Elmont, New York facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Elmont, New York
Hamlet and census-designated place
Elmont Memorial High School in 2010.
Location in Nassau County and the state of New York.
Elmont, New York Location in Long Island Show map of Long Island Elmont, New York Location in New York Show map of New York Elmont, New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Nassau
Town	Hempstead
Area
• Total	3.42 sq mi (8.86 km²)
• Land	3.41 sq mi (8.83 km²)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km²)
Elevation	39 ft (12 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	35,265
• Density	10,341.64/sq mi (3,993.32/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	11003
Area code(s)	516
FIPS code	36-24273
GNIS feature ID	0949582

Elmont is a community in Nassau County, New York, United States. It's located on Long Island, right next to the New York City borough of Queens. In 2020, about 35,265 people lived here.

Elmont is well-known for Belmont Park, a famous horse racing track. This track hosts the Belmont Stakes, which is a very important horse race. Elmont is also home to UBS Arena, a modern sports and entertainment venue. It's the home stadium for the New York Islanders, an NHL hockey team.

Over the years, Elmont has tried several times to become an official village, but it hasn't been successful yet.

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Discovering Elmont's Past

In 1650, two brothers, Christopher and Thomas Foster, bought a large area of land. This land was then controlled by Dutch settlers. The Fosters wanted to raise cattle and sheep on their new land. They called this place "Foster's Meadow". This name stayed for about 200 years.

By the mid-1600s, families of Sephardic Jews started settling in the area for farming. In 1664, the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam became part of England. This led to a cultural change in Foster's Meadow. More English Protestant farmers and their families moved in.

In 1683, Long Island was divided into three counties. Foster's Meadow was first part of Queens County. In 1790, George Washington visited the town during a tour of Long Island. The current borders of Elmont were set in 1898. This was when Nassau County was created.

Changing Cultures and Communities

In the mid-1800s, Foster's Meadow saw another cultural shift. Many Roman Catholic and Ashkenazi Jewish farmers moved from Brooklyn and Middle Village. These new residents were mostly of German and Italian descent.

The Catholic community grew quite a bit. The Church of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ was built in 1852. It was later renamed Saint Boniface Roman Catholic Parish in 1857. This church became a central point for the Catholic population. A new school was built in 1887, and Dominican Sisters were invited to teach there.

From Foster's Meadow to Elmont

In 1882, the community was divided into smaller districts. It was at this time that Foster's Meadow was renamed Elmont. In 1902, a group led by August Belmont Jr. wanted to build a grand racetrack on Long Island. They found the perfect spot on the border of Queens and Nassau County.

Belmont Park was built on 650 acres of land. It was a huge step in Elmont's development. When Belmont Park opened in 1905, Elmont changed a lot. Farms were sold and turned into housing developments. Many new homes were built for people who worked at the racetrack. Businesses also grew along Hempstead Turnpike to support the growing community.

Elmont's Role in Aviation History

In 1910, Belmont Park hosted the first air race in the United States. Wilbur and Orville Wright organized an international air competition. About 150,000 people came to watch! The race went from Belmont Park to the Statue of Liberty and back.

In 1918, the United States Postal Service started its first inter-city Air Mail Service. This service ran between New York City and Washington, D.C.. Belmont Park was chosen as the delivery spot for New York.

Modern Development and UBS Arena

After World War II, many new suburban homes were built in Elmont. These homes often had brick on the first floor and were in the Cape Cod style.

In 2017, New York State decided to redevelop part of the Belmont Park property. They wanted to improve the area for the park and nearby communities. Two groups, New York City FC and the New York Islanders, offered plans. The Islanders' plan was chosen. This led to the building of UBS Arena, which opened in 2021. It is now the new home for the New York Islanders hockey team.

Why Elmont Isn't a Village (Yet!)

Elmont has tried many times to become an official village. The first attempt was in 1931, but it didn't work. They tried again in 1940 and 1949. After 1938, new rules made it harder for communities to become villages. Any new village had to follow Nassau County's zoning laws.

Learning in Elmont

Most of Elmont is part of two school districts. The Elmont Union Free School District handles elementary schools. The Sewanhaka Central High School District is for secondary (middle and high) schools. A small part of Elmont is in the Valley Stream school districts.

