Bay Shore, New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bay Shore, New York | |
 |
|
  Bay Shore, New York
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Suffolk |
| Area | |
| - Total | 6.1 sq mi (15.8 km²) |
| - Land | 5.3 sq mi (13.7 km²) |
| - Water | 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²) |
| Elevation | 16 ft (5 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 23,852 |
| - Density | 4,524.5/sq mi (1,746.9/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 11706 |
| Area code(s) | 631 |
| FIPS code | 36-04935 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0943194 |
Bay Shore is a hamlet (and census-designated place), located in the town of Islip, County of Suffolk, New York. The population was 23,852 at the 2000 census.
Bay Shore has a railroad station of the Long Island Rail Road, which serves both commuters and vacationers as a major gateway to Fire Island.
Contents |
[edit] History
Before the late 19th century, Bay Shore was known at different times by the local Native American names Penataquit and Awixa.
The oldest house in town is the circa 1697 Sagtikos Manor, which functioned for a time during the American Revolution as local headquarters for British forces. George Washington used the manor as a stopover during a 1790 tour of Long Island.
Like nearby Babylon Village, Bay Shore from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries was a town renowned for its shopping district and resorts. Bordering the Great South Bay, Bay Shore became home to affluent New Yorkers looking to escape the city. It was a tourist spot during the summer, as the newly built Long Island Railroad enabled easy access from Manhattan. It later evolved into a New York bedroom community.
According to the Suffolk County Film Office, the Biograph movie studios started filming in 1902 in Bay Shore. The film cameras needed the bright light reflected by the ocean to properly expose the film.[1] The Keystone Kops had their start in Bay Shore, as did the early "Our Gang" shows.
Population increased significantly after World War II: From the mid-1950s through mid-1960s, housing developments were constructed on land that had previously been farms and unused woodlands.
Unfortunately, the town suffered a decline beginning in the late 1960s. A contributing factor to blight in its downtown shopping district may have been the building of the South Shore Mall (currently Westfield Shopping Center of Bay Shore).
The town was never incorporated. Without a local government, Bay Shore's prominent residents were unable to make local decisions that were instead left to the Town of Islip and Suffolk County. Density and demographics shifted in some older neighborhoods when rezoning permitted businesses, rental properties and multi-family dwellings where previously only single-family houses had been allowed. Many Main Street storefronts became dilapidated or vacant. The luxury Cortland Hotel along with other historical sites was closed, the parks were left unkempt, and disgusted long-term residents relocated.
Facilities and restaurants on the Great South Bay waterfront fared slightly better, partly because it is an embarkation point for ferries to villages on Fire Island that are not accessible by private car.
Several attempts were made at suburban regeneration from the 1970s through the 1990s. A planned aquarium was never built. However, a former movie theater and one time opera house was rebuilt and expanded into an attractive YMCA. Redeveloping Main Street continues to be a focal point, and efforts include new sidewalks, antique-style streetlights, new landscaping and parks. Main Street now has many new restaurants, clothing boutiques and other stores and offices.
[edit] Mansions & Estates: Remnants of the Town's Prominent Years
South of Main Street lies an area of estates and other large homes from the late 19th through early 20th centuries. Oconee Estates is the most well-known remaining estate section in Bay Shore; yet as grand as the homes are, they are not as opulent as many of the estates that were demolished and rezoned.
Awixa Avenue is known for its historic homes, like the W.H. Wray House (which is reputedly haunted by the ghost of Adeline Wray), the Awixa Castle, the Hulse House (which has fallen into disrepair), and the Guastavino Tile House.
[edit] Transportation serving Bay Shore
[edit] Roads
Bay Shore is accessible by major roads on Long Island such as:
- NY 27, known as Sunrise POW/MIA Highway
- NY 27A, Known as Main Street
- Southern State Parkway via Sagtikos Parkway
- I-495 or Long Island Expressway via Sagtikos Parkway
- CR-50 or Union Blvd. runs through Bay Shore, as bypass for Main Street
[edit] Airport
Bay Shore is approximately 12 miles from Long Island MacArthur Airport.
[edit] Train
Bay Shore is a stop on the Montauk Branch of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), which uses the newer double decker trains. The north track brings you to New York City to the west and the south track to Montauk to the east. The stop is a popular link for visitors from New York City and beyond traveling to Fire Island.
[edit] Ferries
Bay Shore has terminals for the Fire Island Ferries. They are located at the end of South Clinton Avenue, and Maple Street.
[edit] Buses
There are many bus stops in Bay Shore on different lines. The company that controls the buses is Suffolk Transportation Inc.
[edit] Geography
Bay Shore is located at (40.729857, -73.253722)[2].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the hamlet has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.8 km²).13.6 km² (5.3 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (13.30%) is water.
[edit] North Bay Shore Housing
On the north side of town was an area of rundown housing near the railroad that was torn down and replaced with town houses for those with low to moderate incomes. Some other of the smaller, older housing stock in the northern part of the hamlet has attracted an artist community.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2005, there were 18,000 people, 8,000 households, and 5,000 families residing in the hamlet. The population density was 4,524.5 per square mile (1,747.5/km²). There were 8,639 housing units at an average density of 1,638.7/sq mi (632.9/km²). The racial makeup of the hamlet was 71.99% White, 17% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 7% from other races, and 3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.86% of the population.
There were 8,194 households out of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 15.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.1 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the hamlet, the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the hamlet was $50,155, and the median income for a family was $69,046. Males had a median income of $49,878 versus $39,851 for females. The per capita income for the hamlet was $29,437. About 8.1% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Bay Shore Union Free School District
- Five elementary schools
- Mary G. Clarkson, grades K-2
- Brook Avenue School, grades K-2
- Fifth Avenue School, grades K-2
- Gardiner Manor School, grades 3-5
- South Country School, grades 3-5
- One middle school
- Bay Shore Middle School, grades 6-8
- One high school
- Bay Shore Senior High School, grades 9-12
Their mascot is the Marauder.
[edit] Famous residents of Bay Shore
- Broadcaster Amy Goodman grew up in Bay Shore.
- Former San Francisco Supervisor and gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk graduated Bay Shore High School in 1947.
- Author Mario Puzo lived the last part of his life in Bay Shore.
- Hip hop artist and actor LL Cool J grew up in Bay Shore.
- Actress Lilia Skala lived the remainder of her life in Bay Shore, where she died and was cremated.
[edit] Resources
- Suffolk County Planning Department
[edit] Films shot in Bay Shore
- 1969 : Last Summer directed by Frank Perry (filmed there and on Fire Island in the summer of 1968).
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.geocities.com/timmlimm/ourgang.htm, accessed September 15, 2007
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Bay Shore, New York is at coordinates Coordinates:
|
|||||||||||||||||
