Discover Bethpage
Bethpage is a hamlet located in the town of Oyster Bay, although a small portion of this hamlet is located within the town of Hempstead. This bustling hamlet covers approximately 3.6 square miles of Long Island and it is situated within Nassau County. Includes the Bethpage Black Golf Course. According to the United States Census of 2010, the population for Bethpage was approximately 16,430 people at the time the census was taken. Bethpage is the home of the original Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, (now known as Northrop Grumman) - a historical and infamous defense company that produced military and civilian aircraft.
History of Bethpage
Bethpage was established in 1695 when the first original settler, Thomas Powell purchased fifteen square miles of land from three local Native American Indian tribes: The Marsapeaque Tribe, the Sacatogue Tribe and the Matinecoc Tribe. Today the entire span of land that was purchased includes what is now known as Bethpage as well as parts of Farmingdale, Plainview, Plainedge and Melville. Historically, this land purchase was referred to as the Bethpage Purchase. Mr. Powell named this section of land Bethpage after the town of Bethphage which is mentioned in the bible in the Gospel of Matthew. As stated in this gospel, Bethphage was the town located between the towns of Jericho and Jerusalem. While it was originally named Bethpage, many settlers in the community wanted the town to be called Central Park and in 1867 the local post office was renamed as the Central Park Post Office. Years later however, in 1936 the official name of the local post office and the town was changed back to Bethpage.
School District
The Bethpage Union Free School District is ranked highly among the best public high schools in the United States. It serves approximately 2,800 students in grades kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is comprised of three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. According to U.S. News and World Report, Bethpage Senior High School is ranked 59th within the state of New York. Bethpage High School offers college level classes and Advanced Placement® course work and exams.
Bethpage Black Golf Course
It is also home to the infamous
Bethpage Black Golf Course and has hosted two US Golf Opens and many other PGA events. This course is open to the public as well.
Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park is a gem of the Bethpage community. It offers acres of hiking and biking trails and cross-county skiing trails. It has spacious picnic facilities, numerous recreational fields, tennis courts, bridle paths, an onsite restaurant and more.
Old Bethpage Village Restoration
Old Bethpage Village is a great place to experience the history of Bethpage and all of Long Island. This park encompasses 210 acres of historical homes, farms, businesses and villages that have been restored from the mid-19th century. Many of these historic homes and storefronts were originally located in different parts of Long Island and then carefully moved to the park for restoration. Take a walk back in history and enjoy your day on these beautiful and picturesque grounds. This park is open all year round.
Bethpage Community Park
Bethpage Community Park is located on Stewart Avenue in Bethpage. It has a playground for young children, a seasonal swimming pool with a small wading pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, handball courts and an ice skating rink that is open year round. It also has a café and an outdoor picnic area. This park offers many amenities for the whole family.
Businesses and Notable Locations
The Grumman Corporation, which was originally located in Bethpage, was a major supplier of defense and military aircraft during both World War One and World War Two. The corporation eventually merged with the Northrop Corporation and became Northrop-Grumman. While the company is now based in California, it still maintains a presence in Bethpage.
Since the company evolved into Northrop-Grumman, there has been a major development of the buildings and land that were once a part of the Grumman Corporation in Bethpage.
In addition to Northrop-Grumman, the land is now occupied by the Altice Corporation (formerly known as Cablevision), Goya Foods, FedEx, Verizon and many other businesses that are located within the Bethpage Business Park.
Grumman Studios
Grumman Studios is a full production movie studio that is located on a 30-acre site of land that once was occupied by the Grumman Corporation. Numerous live productions and movies have been filmed at the studio and it was most recently the home to the production of the television show, “Kevin Can Wait”, starring Long Island’s own Kevin James. It has over 37,500 square feet of filming and warehouse space and is considered the largest studio on the east coast.
Medical Care
In addition to many private medical and healthcare practices, Bethpage is also home to an urgent care clinic and a hospital.
North Shore – LIJ Medical Group Urgent Care Center at Bethpage
This urgent care center in Bethpage offers medical care without an appointment, seven days a week from 8:00am to 8:00pm. It is located at 4300 Hempstead Turnpike in Bethpage.
St. Joseph Hospital
St. Joseph Hospital is located at 4295 Hempstead Turnpike in Bethpage. It is community hospital that offers inpatient and outpatient care, emergency services, surgeries and critical care.
Restaurants and Night Life
While Bethpage is not home to a large number of restaurants and eateries, neighboring Farmingdale and Plainview have a large offering of options for delicious dinners, drinks and restaurants to please any palette. A few notable spots in Bethpage however, are listed below.
Popei’s Clam Bar & Seafood Restaurant
Popei’s Clam Bar has been in the neighborhood for over thirty years and offers fresh seafood and creative cuisine. They serve an assortment of the freshest local seafood and Italian dishes with a twist.
The Heritage Club at Bethpage
Located on the grounds of the famous Bethpage Golf Course, the Heritage Club offers delectable cuisine and elegant ambiance for any occasion. Available for drinks, dinner or onsite catering, you will have an unforgettable experience at the Heritage Club.
Bethpage is a fine suburban community with notable parks and recreation options and a bustling business district. It is a great place to live on Long Island.
Sources
https://parks.ny.gov/golf/11/details.aspx
http://www.city-data.com/city/Bethpage-New-York.html
http://www.bethpagehistory.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethpage,_New_York
http://www.bethpagecommunity.com/
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-york/districts/bethpage-union-free-school-district/bethpage-senior-high-school-13525
https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/2850/Old-Bethpage-Village-Restoration