Munsey Park, New York

Munsey Park is a village in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States.

The Incorporated Village of Munsey Park is located entirely within the Town of North Hempstead, and has been recognized as a Tree City USA since 1983.

Munsey Park was first developed in the 1920s, on North Shore land previously owned by wealthy publisher Frank Andrew Munsey (1854–1925), as a commuter town and "model, restricted community", taking advantage of the Long Island Rail Road's Manhasset station, located immediately to the west of the development.

The land on which the planned community now stands on was bequeathed by Munsey to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1925.

[2][3][4][5][6] The Metropolitan Museum of Art sold the portion of the estate south of Northern Boulevard (NY 25A); that area would eventually become part of Strathmore.

[3] In 1931, the Munsey Park Shopping Center opened at the northwestern corner of Northern Boulevard and Manhasset Woods Road; it was designed to conform to the architecture of the homes within the village.

[3][14] Operated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the club closed on March 1, 1937, as a result of poor revenue and profits, in addition to rising deficits.

[3] It was built to address the overcrowding in the district's existing schools which had from the large development boom in the Manhasset area and the resulting influx of residents – including in Munsey Park.

[3] In May 1942, the Congregational Church of Manhasset purchased 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) of land in Munsey Park, along the north side of Northern Boulevard.

[3] Located at 1777 Northern Boulevard at the southern end of Munsey Park, the structure was built to conform to the style of residential homes in the village, and was erected on land which it had purchased back in 1950.

[3] In 1983, Munsey Park was designated as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation for the first time.

[20][21][22][23][24] The proposed shopping mall on the site would have featured two floors, multiple exterior designs, and a parking garage with three levels.

Ultimately, the lawsuit was unsuccessful, and the mall was never built; the property was eventually purchased in 1992 by TH Associates, which rehabilitated it and secured a new tenant for the former Bonwit Teller space.

[27] According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2), all of it being land.

[38] The only businesses within Munsey Park are at three shopping centers along the north side of Northern Boulevard; these are the only areas of the Village zoned for commercial use.

[38][21] The largest of the shopping centers in Munsey Park – Munsey Park Plaza – is located at the southeast corner of the village and houses tenants including Whole Foods and Benihana; it has also previously housed a Bonwit Teller and a Bed, Bath & Beyond.

[38][47] At the federal level, the village is located in New York's 3rd congressional district, which as of January 2023 is represented in the United States Congress by George A. Santos (R).

[38][48] Like the rest of New York, Munsey Park is represented in the United States Senate by Charles Schumer (D) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

[51][52] The Village of Munsey Park is located entirely within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Manhasset Union Free School District.

[38] Munsey Park is served by two state roads, which also form portions of the village's boundaries.

[38] The nearest Long Island Rail Road station to the village is Manhasset on the Port Washington Branch.

[38] Munsey Park is served by the n20H, n21, and n23 bus routes – all three of which are operated by Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE).

[63][64] PSEG Long Island provides power to all homes and businesses within Munsey Park.

[13][38][67] As such, the entirety of the village relies on cesspools and septic systems, as opposed to being connected to sanitary sewers.

A home in Munsey Park in 1939.
The Congregational Church of Manhasset on June 18, 2023.
U.S. Census map of Munsey Park.
Munsey Park Village Hall's main entrance on Northern Boulevard in 2022
Munsey Park Village Hall's rear entrance on Sargent Place in 2021
The Munsey Park Elementary School on June 17, 2023.
Waldmann Memorial Park on June 15, 2021.
An entrance pier to the village at the Manhasset Woods Road–Northern Boulevard (NY 25A) intersection on September 6, 2021.
A Great Neck -bound n20H bus on Northern Boulevard (NY 25A) in Munsey Park on June 17, 2023.
The Munsey Park Water Tower on September 6, 2021.