| Bay Shore, New York | |
|---|---|
| — Hamlet and CDP — | |
| Bay Shore Marina | |
| Motto: The Heart of the South Shore | |
| U.S. Census Map | |
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Bay Shore, New York
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| 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 (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 a census-designated place (CDP) located in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, USA. It is situated on the South Shore of Long Island, adjoining the Great South Bay. In 2008, Bay Shore celebrated the 300th anniversary of the purchase of the land from the local Indians. The population of the CDP was 23,852 at the time of the 2000 census.
The hamlet's name has changed several times. Early European settlers referred to the place as Penataquit and, earlier, Awixa; both names were used by the Native American Secatogue tribe. By the early 19th century it was renamed Sodom.[1] When and why the name was changed to Sodom remains a mystery. In 1842 it was changed to Mechanicsville, then back to Penataquit in 1849.[2] The name Penataquit proved unpopular. The name of the post office was finally changed to Bay Shore in 1868.[2][3]
Bay Shore is one of the older towns on Long Island. Sagtikos Manor located in West Bay Shore was built around 1697. It was used as a British headquarters during th Revolutionary War, during the time of the Battle of Long Island. It also is a place that President Washington stayed during his tour of Long Island in 1790.
The land that was to become Bay Shore proper was purchased from the Secatogue Indians in 1708 by John Mowbray, a teacher, for "several eel spears".[2]
Bay Shore became renowned in the late 19th century for its shopping district and resorts. With its convenience and appealing location along the Great South Bay and access to the barrier island of Fire Island. The rural hamlet became popular with affluent New Yorkers looking to escape the city and its gateway to white sand beaches and fishing villages of Fire Island. It was a tourist spot on weekends and during the summer, in large part because the newly built Long Island Railroad enabled easy access from the New York City lifestyle.
The population of Bay Shore increased significantly after World War II: From the mid-1950s through mid-1960s, a wide variety of housing developments were constructed on farms and unused woodlands. Those developments were settled largely by working and middle class first-time home buyers from New York City.
Despite strains on the community and brought on by sudden, substantial growth, the hamlet remained sound. Main Street continued to be one of the region's most popular shopping destinations.
Bay Shore suffered a decline beginning in the late 1970s. Without a local government, residents were unable to make decisions that were instead left to the Town of Islip and Suffolk County. The population density and demographics shifted 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 Cortland Hotel, along with other historic sites, was closed, the parks were unkempt, and many residents relocated. Construction of the South Shore Mall (currently Westfield South Shore) two miles north of Main Street took business away from the small businesses on Main Street. Deinstitutionalization caused psychiatric patients of the nearby Pilgrim State Hospital to be hastily relocated to rental housing downtown, often without sufficient professional support.[4] With the opening of the county's social services "mini-center" on Union Blvd, many residents witnessed an increase in crime, as indigents began wandering the streets and sleeping in public spaces and parks. Homes, businesses and restaurants on the waterfront fared better, partly because it's an embarkation point for ferries to beaches on Fire Island.
Several attempts to restore Bay Shore were made since the 1980s. A large number of upscale townhouses and condominiums were built in gated communities on the grounds of old estates. The former Bay Shore Theater and one-time opera house was renovated and expanded into a YMCA. The redevelopment of Main Street is ongoing; efforts include new sidewalks, antique-style streetlights, new landscaping and restored parks. Main Street has regained much of its popularity. There are many attractive new restaurants, clothing boutiques and other stores and offices. The Bay Shore Beautification Society transformed an empty lot on Main Street into a meditation garden that has since been recognized for its excellent design.
A US Battleship was to have been placed at the Bay Shore Marina. However, the water was deemed too shallow, and instead a decommissioned WWII torpedo was converted into a monument. The aging bulkhead and other dock structures at the Marina were rebuilt. A new waterpark was built at the marina with a renovated bath house and new landscaping having been completed by the summer of 2010.
The Bay Shore Public High School underwent an extensive renovation and an expansion from 2005 through 2008. The project has been noted for its close attention to architectural and historic detail
All department stores at the Gardiner Manor Mall having had their land leases not renewed were abandoned and eventually razed to make more efficient use of land. They have now been replaced by many new commercial buildings which include a Lowe's home improvement center. Some additional buildings in adjacent lots were also eliminated to make way for a new BMW dealership and other commercial businesses.
In 2008 and 2009 new condominiums were built next to the train station. Additionally, a pedestrian bridge was built over the tracks and the old underground tunnel between platforms was removed.
Bay Shore continues to support greater socioeconomic, religious and ethnic diversity.[5]
South of Main Street, also known as Montauk Highway, is an area of mansions and other large homes, built from the 1880s through the 1920s.
