Sands Point, New York

History

What is now the Village of Sands Point was originally inhabited by the Matinecock Native Americans. In 1644, the area was settled by European colonists – namely, Dutchmen and Englishmen, after they purchased the territory comprising Cow Neck and its vicinity from the Matinecocks. A number of these early settlers belonged to prominent, early Long Island families – including members of the Sands, Mott, and Cornwell families, among others.

The Village of Sands Point was incorporated in 1910, comprising land primarily belonging to three families: the Cornwell family, the Sands family, and the Vanderbilt family. In 1912, the village absorbed the adjacent, incorporated villages of Barker's Point and Mott's Point – both of which had incorporated at the same time as Sands Point; residents of the three incorporated villages approved of the consolidation proposal on July 23 of that year, with the newly-consolidated village retaining the Sands Point name.

In 1917, Daniel Guggenheim bought his 216 acre Hempstead House, formerly Castle Gould. His son Harry Guggenheim, founder of Newsday, later erected his estate "Falaise" nearby in 1923. Today, the estate belongs to the Friends of the Sands Point Preserve, which is a non-profit organization that maintains the property.

In 1932, the village annexed the Harbor Acres community – located between the rest of Sands Point and the Beacon Hill neighborhood of unincorporated Port Washington – in 1932, after the area requested to split from unincorporated Port Washington and become part of Sands Point. This annexation was approved unanimously in May 1932 by the Town of North Hempstead.

In the 1960s, as Long Island was undergoing rapid suburbanization – and when Sands Point had less strict building codes, many homes were built on 1 acre parcels. Current zoning allows subdivisions of 2 acre or more.

The 1960s also saw the construction of the Port Washington Union Free School District's Florence and Daniel Guggenheim Elementary School at the southern edge of the Village of Sands Point, adjacent to the Port Washington Terrace neighborhood of unincorporated Port Washington. The school, built on a 17.2 acre parcel of land donated to the school district by the Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, was designed by Eggers & Higgins and opened in September 1962.

The Sands Family Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Etymology

The Village of Sands Point – much like the eponymous cape at the tip of the village – is named for the Sands family. This family had long resided on Cow Neck, having arrived during colonial times. The family owned a considerable amount of property in the modern-day village.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 5.6 sqmi, of which 4.2 sqmi is land and 1.4 sqmi, or 24.56%, is water.

Sands Point is bordered on three sides by water – the Long Island Sound to the north, Manhasset Bay to the west and Hempstead Harbor on the east. It shares land borders with the villages of Port Washington North and Manorhaven, as well as the unincorporated hamlet of Port Washington.

Sands Point is located at the tip of the Cow Neck Peninsula (also known as the Port Washington Peninsula or as Manhasset Neck), which is bordered by Manhasset Bay, Hempstead Bay, and Long Island Sound. This area of the peninsula is historically known as "The Three Points," due to the presence of three named capes: Sands Point, Mott's Point, and Barker's Point – all presently located within the Village of Sands Point. A fourth, smaller cape – Prospect Point – is also located within the village.

Topography

Like the rest of Long Island's North Shore, Sands Point is situated on a terminal moraine, known as the Harbor Hill Moraine. This moraine was formed by glaciers during the Wisconsin Glacial Episode, and is named for Harbor Hill in Roslyn; Harbor Hill is the highest geographic point in Nassau County.

Climate

Sands Point has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), bordering on a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa). Average monthly temperatures in the village range from 31.8 °F in January to 75.3 °F in July.{{Weather box | Jan record high F = 71 | Feb record high F = 73 | Mar record high F = 87 | Apr record high F = 94 | May record high F = 96 | Jun record high F = 101 | Jul record high F = 108 | Aug record high F = 105 | Sep record high F = 97 | Oct record high F = 89 | Nov record high F = 83 | Dec record high F = 76 | year record high F = | Jan record low F = -4 | Feb record low F = -5 | Mar record low F = 5 | Apr record low F = 13 | May record low F = 34 | Jun record low F = 43 | Jul record low F = 50 | Aug record low F = 46 | Sep record low F = 38 | Oct record low F = 27 | Nov record low F = 18 | Dec record low F = -2 | year record low F = | Jan dew point F = 22.0 | Feb dew point F = 22.3 | Mar dew point F = 27.3 | Apr dew point F = 37.0 | May dew point F = 48.2 | Dec dew point F = 27.9 | Nov dew point F = 36.5 | Oct dew point F = 47.2 | Sep dew point F = 58.1 | Aug dew point F = 64.2 | Jul dew point F = 64.4 | Jun dew point F = 58.9

Plant zone

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the village is located within hardiness zone 7b.

