Overview
Glen Cove is one of two cities in Nassau County on Long Island, in New York. It is surrounded by the Long Island Sound to the north and Oyster Bay to the east, south, and west.
This article also covers the nearby portions of zoster Bay — the neighborhoods of Lattingtown, Locust Valley, Matinecock, Glen Head, Sea Cliff, Glenwood Landing, Greenvale and Old Brookville.
6 sights · 2 things to do · 3 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Glen Cove
Webb Institute
Small college specializing in naval architecture and marine engineering. Its grounds are the former home of industrialist Herbert L. Pratt, known as "The Braes", and its main building is Pratt's 1914 mansion.
Welwyn Preserve
Estate and home of industrialist Harold I. Pratt, now a county park with woodland trails and a beach. The mansion itself is now the Nassau County Holocaust Museum.
Sea Cliff Village Museum
Sea Cliff's museum, located in the same complex as the Village Hall and Library, which used to be a Methodist Church
Victorian houses of Sea Cliff
Sea Cliff is famous for its concentration of late 19th-century Victorian houses, many of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of the houses are on or within a block of Sea Cliff Avenue or Pr…
LIU Post
A university built around Hillwood, the former estate of C. W. Post of breakfast cereal fame
New York Institute of Technology
University whose campus includes several former estates, including the de Seversky Mansion once owned by Alfred I. du Pont, and several buildings from the C. V. Whitey estate
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 84°F; winter lows dip to about 22°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Oct and Jun. (climate data from nearby Pleasantville)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- LGA LaGuardia Airport, New York — 14 mi away (major hub). Directions
- HPN Westchester County Airport, White Plains — 14 mi away. Directions
The Long Island Rail Road's Oyster Bay Branch has regular service from Penn Station, though you will likely have to change trains at Jamaica. The branch has stops at Glen Head, Sea Cliff, Glen Street, Glen Cove, and Locust Valley.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Webb Institute, Welwyn Preserve, Glen Cove Municipal Golf Course
- Lunch La Ginestra
- Afternoon Garvies Point Museum and Preserve, Victorian houses of Sea Cliff
- Dinner La Bussola Ristorante
- Evening The Downtown Cafe
Day 2
- Morning LIU Post
- Lunch Delicious Restaurant and Pizzeria
- Afternoon New York Institute of Technology
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Glen Cove offers a variety of different restaurants.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Glen Cove is a multicultural city with a population of 26,936 as of 2009. It is a small city that provides a variety of amenities. The Matinecock Indians – a Native American tribe – founded it. Glen Cove was originally named "Moscheto." English migrants from New England used Glen Cove as a port before 1668.
A man named Joseph Carpenter, from Warwick, Rhode Island purchased about 2,000 acres of the land northwest of the Town of Oyster Bay on May 24, 1668. Later that year Mr. Carpenter admitted four co-partners into the project - three brothers, Nathaniel, Daniel, and Robert Coles, and Nicholas Simkins. These men were all residents of Oyster Bay. The five men named the settlement later spelled "Musketa Cove", which In the Matinecock language means "place of rushes."
Get in
By train
The Long Island Rail Road's Oyster Bay Branch has regular service from Penn Station, though you will likely have to change trains at Jamaica. The branch has stops at Glen Head, Sea Cliff, Glen Street, Glen Cove, and Locust Valley.
Go Sea Cliff railway station
Go Glen Street railway station
Go Glen Cove railway station
By car
Glen Cove can be accessed from the Long Island Expressway or the Northern State Parkway. From the west, take Glen Cove Road north (LIE exit 39; NSP exit 31); from the east, take NY-107/Cedar Swamp Road north (LIE exit 41, NSP exit 35). The two roads will converge just before reaching Glen Cove.
Get around
There are some LIRR trains and NICE buses.
See
See Victorian houses of Sea Cliff
Sea Cliff is famous for its concentration of late 19th-century Victorian houses, many of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of the houses are on or within a block of Sea Cliff Avenue or Prospect Avenue. These are privately-owned houses with people living in them, so don't gawk for too long!
Do
Do Garvies Point Museum and Preserve
Garvies Point Museum and Preserve is a center for research on Long Island geology and a valued resource in the study of the Island's Native American archaeology. This museum has many trails you can walk through as well at the preserve. Birthday parties and different types of workshops are offered as well. You can find more information on the website on planning events.
Do Glen Cove Municipal Golf Course
Glen Cove provides a beautiful 18-hole golf course with a beautiful water view. Residents and non-residents may play the course. They have a pro shop on site and a driving range. On site as well is Stanco Park that has tennis courts and a children's playground. There is also a restaurant on the property called Soundview Cafe.
Eat
Glen Cove offers a variety of different restaurants.
Eat La Ginestra
La Ginestra is a casual restaurant that provides excellent Italian cuisine. They are very accommodating. They provide a wonderful friendly staff that caters to your needs while dining.
Eat La Bussola Ristorante
La Bussola Ristorante offers fine Italian cuisine with timeless recipes that have been passed down through generations.
Eat Delicious Restaurant and Pizzeria
They deliver as well.
Drink
Drink The Downtown Cafe
A fun up-scale bar experience. They offer a full menu, top shelf bar, wine and martini list.
Sleep
Stay Glen Cove Mansion Hotel and Conference Center
The Glen Cove Mansion is on an elegant property of 55 secluded and landscaped acres. They offer 29,000 square feet of event and meeting space. Wireless Internet access is provided as well throughout the hotel. They provide a complete fitness and recreational facilities, including a sauna, steam and massage rooms, indoor pool and whirlpool, garden swimming pool, racquetball courts, lighted tennis courts, jogging trail and a sports field, and the local golf course is available nearby. Guest rooms are both in the Mansion and an annex building, and rooms there can be a long walk in a maze of corridors from the Mansion amenities.
Stay safe
Glen Cove is a very safe city – as are all of the surrounding communities covered in this article (Lattingtown, Locust Valley, Matinecock, Glen Head, Sea Cliff, Glenwood Landing, Greenvale, Old Brookville, and Brookville). Additionally, Glen Cove and all of the other communities included in this article are all patrolled heavily by the police, and if any issue arises, they will be happy to help you in any way needed.
Like in the rest of the United States, in the event of an emergency, dial 911.
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