Valley Stream, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Valley Stream, New York
Village
Incorporated Village of Valley Stream
Valley Stream and the surrounding areas, as seen from the air.
Seal
Location in Nassau County and the state of New York
Valley Stream, New York Location in Long Island Show map of Long Island Valley Stream, New York Location in New York Show map of New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Nassau
Town	Hempstead
Incorporated	February 14, 1925
Named for	Valley Stream Brook
Area
• Total	3.50 sq mi (9.05 km2)
• Land	3.48 sq mi (9.01 km2)
• Water	0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation	16 ft (5 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	40,634
• Density	11,683.15/sq mi (4,511.16/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	11580-11583
Area codes	516, 363
FIPS code	36-76705
GNIS feature ID	2391182

Valley Stream is a village located in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island. It's part of New York, United States. In 2020, about 40,634 people lived here.

The full name is the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream. It's found within the Town of Hempstead, right next to Queens. You can get there by using the Long Island Rail Road at the Valley Stream, Gibson, and Westwood stations.

History of Valley Stream

Early Days and Naming

In 1640, the land that is now Valley Stream was bought by the Dutch West India Company. They bought it from the Rockaway Native Americans. These Native Americans were a group called Lenape, or Delaware people.

For about 200 years, this wooded area didn't have many people. Most people lived further west. By 1840, only about 20 families lived here, mostly on large farms. Different parts of the area had interesting nicknames. The northwest was called "Fosters Meadow." The business area on Rockaway Avenue was known as "Rum Junction" because of its taverns. A northern part was called "Cookie Hill," and an area with a fertilizer plant was "Skunks Misery." A section called "Hungry Harbor" still keeps its name today.

A gate house in Valley Stream around 1872-1887.

Robert Pagan was born in Scotland in 1796. He moved to the United States with his family in the late 1830s. The 1840 census shows he was a farmer.

At that time, the community didn't have a post office. Residents had to go to Hempstead to get their mail. Robert Pagan asked for a post office. He became the postmaster, and the post office was in his farmhouse. This house is now known as the Pagan-Fletcher House.

He was told the community needed a name. Pagan chose "Valley Stream" because of how the land looked and because of the Valley Stream Brook that flows through it. In 1843, the U.S. Post Office officially accepted the name. That's why Robert Pagan is known for naming the community.

Robert Pagan's wife, Ellen, also helped the community. She started holding religious services in her home because it was a long trip to Lynbrook for church. A Methodist minister began visiting their home. This led to the first church group in Valley Stream.

Growth and Development

In 1853, Hempstead Turnpike was the main road connecting Valley Stream to Jamaica and New York City. Later that year, Merrick Road was built. This new road connected Valley Stream to Merrick in the east and Jamaica in the west. With this new road, people and businesses started moving south in Valley Stream.

In 1869, the South Side Railroad of Long Island started stopping in Valley Stream. A new train line was built to connect to the Rockaways. This line is now called the Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Railroad.

The new railroad and Merrick Road helped Valley Stream grow a lot. Around the early 1900s, Hendrickson Park was a popular vacation spot for people from Brooklyn and Queens. The Valley Stream Hotel opened, looking over a golf course. Many tourists liked Valley Stream so much that they decided to move there. Because of all this growth, the Village of Valley Stream officially became a village on February 14, 1925.

Modern History and Key Events

In 1922, a builder named William R. Gibson came to Valley Stream. He bought a large area of land and built many homes. He realized his homes were perfect for people who worked in offices and traveled to the city. He asked the Long Island Railroad to add a train stop. The railroad agreed if Gibson built the station himself. On May 29, 1929, the Gibson station opened. It's still called Gibson station today, named after its founder.

In 1970, a boy named Dennis Falcone was hit by a car on Mill Road. He was seriously hurt and spent time in the hospital and then in a wheelchair. He later recovered and was able to walk again.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan visited Temple Hillel in Valley Stream. He was invited by Rabbi Morris Friedman. This was a special event because it was the first time since President George Washington that a sitting American President spoke at a Jewish house of worship.

