Munsey Park, New York

Munsey Park, New York
Munsey Park is a village in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is considered part of the Greater Manhasset area, which is anchored by Manhasset. The population was 2,809 at the 2020 census.
The Incorporated Village of Munsey Park is located entirely within the Town of North Hempstead, and has been recognized as a Tree City USA since 1983.
History
Development and early years (1920s)
Munsey Park was first developed in the 1920s, on North Shore land previously owned by wealthy publisher Frank Andrew Munsey (1854–1925), as a commuter town and "model, restricted community", taking advantage of the Long Island Rail Road's Manhasset station, located immediately to the west of the development. The land on which the planned community now stands on was bequeathed by Munsey to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1925.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art sold the portion of the estate south of Northern Boulevard (NY 25A); that area would eventually become part of Strathmore. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Museum of Art retained ownership of the portion of Munsey's estate north of Northern Boulevard, and, with help from the Hassett Realty Company, developed the planned community on the land under the leadership of museum president Robert W. DeForest.
It was developed featuring Colonial-style houses and streets named for American artists. Much of the original landscaping in the planned community was designed by the Olmsted Brothers.
In 1928, Munsey Park's first model home opened. Like many of the other earliest homes to be constructed in the planned community, it was built in Section "A" – located at the western end of the development; Section "A" was the first section of Munsey Park to be constructed.
The name of the community was originally to be Munsey Meadows – but this name was changed to Munsey Park; it is named in honor of Frank Munsey.
Push for incorporation (1929 – 1930)
On January 27, 1930, Munsey Park residents voted 155-to-3 to incorporate their community as a village with its own municipal government and zoning ability; the incorporation would be made official 20 days after the vote.
Residents incorporated after learning about the creation of a sewer district serving Greater Manhasset in 1929; the proposal led to a significant amount of concern amongst many of the locals, who were opposed to sewering the area.
Village of Munsey Park (1930 – present)
Following the vote to incorporate Munsey Park as a village, the Village of Munsey Park held its first village election on March 1, 1930; this election saw residents of Munsey Park vote for the village's first elected officials. Herman Block was elected to sere as the village's first Mayor.
One of the first decisions made by the village's elected officials was to leave the Manhasset Sewer District – much to the delight of many village residents – in addition to a decision to leave the Manhasset Parking District.
In 1931, the Munsey Park Shopping Center opened at the northwestern corner of Northern Boulevard and Manhasset Woods Road; it was designed to conform to the architecture of the homes within the village.
On May 30, 1932, the 18-hole Munsey Park Golf Club opened at the eastern end of the village. Operated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the club closed on March 1, 1937, as a result of poor revenue and profits, in addition to rising deficits. The former club's land was subsequently redeveloped as additional housing – in addition to a business area at the former club's clubhouse, which was already zoned for commercial use.
Much of the residential development on the site of the former golf course was developed by the Callan Brothers.
In the late 1930s, the Manhasset Union Free School District built the Munsey Park Elementary School within the village. It was built to address the overcrowding in the district's existing schools which had from the large development boom in the Manhasset area and the resulting influx of residents – including in Munsey Park.
In May 1942, the Congregational Church of Manhasset purchased of land in Munsey Park, along the north side of Northern Boulevard. On this land, it would erect a large church building. The church's groundbreaking occurred on May 12, 1948, and it was completed the next year, in 1949. The Church of Our Savior, Lutheran, broke ground across Copley Road that same year, and was completed in 1950.
In 1956, New York City-based department store Bonwit Teller announced that it would erect a department store in Munsey Park, in the business area which had formerly been part of the Munsey Park Golf Club. The building was designed by Lanthrop Douglass and Charles Anderson, and the store opened in 1957.
On December 8, 1974, Munsey Park Village Hall opened. Located at 1777 Northern Boulevard at the southern end of Munsey Park, the structure was built to conform to the style of residential homes in the village, and was erected on land which it had purchased back in 1950.
