Roslyn Estates is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on the North Shore of

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

, United States. It is considered part of the Greater Roslyn area, which is anchored by the Incorporated Village of Roslyn. The population was 1,318 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

Before the village (pre-colonization – 1931)

The area where Roslyn Estates is located was originally inhabited by the Matinecock Native Americans. European colonists started to settle in the area in the 17th century – specifically settlers of Dutch and English heritage. From that point until the early 20th century, much of what is now the Village of Roslyn Estates consisted of farmland and estates. Around 1908, the land was purchased by developer Dean Alvord, who also developed

Prospect Park South Prospect Park South is a small neighborhood in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, located south of Prospect Park. It is included within the Prospect Park South Historic District, which was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservati ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

and Belle Terre in

Port Jefferson Port Jefferson, also known as Port Jeff, is an Administrative divisions of New York (state)#Village, incorporated village in the Administrative divisions of New York (state)#Town, town of Brookhaven, New York, Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New Y ...

. On this land, Alvord would create the planned, residential community which today forms the Village of Roslyn Estates, under the name "Roslyn Estates, Incorporated". It was nicknamed "The Eden of Long Island" when originally developed, due to the community's design and setting. In 1911, the community's civic association, known as the Association of Roslyn Estates, was formed. As of 2024, it is the oldest active civic association in Nassau County.

Village of Roslyn Estates (1931 – present)

In 1931, residents decided to try incorporating Roslyn Estates as a village, due to the fact that the community's original

deed restriction A covenant, in its most general and 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 presence of a seal. B ...

s were set to expire around that time. Their efforts to incorporate were successful, and the Village of Roslyn Estates was incorporated on June 8, 1931. In the mid-1950s, a housing development, known as Homes in Roslyn Estates, was constructed in the village, and sponsored by builders Edward Fineberg and Arthur Bandes and consisting of 60

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 ...

and split-level homes designed by architect Stanley J. Shaftel. In 1972, Roslyn Estates Village Hall was built. It was designed by John A. Grammas on land given to the village by the firm of Saul Sokolov, Inc., which had developed that section of Roslyn Estates several years prior. In 1974, Mayor Robert D. Zucker attempted to have the boundaries of the Manhasset Park District redrawn to include the village after the district added an additional 260 parking spaces to the commuter parking fields at the

Manhasset Manhasset is an affluent hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is considered the anchor community of the Greater Manhasset area. The population was 8,176 ...

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 ...

station. Zucker stated that many Roslyn Estates residents preferred the Manhasset station over the closer Roslyn station due to the fact that service to/from Pennsylvania Station on the

Port Washington Branch The Port Washington Branch is an electrified, mostly double-tracked rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It branches north from the Main Line at the former Winfield Junction stat ...

is direct, whereas a change at

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

is required on the

Oyster Bay Branch The Oyster Bay Branch is a rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The branch splits from the Main Line (Long Island Rail Road), Main Line just east of Mineola station ...

. By having the district boundaries redrawn to include the village, Roslyn Estates residents would have the ability to be guaranteed a parking space at the Manhasset station for commuting to/from

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. Officials from both the Town of North Hempstead and the Manhasset Park District – as well as Manhasset residents – lamented the idea, given that Roslyn Estates is not part of the Greater Manhasset area, and felt that the needs of Greater Manhasset should be paramount for the Manhasset Park District. The proposal was ultimately denied. Roslyn Estates celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1981.

Etymology

The name of Roslyn Estates was taken directly from the name which was used by the community's original development group, Roslyn Estates, Incorporated. The "Roslyn" part of its name is shared with Roslyn, Roslyn Harbor, and

Roslyn Heights Roslyn Heights is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is considered part of the Greater Roslyn area, which is anchored by ...

