Babylon, New York Explained

Babylon, New York
Official Name:	Town of Babylon
Settlement Type:	Town
Coordinates:	40.6944°N -73.3294°W
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Name:	United States
Subdivision Type1:	State
Subdivision Name1:	New York
Subdivision Type2:	County
Subdivision Name2:	Suffolk
Leader Title:	Supervisor
Leader Name:	Rich Schaffer
Area Total Sq Mi:	114.20
Area Land Sq Mi:	52.31
Area Water Sq Mi:	61.89
Area Total Km2:	295.78
Area Land Km2:	135.48
Area Water Km2:	160.30
Elevation M:	2
Elevation Ft:	7
Population As Of:	2020
Population Total:	218223
Population Density Km2:	1611
Website:	townofbabylon.com
Unit Pref:	Imperial
Blank Name:	FIPS code
Blank Info:	36-103-04000
Area Footnotes:	^[1]
Population Density Sq Mi:	auto
Established Title:	Formed
Flag Alt:	Flag of Babylon, New York
Seal Alt:	Seal of Babylon, New York
Leader Party:	D
Timezone1:	EST
Area Water Percent:	54.19
Timezone1 Dst:	EDT
Utc Offset1 Dst:	-4
Utc Offset1:	-5
Leader Name1:	Antonio A. Martinez
Leader Title1:	Deputy Supervisor

The Town of Babylon is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Its population was 218,223 as of the 2020 census. Parts of Jones Beach Island, Captree Island and Fire Island are in the southernmost part of the town. It borders Nassau County to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.^[2] At its westernmost point, it is about from New York City at the Queens border, and about from Manhattan. The village of Babylon is also within the town.^[3]

History

The region was once called Huntington South. Nathaniel Conklin and Nathan Kowitt^[4] moved their families to the area, and around 1803 named it New Babylon, after the ancient city of Babylon.^[5]

The town was officially formed in 1872 by a partition of the Town of Huntington.

Communities and locations

The following communities and locations are within the Town of Babylon:^[6]

Villages

• Amityville, in the southwestern part of the town.
• Babylon, in the southeastern section of the town.
• Lindenhurst, in the southern part of the town, between the villages of Babylon and Amityville.

Hamlets

• Captree or Captree Island
• Copiague
• Deer Park
• East Farmingdale
• Gilgo, includes communities of West Gilgo Beach, Gilgo Beach, and Cedar Beach
• North Amityville
• North Babylon
• North Lindenhurst
• Oak Beach, includes community of Oak Island
• West Babylon
• Wheatley Heights
• Wyandanch

Other communities

• Amity Harbor, in the hamlet of Amityville
• Copiague Harbor, in the hamlet of Copiague

Islands

• Captree Island, an island partly in the southeastern part of the town and containing part of Captree State Park.
• Cedar Island, an island in the Great South Bay.
• Fire Island, a barrier beach island between the Great South Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, of which west of the Robert Moses Causeway, is within the confines of the Town of Babylon.
• Gilgo Island, an island in the western end of the Great South Bay.
• Grass Island, an island in the Great South Bay.
• Thatch Island, an island in the Great South Bay.
• Oak Island, an island in the Great South Bay.

Beaches

• Cedar Beach
• Gilgo Beach
• Oak Beach
• Overlook Beach
• Venetian Shores

State parks

• Belmont Lake State Park, a state park in the northeastern part of the town.
• Captree State Park, a state park partly in the southeastern section of the town and adjacent to the Fire Island Inlet.
• Gilgo State Park, an undeveloped preserve on a barrier island on the southern side of the town.
• Robert Moses State Park, a state park on Fire Island, is partly in the town west of the Robert Moses Causeway.

Other

• Fire Island Inlet, a passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great South Bay.

Town Parks

• Geiger Lake Memorial Park, Wyandanch, NY
• North Amityville Park, North Amityville, NY
• North Lindenhurst Park, North Lindenhurst, NY
• Phelps Lane Park, North Babylon, NY
• Tanner Park, Copiague, NY

Geography

Babylon is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the south, Nassau County to the west, Huntington to the north, and Islip to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 114.3sqmi, of which 52.3sqmi is land and 62sqmi (54.24%) is water.^[7]

Demographics

As of the census^[8] of 2000, there were 211,792 people, 69,048 households, and 52,407 families residing in the town. The population density was 4050sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 71,186 housing units at an average density of 1361.3sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 76.34% White, 15.65% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.36% from other races, and 2.47% from two or more races. 10.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 69,048 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.45.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $60,064, and the median income for a family was $66,261. Males had a median income of $45,160 versus $32,062 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,844. 6.7% of the population and 4.6% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.4% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Media

WBAB 102.3FM is licensed to Babylon with studios at 555 Sunrise Highway.^[9]

The Babylon Beacon has covered the town for many years.^[10]

Government

Babylon is governed by supervisor Rich Schaffer and four town council members.

