Roslyn Harbor 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 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 1,067 at the time of the 2020 census. The Incorporated Village of Roslyn Harbor is located mostly in the Town of North Hempstead with small sections in the Town of Oyster Bay.

History

Prior to the European powers colonizing Long Island, the area was inhabited by the Matinecock Native Americans. The European powers began to settle in and colonize the area during the 17th century; many of the area's first settlers from Europe were Dutch and English. In the 19th century, many wealthy individuals from New York City began to erect large country estates on Long Island's Gold Coast – including many in what is now the Village of Roslyn Harbor. Roslyn Harbor incorporated as a village on October 17, 1931, as a result of the residents wishing to make their own zoning codes and other laws under the Municipal Home Rule Law. At the time, the majority of Roslyn Harbor consisted of a few large estates.

Etymology

The "Roslyn" part of Roslyn Harbor's name is shared with Roslyn, Roslyn Estates, 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, as 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. ...

. The "Harbor" part of the name reflects its proximity to

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 ...

. The name was chosen during the incorporation movement. An earlier proposed name was Roslyn Hills, due to its hilly location, proximity to Roslyn, and because the Long Island Rail Road advertised the area as the "Switzerland of Long Island." The "Hills" was substituted with "Harbor" after concerns were expressed that it could be mixed up with Roslyn Heights. Prior to incorporating, the area was generally considered part of Roslyn (which wouldn't incorporate until 1932), and before that name was chosen for the area in 1844, it was known as Hempstead Harbor.

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 Harbor 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 terminal 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, and is named for Harbor Hill in Roslyn & East Hills; Harbor Hill is the highest geographic point in Nassau County. 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 Harbor is located just southwest of the intersection of Dogwood Avenue and Spruce Street, at , and the lowest point in the village is Hempstead Harbor, which is at

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

Drainage

Roslyn Harbor is located within the

watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...

, and is also 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 Watershed.

Climate

According to 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 ...

, Roslyn Harbor has a

Humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(type Cfa) with cool, wet winters and hot, humid summers. Precipitation is uniform throughout the year, with slight spring and fall peaks.

Demographics

2010 census

, there were 1,051 people residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 83.63%

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 ...

, 1.43%

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 ...

, 11.80% Asian, 1.14% from other races, and 1.90% 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 5.33% of the population.

Census 2000

, there were 1,023 people, 356 households, and 301 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 367 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 91.59% White, 1.27% African American, 4.99% Asian, 1.08% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.32% of the population. There were 356 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.2% were married couples living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.4% were non-families. 12.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.12. In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 31.5% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males. The median income for a household in the village was $128,295, and the median income for a family was $150,000. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $41,071 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 $69,778. About 1.3% 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 3.3% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Parks and recreation

* Cedarmere – Former estate of

William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (November 3, 1794 – June 12, 1878) was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the '' New York Evening Post''. Born in Massachusetts, he started his career as a lawyer but showed an interest in poe ...

; now a park and preserve. William Cullen Bryant home

* Engineers Country Club – A private

country club A country club is a privately-owned Club (organization), club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Ty ...

in Roslyn Harbor. * Nassau County Museum of Art – A major art museum in Roslyn Harbor.

Government

Village government

, the Mayor of Roslyn Harbor is Sandy K. Quentzel, the Deputy Mayor is Joshua Kopelowitz, and the Trustees are James Friscia, Jasun Fiorentino, and Abby Kurlender.

Representation in higher government

North Hempstead Town Board

The parts of Roslyn Harbor in the Town of North Hempstead are located in its 2nd council district, which as of March 2024 is represented on the North Hempstead Town Council by Edward Scott ( R– Albertson).

Nassau County representation

Roslyn Harbor is located in Nassau County's 11th Legislative district, which as of March 2024 is represented in the Nassau County Legislature by Delia DiRiggi-Whitton (D– Glen Cove).

New York State representation

= New York State Assembly

= Roslyn Harbor is split between 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 ...

13th In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the Musical note, note thirteen scale degrees from the root (chord), root of a chord (music), chord and also the interval (music), interval between the root and the thirteenth. The thirteenth is m ...

and 15th State Assembly districts, which as of March 2024 are represented by Charles D. Lavine (D–Glen Cove) and Jacob Ryan Blumencranz ( R– Oyster Bay), respectively.