, and ultimately can be traced back to when the name "Roslyn" was chosen for that village, which was chosen because the geography in Roslyn reminded officials of the geography of

Roslin, Scotland Roslin (formerly spelt Rosslyn or Roslyn) is a village in Midlothian, Scotland, 11 kilometres (7 mi) to the south of the capital city Edinburgh. It stands on high ground, near the northwest bank of the river River Esk, Lothian, North Esk. ...

Geography

According to 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 village has a total area of , all land.

Topography

Like the rest of Long Island's North Shore, Roslyn Estates is situated on a

terminal moraine A terminal moraine, also called an end moraine, is a type of moraine that forms at the terminal (edge) of a glacier, marking its maximum advance. At this point, debris that has accumulated by plucking and abrasion, has been pushed by the front e ...

known as the

Harbor Hill Moraine The Harbor Hill Moraine, in the geography of Long Island, forms the northern of two ridges along the "backbone" of Long Island. Description The Harbor Hill Moraine, skirting the North Shore, represents the terminal moraine of the most recent ...

. This moraine was formed by

glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

s during the Wisconsin Glacial Episode, The moraine is named for Harbor Hill – the highest geographic point in Nassau County, which is located in nearby East Hills. According to the

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...

and the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

, the highest point in Roslyn Estates is located between The Pines and The Hemlocks, at , and the lowest point is located near The Locusts, at approximately .

Drainage

Roslyn Estates is split among four minor

drainage area A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, th ...

s: Inner

Hempstead Harbor Hempstead Harbor (also known as Hempstead Bay) is a bay hugging the northern coast of Long Island, in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York. Located off of the Long Island Sound, it forms the northernmost portion of t ...

(part of the Hempstead Harbor Watershed), Hempstead Lake, Mill River (both part of the Mill River Watershed), and Leeds Pond (part of the

Manhasset Bay Manhasset Bay, New York, is an embayment in western Long Island off Long Island Sound. Description Manhasset Bay forms the northeastern boundary of the Great Neck Peninsula and the southwestern boundary of the Cow Neck Peninsula ( Port Was ...

Watershed), and is located within the larger

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

Watershed.

Climate

The Village of Roslyn Estates features a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

. As such, the village experiences hot, humid summers and cold winters, and experiences precipitation throughout the entirety of the year.

Economy

Roslyn Estates is a

bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

of the City of New York, which is how the community was originally developed to be by Dean Alvord. As such, a significant number of Roslyn Estates 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. The village has a business district along the south side of Northern Boulevard, which is where the heavy majority of businesses within the village are located. The exceptions are the former Roslyn Estates Sales Office and former Highland Elementary School towards the southeastern edge of the village; these buildings are now a restaurant and house of worship, respectively.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 1,318 people residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 80.57%

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 ...

, 0.91%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.01% Native American, 12.82% Asian, 0.98% from other races, and 4.09% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 3.18% of the population.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,251 people residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 90.25% White, 0.40% African American, 8.23% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.

Census 2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,210 people, 401 households, and 354 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 410 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 93.22% White, 0.17% African American, 4.88% Asian, 1.24% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.23% of the population. There were 401 households, out of which 46.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.3% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.7% were non-families. 9.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.22. In the village, the population was spread out, with 31.6% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the village was $154,849, and the median income for a family was $157,402. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $65,893 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 village was $73,628. About 2.0% of families and 2.5% of the population 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 ...

, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

Roslyn Estates features a number of small parks and green spaces. Those parks and green spaces include: * Azalea Park * Black Ink Pond (formerly known as Lotus Pond) * The Fenway Preserve * The Loch Pond (also known as Little Turf Pond) Roslyn Estates also has a number of other green spaces as well as walking paths and landscaped

traffic island A traffic island is a solid or painted object in a road that channels traffic. It can also be a narrow strip of island between roads that intersect at an acute angle. If the island uses road markings only, without raised curbs or other physica ...

s with gardens. Additionally, a private tennis club, the Tennis King, is located adjacent to Village Hall at the southern edge of the village, and Christopher Morley Park forms part of the border between Roslyn Estates and North Hills.

