Amityville, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amityville, New York
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| Incorporated Village of Amityville | |||
Amityville Village Hall in December 2009.
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Location within Suffolk County and the state of New York.
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 Amityville, New York
Location in Long Island
Amityville, New York
Location in New York
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New York |
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| County | Suffolk | ||
| Town | Babylon | ||
| Incorporated | March 3, 1894 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 2.47 sq mi (6.41 km2) | ||
| • Land | 2.06 sq mi (5.32 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.42 sq mi (1.08 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 20 ft (6 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 9,500 | ||
| • Density | 4,620.62/sq mi (1,784.35/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | ||
| ZIP codes |
11701, 11708
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| Area code(s) | 631, 934 | ||
| FIPS code | 36-02044 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0942440 | ||
Amityville is a village located in the Town of Babylon. It is in Suffolk County, on the south shore of Long Island, in New York. In 2020, about 9,500 people lived there. The village has its own police department, the Amityville Police Department.
Contents
History of Amityville Village
Early settlers from Huntington first came to the Amityville area in 1653. They were looking for salt hay, which was used to feed animals. In 1658, Chief Wyandanch gave the first land deed for this area.
How Amityville Got Its Name
The area was first called Huntington West Neck South. This was because it was on the Great South Bay and near the border of what was then called Huntington South. The name changed around 1846 when people wanted to open a new post office.
There are two stories about how the name "Amityville" came about. One story says that a meeting to pick a name became very noisy. Someone then said, "What this meeting needs is some amity," meaning peace or friendship. Another story says that Samuel Ireland, who owned a mill, suggested the name. He wanted to name the town after his boat, the Amity.
Amityville's Growth and Famous Residents
The village officially became a village on March 3, 1894. In the early 1900s, Amityville was a popular place for tourists. It had large hotels by the bay and big homes.
Some famous people have lived or visited Amityville:
- Annie Oakley, a famous sharpshooter, often stayed there.
- Vaudeville star Fred Stone and comedian Will Rogers had homes nearby.
- The world-famous composer Benjamin Britten lived in the village during World War II.
- Even the famous gangster Al Capone had a house in the community.
- St. Mary's Church started holding meetings in 1886. Its chapel was built in 1888, before the town was officially formed.
The Amityville Horror Story
Amityville is known as the setting for the book The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson. This book was published in 1977 and later made into a series of movies, starting in 1979.
The Real Events Behind the Story
The story of The Amityville Horror comes from a real event in November 1974. A family was killed at a house on Ocean Avenue. In December 1975, another family, George and Kathy Lutz, moved into the house. They left after only 28 days. They claimed strange things happened in the house.
Jay Anson's book is based on these claims. However, there is no proof that the house was ever haunted. The murders did happen, but the haunting part of the story is debated.
Local Feelings About the Story
People who live in Amityville and local officials are not happy about the attention the Amityville Horror story brings. They usually do not want to talk about it publicly. The Amityville Historical Society's website does not mention the murders or the Lutz family's time in the house. When the History Channel made a documentary about the story in 2000, no one from the Historical Society would speak on camera.
The house from the book still exists today. It has been changed and its address was changed to stop tourists from visiting. The house was built in 1927 and was sold in 2010.
Geography of Amityville
Amityville covers about 2.5 square miles (6.4 square kilometers). About 2.1 square miles (5.3 square kilometers) is land, and 0.4 square miles (1.0 square kilometer) is water. This means about 15% of the village area is water.
The village has several neighbors:
- To the west is East Massapequa in Nassau County.
- To the north is North Amityville.
- To the east and south is Copiague.
- To the very south is the Great South Bay.
