Old Westbury is a village in the Towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

, in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. The population was 4,671 at the 2010 census. The Incorporated Village of Old Westbury is one of the wealthiest villages in the country as well as the second-richest zip code in the New York State, topped only by Harrison in Westchester County. In 2007, ''Business Week'' dubbed Old Westbury as New York's most expensive suburb.Business Week, "The Most Expensive Suburbs of the Biggest U.S. Cities, New York City: Old Westbury"
/ref> Old Westbury Gardens has been recognized as one of the three best public gardens in the world by Four Seasons Hotels magazine.

History

Westbury was founded by Edmond Titus, and was later joined by Henry Willis, one of the first English settlers. Westbury had been a Quaker community of isolated farms until the railroad came in 1836. After the Civil War, the New York elite discovered that the rich, well-wooded flat countryside of the Hempstead Plains was a place to raise horses, and to hunt foxes and play

polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...

at the Meadow Brook Polo Club. The Village of Old Westbury was incorporated in 1924, separating itself from Westbury, the adjacent area that housed many of the families of the construction and building staffs for the Old Westbury mansions. The "Old" part of Old Westbury's name reflects the community's need for its postal address to be different from the Westbury in Cayuga County, as per postal requirements (it had been using a postal address of North Hempstead for this reason); residents did this when they wanted a local post office ca. 1841, and when they incorporated Old Westbury as a village, they felt that it would be confusing for the village name and post office name to be different from one another. The Village of Westbury, located adjacent to Old Westbury, adopted that designation when it incorporated in 1932 as Cayuga County's Westbury's name was no longer being used. The area was originally known as Wallage, which is related to a Native American term roughly meaning "ditch" or "hole." By February 1663, it was known as Wood Edge, and by October 1675 it was known as "the Plains edge" or simply Plainedge. The name Westbury began to be used for the area around 1683. The name Westbury was chosen by Henry Willis, who named it after

Westbury, Wiltshire Westbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, below the northwestern edge of Salisbury Plain, about south of Trowbridge and a similar distance north of Warminster. Originally a market town, Westbury was kn ...

, his hometown in England. Westbury House was the residence of Henry Phipps' eldest son,

John Shaffer Phipps John Shaffer Phipps (August 11, 1874 – May 12, 1958) was an American lawyer and businessman who was an heir to the Phipps family fortune and a shareholder of his father-in-law's Grace Shipping Lines. He was a director of the Hanover Bank, ...

. Today, the property is operated as Old Westbury Gardens.

Robert Low Bacon Robert Low Bacon (July 23, 1884 – September 12, 1938) was an American politician, a banker and military officer. He served as a congressman from New York from 1923 until his death in 1938. He is known as one of the authors of the Davis–Baco ...

built 'Old Acres' in the style of an Italian villa. Other landowners were

Thomas Hitchcock Thomas Hitchcock (23 November 1860 – 29 September 1941) was one of the leading American polo players during the latter part of the 19th century and a Hall of Fame horse trainer and owner known as the father of American steeplechase hor ...

and his family, Harry Payne Whitney and his wife the former Gertrude Vanderbilt, founder of New York's Whitney Museum, at Apple Green (formerly a Mott house), Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, whose estate is now subdivided into the Old Westbury Country Club and New York Institute of Technology. The architect

Thomas Hastings Thomas Hastings may refer to: *Thomas Hastings (colonist) (1605–1685), English immigrant to New England *Thomas Hastings (composer) (1784–1872), American composer, primarily of hymn tunes *Thomas Hastings (cricketer) (1865–1938), Australian cr ...

built a modest house for himself, 'Bagatelle', in 1908.

A. Conger Goodyear Anson Conger Goodyear (June 20, 1877 – April 24, 1964) was an American manufacturer, businessman, author, and philanthropist and member of the Goodyear family (New York), Goodyear family. He is best known as one of the founding members and first ...

, then president of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City had a house built in 1938 by famed architect Edward Durell Stone, who also destined the building for Conger's museum. In 2003, the

A. Conger Goodyear House The A. Conger Goodyear House is an NRHP listed historic home located at Old Westbury in Nassau County, New York. History The house was built in 1938 in the International style. The house was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone, and was ow ...

was added to the National Register of Historic Places to protect the structure from being demolished to subdivide the expensive land surrounding it. The estate of Robert Winthrop, an investment banker and member of the Dudley–Winthrop family, for whom Winthrop-University Hospital was named, has been similarly preserved. Part of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's estate and her sculpture studio has been preserved and maintained by one of her grandchildren, Pamela Tower LeBoutillier. When

