On LI, You Ain't Where You Think You Are, rev. 3 (New York: house, university dorms)

[Walter Greenspan]

This revision updates (42 additions are shown in italics) On LI, You Ain't Where You Think You Are, rev. 2, posted on May 23, 2010.

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The USPS uses non-conforming postal zones -- now referred to as ZIP Codes -- and this leads to severe geographic confusions about where a particular place may be located in the cities, villages and hamlets of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Of all 293 communities (2 cities, 97 villages and 194 hamlets) located on Long Island, only the Village of Sea Cliff in the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County and its same-named postal zone have identical borders. All the other postal zones in either county have a different border from the community (city, village or hamlet) whose name the postal zone "shares".

The following should help you understand better the confusion between postal zone community and true community -- and, it may also bring a smile or two to your lips:

This is a preliminary and partial listing of famous Long Island places that are "Not Where You Think They Are". It's somewhat incredulous that the majority of places in Nassau and Suffolk Counties have a different community name in their mailing address than the community they are actually in,


..........You Ain't Where You Think You Are
..............Place, Community (Postal Zone)

Abilities Inc., Hamlet of Searingtown (Albertson, NY)

Adventureland, Hamlet of East Farmingdale (Farmingdale, NY)

Albertson Downs, Hamlet of Roslyn Heights (Albertson, NY)

American Airpower Museum, Hamlet of East Farmingdale (Farmingdale, NY)

American Guitar Museum, Hamlet of North New Hyde Park (New Hyde Park, NY)

American Venice, Hamlet of Copiague (Lindenhurst, NY)

Art Guild, Village of Flower Hill (Manhasset, NY)

Bethpage State Park, Hamlet of Old Bethpage (Farmingdale, NY)

Bideawee Dog Park, Hamlet of Remsenburg-Speonk (Westhampton, NY)

Brookhaven Animal Shelter & Adoption Center, Hamlet of Yaphank (Brookhaven, NY)

Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center, Hamlet of East Patchogue (Patchogue, NY)

Brookhaven National Laboratory, Hamlet of Yaphank (Upton, NY)

Brookhaven Technical Center, Hamlet of North Bellport (Bellport, NY)

Callahans Beach, Hamlet of Fort Salonga (Northport, NY)

Carlyle on the Green, Hamlet of Old Bethpage (Farmingdale, NY)

Caumsett State Park, Village of Lloyd Harbor (Huntington, NY)

Christopher Morley Park, Village of North Hills (Roslyn, NY)

Clinton G. Martin Park, Hamlet of Manhasset Hills (New Hyde Park, NY)

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium, Village of Laurel Hollow (Cold Spring Harbor, NY)

Cold Spring Harbor Lab, Village of Laurel Hollow (Cold Spring Harbor, NY)

Community Synagogue (Reform), Village of Sands Point (Port Washington, NY)

Costco, Hamlet of Salisbury (Westbury, NY)

Crab Meadow Beach, Hamlet of Fort Salonga (Northport, NY)

Cradle of Aviation Museum, Hamlet of East Garden City (Garden City, NY)

C.W. Post University, Village of Brookville (Greenvale, NY)

East End Cooperative Organic Farm, Hamlet of East Hampton North (East Hampton, NY)

East Hampton Library, Hamlet of Wainscott (East Hampton, NY)

Edward J. Milliken Technical Center, Hamlet of Sayville (Oakdale, NY)

Ellsworth W. Allen Park, Hamlet of South Farmingdale (Farmingdale, NY)

Fishers Island, Hamlet of Fishers Island (Fishers Island, CT)

Foster Memorial Beach, Hamlet of Noyack (Sag Harbor, NY)

Fortunoff, Hamlet of East Garden City (Westbury, NY)

Green Acres Mall, Hamlet of South Valley Stream (Valley Stream, NY)

Hamza Academy, Hamlet of North Valley Stream (Valley Stream, NY).

Hempstead Lake State Park, Hamlet of Lakeview (West Hempstead, NY)

Hofstra University Dorms, Hamlet of East Garden City (Hempstead, NY)

Jackson Pollock House and Studio, Hamlet of Springs (East Hampton, NY)

Jericho Cider Mill, Village of Muttontown (Jericho, NY)

John Drew Theater at Guild Hall, Hamlet of Wainscott (East Hampton, NY)

John Philip Sousa House, Village of Sands Point (Port Washington, NY)

Kmart, Hamlet of Gordon Heights (Middle Island, NY)

Leonard's of Great Neck, Hamlet of University Gardens (Great Neck, NY)

Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center, Hamlet of Elwood (Huntington, NY)

LongHouse Reserve, Hamlet of Northwest Harbor (East Hampton, NY)

Long Island Jewish Hospital, Village of Lake Success (New Hyde Park, NY)
AlexisT points out, "The front of LIJ is located in Lake Success. The bulk of the hospital is located in New York City. This is important to note because the NYC DOH regulates the hospital, the city clerk issues all birth and death certificates, and in any health statistics it is listed under Queens."