In 1983, Munsey Park was designated as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation for the first time.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, developers planned turning the Munsey Park Plaza shopping center at the village's southeast corner into a luxury shopping mall; this shopping center included Munsey Park's Bonwit Teller branch, which opened in 1957 and closed in 1990. The proposed shopping mall on the site would have featured two floors, multiple exterior designs, and a parking garage with three levels. The proposal, which was first made in 1988, was rejected by the village. After Munsey Park's rejection of the plans, the developers filed a lawsuit against the village. Ultimately, the lawsuit was unsuccessful, and the mall was never built; the property was eventually purchased in 1992 by TH Associates, which rehabilitated it and secured a new tenant for the former Bonwit Teller space.
In 2008, the Village of Munsey Park was ranked as the 13th (tied) Wealthiest Town in America by BusinessWeek.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it being land.
Munsey Park, in its entirety, uses the Manhasset 11030 postal code and is served by the Manhasset Post Office.
Topography
Like the rest of Long Island's North Shore, Munsey Park is situated on a terminal moraine, which is named the Harbor Hill Moraine. This moraine was formed by glaciers during the Wisconsin Glacial Episode, and is named for Harbor Hill in Roslyn; Harbor Hill is the highest geographic point in Nassau County.
Drainage
Munsey Park is split between two minor drainage areas: Leeds Pond and Whitney Pond. These two drainage areas are sub-watersheds of the larger Manhasset Bay Watershed, which in turn is part of the larger Long Island Sound/Atlantic Ocean Watershed, which covers all of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Economy
Munsey Park is a bedroom community of the City of New York, which is how the community was originally envisioned as being by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As such, a significant number of Munsey Park residents commute to/from New York for work.
The village itself is predominantly residential in character, with the heavy majority of lots within the village being zoned for single-family homes. The only businesses within Munsey Park are at three shopping centers along the north side of Northern Boulevard; these are the only areas of the Village zoned for commercial use. The largest of the shopping shopping centers in Munsey Park – Kimco Realty's Munsey Park Plaza – is located at the southeast corner of the village and houses tenants including Whole Foods and Benihana; it has also previously housed a Bonwit Teller and a Bed, Bath & Beyond. Developers unsuccessfully proposed rebuilding the shopping center as a luxury shopping mall in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
When originally planned, the intersection of Manhasset Woods Road and Park Avenue was to contain businesses, as well as near Locust Place (now Munsey Place); these plans were eventually amended in favor of additional single-family homes.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 2,809 people residing in the village.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,693 people residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 91.20% White, 0.41% African American, 6.46% Asian, 0.37% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.23% of the population.
Census 2000
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,632 people, 817 households, and 731 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 833 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 93.35% White, 0.34% African American, 5.66% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.63% of the population.
There were 817 households, out of which 48.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 82.6% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 10.5% were non-families. 9.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.22 and the average family size was 3.43.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $149,100, and the median income for a family was $159,147. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $46,250 for females. The per capita income for the village was $66,772. About 1.6% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Munsey Park's government is divided into three boards. All of the boards are non-partisan, and members do not get paid. The main organ of government is the Board of Trustees. This board functions as the equivalent of a city council. As of January 2023, the Mayor of Munsey Park is Lawrence Ceriello, the Deputy Mayor is Anthony D'Angelo, and the Village Trustees are Antonio D'Angelo, Regina Im, Gregory Licalzi, Jr., and Joseph Williams.
Munsey Park contains 2 election districts: AD 16 – ED 63 and AD 16 – ED 64. Both of these districts are located within New York's 16th State Assembly district (AD16) and are entirely within the village. The village is closely divided partisan-wise. In the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won the village by a narrow margin of 50.1%, while Joe Biden (D) won 48.7% of the vote.
Representation in higher government
Munsey Park is represented in four levels of government: town government, county government, state government, and federal government.
On the town level, Munsey Park is located in the Town of North Hempstead's 6th council district, which as of January 2023 is represented on the North Hempstead Town Council by Mariann Dalimonte (D – Port Washington).
At the county level, the village is located in Nassau County's 9th Legislative district, which as of January 2023 is represented in the Nassau County Legislature by Richard Nicoello (R – New Hyde Park).
At the state level, Munsey Park is located within the New York State Assembly's 16th State Assembly district and the New York State Senate's 7th State Senate district. In the Assembly, Gina L. Sillitti (D–Manorhaven) represents the village. In the Senate, Jack M. Martins (R–Old Westbury).
At the federal level, the village is located in New York's 3rd congressional district, which as of January 2023 is represented in the United States Congress by George A. Santos (R). Like the rest of New York, Munsey Park is represented in the United States Senate by Charles Schumer (D) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D).
