About Merrick
Located in the Town of Hempstead on Long Island’s North Shore, Merrick is a hamlet that takes its name from the Algonquian word meroke, meaning “peaceful.” Its 22,100 residents enjoy a median household income of $138,570, and the median home value is $537,200.
The economy of Merrick employs 10,498 people, many of whom are employed in the fields of education, healthcare, or technology. Since Merrick is 32 miles of midtown Manhattan, however, many residents choose to work in New York City. The commute from Merrick Station on the Babylon line of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) takes about 41 minutes.
Many people choose to live in Merrick because it’s known for its excellent schools. It is served by two school districts: the Merrick Union Free School District and the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District. For elementary school, 1,500 students attend three elementary schools in the MUFSD: Birch, Chatterton, and Levy Lakeside. The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District serves 5,665 students throughout two middle schools (Grand Avenue Middle School and Merrick Avenue Middle School), three high schools (John F. Kennedy High School and Sanford H. Calhoun High School, and W. C. Mepham High School) and an alternative high school program.
Merrick is home to many delicious dining destinations, featuring cuisine from the Southwestern U.S., Italy, Thailand, and beyond. Some options include:
Left Coast Kitchen & Cocktails: A gastropub featuring New American food, plus Tuesday and Wednesday night taco specials
Salt on the Water: A waterfront restaurant featuring a seafood-centric menu
R.S. Jones: A rodeo-themed bar with Southern barbeque
Via Roma Pizzeria: Pizza and Italian dishes for pick up and delivery, or on-premises casual dining
Thai Station Restaurant: Thai staples near the Merrick LIRR Station
Xaga Sushi: More than 80 dishes, including sushi, in a contemporary atmosphere
For party hosts looking for a beautiful space for their next social event, AcQua Restaurant offers space and catering for different types of events, from bar/bat mitzvahs to bridal showers. Merrick is also near wedding venues in other communities, such as Coral House in Baldwin and O’Connell Gardens in Oceanside. The grand ballroom at O’Connell Gardens is an elegant space that can accommodate up to 300 guests, while Coral House can provide an outdoor wedding ceremony under a beautiful gazebo.
Merrick encompasses an area of 10.5 square miles, so recreational opportunities abound. While Merrick’s South Shore location means that the community has a nautical feel, there are diverse opportunities to enjoy the outdoors even if the water isn’t your cup of tea. Merrick Road Park offers baseball fields and basketball courts. One standout option is Norman J. Levy Park and Preserve. Visitors can launch their kayaks into Meadow Brook, fish off of Merrick Bay’s 500-foot fishing pier, or hike or jog along three miles of nature trails.
For residents looking for entertainment, Merrick Cinemas is a family-owned movie theater playing first-run features, while Merrick Theatre and Center for the Arts regularly puts on shows like the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Rabbit Hole. The hamlet is home to community events like the annual Merrick Fall Festival and Street Fair, where vendors sell crafts and food.
Merrick has served as the birthplace or hometown of many notable individuals, such as:
Craig Allen: Born in 1957; meteorologist with WCBS; the longest running primary meteorologist on any radio station in the country
Ben Cohen: Born in 1951; co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s; first met Jerry Greenfield during seventh-grade gym class at Merrick Avenue Middle School
Jerry Greenfield: Born in 1951; co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s; first met Ben Cohen during seventh-grade gym class at Merrick Avenue Middle School
Paul R. Krugman: Born in 1953; recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics for his contributions to new trade theory (NTT)
Mario Puzo: Born in 1920; author of the novel The Godfather, which he later co-adapted into the 1972 film of the same name (directed by Francis Ford Coppola) and for which he received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Lindsay Lohan: Born in 1986; the actress is best known for The Parent Trap (1998), Freaky Friday (2003), and Mean Girls (2004); attended Sanford H. Calhoun High School
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrick,_New_York
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/realestate/merrick-ny-a-hamlet-with-a-nautical-flavor.html
http://www.city-data.com/city/Merrick-New-York.html
https://datausa.io/profile/geo/merrick-ny/
http://lckny.com/
http://www.viaromapizza.net/
https://xagasushi.com/merrick/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Allen_(meteorologist)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Cohen_(businessman)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Greenfield
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Puzo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindsay_Lohan
http://www.merrick-theatre.com/
https://acquamerrick.com/parties
http://oconnellgardens.com/
https://coralhouse.com/