Bethpage, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bethpage, New York Central Park
Hamlet and census-designated place
A welcome sign for the hamlet.
Location of Bethpage in Nassau County (right) and New York state (left)
Bethpage, New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Nassau County, New York
Town	Oyster Bay
Area
• Total	3.58 sq mi (9.26 km2)
• Land	3.58 sq mi (9.26 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	105 ft (32 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,658
• Density	4,658.28/sq mi (1,798.67/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	11714
Area code(s)	516
FIPS code	36-06387
GNIS feature ID	0943803

Bethpage is a small community in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York. It's known as a hamlet and a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's a recognized community, but it's part of a larger town. Bethpage is located within the Town of Oyster Bay. In 2020, about 16,658 people lived here. Bethpage used to be called Central Park.

History of Bethpage

The name Bethpage comes from a Quaker named Thomas Powell. He named the area after a Biblical town called Bethphage. This town was located between Jericho and Jerusalem. The land that is now Bethpage was bought in 1695 in an event known as the Bethpage Purchase. An older name for the northern part of Bethpage was Bedelltown.

Train Service and Name Changes

In 1841, train service began to Farmingdale station. This station was less than a mile east of what was then called Bethpage. Later, between 1851 and 1854, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) added a stop in present-day Bethpage. This station was first called Jerusalem Station. A local post office also opened in 1857 with the same name.

However, residents wanted a different name. So, on March 1, 1867, the post office name was changed to Central Park. The Central Park Fire Company was started in 1910. The Central Park Water District was created in 1923.

In 1932, Bethpage State Park opened nearby. This led to another name change for the local post office and the LIRR station. On October 1, 1936, they were both renamed Bethpage. Another nearby community was already using the name Bethpage. To avoid confusion, that community changed its name to Old Bethpage.

Grumman and Aerospace History

From 1936 to 1994, Bethpage was home to the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. This company made many important aircraft. They built the F-14 Tomcat fighter jet. They also built the Apollo Lunar Excursion Module (LEM). The LEM was the spacecraft that landed astronauts on the Moon. Because of this, Bethpage is mentioned in the 1995 movie Apollo 13. Grumman aircraft like the F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat were very famous. They shot down thousands of enemy planes during wars.

In 1994, Grumman was bought by Northrop. The new company became Northrop Grumman. Even though Northrop Grumman is no longer based in Bethpage, they still have operations there. The Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, Bethpage (NWIRP) also started operating near Grumman in 1942.

Environmental Cleanup Efforts

Because of its history with aerospace manufacturing, the ground and water in Bethpage needed cleaning. This was due to certain materials used in the past. In 2012, Bethpage was named a Superfund site. This means it's a place where the government helps clean up the environment. Local residents have worked to address these environmental concerns.

Geography of Bethpage

U.S. Census map of Bethpage.

Bethpage covers an area of about 3.6 square miles (9.26 square kilometers). All of this area is land. The boundaries of Bethpage have changed a little over time.

The Bethpage Post Office serves the area with ZIP code 11714. Several school districts serve Bethpage residents. These include the Bethpage Union Free School District, Island Trees Union Free School District, Plainedge Union Free School District, and Hicksville Union Free School District. These districts also cover parts of nearby communities.

Economy

Bethpage Business Park.

Bethpage is home to several important businesses. The grocery store chain King Kullen has its main office here. The USPS also has a large sorting facility in Bethpage. This facility helps sort mail for the New York area.

Altice USA, which used to be called Cablevision, has its headquarters in Bethpage. This company provides internet and TV services. Bethpage also has two movie studios: Gold Coast Studios and Grumman Studios. These studios have filmed many famous movies and TV shows. Some movies filmed here include The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Avengers. TV shows like Kevin Can Wait have also been filmed in Bethpage.

Goya Foods, a well-known food company, has its Long Island division in Bethpage.

Demographics

In 2010, there were 16,429 people living in Bethpage. There were 5,710 households. Most households (66%) were married couples living together. About 32% of households had children under 18. The average household had almost 3 people.

The population was diverse. Most residents (90.8%) were White. About 5.5% were Asian, and 7% were of Hispanic or Latino background. The median age in Bethpage was 40 years old.

Arts and Culture

Bethpage has a rich history, especially with its connection to the Apollo Lunar Modules (LEMs). These modules were built by Grumman in Bethpage.

Bethpage State Park is a popular spot nearby. It has five golf courses. One of them, the Black Course, is very famous. It has hosted the U.S. Open golf championship twice, in 2002 and 2009. Even though the park is mostly in Old Bethpage, it's easy to get to from Bethpage.

The Bethpage Water District was recognized for having the best-tasting drinking water in New York State in 2006.

Medal of Honor recipient Stephen Edward Karopczyc lived in Bethpage. A school in Bethpage was named after him. This school now houses the Island Trees Public Library.

The Town of Oyster Bay Ice Skating Center is in Bethpage. It has an NHL-sized rink for skating. It's also home to the Long Island Blues special hockey team.

Education

The main entrance to Bethpage High School

Students in Bethpage attend schools in different districts. These include the Bethpage Union Free School District, the Plainedge Union Free School District, the Island Trees Union Free School District, and the Hicksville Union Free School District.

Briarcliffe College used to have a campus located in Bethpage.

Notable people

Many interesting people have lived in Bethpage, including:

• Eric Asimov (born 1957), a wine and food critic for The New York Times
• Nicholas Braun (born 1988), an actor
• Lori Carson (born 1958), a singer-songwriter
• Jim Christian (born 1965), a college basketball player and coach
• Jim Hodder (1947–1990), a musician from the band Steely Dan
• Alex Reynolds (born 1987), a professional wrestler
• Rob Scuderi (born 1978), a National Hockey League player
• Helen Slater (born 1963), an actress and singer
• Al Weis (born 1938), a Major League Baseball player

See also

In Spanish: Bethpage (Nueva York) para niños