Old Westbury, New York Explained

Old Westbury, New York
Official Name:Incorporated Village of Old Westbury
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:USA New York Long Island#New York
Pushpin Label Position:top
Pushpin Map Caption:Location on Long Island##Location within the state of New York
Mapsize:260px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Nassau
Established Title:Incorporated
Established Date:1924
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[1]
Area Total Km2:22.20
Area Land Km2:22.20
Area Water Km2:0.00
Area Total Sq Mi:8.57
Area Land Sq Mi:8.57
Area Water Sq Mi:0.00
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:4289
Population Density Km2:193.18
Population Density Sq Mi:500.35
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:−5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:−4
Elevation M:50
Elevation Ft:164
Coordinates:40.7819°N -73.5972°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP Code
Postal Code:11568
Area Code:516, 363
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:36-54705
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:0959332
Subdivision Name3:North Hempstead
Oyster Bay
Subdivision Type3:Towns
Named For:Westbury, Wiltshire, England
Area Code Type:Area codes

Old Westbury is a village in the towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 4,671 at the 2010 census.

The Incorporated Village of Old Westbury is one of the wealthiest villages in the country as well as the second-richest zip code in the New York State, topped only by Harrison in Westchester County.[2] In 2007, Business Week dubbed Old Westbury as New York's most expensive suburb.[3] Old Westbury Gardens has been recognized as one of the three best public gardens in the world by Four Seasons Hotels magazine.[4]

History

Westbury was founded by Edmond Titus,[5] [6] and was later joined by Henry Willis, one of the first English settlers.[7] Westbury had been a Quaker community of isolated farms until the railroad came in 1836. After the Civil War, the New York elite discovered that the rich, well-wooded flat countryside of the Hempstead Plains was a place to raise horses, and to hunt foxes and play polo at the Meadow Brook Polo Club.

The Village of Old Westbury was incorporated in 1924, separating itself from Westbury, the adjacent area that housed many of the families of the construction and building staffs for the Old Westbury mansions.[8] The "Old" part of Old Westbury's name reflects the community's need for its postal address to be different from the Westbury in Cayuga County, as per postal requirements (it had been using a postal address of North Hempstead for this reason); residents did this when they wanted a local post office ca. 1841, and when they incorporated Old Westbury as a village, they felt that it would be confusing for the village name and post office name to be different from one another. The Village of Westbury, located adjacent to Old Westbury, adopted that designation when it incorporated in 1932 as Cayuga County's Westbury's name was no longer being used.

The area was originally known as Wallage, which is related to a Native American term roughly meaning "ditch" or "hole." By February 1663, it was known as Wood Edge, and by October 1675 it was known as "the Plains edge" or simply Plainedge. The name Westbury began to be used for the area around 1683. The name Westbury was chosen by Henry Willis, who named it after Westbury, Wiltshire, his hometown in England.

Westbury House was the residence of Henry Phipps' eldest son, John Shaffer Phipps. Today, the property is operated as Old Westbury Gardens. Robert Low Bacon built 'Old Acres' in the style of an Italian villa. Other landowners were Thomas Hitchcock and his family, Harry Payne Whitney and his wife the former Gertrude Vanderbilt, founder of New York's Whitney Museum, at Apple Green (formerly a Mott house), Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, whose estate is now subdivided into the Old Westbury Country Club and New York Institute of Technology. The architect Thomas Hastings built a modest house for himself, 'Bagatelle', in 1908. A. Conger Goodyear, then president of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City had a house built in 1938 by famed architect Edward Durell Stone, who also destined the building for Conger's museum. In 2003, the A. Conger Goodyear House was added to the National Register of Historic Places to protect the structure from being demolished to subdivide the expensive land surrounding it. The estate of Robert Winthrop, an investment banker and member of the Dudley–Winthrop family, for whom Winthrop-University Hospital was named, has been similarly preserved. Part of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's estate and her sculpture studio has been preserved and maintained by one of her grandchildren, Pamela Tower LeBoutillier.

