Westbury

Westbury, NY is an incorporated village of 15,000 in the town of North Hempstead, Nassau County. Though the village occupies only 2.4 square miles, it's surrounded by other unincorporated areas, including Salisbury, New Cassel, and East Garden City, which are also referred to as “Westbury” and may use one of its postal codes.

Westbury is known for shopping. Post Avenue is the heart of the village, and still retains a small-town feel despite the looming presence of malls and big chain stores. The Wesbury LIRR station,which opened in 1840, is in the village. The area beyond has morphed significantly in recent years, with area institutions like Fortunoff and Roosevelt Raceway Flea Market going out of business. The former Raceway property underwent a long, extensive transition, and today a movie theatre, condominiums and stores occupy the area. Roosevelt Field, an upscale mall anchored by Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and Macys, is one of the Northeast’s largest. The Source Mall, once anchored by the now-defunct Fortunoff, includes Nordstrom Rack and Off Fifth.

Most of the students attend the Westbury School District. There are 3,800 students in the district, attending four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Student performance on state exams has been adequate enough to keep the district off the state’s list of schools needing improvement. However, four to thirteen percent of elementary and middle school students failed the tests in 2011, and the district also contends with a 67% poverty rate. Qualified middle school students can take Regents exams in two subjects. Passing rates on Regents exams are also middling. However, students at the middle school and high school level are offered a wide selection of athletics and extracurricular programs, and the district has partnered with the Long Island Philharmonic and BOCES Arts in Education to enhance its academic programs. The western area of the town is part of the Carle Place School District, and the Salisbury area is part of the East Meadow School District. Both districts are well-regarded. Private school options include the Westbury Friends School, a K-8 Quaker school, and St. Brigids, a parochial school that goes up to 8th grade.

There is little parkland. However, the county-run Eisenhower Park, a 930-acre property, is located partially in Westbury. The park has three public 18-hole golf courses, three playgrounds, picnic areas and a two-mile fitness trail. To the north, Old Westbury Gardens features a historic home and formal English gardens. Westbury also has a terrific public library, which has an especially large selection of programs for children. Westbury Music Fair, technically located in Jericho, has a rotating stage and always draws well-known musical performers.

Housing is affordable. Most of the inventory consists of single family homes, with a limited number of multi-family homes. The more expensive houses are located in the East Meadow and Carle Place school districts. There are also several condominium and co-op complexes.