Government

Village government

As of May 2025, the Mayor of Roslyn Estates is Adam Koblenz, and the Trustees are Brett Auerbach, Brian Feingold, Stephen Fox, and Susan Rubinstein. All elected officials on the Board of Trustees serve 2-year terms and are unpaid. The following is a list of Roslyn Estates' mayors, from 1931 to present:

Representation in higher government

Town representation

Roslyn Estates is located entirely within the Town of North Hempstead's 6th council district, which as of March 2024 is represented on the North Hempstead Town Council by Mariann Dalimonte ( D– Port Washington).

County representation

Roslyn Estates is located in Nassau County's 10th Legislative district, which as of March 2024 is represented in the Nassau County Legislature by Mazi Melesa Pilip ( R–

Great Neck Great Neck is a region contained within Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, which covers a peninsula on the North Shore and includes nine incorporated villages, among them Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza, Kings Poin ...

New York State representation

= New York State Assembly

= Roslyn Estates is located in the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

's 16th State Assembly district, which as of March 2024 is represented by Gina L. Sillitti (D– Manorhaven).

= New York State Senate

= Roslyn Estates is located in the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

's 7th State Senate district, which as of March 2024 is represented by Jack M. Martins (R– Old Westbury).

Federal representation

= United States Congress

= Roslyn Estates is located in

New York's 3rd congressional district New York's 3rd congressional district is a List of United States congressional districts, congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in the New York (state), State of New York. It is represented by Democratic Party (Un ...

, which as of March 2024 is represented in the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

by Thomas R. Suozzi (D– Glen Cove).

= United States Senate

= Like the rest of New York, Roslyn Estates is represented in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

by Charles E. Schumer (D) and

Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York since 2009 ...

(D).

Politics

In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Roslyn Estates voters voted for Kamala D. Harris (D).

Education

School district

The Village of Roslyn Estates is located entirely within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Roslyn Union Free School District. As such, all children who reside within Roslyn Estates and attend public schools go to Roslyn's schools. The Roslyn Union Free School District's former Highland Elementary School was located in the village; the building became a synagogue after the school's closure and would later become a church.

Library district

Roslyn Estates is located within the boundaries of Roslyn's library district, which is served by the Bryant Library. The Bryant Library is located in adjacent Roslyn.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road

One state-owned road travels through Roslyn Estates: Northern Boulevard (NY 25A); Northern Boulevard forms the western half of the northern boundary of Roslyn Estates, with Flower Hill. Mineola Avenue (CR E64), Old Northern Boulevard (CR D71), and Searingtown Road (CR 101) (all owned and maintained by Nassau County) form the eastern, northeastern, and most of the western boundaries of the village, respectively. Additionally, the Village of Roslyn Estates owns and maintains roughly of roads.

= Street layout

= Roslyn Estates features a winding and organic street layout, which meanders and can be unpredictable. Many streets, such as The Hemlocks and The Birches, use a street naming convention based on nature, including plants, flowers, and trees, and begin with "The."

Rail

No rail service passes through Roslyn Estates. The nearest

stations to the village are Roslyn on the

and

on the

Bus

Roslyn Estates is served by the n20X, n20H, n21, and n23 bus routes, which are operated by Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE). These four bus routes travel through the area via Northern Boulevard and Old Northern Boulevard, along the northern border of Roslyn Estates. Additionally, NICE's n40X bus route runs north–south along the eastern border of the village, via Mineola Avenue – as does NICE's n23 Mineola Direct service.

Utilities

Natural gas

National Grid USA provides

natural gas Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...

to homes and businesses that are hooked up to natural gas lines in Roslyn Estates.

