North Woodmere is an unincorporated

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

in the

Town of Hempstead, New York The Town of Hempstead (also known historically as South Hempstead) is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) in the U.S. state of New York. It occupies the southwestern part of the county, on t ...

, located in far western Nassau County on the South 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 the

Town of Hempstead The Town of Hempstead (also known historically as South Hempstead) is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) in the U.S. state of New York. It occupies the southwestern part of the county, on t ...

History

Prior to its development in the late 1950s, the land stretching from

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

to South Valley Stream was owned by attorney Franklin B. Lord (President of the Long Island Water Company in the late nineteenth century). The Water Company pumping station also occupied some of this property and is there to this day. His estate, known as "The Lord's Woods" went through Cedarhurst and Lawrence, all the way to

Far Rockaway Far Rockaway is a neighborhood on the eastern part of the Rockaway peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaways. The neighborhood extends from Beach 32nd Street east to the Nassau County line ...

. At Mill Road, the woods thinned out and there was farmland. The last vestige of these beautiful woods remains today at the Long Island Water Property. In 1956, as the housing boom transformed Nassau County's landscape, this last remaining area of natural woodland in southwest Nassau was the subject of a dispute between conservation groups, residents, and developers. Woodmere Woods, over 100 acres of woodland bordered by

Peninsula Boulevard Peninsula Boulevard is a major arterial road through southwestern Nassau County, New York. It runs southwest-to-northeast between Cedarhurst connecting the Five Towns area to the Village of Hempstead, and indirectly serves The Rockaways as wel ...

and Mill Road, was originally part of the Long Island Water Corporation's property. The Peninsula Shopping Center is now situated where Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts had camping weekends. By the late 1950s, technology had developed to dig deeper wells, and despite conservationists protesting, the Long Island Water Corp. opted to sell off a vast swath of their property for development. By the end of 1958, The woods were completely gone, and the newly developed area christened "North Woodmere Knolls." In 1962, voters approved the County of Nassau purchasing approximately of land and approximately of water for the development of North Woodmere County Park. While officially South Valley Stream (North Woodmere is served by the Valley Stream Post Office), the developers came up with a marketing ploy to associate their tract homes with the more upscale Five Towns. North Woodmere became part of Hewlett-Woodmere School District 14, and is unofficially considered part of The Five Towns due to their cultural and social relationships.

Geography

North Woodmere is directly north of Woodmere, but separated from it by Motts Creek. Access to Woodmere is available via Branch Boulevard, Brookfield Road, and a footbridge over the creek. Unlike Woodmere, North Woodmere is not part of the

Five Towns The Five Towns is an informal grouping of villages and hamlets in Nassau County, United States on the South Shore of western Long Island adjoining the border with Queens County in New York City. Although there is no official Five Towns de ...

, which consists of the villages of

and Cedarhurst, the hamlets of Hewlett, Inwood and Woodmere. Hungry Harbor Road is the main east–west route through North Woodmere, connecting with Branch Boulevard (to Cedarhurst) and Brookfield-Rosedale Road (to

Valley Stream Valley Stream is a village in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population in the Village of Valley Stream was 37,511 at the 2010 census. The incorporated Village of Valley Stream is within the Town of Hempstead, ...

). Park Lane provides access to upper Rosedale Road, and from there to

Francis Lewis Boulevard Francis Lewis Boulevard is a boulevard in the New York City borough of Queens. The roadway is named for Francis Lewis, a Queens resident who was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. The boulevard zigzags across Queens by inc ...

Sunrise Highway New York State Route 27 (NY 27) is a long state highway that runs east–west from Interstate 278 (I-278) in the New York City borough of Brooklyn to Montauk Point State Park on Long Island, New York. Its two most prominent com ...

, and the

Belt Parkway The Belt Parkway is the name given to a series of connected limited-access highways that form a belt-like circle around the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The Belt Parkway comprises three of the four parkways in what is known as t ...

and Cross Island Parkway junction.

Economy

A shopping mall is located on Rosedale Road. A former shopping center on Hungry Harbor Road became an assisted living center. The community is home to North Woodmere Park, a Nassau County park. The park includes a pool complex, a playground, a nine-hole golf course, a lighted driving range, and a fishing area.