Economy

Sands Point is considered a bedroom community of the City of New York, and many residents commute to/from New York for work.

The village is completely residential in character. There are no areas zoned for business, commercial, or industrial uses located anywhere within the Village of Sands Point. However, there are houses of worship within the village, and the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults is headquartered therein.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, 2,675 people, 872 households, and 762 families were residing in the village. The population density was 636.9 people/sq mi (243.2/km2). The 934 housing units had an average density of 222.4/sq mi (84.9/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 88.6% White, 0.8% African American, 8.2% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.7% of the population.

Of the 872 households, 38.3% had children under 18 living with them, 80.6% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.6% were not families. About 10.4% of the households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03, and the average family size was 3.21.

In the village, the age distribution was 26.4% under 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 15.4% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 45.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

As of 2018, the median income for a household in the village was $231,667, with it being named the richest town in New York. Males had a median income of $158,500 versus $44,943 for females. The per capita income for the village was $112,716. None of the families and 0.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including none under age 18 or 65 or over.

Government

Village government

As of July 2025, the Mayor of Sands Point is Peter A. Forman, the Deputy Mayor is Jeffrey Moslow, and the Village Trustees are Elena Karabatos, David Schamis, Jeffrey Moslow, and Sloane Ackerman.

Village police

The Village of Sands Point operates its own police department. The Sands Point Police Department, as such, is responsible for providing police protection services within the village.

As of August 2022, the Police Commissioner of Sands Point is Mayor Peter A. Forman and the Chief of Police is Thomas Ruehle.

Representation in higher government

Town representation

Sands Point is located in the Town of North Hempstead's 6th council district, which as of July 2025 is represented on the North Hempstead Town Council by Mariann Dalimonte (D–Port Washington).

Nassau County representation

Sands Point is located in Nassau County's 11th Legislative district, which as of July 2025 is represented in the Nassau County Legislature by Delia DiRiggi-Whitton (D–Glen Cove).

New York State representation

New York State Assembly

Sands Point is located within the New York State Assembly's 16th State Assembly district, which as of July 2025 is represented by Daniel J. Norber (R–Great Neck).

New York State Senate

Sands Point is located in the New York State Senate's 7th State Senate district, which as of July 2025 is represented by Jack M. Martins (R–Old Westbury).

Federal representation

United States Congress

Sands Point is located in New York's 3rd congressional district, which as of July 2025 is represented by Thomas R. Suozzi (D–Glen Cove).

United States Senate

Like the rest of New York, Sands Point is represented in the United States Senate by Charles E. Schumer (D) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D).

Politics

In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Sands Point voters voted for Kamala D. Harris (D).

Parks and recreation

The Sands Point Golf Club and the Village Club of Sands Point are both located in Sands Point. The Village Club, which was formerly the IBM Country Club, was purchased in 1994 by the village.

Additionally, Nassau County's Sands Point Preserve is located within the village.

Education

School district

Sands Point is located entirely in the Port Washington Union Free School District. As such, all children who reside within the village and attend public schools go to Port Washington's schools.

Additionally, the Port Washington UFSD's Guggenheim Elementary School is located within the village.

Library district

Sands Point is located entirely within the boundaries of the Port Washington Library District, which is served by the Port Washington Public Library in Baxter Estates.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Road

One state highway passes through Sands Point: Port Washington Boulevard (NY 101), which forms part of the village's border with Port Washington; this state highway's northern terminus is along this border. Other major roads in Sands Point include Barkers Point Road, Cow Neck Road (CR C53), Middle Neck Road (CR D55), and Sands Point Road.

Bus

As of July 2024, no Nassau Inter-County Express bus routes operate within Sands Point.

Utilities

Natural gas

National Grid USA provides natural gas to homes and businesses that are hooked up to natural gas lines in Sands Point.

Power

PSEG Long Island provides power to all homes and businesses within Sands Point.

