Plainview, New York facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Plainview, New York
Hamlet and census-designated place

Location in Nassau County and the state of New York.
Plainview, New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Nassau
Area
• Total	5.74 sq mi (14.85 km²)
• Land	5.72 sq mi (14.83 km²)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km²)
Elevation	151 ft (46 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	27,100
• Density	4,734.45/sq mi (1,827.98/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	11803
Area code(s)	516
FIPS code	36-58442
GNIS feature ID	0960664

Plainview is a community in New York State. It's located on Long Island, near the North Shore. In 2020, about 27,100 people lived there. Plainview is part of the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County.

Plainview shares many services with its neighbor, Old Bethpage. They have the same schools, library, fire department, and water supply. The Nassau County Police Department helps keep the community safe.

History of Plainview

Early Days and Farming Life

Plainview's story began in 1648. A settler named Robert Williams bought land here. The area was good for farming because of a small pond. Local Native Americans called it Moscopas, meaning "hole of dirt and water." Later, in 1695, Thomas Powell bought more land. This area was first known as "Manetto Hill." The name came from the Native American word Manitou, which means "god" or "spirit."

Becoming Plainview

In 1837, the Long Island Rail Road arrived in nearby Hicksville. This helped local farms grow. By 1885, people in Manetto Hill wanted their own post office. But their request was turned down. This was because a similar name was already being used upstate. So, the community was renamed "Plainview." This new name described the wide view of the Hempstead Plains from the top of the Manetto Hills.

From Farms to Suburbs

Plainview was once famous for growing cucumbers. These were used by the huge Heinz pickle factories nearby. In the early 1900s, a plant disease ruined the cucumber crops. Many farmers then started growing potatoes.

After World War II, more problems with potatoes happened. Also, many soldiers returning from the war wanted to move out of New York City. They liked the idea of living in a more rural Long Island. So, many farmers sold their land. This led to a lot of new homes being built. This rapid growth is sometimes called suburban sprawl. Between 1950 and 1960, Plainview's population grew from 1,155 to over 35,000 people!

Most of the land was developed during this time. Some areas were also set aside as parks. In recent years, a few large pieces of land have become gated communities. These are different from most of the homes in the area. Examples include "The Hamlet on Olde Oyster Bay" and "The Seasons at Plainview." The Seasons is a community for people over 55 and first-time homebuyers.

Geography of Plainview

U.S. Census Map of Plainview

Plainview is located at 40°46′48″N 73°28′46″W / 40.78000°N 73.47944°W / 40.78000; -73.47944.

The community covers about 5.7 square miles (14.8 square kilometers). Plainview is on the Nassau County side of the border with Suffolk County. Within Nassau County, it borders Bethpage, Hicksville, Old Bethpage, Syosset, and Woodbury. On the Suffolk County side, it mainly borders Melville and also touches West Hills.

Plainview's Population

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
2020	27,100	—
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2020, there were 27,100 people living in Plainview. There were 8,923 households, which are groups of people living together. About 7,243 of these were families.

Most people in Plainview are White (74.8%). About 19.9% are Asian, and 2.7% are from two or more races. About 4.6% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. Plainview has always had a large Jewish population. In recent years, the number of East Asian residents has grown a lot.

About 25.1% of the people are under 18 years old. The average age in Plainview is 41 years.

Economy in Plainview

Plainview is mostly a suburban area with many shopping centers. It also has about 330 acres of business properties. These are spread across three office parks. Some well-known companies with offices here include Veeco and Cobham (formerly Aeroflex).

Places of Worship

Plainview has many different places of worship.

There are several Jewish congregations. These include Plainview Synagogue and Young Israel of Plainview (Orthodox). Plainview Jewish Center and Manetto Hill Jewish Center are Conservative. Temple Chaverim is Reform.

Churches in Plainview include Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Plainview United Methodist Church, Plainview Reformed Church, St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church, and Episcopal Church of St. Margaret. The Episcopal Church also has a cemetery.

Plainview is also home to the Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Center, Inc., which is a Sikh temple. There is also Beth Yeshua/Olive Tree Congregation, a Messianic temple.

Education in Plainview

The Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District serves students from Kindergarten through Grade 12. This school district has one high school, two middle schools, and four elementary schools. Most of these schools are located in Plainview.

Small parts of Plainview are also served by the Syosset Central School District and the Bethpage Union Free School District.