Robert Moses Robert Moses (December 18, 1888 – July 29, 1981) was an American urban planner and public official who worked in the New York metropolitan area during the early to mid 20th century. Despite never being elected to any office, Moses is regarded ...

was planning the Northern State Parkway, the powers of Old Westbury forced him to re-site it five miles (8 km) to the south. Once the parkway was completed, many residents found it to not be the eyesore they had been anticipating and regretted making their commutes more inconvenient than necessary. In the 1950s, the state purchased land from Charles E. Wilson, a former president of

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

who needed to sell off his Old Westbury estate to pull himself out of financial crisis and relocate to the nation's capital to serve in President Dwight D. Eisenhower's cabinet. The land, which runs along an edge of the village, was used for the Long Island Expressway.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,228 people, 1,063 households, and 967 families residing in the village. The population density was 493.9 people per square mile (190.7/km²). There were 1,109 housing units at an average density of 129.5 per square mile (50.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 73.19% White, 4.24% African American, 0.02% Native American, 7.52% Asian, 3.67% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.14% of the population. There were 1,063 households, out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 82.2% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.0% were non-families. Of all households 5.6% were made up of individuals, and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.37. In the village, the age distribution of the population shows 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.2% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males. The median income for a household in the village was $163,046, and the median income in the village was $184,298 for a family. The median earnings of the 899 households (89.6% of total households) in the village that took in earnings supplemental to income was $230,721. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $45,200 for females. The per capita income for the village was $72,932. About 1.1% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

Residents are zoned to schools in one of four school districts, depending on where in the village they reside. They are the

East Williston Union Free School District The East Williston Union Free School District is a school district that serves all of East Williston and parts of Roslyn Heights, Albertson, Mineola, and Old Westbury in central Nassau County, New York New York most commonly refers to: * ...

, the Jericho Union Free School District, the Roslyn Union Free School District, and the Westbury Union Free School District.

Private schools

Holy Child Academy Holy Child Academy or "HCA", colloquially pronounced as , is a secondary school run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pagadian in Pagadian City, Philippines. HCA is the oldest among the Diocesan Schools of Pagadian and the second oldest school ...

– A private Catholic day school, grades K through 8.

Colleges and universities

New York Institute of Technology The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT or New York Tech) is a private research university founded in 1955. It has two main campuses in New York—one in Old Westbury, on Long Island, and one in Manhattan. Additionally, it has a cybersecu ...

– A private undergraduate and graduate university. * SUNY Old Westbury – A public, four-year liberal arts college.

Landmarks

* Meadow Brook Polo Club – The birthplace of American

; longest-running polo club in the United States. * Old Westbury Gardens – A public English style garden.

Notable people

Mrs Henry Phipps and Her Grandson Winston John Singer Sargent 1907

* Jean Aberbach, art collector, founder of Hill & Range music publishers that controlled much of the Elvis Presley catalog * Carol Alt, supermodel, television personality *

Frank Altimari Frank Xavier Altimari (September 4, 1928 – July 19, 1998) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and previously was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for th ...

, judge *

Artful Artful (1902–1927) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Artful was born at the Westbury Stable at Old Westbury on Long Island into a prominent racing family begun in 1898 by William Collins Whitney. The Whitney family remain t ...

, champion thoroughbred horse * Ashanti, musician *

Jerome Ash Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian, and historian; he is comm ...

, owner of

Sam Ash Music Sam Ash Music was founded in 1924, and is the largest family-owned chain of musical instrument stores in the United States, with 44 locations in 16 states. With corporate headquarters in Hicksville, New York, Sam Ash sells musical instruments, r ...

stores * Doe Avedon, fashion model and actress, wife of Richard Avedon, the inspiration for

Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...

's character in '' Funny Face'' (Avedon was legally adopted by the wealthy employer of her biological father who served as a butler until his death) *

, banker and congressman * Florence Bellows Baker, philanthropist and horticulturist *

Charles T. Barney Charles Tracy Barney (January 27, 1851 – November 14, 1907) was the president of the Knickerbocker Trust Company, the collapse of which shortly before Barney's death sparked the Panic of 1907. Early life Charles T. Barney was born on January 27 ...

, president of Wells Fargo & Company, president of the Knickerbocker Trust Company *

Alva Belmont Alva Erskine Belmont (née Smith; January 17, 1853 – January 26, 1933), known as Alva Vanderbilt from 1875 to 1896, was an American multi-millionaire socialite and women's suffrage activist. She was noted for her energy, intelligence, strong ...

