The village was incorporated in 1910, and is named for the Sands family.[2] In 1912, the village absorbed the communities of Barkers Point and Motts Point, and in 1932, it absorbed the Harbor Acreas community.[3] It was originally owned by three families: the Sands, the Vanderbilts, and the Cornwells.[2]
In 1917, Daniel Guggenheim bought his 216-acre (0.87 km2) Hempstead House, formerly Castle Gould. His son Harry Guggenheim, founder of Newsday, later erected his estate "Falaise" nearby in 1923.[2] Today, the estate belongs to the Friends of the Sands Point Preserve, which is a non-profit organization that maintains the property.[citation needed]
In the 1960s, under less strict building codes, many homes were built on 1-acre (4,000 m2) parcels. Current zoning allows subdivisions of 2 acres (8,100 m2) or more.[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 5.6 square miles (15 km2), of which 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2), or 24.56%, is water.[6]
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.[7]
The village is completely residential in character.[3] There are no areas zoned for business, commercial, or industrial uses located anywhere within the Village of Sands Point.[3][4][7]
As of the census of 2010, 2,675 people, 872 households, and 762 families were residing in the village.[6] 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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
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.[10] 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.[citation needed]
Government
Village government
As of August 2022, the Mayor of Sands Point is Peter A. Forman, the Deputy Mayor is Jeffrey Moslow, and the Village Trustees are Elena Karabatos, Jeffrey Moslow, Rebecca Vitas Schamis, and Sloane Ackerman.[11]
Village police
A Sands Point Police Department vehicle at Sands Point Village Hall in August 2022.
The Village of Sands Point operates its own police department.[7][11] The Sands Point Police Department, as such, is responsible for providing police protection services within the village.[7][11]
As of August 2022, the Police Commissioner of Sands Point is Mayor Peter A. Forman and the Chief of Police is Thomas Ruehle.[11][12]
Representation in higher government
Town representation
Sands Point is located in the Town of North Hempstead's 6th council district, which as of August 2022 is represented on the North Hempstead Town Council by Mariann Dalimonte (D – Port Washington).[13]
Nassau County representation
Sands Point is located in Nassau County's 11th Legislative district, which as of August 2022 is represented in the Nassau County Legislature by Delia DiRiggi-Whitton (D–Glen Cove).[7][14]
Sands Point is located entirely within the boundaries of (and is thus served by) the Port Washington Union Free School District.[7][23] As such, all students who reside within the village and attend public schools go to Port Washington's schools.[7][23]
Additionally, the Port Washington UFSD's Guggenheim Elementary School is located within the village.[7]
Library district
Sands Point is located entirely within the boundaries of the Port Washington Library District.[7]
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925), Sands Point (Port Washington/Manhasset/Cow Neck) was referred to as "East Egg". East Egg 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[48] 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.[citation needed]
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.[49]
United States
New York