During World War II, a 187-foot-high tower at the present-day Old Westbury Golf & Country Club, aided the military during World War II as a lookout to spot enemy aircraft.[9] Originally built as the water tower for the Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Residence, it now serves as the club's focal point.[10]

When Robert Moses was planning the Northern State Parkway, the powers of Old Westbury forced him to re-site it five miles (8 km) to the south. Once the parkway was completed, many residents found it to not be the eyesore they had been anticipating and regretted making their commutes more inconvenient than necessary. In the 1950s, the state purchased land from Charles E. Wilson, a former president of General Motors who needed to sell off his Old Westbury estate to pull himself out of financial crisis and relocate to the nation's capital to serve in President Dwight D. Eisenhower's cabinet. The land, which runs along an edge of the village, was used for the Long Island Expressway.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 8.57sqmi, all land.[11]

Demographics

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 4,228 people, 1,063 households, and 967 families residing in the village. The population density was 493.9sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 1,109 housing units at an average density of 129.5sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the village was 73.19% White, 4.24% African American, 0.02% Native American, 7.52% Asian, 3.67% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.14% of the population.

There were 1,063 households, out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 82.2% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 9.0% were non-families. Of all households 5.6% were made up of individuals, and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.33 and the average family size was 3.37.

In the village, the age distribution of the population shows 22.7% under the age of 18, 20.2% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $163,046, and the median income in the village was $184,298 for a family. The median earnings of the 899 households (89.6% of total households) in the village that took in earnings supplemental to income was $230,721. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $45,200 for females. The per capita income for the village was $72,932. About 1.1% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

Residents are zoned to schools in one of four school districts, depending on where in the village they reside.[13] They are the East Williston Union Free School District, the Jericho Union Free School District, the Roslyn Union Free School District, and the Westbury Union Free School District.

Additionally, the Westbury Union Free School District's high school, Westbury High School – along with the East Williston Union Free School District's secondary school, The Wheatley School – are located within the village.

Private schools

Colleges and universities

Landmarks

Notable people

In popular culture

Film

Television

Reality television

Wealth

According to Bloomberg/Businessweek, as of 2011, Old Westbury is the second "richest" town in the United States, trailing behind only Palm Beach, Florida.[37] The magazine previously dubbed the town "New York's wealthiest suburb."

Based on a study done by Bloomberg in 2015, the average household income in the village is greater than $640,000.[38]

In 2011, Forbes, having done a study of "America's Millionaire Capitals", found that the average net worth of Old Westbury households was $19.6 million and with an average annual income of $1.2 million.[39] The controlled study included only households with incomes greater than $200,000, which excluded only residents that are living in college dormitories and the staff of homeowners.

The village is famous for being the seat of many of New York's (and America's) wealthiest families, including the Phippses, Vanderbilts, Whitneys, Webbs, Du Ponts, Winthrops, Mortimers, Belmonts and Huttons. While many of these older families—the founding members of the social elite and those that emerged during the gilded age—still count members as Old Westbury residents, the village has also maintained a substantial set of industrialists, businessmen, collectors, athletes and entertainers.[40]

The Old Westbury Fund is a hedge fund that is named after the town.

