Long Island
Hempstead, New York
Town and village in Nassau County
Long Island's largest town and its densest village center
Hempstead is both a town covering much of southwestern Nassau County and a village of the same name inside it. The village anchors a busy commercial district around Main Street and Peninsula Boulevard, while the town includes communities from Garden City and Rockville Centre to Levittown and the South Shore.
History & Local Character
Hempstead was settled by English colonists in 1644 under a Dutch patent, making it one of the oldest English settlements on Long Island. It remained agricultural into the 19th century, then grew rapidly with the Long Island Rail Road and postwar suburban construction.
Housing & Real Estate
The village mixes early-20th-century houses, garden apartments and newer rentals near the transit center. The wider town offers single-family homes from South Shore capes to larger lots in Garden City South and Point Lookout.
Restaurants & Shopping
Main Street and Fulton Avenue carry Latin American, Caribbean, Italian and South Asian restaurants, while the town's villages add their own downtown dining rows in Rockville Centre, Garden City and Long Beach.
Schools & Education
Hempstead Union Free School District serves the village, and the town contains more than 30 separate school districts, including Garden City, Rockville Centre, Oceanside and Uniondale.
Parks & Recreation
Hempstead Lake State Park, Valley Stream State Park and the town's neighborhood parks provide fields, playgrounds and lakefront walking, with Jones Beach a short drive south.
Transportation & Accessibility
The LIRR's Hempstead branch terminates in the village, with bus connections along Hempstead Turnpike and Peninsula Boulevard. The Southern State and Meadowbrook parkways are nearby.
Local Businesses
Main Street's shops and restaurants, Fulton Avenue's markets and the village's professional offices serve a diverse population, alongside contractor, auto and healthcare businesses across the town.
No businesses are listed in Hempstead yet. Add your business to be the first.
Nearby Attractions
- Hempstead Lake State Park
- Nassau Coliseum
- Jones Beach State Park
- Hofstra University
Advantages & Considerations
Advantages
- Transit access on the LIRR Hempstead branch
- Diverse business districts with lower rents than Manhattan
- Housing options across a wide price range
Considerations
- Traffic along Hempstead Turnpike
- School district boundaries vary widely within the town
- Municipal services are split between town and village
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hempstead a city?
No. Hempstead is a town in Nassau County, and the Village of Hempstead is one of the communities within that town.
How do I tell the Town of Hempstead from the Village of Hempstead?
The village has its own mayor and services and its own downtown; the town provides services to the unincorporated areas and villages that contract with it.