Plandome, New York

Plandome is a village in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is one of the three villages which comprise the area of Cow Neck known as the Plandomes, and it is also considered part of the Greater Manhasset area, which is anchored by Manhasset. The population was 1,448 at the time of the 2020 census.

The Incorporated Village of Plandome was ranked fifth on ''Forbes'' 10 most affluent U.S. communities list in 2009.

History

Pre-incorporation (pre-colonization – 1910)

The location of what is now the Village of Plandome was originally inhabited by Matinecock Native Americans. These Native American inhabitants called the area Sint Sink, meaning "place of small stones."

During the 17th century, Dutch and English colonists began to settle the area, with fishing in Manhasset Bay and farming serving as a major industries. In 1623, Cow Neck was claimed by the Dutch West India Company, and they began forcing English settlers to leave in 1640. A land purchase in 1643 made it possible for English settlers to return to Cow Neck. This era saw members of prominent colonial families settle on the peninsula, including members of the Mitchill, Nicolls, and Willets families. The Mitchill family, which settled in the area in 1694, owned a significant portion of the land which would eventually become the village – as did the George Willets, of the Willets family, which has long had a large presence on Cow Neck and across Long Island.

The Great Neck and Port Washington Railroad, a subsidiary of the Long Island Rail Road, built what is today known as the Port Washington Branch through the community in 1898; Plandome became a flag stop until the opening of the permanent Plandome station in 1909. This new station would also house the community's U.S. Post Office, which would service all portions of what are now the Village of Plandome and Village of Plandome Manor, in addition to a portion of what is now the Village of Flower Hill.

During the first few years of the 20th century, four friends, all young men residing in New York City, purchased approximately of the property owned by the Mitchill family. They founded the Plandome Land Company, through which they subsequently developed vast swaths of the land with single-family homes, centered around Plandome Village Green and a large Tudor building which would eventually become Plandome Village Hall.

Village of Plandome (1911 – present)

The Village of Plandome was incorporated in 1911 as the Plandome Land Company began to develop land, though some homes, farmhouses, and mills had been built in the area in prior decades. Plandome, like the surrounding villages Plandome Manor and Plandome Heights, derives its name from the Latin ''Planus Domus'', meaning plain, or level home.

In 1913, the village established the Plandome Fire Department, a municipal fire department exclusively serving the village.

In 1943, the Plandome Post Office, which had operated as an independent branch up until that point, merged with the Manhasset Post Office. As part of the merger, the Plandome Post Office would continue to operate, but it would be reclassified as a branch of the Manhasset Post Office, thereby allowing the facility to remain in operation while enabling the residents of Plandome to receive home delivery services from the post office.

In January 1987, the original Plandome LIRR station house and the Plandome Post Office within it burned down in an arson attack executed by vandals. It was rebuilt, in addition to having its platform lengthened and refurbished, by 1990. The Plandome Post Office was also rebuilt within the structure, this time in its own, dedicated space on the ground floor, beneath the station's waiting room.

In the early 1990s, the Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore moved to Plandome from nearby Roslyn Estates; it moved to a property formerly used as a church by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the North Shore, which itself was moving to a new location in Manhasset.

The Village of Plandome celebrated its centennial in 2011.

In 2019, former Village Trustee Thomas S. Minutillo was elected as mayor through a write-in campaign. He was succeeded by former village trustee John "Jake" Kurkjian in 2023.

Landmarks

The Willets Farmhouse, for centuries a prominent structure in the area, was built circa 1810, by brewer George Willets of the Willets family of Cow Neck. The Almeron and Olive Smith House at 50 South Drive is dated to 1907 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which is land and 2.00% is water.

Topography

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Geological Survey, the highest point in Plandome is located on Parkwoods Road at the Plandome– Flower Hill border in the southeastern part of the village, at roughly , and the lowest point is Manhasset Bay, which is located at sea level.

Drainage

Plandome is located entirely within the Manhasset Bay Watershed, with some portions of the village draining directly to the bay while other portions drain to the Leeds Pond sub-watershed of the Manhasset Bay Basin.

Furthermore, the village, in its entirety, is also located within the larger Long Island Sound/Atlantic Ocean Watershed.

Climate

The Village of Plandome features a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) under the Köppen climate classification and is located near the broad transitional zone between humid subtropical and humid continental (Dfa) climates. Accordingly, the village experiences hot, humid summers and cold winters, and experiences precipitation throughout the entirety of the year.

Economy

Plandome is a bedroom community of the City of New York. As such, a significant number of its residents commute to/from New York for work.

The village itself is predominantly residential in character, with the heavy majority of lots within the village being zoned for single-family homes. There are no lots zoned for business or commercial uses and as such there are no business districts anywhere within the village.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 1,349 people residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 94.74% White, 0.82% African American, 0.07% Native American, 3.63% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.22% of the population.

Census 2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,272 people, 409 households, and 361 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 422 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 95.75% White, 0.24% African American, 0.08% Native American, 3.14% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.12% of the population.

There were 409 households, out of which 42.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 82.4% were married couples living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.7% were non-families. 11.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.7% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 18.2% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $192,073, and the median income for a family was $200,000. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $52,500 for females. The per capita income for the village was $95,102. About 2.8% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 2.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Village government

As of January 2025, the Mayor of Plandome is John "Jake" Kurkjian, the Deputy Mayor is Don Richardson, and the Trustees are Dr. Robert Broderick, James Corcoran, Esq., Don Richardson, and Damien Quinn.