Population of Amityville
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 204 | — | |
| 1870 | 500 | 145.1% | |
| 1880 | 1,063 | 112.6% | |
| 1890 | 2,293 | 115.7% | |
| 1900 | 2,038 | −11.1% | |
| 1910 | 2,517 | 23.5% | |
| 1920 | 3,265 | 29.7% | |
| 1930 | 4,437 | 35.9% | |
| 1940 | 5,058 | 14.0% | |
| 1950 | 6,164 | 21.9% | |
| 1960 | 8,318 | 34.9% | |
| 1970 | 9,794 | 17.7% | |
| 1980 | 9,076 | −7.3% | |
| 1990 | 9,286 | 2.3% | |
| 2000 | 9,441 | 1.7% | |
| 2010 | 9,523 | 0.9% | |
| 2020 | 9,500 | −0.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2020, Amityville had 9,500 people living in 3,107 households. On average, there were about 2.6 people per household. The village had about 4,507 people per square mile.
Most homes (71.8%) were owned by the people living in them. The average value of an owned home was $443,500. About 20.7% of homes were rented.
The population was made up of different groups:
- 81.7% White
- 9.7% African American
- 1.8% Asian
- 13.1% Hispanic or Latino (who can be of any race).
About 17.7% of the population was under 18 years old. About 19.9% were 65 years or older. The average age in the village was 46.4 years.
Most people (90.1%) aged 25 or older had finished high school. About 30.7% had a college degree or higher. The average time people spent traveling to work was about 28 minutes. The average household income was $74,366.
Education in Amityville
The Amityville Union Free School District serves all of Amityville village. It also serves parts of North Amityville, East Massapequa, and a small part of Copiague.
School District Information
In the 2010–2011 school year, the district had 2,780 students. The students came from many different backgrounds. About 54% were African-American, 35% were Hispanic, and 8% were non-Hispanic white. Many students (51%) were eligible for free lunch.
The district's graduation rate was 79%. This means 79 out of 100 students finished high school. Many graduates planned to go to college. About 35% planned to go to a 4-year college, and 52% to a 2-year college.
Schools in the District
The Amityville School District has several schools:
- Northeast Elementary School (Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten)
- Northwest Elementary School (Grades 1–2)
- Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School (Grades 3–5)
- Edmund W. Miles Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- Amityville Memorial High School (Grades 9–12)
The district has made some changes to which grades attend which schools over the years.
Places to Visit in Amityville
- The Triangle – This is a special area in the center of the village where Broadway and Park Avenue meet. A building called The Triangle was built there in 1892. A gazebo was added later. In 1994, it was named "Memorial Triangle" to honor those who served the village.
- The Lauder Museum – This museum is located near The Triangle. It is in a historic building that was once the Bank of Amityville, built in 1909. The Amityville Historical Society opened the museum in 1972.
- The Amityville Beach – A local beach where people can enjoy the water.
- Sand Island – This island is in the Great South Bay, just south of the Amityville beach. You can only get to it by boat.
Getting Around Amityville
Amityville has a train station called Amityville Station. It is on the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. This station is also a hub for local buses.
Bus Routes from Amityville Station
Several bus routes connect from the Amityville train station:
- Route 1: Goes to Halesite Fire Department.
- Route 2: Goes to Patchogue LIRR.
- Route 4: Goes to Smith Haven Mall.
- Route 10: Goes to Babylon LIRR.
- Route n54: Goes to Hempstead.
- Route n55: Also goes to Hempstead.
- Route n71: Goes to Farmingdale State College.
Famous People from Amityville
Many notable people have connections to Amityville:
- Alec Baldwin – a well-known actor.
- Prince Paul – a music producer.
- De La Soul – a famous hip hop group.
- Benjamin Britten – a British classical composer.
- Tony Graffanino – a MLB player.
- Mike James – an NBA player.
- Kevin Kregel – an astronaut.
- Ja'net Dubois – an actress from the TV show Good Times.
- Kene Holliday – an actor from the TV show Matlock.
- Tre Mason – an NFL running back.
- Donnie McClurkin – a gospel singer.
- Bill McDermott – a successful CEO.
- A. J. Price – an NBA player.
- David Torn – a composer and guitarist.
- Dave Weldon – a U.S. Congressman.
- Darrel Young – an NFL player.
Sister City
Since 1979, Amityville has been a sister city with Le Bourget, which is a town in France.
See also
In Spanish: Amityville para niños
