Overview
Hempstead is the most populous town in America, with a whopping 700,000 residents, located on the South Shore of Nassau County, New York. The town is highly urbanized and fragmented, containing 22 semi-autonomous villages within its boundaries, and forty other neighborhoods.
Garden City, encompassing the "Nassau Hub" region, has its own article. The other prominent communities in Hempstead include Floral Park, Hempstead Village, Valley Stream, Rockville Centre, Freeport, Merrick, and the Five Towns area.
4 sights · 4 places to eat
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Hempstead
Jones Beach State Park
6.5 miles (10.5 km) of white sand beach along the Atlantic Ocean, and another beach along calm Zachs Bay.
Rock Hall Museum
A colonial house, now a Town of Hempstead museum
Wantagh Museum
The Wantagh Museum features three structures: The Station (built in 1885), The "Jamaica" Railroad Car (built in 1912 for the Long Island Rail Road) and the Original Wantagh Post Office (built in 1907).
Baldwin Historical Society & Museum
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 86°F; winter lows dip to about 29°F. Cold months (Jan) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Aug and Jul. (climate data from nearby New York City)
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.
- JFK John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York — 10 mi away (major hub). Directions
- LGA LaGuardia Airport, New York — 15 mi away (major hub). Directions
Although many people reach this area by automobile, the town’s urbanized nature and large population also allow most areas to have easy rail access. The Lynbrook, Rockville Center, Baldwin, Freeport, Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, and Seaford areas can all be easily reached from New York City by the South Shore Line ("Babylon branch") of the Long Island Railroad. However, if you are headed for the actual shore (including Freeport's Nautical Mile), most of these stations will still leave you about 2 mi inland, and local public transportation options are limited.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $30 per person at listed restaurants.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Rockville Centre — St. Agnes Cathedral, Phillips House Museum.
- Day 2: Merrick — Merrick Cinemas, The Stage Theater, Merrick Street Fair.
- Day 3: Hempstead — African American Museum of Nassau County.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Food for you
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
Places in Hempstead
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Hempstead is the nation's most populous town, and the second most populous municipality in New York, and one of the twenty largest municipalities in the country. It is divided into 22 villages and 40 additional neighborhoods, including the following:
- Bellmore is a fairly affluent village in the eastern part of town, close to the ocean. This isn't the place to go if you are looking for action, but if you are looking for a nice place to just hangout this is a safe area.
- The Five Towns is somewhat of a misnomer, as it includes eight communities in the western part of town — Cedarhurst, Inwood, Lawrence, Woodmere, Woodsburgh, Hewlett, Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor, and Hewlett Nek. They are adjacent to the New York City borough of Queens.
Get in
Although many people reach this area by automobile, the town’s urbanized nature and large population also allow most areas to have easy rail access. The Lynbrook, Rockville Center, Baldwin, Freeport, Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh, and Seaford areas can all be easily reached from New York City by the South Shore Line ("Babylon branch") of the Long Island Railroad. However, if you are headed for the actual shore (including Freeport's Nautical Mile), most of these stations will still leave you about 2 mi inland, and local public transportation options are limited.
Additionally, downtown Hempstead, Garden City, Floral Park and Stewart Manor can be reached via the Hempstead branch. The Far Rockaway Branch serves the Five Towns with five stations serving Hewlett, Woodmere, Inwood, Cedarhurst and Lawrence, and the West Hempstead branch serves Hempstead Gardens, Lakeview, Malvern and Westwood. With the exception of the Hempstead branch, all of these branches converge at Valley Stream, which allows for much of the town to be easily accessible without a car.
Get around
By train
Hempstead is easily accessible by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). Visit the MTA website for more information.
By bus
Nassau Inter County Express (also known as NICE) operates bus service within as well as outside of the Town of Hempstead. Maps, schedules, and routes can be found at https://www.nicebus.com/
Major NICE bus terminals in Hempstead include:
- Rosa Parks Hempstead Transit Center: Major bus terminal serving 17 routes. Connections available to LIRR Hempstead Branch. Includes routes to Suffolk County (New York) and Queens.
- Roosevelt Field Terminal: Bus terminal serving numerous busy routes. Serves Roosevelt Field Mall.
See
Buy
Eat
Eat Freeport Nautical Mile
Several restaurants and bars on a canal in Freeport.
Eat Five Guys Burgers & Fries
Great burgers, fries and sandwiches. Also located in Long Beach.
Eat My Hero
Some would argue that they have the best sandwiches and heroes on Long Island. My Hero has been here for years and is extremely popular. It is advised to call ahead as there is always a line.
Eat Imperial Diner
Top-tier diner with a very broad menu. Mostly American food, a few Greek specialties. Notably for a diner, a good place for seafood.
- Freeport also has numerous inexpensive casual Central American, Caribbean, and northern South American restaurants near the center of town, mostly catering to a Latino clientele.
Go next
Nearby
Garden City
City / town · 13 listings · 2 mi away
Mineola
City / town · 3 mi away
South Oyster Bay
City / town · 8 listings · 6 mi away
Roslyn
City / town · 17 listings · 6 mi away
Bethpage
City / town · 10 listings · 7 mi away
Manhasset
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Flower Hill
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Massapequa
City / town · 5 listings · 8 mi away
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