Geography of Valley Stream

A U.S. Census map showing Valley Stream.

Valley Stream covers about 3.5 square miles (9.05 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Valley Stream is surrounded by other communities. These include Elmont, New York (where the Belmont Park racetrack is), Lynbrook, Malverne, Franklin Square, Hewlett, Woodmere, and Rosedale, Queens (a neighborhood in New York City).

A 1924 map of Valley Stream from above, showing landmarks.

Population and People

Valley Stream has grown quite a bit over the years. In 1880, there were just over 600 people. By 2020, the population had grown to 40,634.

The village is home to many different groups of people. Many residents have Italian American, Irish American, and German American backgrounds.

Getting Around Valley Stream

Roads

You can travel through Valley Stream using several main roads:

• NY 27
• Peninsula Boulevard (County Road 2)
• Mill Road/Central Avenue
• Merrick Road
• Southern State Parkway

Buses

Several bus routes serve Valley Stream, connecting it to nearby towns and areas:

• n1: To Elmont and East Rockaway
• n4: To Jamaica and Freeport
• n2 & n8: To New Hyde Park and Green Acres Mall
• n25: To Great Neck Plaza and Lynbrook
• Q5: To Jamaica and Green Acres Mall
• Q85: To Locust Manor and Green Acres Mall
• Q111: To Jamaica and South Valley Stream

Trains

The Valley Stream station on the LIRR.

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has several lines that stop in Valley Stream:

• Far Rockaway Branch: Stops at Valley Stream and Gibson stations.
• Long Beach Branch: Stops at Valley Stream station.
• West Hempstead Branch: Stops at Valley Stream and Westwood stations.

Education in Valley Stream

Valley Stream has several different elementary school districts. These are Valley Stream 13, 24, and 30 Union Free School Districts. All these elementary districts share the same high school district, which is the Valley Stream Central High School District.

Some children in the southern part of the village go to schools in the Hewlett-Woodmere School District.

Hewlett-Woodmere Union Free School District 14

• Franklin Early Childhood Center
• Ogden Elementary School
• Hewlett Elementary School
• Woodmere Middle School
• George W. Hewlett High School

Valley Stream School Union Free School District #13

• Howell Road Elementary School
• James A. Dever Elementary School
• Wheeler Avenue Elementary School
• Willow Road Elementary School

Valley Stream Union Free School District #24

• Brooklyn Avenue Elementary School
• Robert W. Carbonaro Elementary School
• William L. Buck Elementary School

Valley Stream Union Free School District #30

• Clearstream Avenue Elementary School
• Forest Road Elementary School
• Shaw Avenue Elementary School

Valley Stream Central High School District

The front of Valley Stream Central High School.

• Valley Stream Central High School
• Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School
• Valley Stream North High School
• Valley Stream South High School
• Twilight Alternative Program

Economy and Businesses

Valley Stream is home to some well-known businesses and organizations:

• Green Acres Mall is a large shopping mall partly located in Valley Stream.
• National Amusements, a movie theater company, started in Valley Stream.
• The Ninety-Nines, an international organization for women pilots, was started here.
• Snapple Beverage Co., a popular drink company, also began in Valley Stream.

Valley Stream in Films

You might have seen parts of Valley Stream in movies!

• Scenes from Married to the Mob, Goodfellas, Trees Lounge, The Brothers McMullen, The Lords of Flatbush, Frankenhooker, and Desperate Endeavors were filmed here.
• A section of The Honeymoon Killers is set in Valley Stream.
• The Netflix show Maniac and the TV show Bridge and Tunnel (TV series) also filmed some scenes in the village.

Famous People from Valley Stream

Many interesting people have lived or grown up in Valley Stream:

See also

In Spanish: Valley Stream para niños