Transportation

Airports

Republic Airport is an airport in East Farmingdale originally built by Fairchild Aircraft in 1927 and acquired by Republic Aviation in 1939. Currently, it also houses the American Airpower Museum.^[11] Zahn's Airport also existed in North Amityville from 1936 to 1980.^[12] Long Island Macarthur Airport is a nearby commercial city-owned airport in Ronkonkoma, with daily commercial flights.

Railroad lines

The Long Island Rail Road's Babylon Branch is the primary railroad line in the town running from the Nassau County Line and terminating in the Village of Babylon with stations from Amityville to Babylon. Rail freight service also exists along the Central Branch which also uses some Montauk Branch trains running from the Main Line in Bethpage. East of Babylon station, the Montauk Branch continues across the Babylon-Islip Town Line. Additionally, the Main Line runs through the northern part of the town with stations in Pinelawn, Wyandanch and Deer Park.

Bus service

The Town of Babylon is served primarily by Suffolk County Transit bus routes.

Major roads

See also: List of county routes in Suffolk County, New York.

• Southern State Parkway
• Robert Moses Causeway
• Ocean Parkway
• New York State Route 24
• New York State Route 27
• New York State Route 27A
• New York State Route 109
• New York State Route 110
• New York State Route 231

Notable people

• Bob Keeshan, better known as Captain Kangaroo lived in Babylon Village
• Steve Bellone, Suffolk County Executive
• Tom Bohrer, Olympic rower
• Rodney Dangerfield, comedian
• Dan Meuser, US Representative for Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district
• Rakim, rapper^{[13] [14]}
• The Sopranos actress Edie Falco in North Babylon for several years in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
• LL Cool J (born James Todd Smith) in North Babylon in the 1970s and 1980s.
• Dee Snider, singer of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister lived in North Babylon in the early 1980s.
• Patricia Kennealy-Morrison, born Patricia Kennely, grew up in North Babylon and graduated from North Babylon High School in 1963. She exchanged marriage vows in a Celtic pagan handfasting ceremony with The Doors singer Jim Morrison in June 1970. In Oliver Stone's film The Doors, Kennealy-Morrison appears in a brief cameo as the Wiccan Priestess. Kennealy-Morrison's character is portrayed by Kathleen Quinlan. Patricia passed away on July 21, 2021.
• Billy Hayes (writer) (North Babylon) wrote the autobiographical Midnight Express (book), which was made into a film by Oliver Stone.
• Ronald DeFeo infamously known as the man who murdered his family in the beginning of the film The Amityville Horror

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Babylon (town), New York

External links

• • • • Babylon Beacon (local newspaper)

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. July 5, 2017. August 24, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170824204425/https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2016_Gazetteer/2016_gaz_place_36.txt. live.
2. Web site: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Babylon town, Suffolk County, New York. August 17, 2020. www.census.gov. en. September 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230930094157/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/map/babylontownsuffolkcountynewyork/PST045219. live.
3. Web site: Village of Babylon Babylon, NY - Official Website. August 17, 2020. www.townofbabylon.com. August 13, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200813164115/https://www.townofbabylon.com/230/Village-of-Babylon. live.
4. Web site: January 17, 2024 . Affordable Auto Insurance in Amityville, NY . February 22, 2024 . First Choice Insurance.
5. Web site: Town History Babylon, NY - Official Website. August 17, 2020. www.townofbabylon.com. September 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200921181403/https://www.townofbabylon.com/278/Town-History. live.
6. Web site: Villages & Hamlets Babylon, NY - Official Website. August 17, 2020. www.townofbabylon.com. September 22, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200922133838/https://townofbabylon.com/94/Villages-Hamlets. live.
7. Web site: Gazetteer Files . May 16, 2023 . Census.gov . August 24, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190824085937/https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html . live .
8. Web site: U.S. Census website . . January 31, 2008 . July 9, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709054630/https://www.census.gov/ . live .
9. Web site: WBAB 102.3fm Contact Us. August 17, 2020. 102.3 WBAB. en. August 10, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200810090520/https://www.wbab.com/contact-us/. live.
10. About the Babylon Beacon.. August 17, 2020. NYS Historic Newspapers. September 23, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200923125051/https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn84031344/. live.
11. Web site: American Airpower Museum. www.americanairpowermuseum.com. August 18, 2022. August 18, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220818105805/https://www.americanairpowermuseum.com/. live.
12. Web site: Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: New York, Western Suffolk County. www.airfields-freeman.com. August 18, 2022. August 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220830192249/http://www.airfields-freeman.com/ny/Airfields_NY_LongIs_Suffolk_W.htm#zahns. live.
13. Book: George, Nelson. Buppies, B-Boys, Baps & Bohos: Notes on Post-Soul Black Culture. Da Capo. 2001. 978-0-306-81027-5. 77.
14. News: Dec 1997 – Jan 1998. The Microphone God. 134. Vibe. October 4, 2011.