, socialite, woman's suffragist * Oliver Belmont, son of August Belmont * Harvey R. Blau, former mayor and deputy mayor; chairman and former CEO of Griffon Corporation * Vira Boarman Whitehouse, woman suffragist, birth control proponent * Bold Reason, champion thoroughbred horse *

Albert C. Bostwick, Jr. Albert Carlton Bostwick Jr. (April 1, 1901 – September 26, 1980) was a member of the wealthy and prominent Bostwick family who became a steeplechase jockey and a Thoroughbred racehorse owner, breeder and trainer. Early life Albert Bostwick, ...

, steeplechase jockey, Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder/trainer, heir to the

Standard Oil Trust Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...

Dunbar Bostwick Dunbar Wright Bostwick (January 10, 1908 – January 25, 2006) was an American businessman, hockey player, pilot and horseman. Biography Dunbar Bostwick was the fourth child of Albert Carlton Bostwick Sr. and Mary Lillian Stokes. His father was ...

, horseman, pilot, sportsman, heir to the

* George Herbert Bostwick, US Tennis player, jockey, trainer * Pete Bostwick, Standard Oil heir, tennis champion *

Buckpasser Buckpasser (1963–1978) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1966 Horse of the Year. His other achievements include 1965 Champion Two-Year-Old, 1966 Champion Three-Year-Old, 1966 Champion Handicap Horse, and 1967 Champi ...

. champion thoroughbred horse * Carl Andrew Capasso, NYC contractor involved in bribery and tax evasion scandal *

Arielle Charnas Arielle Noa Charnas (born June 13, 1987) (nee Nachmani) is an American fashion blogger and influencer. She is known for a series of controversies during the COVID-19 pandemic and for the subsequent backlash from brand partners of her blog and In ...

, fashion designer and blogger * Michael Cimino, film writer and director *

F. Ambrose Clark Frederick Ambrose Clark (August 1, 1880 – February 26, 1964) was an American heir and equestrian. Early life "Brose" Clark was born on August 1, 1880 in Cooperstown, New York. He was the third son of Alfred Corning Clark (1844–1896) and Eliz ...

, equestrian, heir to Singer Sewing Machine Co. * Eliot Cross, architect and owner of Cross and Cross *

Marguerite Sawyer Hill Davis Marguerite Sawyer Hill Davis (March 31, 1879 - March 18, 1948) was one of the wealthiest women in the United States in the mid-1900s. One of her husbands, James Norman Hill, was a son of James J. Hill, a railroad tycoon. She was an art patron, socia ...

, socialite and one of the wealthiest women of her time * Herman Duryea, thoroughbred race horse owner and breeder * Herman Edwards, Kansas City Chiefs coach * Hervé Filion, harness racing driver *

Floyd H. Flake Floyd Harold Flake (born January 30, 1945) is an American businessman and former politician who is the senior pastor of the 23,000 member Greater Allen African Methodist Episcopal Cathedral in Jamaica, Queens, New York, and former president of ...

, member of U.S. House of Representatives * Max

Fortunoff Fortunoff is a New York-based retailer of outdoor furniture and jewelry. The company started as a home, jewelry and furniture retailer founded in 1922 by Max and Clara Fortunoff. After being sold to private equity companies in 2005 and 2009, t ...

, founder/owner of

department stores * Bethenny Frankel, SkinnyGirl cocktail founder, television personality ( Real Housewives of New York City,

Bethenny Ever After ''Bethenny Ever After'' is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on June 10, 2010. Developed as the second spin-off in ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it focuses on Bethenny Frankel from ''The Real Housewives of New Yor ...

), author of multiple titles making ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list *

Robert L. Gerry, Jr. Robert Livingston Gerry Jr. (December 5, 1911 – December 21, 1979) was an American polo player. Early life Gerry was born in New York City on December 5, 1911 to Robert L. Gerry Sr. and Cornelia Harriman. His eldest brother was Elbridg ...

, polo champion, real estate investor * Erica Gimbel, socialite, reality television star on Princesses: Long Island *

Anson Goodyear Anson Conger Goodyear (June 20, 1877 – April 24, 1964) was an American manufacturer, businessman, author, and philanthropist and member of the Goodyear family. He is best known as one of the founding members and first president of the Museum of ...

, philanthropist, chairman of Gaylord Container Corporation, director of

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, director of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad, first president of the Museum of Modern Art *

Victoria Gotti Victoria Gotti (born November 27, 1962) is an American writer and television personality. She is best known for being the daughter of Gambino crime family Mafia boss John Gotti. Early life Victoria Gotti was born November 27, 1962, in Brooklyn ...

, daughter of

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, reality television star, author *

Michael P. Grace Michael Paul Grace (1842 – September 20, 1920) was an Irish-American businessman who was a shareholder and chairman of the board of directors of W. R. Grace and Company shipping company of New York City and of Grace Brothers & Co. Ltd. of London ...

