Until 1970, folk singer Burl Ives, spent occasional summer weekends in a cottage near the Hempstead Town Dock.

[6] Then, in the 1990s, then-Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli and Ted Blackburn (the Mayor of Sea Cliff at the time) came up with the idea for the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee; this organization was ultimately born in 1995.

[8] The sand that was mined in the area would be brought to Hempstead Harbor, and from there would be shipped to destinations in New York City and points beyond.

[8] Notable parks and recreational facilities located along Hempstead Harbor/Hempstead Bay include: The William Cullen Bryant Viaduct (also known as the Roslyn Viaduct) crosses the southernmost section of Hempstead Harbor, carrying Northern Boulevard (NY 25A) between West Shore Road (CR 15) and Bryant Avenue at its eastern end.

[12] It serves as a bypass of Roslyn, and more specifically Old Northern Boulevard (CR 25A) - which was NY 25A's previous alignment through the area.