Power

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

Sewage

Roslyn Estates is partially sewered. The southern part of Roslyn Estates is within the Nassau County Sewage District, and roughly 60-70 lots were hooked up to it as of 2013. Another, smaller sewer district exists within Roslyn Estates, called The Birches Sanitary Sewer District. This village-owned district includes roughly 25 homes and flows into Nassau County's system. The remainder of Roslyn Estates relies on cesspools and septic systems.

Water

Roslyn Estates is located within the boundaries of the Roslyn Water District, which provides the entirety of Roslyn Estates with water.

Healthcare & emergency services

Healthcare

There are no hospitals located within Roslyn Estates. The nearest hospital to the village is St. Francis Hospital in Flower Hill.

Fire

The Village of Roslyn Estates is located entirely within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Roslyn Fire District, which consists of the Roslyn Highland Fire Department and the Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 of Roslyn.

Police

The Village of Roslyn Estates is served by 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 ...

's 6th Precinct, with RMP 617 assigned as the patrol car for the entire village.

Notable people

* Joel Connable – Television host, news anchor, and reporter. *

Allison Danzig Allison "Al" Danzig (February 27, 1898 – January 27, 1987) was an American sportswriter who specialized in writing about tennis, but also covered college football, squash, many Olympic Games, and rowing. Danzig was the only American sportswri ...

– Sportswriter for ''

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 ...

''; author; lived on The Birches. * Steven B. Derounian – Former United States Congressman. *

Fontaine Fox Fontaine Talbot Fox Jr. (June 4, 1884 – August 9, 1964) was an American cartoonist and illustrator best known for writing and illustrating his ''Toonerville Folks'' comic panel, which ran from 1913 to 1955 in 250 to 300 newspapers across North ...

– Cartoonist and illustrator known for works such as ''

Toonerville Folks ''Toonerville Folks'' ( ''The Toonerville Trolley That Meets All the Trains'') is a newspaper comic strip feature by Fontaine Fox, which ran from 1908 to 1955. It began in 1908 in the ''Chicago Post'', and by 1913, it was syndicated nationally by ...

''. * I. Michael Leitman – Surgeon and Dean for Graduate Medical Education at Mount Sinai Health. * Lori "Loire" Cotler – Musician; grew up in Roslyn Estates. *

Bernard Madoff Bernard Lawrence Madoff ( ; April 29, 1938April 14, 2021) was an American financial criminal and financier who was the admitted mastermind of the largest known Ponzi scheme in history, worth an estimated $65 billion. He was at one time ...

– Former

NASDAQ The Nasdaq Stock Market (; National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the U.S. by volume, and ranked second on the list ...

chairman and

Ponzi scheme A Ponzi scheme (, ) is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays Profit (accounting), profits to earlier investors with Funding, funds from more recent investors. Named after Italians, Italian confidence artist Charles Ponzi, this type of s ...

swindler. Madoff and his family resided on Dianas Trail. *

Ruth Madoff Ruth Madoff ( ; Alpern; born May 18, 1941) is an American former bookkeeper and the widow of Bernie Madoff, the convicted American financial fraudster who served a prison sentence for a criminal financial scheme until his death in April 2021. A ...

– Wife of Bernard Madoff. * Mark Madoff – Son of Bernard and Ruth Madoff. * Andrew Madoff – Son of Bernard and Ruth Madoff. * Christopher Morley – Author, journalist, and poet; lived on The Birches. * David B. Pall – Chemist, inventor, and the founder of the Pall Corporation. * Herb Sheldon – Children's entertainer; lived on The Glenada. * J. Russell Sprague – First County Executive of Nassau County.

Association of Roslyn Estates

The Association of Roslyn Estates is the civic association for the Village of Roslyn Estates. Founded in 1911, it is the oldest civic association in the County of Nassau. Its original headquarters was at the intersection of Mineola and Warner Avenues. This building still stands in that location, and is now used as a restaurant.

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control Roslyn Estates, New York Town of North Hempstead, New York Villages in New York (state) Villages in Nassau County, New York 1931 establishments in New York (state)