Roslyn: Essential Things Parents Must Know

   
Within the town of North Hempstead, located in Nassau County on the North Shore of Long Island, lies the community of Roslyn, which made up of the incorporated villages, hamlets, and census-designated places. The villages within Roslyn include East Hills, Flower Hill*, Roslyn, Roslyn Estates, Roslyn Harbor, and North Hills*. Nearby hamlets (communities within a town that are not incorporated as a village but identified by a name) include Albertson, Greenvale, Herricks, and Roslyn Heights. Searingtown is a census-designated place (an officially designated but unincorporated small community) in the Roslyn area.

Though Roslyn is just 25 miles and a short LIRR ride away from the activity of New York City, the village and surrounding areas offer a variety of family-friendly options in terms of public and private schools, things to do with kids, shopping, and restaurants.

Here’s everything you need to know if you're considering moving your family to Roslyn.
    

Schools in Roslyn

Public Schools Serving Roslyn

Children who live in Roslyn will attend public school in one of three school districts, depending on where the family lives (Note: All public schools listed below offer special education services):

Roslyn Public Schools:

East Hills School, Roslyn Heights: second through fifth grades Harbor Hill School, Greenvale: first through fifth grades Heights School, Roslyn Heights: pre-K through first grades Roslyn High School, Roslyn Heights: ninth through 12th grades Roslyn Middle School, Roslyn Heights: sixth through eighth grades

East Williston Union Free School District:

North Side Elementary School, East Williston: kindergarten through fourth grade The Wheatley School, Old Westbury: eighth through 12th grades Willets Road Middle School, Roslyn Heights: fifth through seventh grades

Herricks Union Free School District:

Center Street School, Williston Park: kindergarten through fifth grade Denton Avenue School, New Hyde Park: kindergarten through fifth grade High School, New Hyde Park, ninth through 12th grades Middle School, Albertson: sixth through eighth grades Searingtown School, Albertson: kindergarten through fifth grade

Private Schools Serving Roslyn

There are more than 30 private schools in the Roslyn area, including preschools, mixed-age schools, religious schools, and schools for those with special needs.

Private preschools serving Roslyn include:

Countryside Montessori School in nearby Great Neck The Growing Tree North of Roslyn Inc., Roslyn Heights The Growing Tree Nursery School, Roslyn Happy Montessori School in nearby Port Washington Pierce Country Day School, Roslyn Red Robin Country Day School in nearby Westbury The Roslyn-Trinity Cooperative Day School, Roslyn Sid Jacobson JCC Early Childhood Center, East Hills Temple Beth Sholom Early Childhood Center, Roslyn Heights Temple Sinai Nursery School, Roslyn Heights

Private mixed-age schools serving Roslyn include:

Buckley Country Day School, Roslyn: nursery to eighth grades The Green Vale School in nearby Old Brookville: pre-nursery through eighth grades

Private religious schools serving Roslyn include:

Holy Child Academy (Roman Catholic) in nearby Old Westbury: nursery through eighth grades North Shore Hebrew Academy High School in nearby Great Neck: ninth to 12th grades Notre Dame School (Roman Catholic), New Hyde Park: pre-K through eighth grades Silverstein Hebrew Academy in nearby Great Neck: nursery through eighth grades St. Peter of Alcantara School (Roman Catholic) in nearby Port Washington: kindergarten through eighth grades Whispering Pines School (Seventh-day Adventist) in nearby Old Westbury: pre-K to 10th grades

Private schools for those with special needs serving Roslyn include:

Henry Viscardi School, Albertson: pre-K through 12th grades School for Language and Communication Development in nearby Glen Cove: preschool through 12th grades Vincent Smith School in nearby Port Washington: first through 12th grades

 

Public Transportation: Long Island Rail Road Stops in Roslyn

For those parents who work in New York City and will have to commute on a daily basis, or for the family that wants to visit the city for the day during the summer or on a weekend, the LIRR stops at the following stations in Roslyn (Note: All trip time durations are approximate.):

Albertson (Oyster Bay Branch), I.U. Willets Road and Albertson Avenue: 50 minutes Greenvale (Oyster Bay Branch), Helen Street, between Glen Cove Avenue and Glen Cove Road: 55 minutes Roslyn (Oyster Bay Branch), Lincoln and Railroad avenues: 50 minutes

 

Things to Do with Kids in Roslyn

Museums in Roslyn

Though there are many museums to visit just a short drive from Roslyn proper, there are four educational places to visit right in the community’s back yard.
    