, chairman of W. R. Grace and Company (NYC) and Grace Brothers & Co. Ltd. (London, England) *

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, socialite, Truman Capote swan, celebrity gardener, author * Cornelia Guest, socialite, crowned "Deb of the Decade" by Andy Warhol (1980s), author * Frederick Guest, polo player, philanthropist, British politician and peer *

Winston Frederick Churchill Guest Winston Frederick Churchill Guest (May 20, 1906 – October 25, 1982), was an Anglo-American polo champion and a member of the Guest family of Britain. Early life Winston Frederick Churchill Guest was born on May 20, 1906, to Frederick Guest (18 ...

, Anglo-American polo champion, Phipps family heir * Marie Norton Harriman, First Lady of New York, wife of

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, art collector *

, architect, partner of Carrère and Hastings *

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, socialite, author * Charles Kelman, eye surgeon, medical pioneer * Gustave Maurice Heckscher, pioneer seaplane aviator * Frederick Hicks, congressman, diplomat *

James N. Hill James Newlin Hill (1934–1997) was a prominent processualist archaeologist (a student of Lewis Binford). Hill did most of his work in the American South West, published several papers on the Broken K Pueblo, Arizona. This study in particular has ...

, Great Northern Railway heir, son of "the empire builder" James J. Hill and Margaret Sawyer Hill *

, polo champion *

Adam C. Hochfelder Adam C. Hochfelder (born 1971) is an American real estate executive who co-founded the real estate firm Max Capital in 1996, with members of the powerful Kalikow real estate family. At its peak, Max Capital had ownership or management stakes in ...

, real estate magnate * Edward Francis Hutton, financier and co-founder of E. F. Hutton & Co. * Matthew Ianniello, restaurateur, alleged Genovese crime family acting boss. * Kevin James, actor *

Reza Jarrahy Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor

, plastic surgeon, former husband of actress Geena Davis * Peter S. Kalikow, real estate magnate, car collector, former Forbes 400 member, New York Post owner, Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey commissioner *

Foxhall Keene Foxhall Parker Keene (December 18, 1867 – September 25, 1941) was an American thoroughbred race horse owner and breeder, a world and Olympic gold medallist in polo and an amateur tennis player. He was rated the best all-around polo playe ...

, champion automobile racer, polo player, thoroughbred breeder, purported original namesake for "

Chicken à la King Chicken à la King ('chicken in the style of King') is a dish consisting of diced chicken in a cream sauce, often with sherry, mushrooms, and vegetables, generally served over rice, noodles, or bread.D'Amato, Luisa (October 17, 2007)Delicious, e ...

" * Ed Kranepool, New York Mets first baseman * Nicole Krauss, author, wife of Jonathan Safran Foer *

James Lanier James Franklin Doughty Lanier (November 22, 1800 – August 27, 1881) was an entrepreneur who lived in Madison, Indiana prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War (1861–1865). Lanier became a wealthy banker with interests in pork packing, ...

, entrepreneur, banker, founder of Winslow, Lanier & Co., owner of

Lanier Mansion The Lanier Mansion is a historic house located at 601 West First Street in the Madison Historic District of Madison, Indiana. Built by wealthy banker James F. D. Lanier in 1844, the house was declared a State Memorial in 1926, and remains an i ...

* John LeBoutillier, U.S. congressman * Jack Liebowitz, original co-owner of DC Comics * William Goadby Loew, financier and stockbroker * James Brown Lord, architect * Charles B. Macdonald, builder of first U.S. 18-hole golf course and several other influential courses, founder of United States Golf Association * Jack Martins, NYS Senator, former mayor of Mineola *

Marvin Middlemark Marvin P. Middlemark (September 16, 1919 – September 14, 1989) invented the Rabbit Ears television Antenna (radio), antenna (dipole antenna) in 1953 in Rego Park, Queens, New York (state), New York. Marvin P. Middlemark revolutionized how telev ...

, inventor of/patent-holder for the "rabbit ears" television antenna *

Devereux Milburn Devereux Milburn (September 19, 1881 – August 15, 1942) was an American champion polo player in the early to mid twentieth century. He was one of a group of Americans known as the Big Four in international polo, winning the Westchester Cup six ...

, champion polo player, attorney at

Carter Ledyard & Milburn Carter Ledyard & Milburn LLP is a New York City law firm. The firm was founded in 1854 by Henry Scudder and James C. Carter. Former partners * Grenville Clark, a member of the Harvard Corporation, co-author of the book ''World Peace Through W ...

, son of

John G. Milburn John George Milburn (December 14, 1851 – August 11, 1930) was a prominent lawyer in Buffalo, New York and New York City, a president of the New York City Bar Association, and a partner at the law firm Carter Ledyard & Milburn. Early life Mi ...