Demographics

North Woodmere houses many residents with advanced degrees and higher educational attainment. Many residents attend four year colleges and professional schools thereafter. There is an educational culture throughout the town.

Government

North Woodmere is represented by Councilman

Bruce Blakeman Bruce Arthur Blakeman (born October 2, 1955) is an American attorney and politician currently serving as the 10th County Executive of Nassau County, New York. He was elected in the 2021 election, defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Curran. He ...

Culture

North Woodmere is home to several

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

s, including Congregation Ohr Torah, Young Israel of North Woodmere, Beis Haknesses of North Woodmere, Temple Hillel, Kodesh, Kehillas Bnei Hayeshivos, and Khal Lev Avos. In 1984,

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

addressed Temple Hillel.

Education

This area is served by two school districts: 15 ( Lawrence Public Schools) in the west, 14 (

Hewlett-Woodmere School District The Hewlett-Woodmere Public School District, Union Free School District 14, is located in the southwest section of Nassau County, New York and borders the New York City borough of Queens. Communities in the district include, in full or in part, ...

) in the center.

Notable residents

, first presiding officer of Nassau County. * David M. Friedman (born 1958), U.S. ambassador to Israel * Jeffrey M. Friedman (born 1954), discoverer of

Leptin Leptin (from Ancient Greek, Greek λεπτός ''leptos'', "thin" or "light" or "small") is a hormone predominantly made by adipose cells and enterocytes in the small intestine that helps to regulate Energy homeostasis, energy balance by inhib ...

Esther Jungreis Esther Jungreis (April 27, 1936 – August 23, 2016, 19 Menachem Av, 5776) was a Jewish, Hungarian-born, American author, and public speaker. She was the founder of the international Hineni organization in the United States. A Holocaust survivor ...

(1936-2016), founder of

Hineni Esther Jungreis (April 27, 1936 – August 23, 2016, 19 Menachem Av, 5776) was a Jewish, Hungarian-born, American author, and public speaker. She was the founder of the international Hineni organization in the United States. A Holocaust survivo ...

Wendy Kaufman Wendy Kaufman is an American television personality, known for being the spokesperson for Snapple and for her two stints on '' Celebrity Fit Club''. Early life and education Kaufman was born in North Woodmere, New York, to a homemaking mother ...

, spokesperson for

Snapple Snapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Keurig Dr Pepper and based in Plano, Texas, United States. The company (and brand), which was originally known as Unadulterated Food Products, was founded in 1972. The brand achieved som ...

and TV personality *

Norm Kent Norman Elliott Kent. (born 18 October 1949 in Brooklyn, New York) is a South Florida criminal defense attorney, publisher and radio talk show host. The founder and publisher of '' The Express'', in 1999, and '' South Florida Gay News'' in 20 ...

(born 1949), past president of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

NORML The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML ) is a social welfare organization based in Washington, D.C., that advocates for the reform of marijuana laws in the United States regarding both medical and non-medical use. Acc ...

, radio host, publisher. *

Seth Rudetsky Seth Dennis Rudetsky (born February 28, 1967) is an American musician, actor, writer and radio host. He currently is the host of ''Seth's Big Fat Broadway'' and ''Seth Speaks'' on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio's '' On Broadway''. The show focuses on R ...

, composer, musical director and talk show host.Gans, Andrew.
"Rhapsody in Seth's Rudetsky Fights Back With Santorum Fund"
, ''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's pr ...

'', May 7, 2003. Accessed September 17, 2008. "In his self-penned, one-man show directed by Peter Flynn — Rhapsody in Seth — Seth Rudetsky recalls growing up in North Woodmere, Long Island, where he was praised for his musical gifts but ridiculed for being gay." * Steve Spinner, founder of Sports Potential, adviser to Obama campaign, Department of Energy official.

External links

Hewlett-Woodmere Public Schools - District 14Lawrence School District - District 15

References

{{HempsteadNY Hempstead, New York Valley Stream, New York Hamlets in Nassau County, New York