Representation in higher government

Town representation

Plandome is located in the Town of North Hempstead's 5th council district, which as of January 2025 is represented on the North Hempstead Town Council by David A. Adhami ( R- Great Neck).

Nassau County representation

Plandome is located in Nassau County's 10th Legislative district, which as of January 2025 is represented in the Nassau County Legislature by Mazi Melesa Pilip (R- Great Neck).

New York State representation

= New York State Assembly

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Plandome is located within New York's 16th State Assembly district, which as of January 2025 is represented by Daniel J. Norber (R–Great Neck).

= New York State Senate

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Plandome is located in the New York State Senate's 7th State Senate district, which as of January 2025 is represented by Jack M. Martins (R– Old Westbury).

Federal representation

= United States Congress

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Plandome is located in New York's 3rd congressional district, which as of January 2025 is represented in the United States Congress by Thomas R. Suozzi ( D– Glen Cove).

United States Senate

Like the rest of New York, Plandome is represented in the United States Senate by Charles Schumer (D) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

Politics

In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Plandome voters voted for Donald J. Trump (R).

Parks & recreation

* Plandome Field and Marine Club – a waterfront park adjacent to Manhasset Bay.
* Plandome Village Green – a large green space in the heart of the village. It is also the location of Village Hall, which at one point was used as a school building.
* A portion of the private Plandome Country Club is located within the village's boundaries.

Education

School district

The Village of Plandome is located entirely within the boundaries of the Manhasset Union Free School District. As such, all children who reside within Plandome and attend public schools go to Manhasset's schools.

Library district

Plandome is located entirely within the boundaries of the Manhasset Library District.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road

Major roads in Plandome include Plandome Road and Stonytown Road. The portions of these two roads located within the village are owned and maintained by the village.

Rail

The Plandome station on the Long Island Rail Road's Port Washington Branch is located within the village. Plandome residents are able to obtain village parking permits in order to park at the station's two village-owned parking lots.

The Plandome Post Office is located within the station building, on the ground floor, below the waiting room.

Bus

There are no bus routes which run through (or otherwise directly serve) Plandome.

Utilities

Natural gas

National Grid USA provides natural gas to homes and businesses that are hooked up to natural gas lines in Plandome.

Power

PSEG Long Island provides power to all homes and businesses within Plandome.

= Street lighting

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As of August 2021, Welsbach Electric is Plandome's street lighting contractor, which maintains the village's street lights under contract with the village.

Sewage

Plandome is not connected to any sanitary sewer systems. As such, all areas within the village rely on cesspools and septic systems.

Trash collection

As of January 2025, trash collection services in Plandome are provided by Meadow Carting, under contract with the Village of Plandome.

Water

Plandome is served by the village-owned and operated Plandome Water System, which exclusively serves and provides the village with water.

Healthcare and emergency services

Fire

Plandome is protected by the Plandome Fire Department, which exclusively serves the village. The department maintains its headquarters and fire station at Plandome Village Hall, in the heart of the village.

Police

The Plandome Police Department, which exclusively served the village, was absorbed into the Nassau County Police Department in 1975. Police service is now provided by the Nassau County Police Department's Sixth Precinct.

Healthcare

There are no hospitals located within Plandome. The nearest hospitals to the village are St. Francis Hospital in Flower Hill and North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset.

Notable people

* Bruce R. Bent, founder of the Reserve Fund, first money fund
* Otto Blackwell, executive for American Telephone & Telegraph; lived at 15 North Drive
* Vernon and Irene Castle (1887–1918, 1893–1969), famous and influential husband-and-wife ballroom dance team
* Arthur G. Elvin, engineer, inventor, and politician who served as one of Plandome's mayors and the first mayor of nearby Flower Hill
* Melissa Errico, Broadway actress, songwriter, singer
* Norman "Boomer" Esiason, NFL quarterback and sports broadcaster
* Catherine Galbraith (1913–2008), author
* John Kenneth Galbraith (1908–2006), economist, diplomat, and author
* Kenny Gardner (1913–2002), singer, Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians
* Robert MacCrate (1921–2016), attorney, partner and vice chairman of Sullivan & Cromwell, former president of ABA
* Samuel L. Mitchill (1764–1831), U.S. senator, member U.S. House of Representatives, physician, lawyer and educator
* Bill O'Reilly, television host, political commentator
* Bobby Riggs (1918–1995), tennis champion
* Erika Slezak, Daytime Emmy award-winning actress
* Jo Spier (1900–1978), Dutch artist and illustrator who emigrated to the US
* Genesta M. Strong (1885–1972), first woman from Nassau County to be elected to the New York State Legislature, elected in 1944
* Kenny Williams (1914–1984), television announcer, actor, radio actor
* Roger Bullard, architect

In popular culture

Over the years, Plandome has been used to film – and has been mentioned in – several films and commercials. This includes chase scenes for a film featuring Hal Holbrook, which were filmed at the Plandome LIRR station. Many other films and commercials have been filmed at the station, particularly on its platform.

References

External links

Official website

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The Plandomes
Plandome (village), New York
Manhasset, New York
Town of North Hempstead, New York
Villages in New York (state)
Villages in Nassau County, New York
Populated coastal places in New York (state)
1911 establishments in New York (state)