* E.D. Morgan III, Morgan family heir, Pioneer Fund director, grandson/namesake of the NY governor and U.S. Senator * Bess Myerson,

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

(1945) * Nas, rapper * John Parisella, successful horse trainer *

Darragh Park Darragh Park (July 24, 1939 – April 17, 2009) was an American Artist, and the literary executor of the estate of Pulitzer Prize–winning poet James Schuyler. Perhaps best known for his book cover illustrations, Park painted landscapes as well a ...

, artist, executor of the James Schuyler estate *

Angel Penna, Sr. Angel A. Penna Sr. (September 30, 1923 –January 15, 1992) was an Argentine-born U. S. Racing Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse trainer. Penna was an international trainer who worked and raced on three continents. He conditioned more than 250 ...

, thoroughbred horse trainer * Murray Pergament, founder of

Pergament Home Centers Pergament Home Centers was a home improvement store chain with stores in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. It specialized in the sale of flooring, paint, and wallpaper and was one of the first in the area to sell acrylic paint. At its zenith, ...

Henry Phipps, Jr. Henry Phipps Jr. (September 27, 1839 – September 22, 1930) was an American entrepreneur known for his business relationship with Andrew Carnegie and involvement with the Carnegie Steel Company. He was also a successful real estate investor ...

, Carnegie Steel Company partner, philanthropist * Henry Carnegie Phipps, Carnegie Steel Company heir, Phipps family heir, sportsman,

Wheatley Stable Wheatley Stable was the '' nom de course '' for the thoroughbred horse racing partnership formed by Gladys Mills Phipps and her brother, Ogden Livingston Mills. The horses were raised at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky. History Over the ye ...

owner * Hubert Beaumont Phipps, Phipps family and

Grace family The Grace family was an English cricketing family. Fourteen members of the family played first-class cricket, with brothers W. G., E. M. and Fred Grace (sometimes called the "three Graces") all going on to play Test cricket for England Members ...

heir, publisher, thoroughbred breeder *

, director of

U.S. Steel United States Steel Corporation, more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an American integrated steel producer headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with production operations primarily in the United States of America and in severa ...

and W. R. Grace & Co. *

Lillian Bostwick Phipps Lillian Stokes Bostwick Phipps (July 9, 1906 – November 27, 1987) was an American socialite and owner of Thoroughbred steeplechase racehorses. Early life Lillian Stokes Bostwick was born in New York City, the daughter of Mary Stokes and Alb ...

, socialite, thoroughbred horse stable owner * Michael Grace Phipps, polo champion, Phipps family and

heir, board member of Bessemer Trust and W.R. Grace & Co. * Ogden Phipps, Carnegie Steel heir, tennis champion, philanthropist * Leonard Pines, owner of Hebrew National * Fred Plum, neurosurgeon who developed the term " persistent vegetative state" and treated President Nixon * Lilly Pulitzer, designer, socialite * Aby Rosen, art collector and real estate mogul with holdings including the Seagram Building, Lever House, W

South Beach South Beach, also nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located east of Miami between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade Boulevard. This area was the fi ...

, Gramercy Park Hotel, Paramount Hotel, and Planet Hollywood

Miracle Mile Shops Miracle Mile Shops (formerly Desert Passage) is a 475,000 square foot (44,129 m²), long, enclosed shopping mall on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is home to more than 170 stores, 15 restaurants and live entertainment venues. Synony ...

Ely Sakhai Ely Sakhai (born 1952) is an American art dealer and civil engineer who owned Manhattan art galleries The Art Collection and Exclusive Art. He was later charged and convicted for selling forged art and was sentenced to 41 months in federal priso ...

, notorious gallery owner and art forger
Harvey Sanders
Nautica CEO, chairman of the board and president, Under Armour director * Steven Schonfeld, American

billionaire A billionaire is a person with a net worth of at least one billion (1,000,000,000, i.e., a thousand million) units of a given currency, usually of a major currency such as the United States dollar, euro, or pound sterling. The American busin ...

, ranked 371 on Forbes 400 *

Eleanor Searle Eleanor Searle Whitney McCollum (c. 1908 – August 12, 2002) was an independent woman of means who was married to two important American men, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and Leonard Franklin "Mac" McCollum. She achieved a unique and separable id ...

, philanthropist, singer * John Shalam, founder and CEO of Audiovox * Igor Sikorsky, airplane developer and first major producer of helicopters * David Simon, CEO of Simon Property Group *

Bernice Steinbaum Bernice Steinbaum is an American gallerist and curator who founded the Bernice Steinbaum Gallery in New York City in 1977. She has shown under-represented work ranging from women artists, feminist artists, civil-rights artists and artists of c ...