Cedarmere Estate, Roslyn Harbor

The country home of the prominent 19th-century poet William Cullen Bryant is a 7-acre site including the Main House, Gothic Revival Mill, pond, boathouse, and gardens. Visitors can tour the first floor of the house and the grounds every Thursday at 2pm and 3pm, weather permitting. The grounds are open for self-exploration daily year-round from dawn to dusk. The estate also hosts events such as volunteer opportunities for Roslyn residents and benefit brunches.
    

Clark Botanic Garden, Albertson

Founded in 1969, the garden is a 12-acre living museum and education facility dedicated to understanding and appreciating the world’s plant life through horticulture, education, and research. The garden offers workshops for children in kindergarten through fifth grades, as well as educational programs for adults. It also hosts special events such as summer concerts, English teas, and Sip & Strolls.
    

Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor

Located on the former Frick Estate in the heart of Long Island’s fabled Gold Coast, this institute is ranked among the nation’s largest, most important suburban art museums. NCMA features annually major rotating exhibits, many of which are original to the museum; a permanent collection with more than 500 works of American and European art of the 19th and 20th centuries; a sculpture park with more than 30 works, and a garden and guided nature trails. The museum hosts family programs, summer art programs, and educational programs.
     

You can see Fernando Botero's Man on Horseback (1984), which is on extended loan from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, when you take a stroll through Nassau County Museum of Art's sculpture park.

Roslyn Historic District, Roslyn

Situated on Hempstead Harbor, Roslyn was settled in 1643 as Hempstead Village (the name Roslyn was established in 1844). Many of the buildings and landmarks built since the village’s founding still stand today in Roslyn Historic District. The Roslyn Landmark Society is committed to the preservation of the village and surrounding areas—and has been at the forefront of the preservation movement on Long Island—and operates the Van Nostrand-Starkins House (1680), which visitors can tour May to October. The society also hosts an Annual House Tour, typically in June, during which visitors can tour a handful of historic landmarks and buildings, including Ellen E. Ward Memorial Clock Tower (1895) and Samuel Dugan I House (1855).
    

Parks and Playgrounds in Roslyn

The Roslyn community is home to many parks in which families can spend a relaxing afternoon playing and picnicking.
    

Christopher Morley Park, Roslyn

As the largest public park in Roslyn, Christopher Morley Park provides a range of recreational activities for the community. It features 10 indoor tennis courts, handball and paddleball courts, basketball courts, athletic fields, a nine-hole golf course, a 1-mile fitness trail, ice-skating in the winter, and swimming. It also provides the community with a god run, playground, model boat basin, picnic areas, and a farmers’ market on Wednesdays from 7am-1pm, mid-May through late November.
    

Smaller Parks and Playgrounds in Roslyn

In addition to Christopher Morley Park, the Roslyn community has a handful of public parks and playgrounds (Note: All parks feature open green spaces for relaxing, other amenities are listed for each park.):

Donald Street Park at Donald and Laurel streets, Roslyn: basketball and handball courts, as well as a water spray area Gerry Pond Park, Main Street, Roslyn: a gazebo and working mill, plus walking paths, ponds, and a playground John D. Caemmerer Park, Wentworth Avenue, Albertson: a playground, plus restroom amenities Searingtown Pond Park at Dogwood and Searingtown roads, Searingtown: a small pond, paved walking paths, and benches The Albertson Triangle at I.U Willets Road and Willis Avenue, Albertson: a gazebo

Beaches Serving Roslyn

North Hempstead Beach Park in nearby Port Washington

This 60-acre park features 34 acres of sandy beach and recreational activities including boat ramp, bocce, fishing, handball, horseshoe pot, picnic areas, playground, shuffleboard, volleyball, bathhouses, kayaking, and sports fields.
     

John Meehan, Town of North Hempstead photographer

North Hempstead Beach Park in the summer

Kids’ Sports Leagues Serving Roslyn

While many kids in elementary school want to start playing a sport, their schools don’t have sports teams. Don’t despair: There are a few kids’ sports leagues serving the Roslyn community, including:

Albertson Soccer Club: This club offers learn-to-play programs for children as young as 2; soccer programs for kids with special needs; and intramural, travel, and NPL and ECNL teams. East Williston Little League: Boys and girls who are a resident inside the boundaries of the East Williston Union Free School District may join, as long as they meet age requirements. Roslyn Booster Basketball: A coed community basketball league for kids in first through 12th grades in the Roslyn and East Williston Union Free school districts. Roslyn Little League: This league is open to boys and girls in the Roslyn area in pre-K through seventh grades. St. Aidan Catholic Youth Organization: For children in Albertson, Roslyn Heights, and Searingtown, the CYO offers boys and girls basketball and soccer teams, swimming, track, and girls volleyball; age requirements vary per team.

