FREEPORT, LONG ISLAND

Freeport, Long Island

Freeport is a village in the Town of Hempstead located in the southwestern part of Nassau County, Long Island, New York. The southern part of the village is infiltrated 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. The village is only a 45 minute ride by the Long Island Rail Road to Manhattan, making an easy commute to New York City. As of 2000 census, there were 43,783 people, 13,504 households, and 9,911 families residing in the area. 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 and only $31,869 for females. The latitude of Freeport is 40.657N. The longitude is -73.583W. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 20 feet.

During colonial times, the community was part of an area called "the Great South Woods". In the mid 1600s, it was renamed to Raynor South and ultimately Raynortown, after the named of Edward Raynor who had moved to the area from Hempstead in 1659 and built a cabin. In 1853, the residents were the one voted to rename the village Freeport which adopts an alternative of a nickname used by ship captains during colonial times because they were not charged customs duties to land their cargo. Freeport was became incorporated in 1892 that oystering became a booming industry after the Civil War, although it declined at the beginning of the 20th Century because of changing salinity in the bay and maybe because of pollution too.

The incorporated village has its own Police Station, Fire Station, Electric and Water Departments. Freeport's government is made up of four Trustees and a Mayor. When it comes to shopping, Freeport was also one of the few Long Island towns to hold a sizeable open air market area, known as the Freeport Mall. Many of the local businesses objected when the mall area became scruffy and neglected. The Nautical Mile is famous for its restaurants with live music that makes it very relaxing to the ears. The promenade-style sidewalk lined with antique-style light posts, potted plants and benches are a plus factor to encourage people planning to visit the town.

Freeport schools offer an excellent education that is among one of the community’s best assets. Aside from it, there are still development projects that have to be made to fix the area's flooding problems by installing new drains ensuring the safety of their residents. Houses in Freeport are very affordable with many single-family homes, condos and co-ops, while renters have an abundant selection as well. In fact, there are more than 45,000 Long Islanders call Freeport their home making this Village the second largest in the State of New York.