, gallerist, dealer, curator, juror, speaker, author * Howard Stern, entertainer * Beatrice Straight, member of Whitney family, Academy Award-winning actress *

Willard Dickerman Straight Willard Dickerman Straight (January 31, 1880 – December 1, 1918) was an American investment banker, publisher, reporter, diplomat and by marriage, a member of the very wealthy Whitney family. He was a promoter of Chinese arts and investments, an ...

, banker, diplomat, co-founder of '' The New Republic'' magazine * Harold E. Talbott, early aviator, president of Dayton-Wright Airplane Company, third United States Secretary of the Air Force. *

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, future owner of what is now the Merchant's House Museum in Manhattan *

Barry Van Gerbig Barend "Barry" van Gerbig (born 1939) is a US millionaire socialite best known as the owner of the National Hockey League's California Seals. Early life Van Gerbig was born in New York City as the son of attorney Howell van Gerbig and his wife D ...

, socialite, son-in-law of

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, NHL owner * Consuelo Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt family heiress, wife of, firstly, Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough and, secondly, record-breaking pilot

Jacques Balsan Louis Jacques Balsan (September 16, 1868 – November 4, 1956) was a French aviator and industrialist, born at Châteauroux (Indre) in 1868, who was the second husband of society beauty Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough. He married h ...

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, Vanderbilt family heiress, clothing and perfume designer * Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt family heir, prominent railroad industrialist, philanthropist and yachtsman * William Kissam Vanderbilt II, Vanderbilt family heir, prominent motor racer and yachtsman *

Francis Skiddy von Stade, Sr. Francis Skiddy von Stade (September 4, 1884 – February 19, 1967) was a champion polo player and the president of the Saratoga Association ( Saratoga Race Course) from 1943 to 1955. Early life Von Stade was born in New York, New York on Septembe ...

champion, Saratoga Race Course president * Ira Waldbaum, built up the Waldbaum's supermarket chain from a six store operation into one of the largest in the Northeast *

George Herbert Walker George Herbert "Bert" Walker Sr. (June 11, 1875 – June 24, 1953) was an American banker and businessman. He was the maternal grandfather of President George H. W. Bush and a great-grandfather of President George W. Bush, both of whom were nam ...

, banker and businessman, namesake and grandfather of U.S. president

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

, namesake and great-grandfather of U.S. President George W. Bush * Jimmy Walker, flamboyant

New York City Mayor The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...

, part of the powerful Tammany Hall machine * Electra Havemeyer Webb, collector, philanthropist, founder of the

Shelburne Museum Shelburne Museum is a museum of art, design, and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the museum grounds. It is located ...

* James Watson Webb, owner of '' New York Courier and Enquirer'' newspaper, politician *

J. Watson Webb, Jr. James Watson Webb III (known as J. Watson Jr.) (January 9, 1916 – June 10, 2000) was an American film editor and heir to both the Havemeyer family, Havemeyer and Vanderbilt family, Vanderbilt families. Early life He was born in Syosset, New ...

, film editor, heir to both the

Havemeyer Havemeyer is a German language, German surname. It may refer to the Havemeyer family. Notable persons with that name include: * Electra Havemeyer Webb (1888–1960), American antiques collector * Camilla Woodward Moss Havemeyer (1869–1934), Amer ...

and Vanderbilt families * William Collins Whitney, founder of the Whitney family, financier, U.S. Cabinet member, thoroughbred stable owner * Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, Vanderbilt family and Whitney family heir, financier, philanthropist * Dorothy Payne Whitney, Whitney family heiress, co-founder of The New Republic magazine and the Dartington School * Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Vanderbilt family heiress, founder of the Whitney Museum of American Art * Harry Payne Whitney, member of Whitney family, thoroughbred horse breeder *

Marylou Whitney Marie Louise "Marylou" Whitney (née Schroeder; December 24, 1925 – July 19, 2019) was an American socialite and philanthropist. A prominent owner and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses, Whitney was notable for "reigning for decades as the soci ...

, socialite, philanthropist, thoroughbred stable owner * Charles E. Wilson, president of

, U.S. Cabinet member * Robert Winthrop, member of the Dudley–Winthrop family, banker, philanthropist, namesake of Winthrop-University Hospital *

Steve Witkoff Steven Charles Witkoff (born March 15, 1957) is an American real estate investor and landlord based in New York City, and founder of the Witkoff Group. Early life and education Witkoff was born to a Jewish family in the Bronx and raised in Baldwin ...

