Freeport, New York Totally Explained

Everything about Freeport New York totally explained

ť For other locations with this name, see Freeport.

Freeport is a village in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, USA, on the South Shore of Long Island. The population was 43,783 at the 2000 census. The Incorporated Village of Freeport is in the southwestern part of Nassau County, lying within the Town of Hempstead. Freeport has its own municipal electric utility and police department. Freeport also has a station on the Long Island Rail Road.

History and culture

History

The village now known as Freeport was part of an area called "the Great South Woods" during colonial times. In the mid-1600s, the area was renamed Raynor South, and ultimately Raynortown, after a herdsman named Edward Raynor, who had moved to the area from Hempstead in 1659, cleared land and built a cabin.
In 1853, residents voted to rename the village Freeport, adopting a variant of a nickname used by ship captains during colonial times because they were not charged customs duties to land their cargo. The Freeport Spite House still is standing and occupied.

Description

Freeport is located on the south shore of Long Island. The south part of the village is penetrated by several canals that allow access to the Atlantic Ocean by means of passage through salt marshes; the oldest of these canals is the late 19th century Woodcleft Canal. Currently, the parcel is the subject of litigation, and ongoing investigations by various agencies.
Until the late 1970s, Freeport was home to Freeport Speedway, also known as Freeport Municipal Stadium: a race track which showcased stock car racing, and demolition derbies. The site is now BJs warehouse club.
Freeport is home to a large, indoor ice skating rink at the Freeport Recreation Center. The recreation center also features an indoor Olympic size pool, an outdoor double Olympic size pool, an outdoor diving tank, outdoor children's pool, handball courts, sauna, steam room, fully equipped workout gym, basketball courts, and snack bars serving hot & cold foods. The "Rec Center" also offers evening adult classes, and hosts a pre-school, camp programs, and a senior center.

Geography

Freeport is located at (40.653935, -73.587005).
Freeport is bisected by east-west New York State Route 27, Sunrise Highway. Meadowbrook Parkway defines its eastern boundary.

Surrounding communities

Baldwin is to the west, and Merrick is to the east. Roosevelt lies to the north. The south village boundary isn't precisely defined, lying in the salt flats and bays.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 43,783 people, 13,504 households, and 9,911 families residing in the village. The population density was 9,531.3 people per square mile (3,682.9/km²). There were 13,819 housing units at an average density of 3,008.3/sq mi (1,162.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 22.92% White, 42.57% African American, 0.46% Native American, 1.38% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 17.21% from other races, and 5.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33.46% of the population.
   There were 13,504 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 3.65.
   In the village the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
   The median income for a household in the village was $55,948, and the median income for a family was $61,673. Males had a median income of $37,465 versus $31,869 for females. The per capita income for the village was $21,288. About 8.0% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Famous Freeporters

Graduates of Freeport High School:

D'Brickashaw Ferguson, offensive tackle for the New York Jets
Morlon Greenwood, football player
Mitch Kapor, founder of Lotus Development Corporation and the designer of Lotus 1-2-3
Erik Larson, author of works such as Isaac's Storm and The Devil in the White City
Peter Lerangis, American author of children's and young-adult fiction; valedictorian of the FHS Class of 1973
Lou Reed, singer-songwriter and Velvet Underground founding member
Dick Schaap, was an American sportswriter, broadcaster, and author
Harold E. Varmus, 1989 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Michael Zielenziger, an American journalist and author

Other residents: Kay Gardner, was a musician, composer, author, and musical producer who lived in Freeport.
Freeport was also the home to the musician Guy Lombardo during the latter portion of his life. His former residence on South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue) included a boat house where he kept his powerful speed boats, which he raced on the ocean. Leo Carrillo, Actor (The Cisco Kid) built a home on Randalls Channel at the corner of Roosevelt and South Long Beach Avenue. Havoc and Prodigy of hip-hop group Mobb Deep currently live in Freeport. Grammy Award-winning American gospel singer Donnie McClurkin is pastor of Perfecting Faith Church. Flavor Flav also grew up in Freeport and neighboring Roosevelt.

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