Plainview also has several private schools. Farmingdale State College is located in nearby Farmingdale.

Plainview-Old Bethpage Library

The Plainview Library first opened in 1956. It started in a school and then moved to a shopping center in 1958. As the population grew, the library needed more space. In 1962, voters approved money to build a new library building. It opened in 1964.

Since then, the library has been expanded twice. These expansions added more space for audio/visual materials and internet access. In 2005, a 236-seat auditorium was built. The Family Center and Media Center areas were also made larger. In 2014, more study rooms and public meeting areas were added. The library also got self-checkout stations and a new Technology Department. The Plainview-Old Bethpage Library has been recognized as a "5 Star Library" by Library Journal for several years.

Mid Island Y-JCC

The Mid Island Y-Jewish Community Center opened in 1956. It serves people living in Plainview, Old Bethpage, Syosset, and nearby areas.

Parks and Recreation

Plainview has many community parks. The main park is the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community Park, which is 19 acres (7.7 hectares). It opened in 1960. This park has an Olympic-size swimming pool, a children's pool, baseball/softball fields, tennis courts, and basketball courts. It also has a new playground for kids and trails through its woods. During the summer, there's a snack stand.

Parks in Plainview are managed by either the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums or the Town of Oyster Bay. Plainview is also home to a nature preserve called Manetto Hills Park. This undeveloped parkland was once known as the Shattuck Estate.

Borella Fields is another large community park on Plainview Road. It has three baseball fields, a soccer field, and a big playground.

Historic Estates

Plainview was once home to several large and beautiful Gold Coast estates.

The Schwarzenbach Estate: Robert Schwarzenbach was a very successful textile maker. He bought an estate on Manetto Hill. The main house was torn down to build homes. However, one small building from the estate still stands. It was the home for the estate's gardener. Today, it houses a veterinarian's office.
The Shattuck Estate: This estate belonged to Edwin Paul Shattuck, a successful New York City lawyer. He was also a personal attorney for President Herbert Hoover. The property is about 138 acres (56 hectares). In the 1970s, people wanted to develop it, but community activists fought to keep it as a nature preserve. The main house was torn down in 2013.
Nassau County Office Complex: This property was once the Nassau County Sanitarium, a hospital for people with tuberculosis. It was built in the 1930s. When tuberculosis became less common, the hospital closed in the 1960s. Later, in 1999, Charles Wang, who founded Computer Associates, bought the 144-acre (58-hectare) property. It is now home to Country Pointe at Plainview, which has senior condos and shops.

Media Connections

Television

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) station, WLIW, channel 21, used to broadcast from studios in Plainview. Even though the studios are still there, the station now shares broadcast facilities with WNET in New York City.

Movies

Until the 1980s, Plainview had several movie theaters. But larger movie theaters in Hicksville and Commack drew people away. So, the local theaters were changed into offices or shops.

Century's Morton Village: This theater was in the Morton Village Shopping Center. It was known for having very cheap tickets, starting at 7 cents in 1976. The price went up a penny each year until it closed in 1984.
Old Country Theater: This theater was first a single screen, then became a twin theater. After it closed, it was turned into an office building, mostly for medical offices.
RKO Plainview Twin: This movie theater was behind the Plainview Centre. It was later expanded and became a Shoprite grocery store.
The Plainview, A Century Theater: This theater was on South Oyster Bay Road. It was also turned into an office building, mostly for medical offices.

Radio

Plainview is home to WPOB 88.5 FM. This is the local radio station located at the Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School.

Notable People from Plainview

Many interesting people have lived in Plainview, including:

Hoodie Allen: A professional rapper.
Jessica Brungo: A basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA.
Harrison Chad: An actor who played Boots the Monkey on Dora the Explorer.
Diane Franklin: An actress known for roles in Better Off Dead and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman: A professional wrestler.
LeRoy Homer Jr.: The first officer of United Airlines Flight 93.
Marc Iavaroni: An assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors basketball team.
Aaron Karo: A professional comedian.
Chuck Lorre: A famous television writer and producer of shows like The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men.
Jeffrey Miller: One of the students killed in the Kent State shootings.
John Savage: An actor known for The Deer Hunter and Hair.
Charles W. Shea: A World War II veteran who received the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Danny Werfel: The current Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.
Robin Young: A well-known television and radio personality.

Images for kids

Welcome sign for Plainview and Old Bethpage
Map showing Plainview's location in Nassau County