, Witkoff Group founder, owner of the Woolworth Building * Louis Wolfson, financier, thoroughbred horse owner * Raphael Yakoby, creator of Hpnotiq *

Alexei Yashin Alexei Valeryevich Yashin (russian: Алексей Валерьевич Яшин; born 5 November 1973) is a Russian former professional ice hockey centre who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Ottawa Senators and New ...

, professional hockey player,

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...

In popular culture

Film

* '' Admission'' (2013), starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd filmed at HorseAbility at SUNY Old Westbury * '' The Age of Innocence'' (1993), starring Daniel Day-Lewis: the scenes depicting May Welland ( Winona Ryder)'s Floridian mansion were actually shot in Old Westbury * '' American Gangster'' (2007), starring

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...

: Dominic Cattano's house * '' Arthur'' (1981): the mansion that Arthur ( Dudley Moore) lives in * '' The Associate'' (1996): Whoopi Goldberg's character Ayers attends an Old Westbury house party dressed as Cutty (a man) for the first time * '' Bernard and Doris'' (2008): the Phipps' estate used for the Doris Duke (played by Susan Sarandon) mansion in Newport, Rhode Island * '' Blue Jasmine'' (2013): Old Westbury estate used in this Woody Allen film * '' The Bourne Legacy'' (2012), starring

Jeremy Renner Jeremy Lee Renner (born January 7, 1971) is an American actor and musician. He began his career by appearing in independent films such as '' Dahmer'' (2002) and ''Neo Ned'' (2005), then supporting roles in bigger films, such as ''S.W.A.T.'' (2 ...

, Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton: residences on the village's famous tree-lined street were shot for the film * ''

Captain Valedor Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

'' (2006): filmed in an Old Westbury home and backyard * '' Cruel Intentions'' (1999): the home of Kathryn ( Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Sebastian's ( Ryan Phillippe's) Aunt Helen on Long Island, where Annette ( Reese Witherspoon) is living * '' The Curse of the Jade Scorpion'' (2001) by Woody Allen: scenes shot at Old Westbury gardens and mansion * ''

Dark Horse A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might. Origin Th ...

'' (2012), starring Jordan Gelber,

Selma Blair Selma Blair Beitner (born June 23, 1972) is an American actress. She played a number of roles in films and on television before obtaining recognition for her leading role in the film '' Brown's Requiem'' (1998). Her breakthrough came when she s ...

Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...

and Mia Farrow: Old Westbury homes were shot to serve as Abe's (Gelber's) home and the "fantasy" home * '' From the Terrace'' (1960), starring

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

and Joanne Woodward * '' Hitch'' (2005), starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes: Allegra Cole's * ''

Just Tell Me What You Want ''Just Tell Me What You Want'' is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lumet. It stars Ali MacGraw, Peter Weller and Alan King, and was also Myrna Loy's final film. The screenplay by Jay Presson Allen, adapted from her novel, won h ...

'' (1980) by

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. He was nominated five times for the Academy Award: four for Best Director for ''12 Angry Men'' (1957), ''Dog Day Afternoon'' (1975), ''Network'' (1976), ...

* ''

Love Story Love Story or A Love Story may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres * Romance (love) ** Romance film ** Romance novel Films * ''Love Story'' (1925 film), German silent film * ''Love Story'' (1942 film), Italian drama film * ''Love ...

'' (1970), starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal: the home of Oliver's wealthy father * '' Lovesick'' (1983), starring Dudley Moore, Elizabeth McGovern, and

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including ''Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (194 ...

* '' The Manchurian Candidate'' (2004): the Phipps' estate used for the home of Eleanor Shaw (played by Meryl Streep) * '' The Muppets'' (2011), Phipps mansion filmed as home of Tex Richman, an oil tycoon played by Chris Cooper * ''No Hard Feelings'' (2023), starring

Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress. The world's highest-paid actress in 2015 and 2016, her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide to date. She appeared in ''Time''s 100 most influential people i ...

and Matthew Broderick: “giant house party” scene filmed in Old Westbury home * '' North by Northwest'' (1959) by

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

: Townsend's home, where Roger Thornhill ( Cary Grant) is taken after being kidnapped * ''

Reversal of Fortune ''Reversal of Fortune'' is a 1990 American drama film adapted from the 1985 book ''Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case'', written by law professor Alan Dershowitz. It recounts the true story of the unexplained coma of socialite Sunny ...

'' (1990), starring Glenn Close and Jeremy Irons: the Knole estate used for interiors of the Sunny von Bülow mansion * '' The Swimmer'' (1968), starring

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

* '' To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar'' (1995), starring Wesley Snipes and Patrick Swayze: film's final scene * '' Wolf'' (1994): the country home of Laura (

Michelle Pfeiffer Michelle Marie Pfeiffer (; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer. A prolific performer whose List of Michelle Pfeiffer performances, screen work spans over four decades, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and ...

