Township of Hempstead Real Estate

The town of Hempstead is located in Nassau County on the South Shore of Long Island. Not only is Hempstead Long Island’s largest township, it’s the largest township in the United States, with a population roughly comparable to that of San Francisco or Detroit. Home to 22 villages and 37 hamlets, Hempstead is officially the only town in the United States with a population over 700,000.

South Shore communities are built along protected wetlands and white sand beaches fronting on the Atlantic Ocean and Outer Barrier Islands. Though the North Shore was known as Long Island’s “Gold Coast” through the early to mid-20th century, the South Shore rivals its concentration of affluence, especially in the “Five Towns” (Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, Inwood and the many sections of the hamlet of Hewlett). Each of these “towns” has its own consecutive stop on the Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Rail Road as does most of the township—it’s about a two hour commute from New York City by rail.

The more relaxed, casual atmosphere of Bellmore, Merrick and Baldwin make them ideal family communities. A 2007 Money Magazine survey found Baldwin to be one of the country’s top 25 small towns to live in, drawing a diverse population who move to the town for its schools and its proximity to healthy job markets and beaches. Baldwin’s waterfront park offers a wealth of amenities like a skate park, roller rink and spray pool.

Another Hempstead highlight is Levittown, named for its creator William Levitt, whose vision for a planned community became the world’s ideal for suburbia in the early 1950s. Levittown was the first truly mass-produced suburb and is widely regarded as the archetype for postwar suburbs throughout the country.

Other South Shore attractions include the Robert Moses-designed Jones Beach State Park, Belmont Park Race Track, Adelphi and Hofstra Universities and Valley Stream and Hempstead Lake State Parks.