Though many architecturally impressive homes from that period remain, others have been subdivided, demolished or converted to commercial properties.
West of downtown, extending into neighboring Brightwaters is the best-known section of extant, older mansions and large houses. The Vitagraph Studios, one of the largest studios of the silent era, had a branch studio located at 94 Fourth Ave. in Bay Shore and operated in 1916
At the east end of the hamlet (Mainly on Awixa, Penataquit and Montgomery Ave.S) are the W.H. Wray House, the Hulse House and the Gustavino Tile House, among others. There was the now-razed J.P. Morgan Estate, a large white mansion owned by the Johnson + Johnson family. This peninsula was originally named Thurber's Neck and subsequently, renamed Penataquit Point.
Since 1891, Bay Shore has been served by volunteer firefighters of the Bay Shore Fire Department. The department is headquartered on Fifth Ave, and two stations located on Union Boulevard and East William St. The Department also serves Brightwaters and West Bay Shore.
Bay Shore is served by the Suffolk County Police Department 3rd precinct. Highways are patrolled by the New York State Police and Suffolk County Police Department.
Bay Shore is served by the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Volunteer Rescue Ambulance.[6] The department's primary territory is Bay Shore and Brightwaters.
Southside Hospital, which is part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, is located at 301 E Main Street in Bay Shore.
Bay Shore is accessible by major roads on Long Island such as:
Bay Shore is approximately 12 miles from Islip MacArthur Airport, commonly referred to as Long Island MacArthur Airport, in Ronkonkoma. MacArthur Airport runways being unable to accommodate jet aircraft require Bay Shore residents to travel to larger and more accommodative airports for air travel. These would include John F Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, both in the Borough of Queens in New York City, and Newark International Airport in Newark, New Jersey.
Bay Shore is a stop on the Montauk Branch of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). LIRR trains travel westward towards Babylon and New York City, and eastward toward Montauk. The Bay Shore stop is a popular stop for visitors traveling to and from Fire Island.
Bay Shore has terminals for the Fire Island Ferries, serving Atlantique, Dunewood, Fair Harbor, Kismet, Ocean Bay Park, Ocean Beach, Saltaire, and Seaview, among other smaller towns. They are located at the southernmost end of Maple Avenue. Some daily ferries to Atlantique also make a stop at the Bay Shore Marina, which is across the canal from the Maple Avenue ferries.
There are many bus stops in Bay Shore on different lines, these routes are provided by Suffolk County Transit. Most of the buses that run in the Bay Shore area are operated and maintained by Suffolk Bus Corp, a subsidary company of Suffolk Transportation Services, which provides transportation service for the Bay Shore Union Free School District. Suffolk Transportation Services is headquartered on Moffit Blvd in Bay Shore.
The Bay Shore CDP is located at (40.729857, -73.253722),[7] on the South Shore of central Long Island, approximately 42 miles from Manhattan and 79 miles from Montauk. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 6.1 square miles (15.8 km2). 5.3 square miles (13.7 km2) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2) of it (13.30%) is water.
The Bay Shore CDP also includes the hamlet of North Bay Shore. North of the hamlet of North Bay Shore is the CDP of North Bay Shore, which contains the hamlet of Pine Aire and part of the hamlet of Brentwood.[8]
The village of Brightwaters is west and south of a portion of the Bay Shore CDP; the hamlet of Islip is to its east, and the Great South Bay is to the south.[9]
Almost all of the North Bay Shore CDP and the West Bay Shore CDP have the same postal ZIP code as Bay Shore, and nearly all residents of those communities are also served by the Bay Shore School District, as are residents of the Village of Brightwaters. The US Post Office does not officially recognize North Bay Shore, nor West Bay Shore as correct postal addresses causing residents of those communities to use Bay Shore as their postal address. Portions of Fire Island are also served by the Bay Shore Post Office and Bay Shore School District
As of the census[10] of 2005, there were 18,000 people, 8,000 households, and 5,000 families residing in the CDP. 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 CDP was 71.99% White, 17% African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 7% from other races, and 3% from two or more races. Hispanics of any race comprised 1.986%.
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% were living alone and 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.1 and the average family size was 3.10.
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 CDP was $50,155, and the median income for a family was $69,046 (these figures had risen to $70,140 and $80,931 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[11]). Males had a median income of $49,878 versus $39,851 for females. The per capita income for the CDP 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.
The Bay Shore UFSD serves all communities of Bay Shore. This includes West Bay Shore, North Bay Shore and Bay Shore proper. Bay Shore School District colors are Maroon and White and the mascot is the Marauder.
In addition, Bay Shore Parochial School of St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church offers elementary education covering grades K-8 courses and curriculum.
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