) where Jack Nicholson's character first becomes a wolf, which appears on the DVD cover

Television

* '' Alpha House'': The forthcoming second season of the Amazon series starring John Goodman had scenes filmed in an Old Westbury estate * '' Gossip Girl'': Season two's nineteenth episode, "The Grandfather", originally airing March 23, 2009, featured an Old Westbury estate as the "van der Bilt" mansion * '' Paper Dolls'': 1984 primetime drama starring

Morgan Fairchild Morgan Fairchild (born Patsy Ann McClenny; February 3, 1950) is an American actress. She began acting in the early 1970s and has had roles in several television series since. Fairchild began her career on the CBS daytime soap opera '' Search for ...

, Nicollette Sheridan,

Lauren Hutton Lauren Hutton (born Mary Laurence Hutton; November 17, 1943) is an American model and actress. Born and raised in the southern United States, Hutton relocated to New York City in her early adulthood to begin a modeling career. Though she was ini ...

and Mimi Rogers * ''

Person of Interest "Person of interest" is a term used by law enforcement in the United States, Canada, and other countries when identifying someone possibly involved in a criminal investigation who has not been arrested or formally accused of a crime. It has no leg ...

'': Season one's seventeenth episode, "Baby Blue", originally airing March 8, 2012, included Moretti's car crash and other road scenes filmed in Old Westbury. The series returned to Old Westbury for the fifth season's sixth episode, "A More Perfect Union", originally airing May 23, 2016, which included horse-riding scenes at the Dudley–Winthrop family estate and a wedding at the

Alexander de Seversky Alexander Nikolaievich Prokofiev de Seversky (russian: link=no, Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Проко́фьев-Се́верский) (June 7, 1894 – August 24, 1974) was a Russian-American aviation pioneer, inventor, and inf ...

mansion. * '' Royal Pains'': Season one's third episode, "Strategic Planning", originally airing June 18, 2009, features the Phipps estate as the home of a wealthy senator and used the lawn as a University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish practice field * '' Sex and the City'': Season five's finale episode, "I Love a Charade", originally airing September 8, 2002, featured an Old Westbury home in place of an estate in the Hamptons

Reality television

* '' America's Castles'':

A&E Network A&E is an American basic cable network, the flagship television property of A&E Networks. The network was originally founded in 1984 as the Arts & Entertainment Network, initially focusing on fine arts, documentaries, television drama, dramas, and ...

documentary series on gilded age homes featured Peggy Phipps Boegner touring one of the Phipps family's estates on the episode airing August 8, 1995, entitled "The Gold Coast". * '' Growing Up Gotti'':

reality series about life in

's Old Westbury home in 2004 and 2005 * '' Princesses: Long Island'':

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels *Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 *Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...

reality series, which features Old Westbury resident Erica Gimbel as one of the six original cast members * '' Secrets and Wives'': upcoming

reality series, that features the lives of women living in Old Westbury and surrounding towns, including residents Cori Goldfarb and Liza Sandler, who was infamously caught cheating on her then husband with Donny Deutsch * '' Selling New York'': In season five's first episode, "A Prince Looks for a Property...", originally airing January 19, 2012, Prince Lorenzo Borghese views an Old Westbury estate, along with two other North Shore properties, but ultimately does not purchase any of the properties because he found that they each were too large

Wealth

According to ''Bloomberg/Businessweek'', as of 2011, Old Westbury is the second "richest" town in the United States, trailing behind only

Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...

. The magazine previously dubbed the town "New York's wealthiest suburb." Based on a study done by ''Bloomberg'' in 2015, the average household income in the village is greater than $640,000. In 2011, ''Forbes'', having done a study of "America's Millionaire Capitals", found that the average net worth of Old Westbury households was $19.6 million and with an average annual income of $1.2 million. The controlled study included only households with incomes greater than $200,000, which excluded only residents that are living in college dormitories and the staff of homeowners. The village is famous for being the seat of many of New York's (and America's) wealthiest families, including the Phippses, Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Webbs,

Du Pont DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...

s, Winthrops, Mortimers, Belmonts and Huttons. While many of these older families—the founding members of the social elite and those that emerged during the gilded age—still count members as Old Westbury residents, the village has also maintained a substantial set of industrialists, businessmen, collectors, athletes and entertainers. The Old Westbury Fund is a hedge fund that is named after the town. When '' Forbes'' asked billionaire investor Steven Schonfeld what the "wisest investment" he ever made was, his answer was "Old Westbury land".

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Town of North Hempstead, New York Oyster Bay (town), New York Villages in New York (state) Villages in Nassau County, New York