= New York State Senate

= Roslyn Harbor is located within 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 in the New York State Senate by Jack M. Martins (R– Old Westbury).

Federal representation

= United States Congress

= Roslyn Harbor is located within

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 Harbor 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 ...

Charles Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from New York, a seat he has held since 1999. A member of the Democratic Party, he has led the Senate Democratic Caucus si ...

(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 Harbor voters voted for Donald J. Trump (R).

Education

School districts

Roslyn Harbor is served by both the Roslyn Union Free School District and the North Shore Central School District. Students who reside in Roslyn Harbor and attend public schools go to one of these districts depending on where they live in the village.

Library districts

Roslyn Harbor is served by Roslyn's library district and by the Gold Coast Library District. The boundaries of the library districts correspond with the school district boundaries; Roslyn's library district (the Bryant Library) serves the part of Roslyn Harbor in the Roslyn Union Free School District and the Gold Coast Library District serves the part of Roslyn Harbor in the North Shore Central School District.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road

Northern Boulevard (NY 25A) passes through the village and forms much of its southern border. Other major roads within Roslyn Harbor include Back Road, Bryant Avenue (CR C26), Glen Cove Avenue (CR C91), Glen Cove Road (CR 1), and Glenwood Road (CR E25). Additionally, the Village of Roslyn Harbor owns and maintains approximately of roads.

Rail

The Greenvale station on the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...

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 ...

is located primarily within the Village of Roslyn Harbor, adjacent to the Roslyn Harbor– Greenvale border.

Bus

Roslyn Harbor is served by the n20H, n21, and n27 bus routes, which are operated by Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE).

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 Harbor.

Power

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

Sewage

Roslyn Harbor is not connected to any

sanitary sewer A sanitary sewer is an underground pipe or tunnel system for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings (but not stormwater) to a sewage treatment plant or disposal. Sanitary sewers are a type of gravity sewer and are part of ...

s, and as such, the entire village relies on cesspools and

septic systems A septic tank is an underground chamber made of concrete, fiberglass, or plastic through which domestic wastewater (sewage) flows for basic sewage treatment. Settling and anaerobic digestion processes reduce solids and organics, but the treatment ...

Water

Roslyn Harbor is primarily located within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Roslyn Water District. Smaller areas of the village are located within the boundaries of (and are thus served by) the Glenwood and Jericho Water Districts.

Notable people

– Poet and journalist. Bryant lived at Cedarmere. *

William J. Casey William Joseph Casey (March 13, 1913 – May 6, 1987) was an American lawyer who was the Director of Central Intelligence from 1981 to 1987. In this capacity he oversaw the entire United States Intelligence Community and personally directed the ...

– Former director of the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

; his Roslyn Harbor estate, ''Mayknoll'', was his principal place of residence from 1948 until his death in 1987. *

Childs Frick Childs Frick (March 12, 1883 - May 8, 1965) was an American vertebrate paleontologist. He was a trustee of the American Museum of Natural History and a major benefactor of its Department of Paleontology, which in 1916 began a long partnership wi ...

– Paleontologist. *

Brian Koppelman Brian William Koppelman (born April 27, 1966) is an American television and film writer, producer and director. Koppelman is the co-writer of ''Ocean's Thirteen'' and ''Rounders (1998 film), Rounders'', a producer of films including ''The Illusion ...

– Filmmaker, essayist, podcaster, TV series creator, former music business executive, and record producer. *

Gabriela Mistral Lucila Godoy Alcayaga (; 7 April 1889 – 10 January 1957), known by her pseudonym Gabriela Mistral (), was a Chilean poet-diplomat, educator, and Catholic. She was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order or Third Franciscan order. She was ...

– Chilean poet and Nobel laureate. * Eugene H. Nickerson – Former democratic Nassau County Executive (1962–1970) and federal district court judge. * Aaron Ward – Sailor and

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

officer who served in the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

; lived at Willowmere.

References

External links

Roslyn Harbor official website
{{Authority control Roslyn Harbor, New York Town of North Hempstead, New York Oyster Bay (town), New York Villages in New York (state) Villages in Nassau County, New York Populated coastal places in New York (state)