Education
School district
The Village of Munsey Park is located entirely within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Manhasset Union Free School District. As such, all children who reside within Munsey Park and attend public schools go to Manhasset's schools.
As aforementioned, the Munsey Park Elementary School is located within the village.
Library district
Munsey Park is located within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Manhasset Library District.
Media
Newspapers
The Manhasset Press is the newspaper of record for the Village of Munsey Park. It is owned by Anton Media Group.
Other major newspapers serving Munsey Park include Newsday, New York Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
Television
Munsey Park is one of North Shore TV's fourteen member villages. North Shore TV provides Munsey Park and the other member villages with public-access television programming, through Altice USA and Verizon Fios – the main cable television providers in the area.
Parks and recreation
Munsey Park owns and operates two municipal parks:
Copley Pond Park
Waldmann Memorial Park
Additionally, the short-lived, unsuccessful 18-hole Munsey Park Golf Club was formerly located at the eastern end of the village between 1932 and 1937, and the Munsey Park Elementary School also features a playground and recreational fields.
Park district
Munsey Park is wholly located within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Manhasset Park District. This special park district owns and operates numerous parks and parking facilities throughout the Greater Manhasset area.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Roads
Munsey Park is served by two state roads, which also form portions of the village's boundaries. Northern Boulevard (NY 25A) forms the southern border of the village, while Port Washington Boulevard (NY 101) forms its eastern border.
Other major streets within the village include Park Avenue, Park Avenue North, and Manhasset Woods Road.
Many streets – such as Sargent Place, Eakins Road, ad Ryder Road – use a street naming convention based on famous artists.
Furthermore, the village maintains roughly of roads.
Rail
No rail lines pass through Munsey Park. The nearest Long Island Rail Road station to the village is Manhasset on the Port Washington Branch.
Bus
Munsey Park is served by the n20H, n21, and n23 bus routes – all three of which are operated by Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE). These three bus routes travel through the area via Northern Boulevard and Port Washington Boulevard.
Utilities
Natural gas
National Grid USA provides natural gas to homes and businesses that are hooked up to natural gas lines in Munsey Park.
Power
PSEG Long Island provides power to all homes and businesses within Munsey Park.
Sewage
Munsey Park is unsewered. As such, the entirety of the village relies on cesspools and septic systems, as opposed to being connected to sanitary sewers.
Water
Munsey Park is located within the boundaries of the Manhasset–Lakeville Water District, which provides the entirety of Munsey Park with water.
The Manhasset–Lakeville Water District also owns and operates a water tower within the village, known as the Munsey Park Water Tower.
Healthcare & emergency services
Healthcare
There are no hospitals located within Munsey Park. The nearest hospital to the village is St. Francis Hospital in Flower Hill.
Fire
Munsey Park is located entirely within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Manhasset–Lakeville Fire Department.
Law Enforcement
The Village of Munsey Park is served by the 6th Precinct of the Nassau County Police Department, with RMP 609 assigned as the Munsey Park patrol car.
Policing is funded through village and county taxes.
Notable people
Arthur G. Elvin – Engineer, inventor, and the first Mayor of Flower Hill – as well as the former Mayor of Plandome; moved to Munsey Park after resigning, following the death of his wife.
Harry Goz – Actor; lived on Manhasset Woods Road within the village.
William E. Haugaard – Architect. Haugaard served as the State Architect for the State of New York between 1928 and 1944.
Elaine R. Phillips – Financial adviser and politician. Phillips had served as a Village Trustee before moving to adjacent Flower Hill, where she would serve as Mayor before being elected to the New York State Senate in 2016 and then as Nassau County Comptroller in 2021.
Madeline Singas – Associate judge of the New York Court of Appeals and former Nassau County District Attorney.
Jeanne Singer – Pianist and composer.
In popular culture
Over the years, scenes for shows and movies have been filmed within the village. These include scenes for the film The Good Shepherd, which were shot within Munsey Park in 2005, and scenes for the television series The Good Wife, which were shot within the village in 2009.
See also
List of Tree Cities USA
List of villages in New York
References
External links
Official website
Manhasset, New York
Villages in New York (state)
Villages in Nassau County, New York