Lawrence, Nassau County, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lawrence, New York
Village
Incorporated Village of Lawrence
Lawrence Village Hall on August 8, 2022.
Location in Nassau County and the state of New York
Lawrence, New York Location in Long Island Show map of Long Island Lawrence, New York Location in New York Show map of New York Lawrence, New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Nassau
Town	Hempstead
Incorporated	1897
Named for	The Lawrence Brothers
Area
• Total	4.64 sq mi (12.01 km2)
• Land	3.72 sq mi (9.63 km2)
• Water	0.92 sq mi (2.39 km2)
Elevation	20 ft (6 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,809
• Density	1,831.36/sq mi (707.17/km2)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
ZIP code	11559
Area code(s)	516
FIPS code	36-41553
GNIS feature ID	0955101

Lawrence is a beautiful village located in Nassau County, New York, United States. In 2020, about 6,809 people called Lawrence home.

The Village of Lawrence is in the southwestern part of the Town of Hempstead. It is close to the New York City area of Queens and not far from the Atlantic Ocean. Lawrence is one of the "Five Towns" on Long Island. These towns include Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, Inwood, and "The Hewletts." The Hewletts are made up of Hewlett, Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck, and Woodsburgh.

History of Lawrence

Early Days and Old Lawrence

A special part of the village is called Old Lawrence, or Back Lawrence. This area has many large homes and even some former plantations. Some of these properties date back to the time of the American Revolution. Old Lawrence is known for its large, rural properties, which are similar to the "Gold Coast" area of Long Island.

A historic home called Rock Hall is located here. It was once home to the Martin and Hewlett families. Today, it is an active museum where you can learn about the past.

Growth and Changes

In 1869, a railroad line was built from New York City through the area now known as The Five Towns. Three brothers named Lawrence bought land in this area. The village was later named after them. In the late 1800s, Lawrence was a popular vacation spot for wealthy families.

However, a series of big storms in the 1890s changed the coastline. They destroyed a large hotel on the beach, and Lawrence lost its direct access to the ocean. Around the same time, Lawrence began to grow into a suburb. It developed schools, public buildings, and better roads. The town area expanded into what it is today.

In 1897, Lawrence officially became an incorporated village. This allowed the community to have more control over its local rules and development.

Community Life and Culture

For many years, Old Lawrence was home to many families who had lived there since the American Revolution. From the 1940s to the 1980s, Lawrence became a center for Reform and Conservative Jewish communities. It even had the largest Reform synagogue on Long Island. Many famous people grew up in Lawrence during this time.

In the late 1980s, many Modern Orthodox Jewish families moved to Lawrence. These communities are close to Far Rockaway, which has many yeshivas (Jewish schools) and kosher restaurants. Central Avenue in Lawrence and Cedarhurst now has many kosher restaurants and shops that serve the Orthodox community.

Geography of Lawrence

U.S. Census map of Lawrence.

Lawrence covers a total area of about 4.7 square miles (12.1 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 3.8 square miles (10.0 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 0.8 square miles (2.2 square kilometers) is water.

Population and People

In 2000, there were 6,522 people living in Lawrence. There were 2,113 households, with 1,629 of them being families. The population density was about 1,695 people per square mile.

About 37.6% of households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (69.7%) were married couples living together. The average household had about 3 people, and the average family had about 3.6 people.

The population of Lawrence is diverse. In 2000, most residents were White (95.2%). Other groups included African American (1.1%), Asian (1.7%), and Hispanic or Latino (3.4%).

The median age in the village was 37 years old. About 32.6% of the population was under 18. About 16.1% of residents were 65 years or older.

Education in Lawrence

Lawrence has its own public school system, called the Lawrence Public Schools, or School District 15. This district serves students from Lawrence and nearby communities like Atlantic Beach, Cedarhurst, Inwood, and parts of Woodmere.

There are also several private schools in Lawrence:

• The Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) is a school for grades K-12. Students learn both Jewish and regular subjects.
• The Brandeis School is a Conservative Jewish Day School.
• Mesivta Ateres Yaakov is a yeshiva (a Jewish school for boys).
• Rambam Mesivta is another yeshiva for grades 9-12, offering both Jewish and secular studies.
• The Shor Yoshuv Institute is a Rabbinical College.

Transportation in Lawrence

Getting around Lawrence and to other places is easy!

• Train: The Lawrence station is part of the Long Island Rail Road. You can take a train on the Far Rockaway Branch to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan or Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. You can also connect to other parts of Long Island from Jamaica station.
• Bus: The n31, n31x, n32 buses, run by Nassau Inter-County Express, travel through Lawrence. They can take you southwest to Far Rockaway, where you can connect to the New York City Subway. They also go northeast to the Hempstead Transit Center, connecting you to other areas of Long Island.
• Bridge: Lawrence is connected to Atlantic Beach by the Atlantic Beach Bridge over Reynolds Channel.

Emergency Services

Lawrence has excellent emergency services to keep everyone safe:

• Police: The Nassau County Police Department provides police services for Lawrence. It is part of their Fourth Precinct.
• EMS: The Hatzalah of Rockaway Lawrence (RL) group provides emergency medical services.
• Fire Department: The Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department protects both Lawrence and Cedarhurst. It has 85 volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians. They respond to fires, car accidents, and other emergencies.

Notable People from Lawrence

Many interesting people have lived in Lawrence, New York. Here are a few:

• Ben Ashkenazy (born 1968/69), a successful real estate developer.
• Avi Berkowitz (born 1988), who helped with important peace agreements called the Abraham Accords.
• Bruce Blakeman (born 1955), a leader in the Nassau County Legislature.
• Benjamin Brafman (born 1948), a well-known criminal defense attorney.
• John Burstein (born 1950), a children's television star who created the character Slim Goodbody.
• Michael Cohen (born 1966), a lawyer.
• Donna Karan (born 1948), a famous fashion designer.
• Arthur Kopit (1937–2021), a playwright known for plays like Wings and Nine.
• Peggy Lipton (1946-2019), an actress famous for her role in The Mod Squad.
• Steve Madden (born 1958), a popular shoe designer.
• Nancy McCartney, the third wife of Beatle Paul McCartney, once lived in Lawrence.
• Aaron Russo (1943–2007), a film producer and political activist.
• Lil Tecca (born 2002), a hip hop and rap artist.
• Leslie West (1945-2020), a musician from the hard rock band Mountain.

See also

In Spanish: Lawrence (condado de Nassau, Nueva York) para niños