When Forbes asked billionaire investor Steven Schonfeld what the "wisest investment" he ever made was, his answer was "Old Westbury land".[41]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ArcGIS REST Services Directory. United States Census Bureau. September 20, 2022.
  2. Web site: This is Long Island's Richest ZIP Code. April 11, 2018.
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20070207021513/http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/01/0124_suburbs/source/13.htm Business Week, "The Most Expensive Suburbs of the Biggest U.S. Cities, New York City: Old Westbury"
  4. http://magazine.fourseasons.com/articles/global/interest/arts_culture/where_is_the_worlds_best_public_garden/ Four Seasons' Magazine, "Where is the World's Best Public Garden?" Old Westbury Gardens, Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley and Singapore's National Orchard Garden are named as the three best public gardens in the world
  5. https://archive.org/stream/titusfamilyiname00titurich#page/2/mode/2up Titus Family in America-Page 3
  6. Web site: Westbury. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714180809/https://www.courant.com/topic/us/new-york/nassau-county/north-hempstead/westbury-PLGEO0000755NY.topic. July 14, 2014. July 27, 2021. Hartford Courant.
  7. Book: Winsche, Richard. The History of Nassau County Community Place-Names. October 1, 1999. Empire State Books. 978-1557871541. Interlaken, New York. 77–78.
  8. Web site: Village History. July 14, 2012. Village of Old Westbury.
  9. Web site: About Us - Old Westbury Golf and Country Club . December 18, 2023 . www.owgolf.com.
  10. Book: Hicks Nurseries (Westbury, Nassau County . Illustrated price list : spring, 1913 . Hicks . Edward . Hicks . Henry . Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection . 1913 . Westbury, Nassau Co., N.Y. : Isaac Hicks & Son . National Agricultural Library U. S. Department of Agriculture.
  11. Web site: February 12, 2011. US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. April 23, 2011. United States Census Bureau.
  12. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. January 31, 2008.
  13. Web site: Long Island Index: Interactive Map. August 25, 2021. www.longislandindexmaps.org.
  14. Web site: Cityfile: Ashanti . cityfile.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080828085921/http://www.cityfile.com/profiles/ashanti . August 28, 2008.
  15. News: Doe Avedon, Fashion Model and Actress, Dies at 86 . The New York Times . Margalit . Fox . December 23, 2011.
  16. News: Hudson. Edward. Max Fortunoff, 89, Is Dead; Headed Specialty Store Chain. New York Times. June 7, 2012. July 26, 1987.
  17. Book: Frankel, Bethenny. Naturally Thin. 2009. Touchstone. Introduction.
  18. Web site: Archived copy . . April 2, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080229132518/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/bestdressed/bestdressed_women?currentPage=2 . February 29, 2008.
  19. News: To The Manor Born . The New York Times . Lynn . Hirschberg . August 19, 2001.
  20. Web site: Banks . Beverly . Actor Kevin James Must Face Nanny's Bias, Retaliation Claims . Law360 . October 2, 2021.
  21. News: Nash. Eric P.. Jack Liebowitz, Comics Publisher, Dies at 100. January 8, 2015. New York Times. December 13, 2000.
  22. Bryan, Carmen, It's No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, from seduction to scandal, a hip-hop Helen of Troy tells all. New York: VH1 Books, 2006. p 208.
  23. News: Harrison Connery . Finding Nimmo a home: Mets star buys in Old Westbury . March 15, 2023 . The Real Deal . March 14, 2023 . After securing a $162 million long-term contract with the New York Mets, outfielder Brandon Nimmo is taking a walk to Old Westbury..
  24. News: Ewen. Lara. $1,888,888M Old Westbury home started as farmhouse. April 8, 2018. Newsday. April 6, 2018.
  25. News: Coscarelli. Joe. Damien Hirst Statue of Giant, Naked Pregnant Woman Scandalizing Long Island Rich People. May 8, 2014. New York Magazine. May 8, 2014.
  26. Web site: Former Nautica CEO Lists Sporty Long Island Estate for $7.5M. Curbed. July 15, 2013.
  27. News: Gould . Jennifer . Vito Schnabel quietly bought a Long Island mansion last year . 21 July 2024 . The New York Post . 15 January 2020.
  28. Web site: Forbes List Directory. Forbes.
  29. News: Braff. Danielle. NYC Mayor Jimmy Walker's Old Westbury Mansion for Sale. May 16, 2015. Newsday. May 15, 2015.
  30. Web site: Chitwood. Adam. Production Begins on ADMISSION Starring Paul Rudd and Tina Fey; Lily Tomlin Joins Cast. Collider.com. May 14, 2012.
  31. Web site: Wednesday, June 6 Filming Location information. June 6, 2012. On Location Vacations. June 11, 2012.
  32. News: Harwood. John. An inside look at how Amazon makes TV shows. September 21, 2014. CNBC. September 12, 2014.
  33. Web site: Friday, Sept. 16 & Weekend Filming Locations in NYC, Boston, Portland, L.A., Chicago & more. September 16, 2011. On Location Vacations. September 16, 2011.
  34. News: Guzman. Rafer. New Jersey-based 'Dark Horse' shot on LI. June 20, 2012. Newsday. June 19, 2012.
  35. Web site: Giant House Party Scene . October 16, 2022 . Backstage.
  36. Web site: October 15, 2022 . Star-Studded Movie Filming In Old Westbury, Glendale Seeks Extras For House Party Scene . October 17, 2022 . Nassau Daily Voice . en.
  37. Stonington. Joel. Venessa Wong. December 2011. America's Richest Zipcodes: Where the 1% Lives. dead. Bloomberg Businessweek. https://web.archive.org/web/20120107175517/http://images.businessweek.com/slideshows/20111206/america-s-richest-zip-codes-2011/slides/51. January 7, 2012. December 12, 2011.
  38. News: This Is America's Richest Zip Code. July 11, 2019. Bloomberg. April 10, 2018 .
  39. Web site: Millionaire Capitals: Old Westbury. December 12, 2011. America's Millionaire Capitals. Forbes Magazine.
  40. News: Fischler. Marcelle S.. August 4, 2011. Developers Building for 'Today's Gatsby' - In the Region/Long Island. The New York Times.
  41. Greenberg. Duncan. March 19, 2010. Billionaire Speaks Out: Steven Schonfeld. Forbes Magazine. July 21, 2013.

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