Local Schools

Here are some of the schools in and around Elmont:

Elementary Schools

All these schools are part of the Elmont UFSD:

Clara H. Carlson School (Grades K-6)
Covert Avenue School (Grades K-6)
Dutch Broadway School (Grades K-6)
Gotham Avenue School (Grades K-6)
Alden Terrace School (Grades K-6) - located in Valley Stream
Stewart Manor School (Grades K-6) - located in Stewart Manor

High Schools

Elmont Memorial High School (Grades 7–12)
H. Frank Carey High School (Grades 7–12)
New Hyde Park Memorial High School (Grades 7–12)
Sewanhaka High School (Grades 7–12)
Floral Park Memorial High School (Grades 7–12)

Colleges and Universities Nearby

Several colleges and universities are close to Elmont, including:

Molloy College
Nassau Community College
Adelphi University
CUNY Queensborough Community College
St. John's University-New York
Hofstra University
CUNY Queens College

Getting Around Elmont

Elmont is located right on the border of Nassau County and Queens, New York City. This makes it easy to get to many places.

Airports

The closest airports are:

John F. Kennedy International Airport (about 7 miles away)
LaGuardia Airport (about 13 miles away)

Trains and Buses

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) offers special train service to Belmont Park on race days. Elmont is also close to other LIRR stations like Floral Park, New Hyde Park, and Valley Stream. These stations offer regular train service to New York City. A new station, Elmont station, opened for eastbound trains in 2021 and westbound trains in 2022.

The Nassau Inter-County Express bus system also serves Elmont. Buses on routes n1 and n6 connect to the LIRR, the New York City Subway, and other bus lines.

Roads

Elmont is located where the Cross Island Parkway and Southern State Parkway meet. This gives quick access to Long Island's parkway system. The Long Island Expressway and Throgs Neck Bridge are also not too far away.

Elmont's Location

U.S. Census Map of Elmont.

Elmont covers about 3.4 square miles (8.8 square kilometers) of land. It's known as "The Gateway to Long Island" because it sits right on the border between Queens (New York City) and Nassau County.

Population and Diversity

Elmont has grown steadily over the years. In 2000, the population was 32,657. By 2010, it was 33,198, and in 2020, it reached 35,265.

Elmont is known for being a very diverse community. In 2010, about 45.5% of the population was African American, 28.5% White, and 10.9% Asian. About 21.8% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino. This mix of cultures makes Elmont a vibrant place to live.

The average household income in Elmont has also increased. In 2010, it was about $80,356. By 2020, it had risen to over $100,000, showing a rise in prosperity for the community.

Places of Worship

Elmont is home to many different places of worship, reflecting its diverse community:

St. Boniface (Roman Catholic)
Cathedral of St. Vincent De Paul (Syro-Malankara)
Elmont Jewish Center (Orthodox)
Muhammadi Masjid (Muslim)
Noori Islamic Center of Elmont (Muslim)
Shiva Vishnu Vedic Temple (Hindu)
Dharma Green Island Buddhist Monastery (Buddhist)
ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple (Hindu)
St. Paul's German Presbyterian Church and Cemetery
Elmont Temple SDA church (Seventh Day Adventist)
The Sanctuary of Elmont (Pentecostal)
Bible Baptist Church (Baptist)

Famous People from Elmont

Many notable people have connections to Elmont, including:

Cara Castronuova (born 1980), actress and boxing champion.
Jordan Dangerfield (born 1990), NFL football player.
Nelson DeMille, a well-known author.
DJ Skribble (born 1968), a famous DJ and music producer.
Mike Gallo (born 1975) and Steve Gallo (born 1981), musicians in rock bands like Agnostic Front.
Delila Hernandez (born 1984), singer-songwriter for the band The Last Internationale.
Andy Kaufman (born 1949), a famous sketch comedy actor.
Bob LeRose, advertising artist and comic book colorist.
Donna Orender (born 1957), former WNBA commissioner.
Naomi Osaka, a world-famous tennis player, moved to Elmont at age 3.
Ryan Penagos (born 1981), Vice President at Marvel Entertainment.
Dennis Peron (born 1945), a Vietnam War veteran and activist.
Rich the Kid, a rapper who attended Elmont Memorial High School.
Marco Rivera (born 1972), a former NFL offensive lineman.
Bob Rozakis, a comic book writer and editor for DC Comics.
Vinny Testaverde (born 1963), a former NFL quarterback and Heisman Award winner.
Josh Tilotta (born 1979), a guitarist in rock bands.
Maju Varghese, an attorney who worked in the White House Military Office.

Images for kids

Arched windows of the Belmont grandstand and tote board in 1999.
Covert Avenue School.