Community Centers in Roslyn

For families that are looking for a little extra community closeness, the Roslyn area has three community centers, including sports clubs and a JCC.
    

The Park at East Hills, East Hills

Open to residents of East Hills (members are allowed to bring guests), this park features a pool, tennis, basketball and sports fields, and a fitness facility. The Park offers tennis lessons and leagues, a senior-community center, auditorium, nature walking and jogging trails, playgrounds, and picnic areas. It also offers sledding and homemade hot chocolate in the winter months.
    

Roslyn Pines Swim and Tennis Club, Roslyn

This is a members-only club that aims to maintain a peaceful, safe, and fun environment where there’s a chair for everyone, and most people know each other. The club’s amenities include tennis, swimming, basketball courts, a playground, yoga, and a spa. And it offers tennis and swimming programs and lessons for kids and adults.
    

Sid Jacobson JCC, East Hills

As the only full-service JCC on Long Island’s North Shore, it is dedicated to serving every aspect of community wellness, and provides a comprehensive program based on Jewish values, traditions, heritage, and culture. It offers programs such as the Early Childhood Center, programs for kids and teens, summer camps, fitness center, swimming, arts and theater, volunteer opportunities, services for those with special needs, and holiday events.
     

Courtesy Sid Jacobson JCC

Members of the Sid Jacobson JCC can take advantage of its indoor pool with swimming lessons, the swim team, and pool-based fitness classes.

Shopping in Roslyn

Grocery Stores in Roslyn

The community of Roslyn has a few grocery stores from which to choose, including:

Center Cuts Gourmet Butcher & Sandwich Shop, Roslyn Heights Grace’s Marketplace LI, Greenvale Holiday Farms, Roslyn Heights Red Maple Market, Roslyn Roslyn Kosher Foods, Albertson Roslyn Seafood, Roslyn Heights Stop & Shop, Greenvale

There’s also a Whole Foods Market in nearby Manhasset.

For families who want to support local farmers, the Roslyn Farmers’ Market is held Wednesdays from 7am-1pm, June through November, at Christopher Morley Park.
     

Everyday Shopping in Roslyn

The community of Roslyn offers a variety of everyday shopping options.

Shopping in Roslyn Village includes:

Jill Scherer: luxury skincare, bath and body, makeup, and loungewear The Junior League of Long Island Thrift Shop The LSK Collection: women’s clothing Revival Boutique: women’s clothing SHAG New York: women’s clothing

Wheatley Plaza in Greenvale includes:

Bluemercury Brooks Brothers Red Fleece Funky Monkey Toys & Books London Jewelers Maddy’s 390: women’s clothing Mansouri: menswear Paper Source Sneakerology: athletic footwear and apparel Vince Camuto

Americana Manhasset in Manhasset, just west of the confines of Roslyn Estates, offers luxury shopping, including:

Alice + Olivia Brooks Brothers Burberry Chanel Christian Louboutin Dior Gucci Hermés Hirshleifers J. Crew Prada Rag & Bone Theory Tory Burch

Roosevelt Field Mall, located in nearby Garden City has stores such as:

Abercrombie & Fitch Adidas Banana Republic Dick’s Sporting Goods Foot Locker Forever 21 Gap H&M JCPenney Lego Loft Macy’s Zara

Wal-Mart and Target are also located in nearby Westbury.
    

Restaurants in Roslyn

There are a plethora of dining-out choices for families in the Roslyn area, including:

Attilio’s Pizza, Roslyn Heights Bar Frites, Greenvale: bistro fare Ben’s Deli, Greenvale: Kosher deli Besito, Roslyn: Mexican Carlo’s Pizza, Roslyn Heights Chicken Kebab, Roslyn Heights: Turkish/Mediterranean Colbeh, Roslyn Estates: Glatt Kosher Mediterranean Bryant & Cooper Steak House, Roslyn Delicacies Gourmet, Roslyn Village: deli Diane’s Bakery Café, Roslyn: bakery and café Gatsby’s Landing, Roslyn: globally inspired New American cuisine Hendrick’s Tavern, Roslyn: comfort food and steakhouse staples Hunan Taste, Greenvale: Chinese Jolly Fisherman & Steak House, Roslyn: fresh seafood and prime aged meats Kotobuki, Roslyn: Japanese Kitchen Kabaret, East Hills: deli Kyma, Roslyn: Greek Matteo’s, Roslyn: Italian 388 Restaurant and Lounge, Roslyn: Italian Trattoria DiMeo, Roslyn Heights: Italian

   
Main image: The Ellen E. Ward Memorial Clock Tower, built in 1895 and commissioned by Ward's children, is an iconic historial landmark in Roslyn.   
Courtesy Roslyn Landmark Society