvania
Levittown is a census-designated place (CDP) and planned community in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Delaware Valley, Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population was 52,699 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...
*
Levittown, Puerto Rico
*
List of Levitt & Sons housing developments on Long Island
*
List of sundown towns in the United States
*
Racial segregation in the United States
Facilities and services such as housing, healthcare, education, employment, and transportation have been systematically separated in the United States based on racial categorizations. Notably, racial segregation in the United States was the leg ...
*
Willingboro Township, New Jersey – another Levittown which has since reverted to its original name
References
Informational notes
Citations
Bibliography
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External links
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{{Authority control
Hempstead, New York
Census-designated places in New York (state)
Hamlets in New York (state)
Planned communities in the United States
Populated places established in 1947
Census-designated places in Nassau County, New York
1947 establishments in New York (state)
Hamlets in Nassau County, New York
Levittown