GREAT RIVER, LONG ISLAND

Great River, Long Island

Great River is a hamlet and census-designated place located in Suffolk County, on the South Shore of Long Island, New York. The neighborhood is enhanced by parkland, a golf course and both a riverfront and a bayfront. It also consists of the post office, a deli and a small Italian restaurant. Great River is close to major roads such as Heckscher Parkway and Sunrise Highway. As of the 2000 census, there were 1,546 people, 509 households, and 417 families residing in the CDP. The median income for a household in the CDP was $78,399, and the median income for a family was $89,566. Males had a median income of $60,179 and only $58,125 for females. The latitude of Great River is 40.721N. The longitude is -73.158W. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 13 feet.

The area formerly known as Youngsport for 30 years and was once a mansion-heavy enclave, home to many aristocratic New York families including the Vanderbilts. The name was changed into Great River at the start of the Oakdale estate era and the arrival of the LIRR in 1868 in adjacent Oakdale, to serve the many millionaires that had estates in the area. The majority of the hamlet was rezoned for average size homes, yet today the estate of William Bayard Cutting still remains and was donated as an arboretum to the State of New York by Mr. Cutting's widow and daughter. The arboretum contains 4,800 plants, trees and shrubs of 1,200 different varieties. The Cutting estate has a total of 931 acres of land, including a golf course, and the mansion had 22 fireplaces, rich dark paneling imparted from England, some of it now 400 years old, and exquisite stained-glass windows by famed jeweler Charles Tiffany, another member of the Southside club. According to the famous researchers here in New York, Great River is a very safe to live were no registered sex offenders living in this place in early 2007.

The racial-makeup of Great River comprises of 98.12% White, 0.06% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Most of its resident’s ancestries were Irish, Italian, German, English, French, Ukrainian, Polish, and Russian. Great River is served by the East Islip Union Free School District which has an early childhood learning center that includes kindergarten; four elementary schools for grades 1 through 6; a junior high school and a high school. The district offers a comprehensive Jump-Start Program, which runs from mid August until the start of the school year and provides elementary students with the opportunity to get a head start. The Emmanuel Episcopal Church is a historical landmark and the only house of worship in Great River. The original structure is still standing, although it has been expanded several times. There are about a total of 100 families in the congregation.