Sewage

Sands Point is not connected to any sanitary sewers, and as such, the entire village relies on cesspools and septic systems.

Water

The Village of Sands Point has its own municipal water system, which is operated by the Village of Sands Point Water Department and provides the entirety of the village with water.

Healthcare and emergency services

Healthcare

No hospitals are located within Sands Point. The nearest hospital is St. Francis Hospital, located in nearby Flower Hill.

Fire

The Village of Sands Point, in its entirety, is located within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Port Washington Fire District.

Police

The Village of Sands Point is served by the Sands Point Police Department.

Notable people

• Marv Albert (born 1941), sportscaster.
• Alva Belmont (1853–1933), socialite and suffragette.
• Carlos Beltrán (born 1977), professional baseball player.
• Len Berman (born 1947), television sportscaster and morning radio host.
• John Cassavetes (1929–1989), actor and film director; graduated from Port Washington High School in 1947.
• Stanley Chais (1926–2010), investment advisor in the Madoff investment scandal.
• Perry Como (1912–2001), singer.
• Frank Costello (1891–1973), mobster, crime boss, and racketeer.
• Howard Gould (1871–1959), financier.
• Harry Guggenheim (1890–1971), aviator, newspaper publisher, and racehorse owner/breeder.
• Horace Hagedorn (1915–2005), businessman.
• W. Averell Harriman (1891–1986), Governor of New York.
• Pamela Harriman (1920–1997), socialite and W. Averell Harriman's third wife.
• William Randolph Hearst (1863–1951), publisher.
• John La Gatta (1894–1977), illustrator.
• Kenneth C. Langone (born 1935), co-founder (financial backer) of Home Depot.
• Edgar F. Luckenbach (1868–1943), shipping magnate.
• Condé Montrose Nast (1873–1942), publisher.
• Elizabeth Cushman Titus Putnam (born 1933), founder of the Student Conservation Association
• Charles Cary Rumsey (1879–1922), sculptor, husband of Mary Harriman Rumsey.
• Mary Harriman Rumsey, (1881–1934), founder of The Junior League, member National Women's Hall of Fame.
• Arnold A. Saltzman (1916–2014), businessman, diplomat, art collector, and philanthropist.
• James R. Shepley (1917–1988), reporter and publishing executive.
• Felix Sater (born 1966), real-estate developer and career criminal.
• John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), composer most famous for his marches; his Sands Point residence is a National Historic Landmark.
• Herbert Bayard Swope (1882–1958), editor and journalist.
• William Tavoulareas (1919–1996), president of the Mobil Oil Company.
• Don Vultaggio (born 1951/1952), founder of the Arizona Beverage Company.

In popular culture

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925), Sands Point (Port Washington/Manhasset/Cow Neck) was referred to as "East Egg". East Egg (Port Washington/Manhasset/Cow Neck) residents inherited their fortunes and were more highly respected than the nouveau riche in newer "West Egg" (Great Neck/Kings Point), because Sands Point had "old money". The story's fictional Buchanans lived in the western part of Sands Point. Reports incorrectly suggest that Fitzgerald – while he was a guest at the mansion of Herbert Bayard Swope on Hoffstot Lane, at Prospect Point in Sands Point – used the site and its parties as his inspiration for the fictional Buchanan home in East Egg. The home may have served as one of the many inspirations, as Fitzgerald did likely visit it during his time living in Great Neck (1922–24), but not as a guest of Swope's. Fitzgerald left Great Neck for Paris in 1924, prior to Swope's purchase of that mansion. The likely story with regard to Swope is that Fitzgerald and his good friend Ring Lardner would observe many parties held at the home Swope was residing in during the time Fitzgerald was actually living in the area. This Swope residence was adjacent to Lardner's home on Shore Road in Great Neck, and is no longer extant, though Lardner's mansion is still standing.

Another Sands Point mansion, situated next to the Sands Point Light and across a shallow bay from Prospect Point, was Beacon Towers. Scholars believe it served as one of the many inspirations for Jay Gatsby's mansion in the novel, though Gatsby lived on the eastern side of Kings Point, in the book. The extravagant Gothic-style residence was built by Alva Belmont, formerly Alva Vanderbilt, in 1918. It was demolished in 1945.

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