Long Island National Cemetery, Hamlet of East Farmingdale (Farmingdale, NY)

Long Island RR Station, Village of Great Neck Plaza (Great Neck, NY)

Long Island RR Station, Hamlet of East Northport (Northport, NY)

Mall at The Source, Hamlet of East Garden City (Westbury, NY)

Manor East Massapequa, Hamlet of North Massapequa (Massapequa, NY)

Maria Regina RC Church & School, Hamlet of North Wantagh (Seaford, NY)

Martha Clara Vineyards, Hamlet of Northville (Riverhead, NY)

Masjid Darul Qur'an Academy, Hamlet of North Bay Shore (Bay Shore, NY)

Massapequa High School, Village of Massapequa Park (Massapequa, NY)

Mepham High School, Hamlet of North Bellmore (Bellmore, NY)

Michael J. Tully Park, Hamlet of North New Hyde Park (New Hyde Park, NY)

Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict convent, Hamlet of Elwood (Huntington, NY)

Molloy College, Hamlet of South Hempstead (Rockville Centre, NY)

Nassau Executive Building, Village of Garden City (Mineola, NY)

Nassau County Community College, Hamlet of East Garden City (Garden City, NY)

Nassau County Family Court, Hamlet of Salisbury (Westbury, NY)

Nassau County Juvenile Detention Center, Hamlet of Salisbury (Westbury NY)

Nassau County Supreme Court, Village of Garden City (Mineola, NY)

Navy Operational Support Center, Hamlet of North Amityville (Amityville, NY)

New Island Hospital, Hamlet of Plainedge (Bethpage, NY)

Nikola Tesla Lab, Hamlet of East Shoreham (Shoreham, NY)

North Patchogue Fire Department, Hamlet of East Patchogue (Patchogue, NY)

Oheka Castle, Hamlet of West Hills (Huntington, NY)

Planting Fields Arboretum, Village of Upper Brookville (Oyster Bay, NY)

Republic Airport, Hamlet of East Farmingdale (Farmingdale, NY)

Riverhead County Center, Hamlet of Riverside (Riverhead, NY)

Roosevelt Field, Hamlet of East Garden City (Garden City, NY)

Rosewood Farm at Southampton Riding Club, Hamlet of North Sea (Southampton, NY)

Sagamore Hill, Village of Cove Neck (Oyster Bay, NY)

St. Francis Hospital, Village of Flower Hill (Roslyn, NY)

St. Joseph Hospital, Hamlet of Plainedge (Bethpage, NY)

Sands Point Preserve, Village of Sands Point (Port Washington, NY)

Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant, Hamlet of East Shoreham (Shoreham, NY)

Smithtown Municipal Sanitation Facility, Hamlet of Commack (Kings Park, NY)

Stuart Thomas Manor, Hamlet of Plainedge (Farmingdale, NY)

SUNY Farmingdale, Hamlet of East Farmingdale (Farmingdale, NY)

Suffolk County Jail, Hamlet of Riverside (Riverhead, NY)

Suffolk County Third Precinct, Hamlet of North Bay Shore (Bay Shore, NY)

Suffolk Old County Seat, Hamlet of Riverside (Riverhead, NY)

Sunrise Mall, Hamlet of East Massapequa (Massapequa, NY)

Tanger Factory Outlet Center, Hamlet of Calverton (Riverhead, NY)

Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center, Village of Oyster Bay Cove (Oyster Bay, NY)

The Tides, Hamlet of Sound Beach (Rocky Point, NY)

Tilles Center, Village of Brookville (Greenvale, NY)

TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control), Hamlet of Salisbury (Westbury, NY)

Troop L, NYS Police, Hamlet of East Farmingdale (Farmingdale, NY)

United Methodist Church, Village of Sands Point (Port Washington, NY)

USDAN Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, Hamlet of Wheatley Heights (Wyandanch, NY)

Venetian Shores, Hamlet of West Babylon (Lindenhurst, NY)

Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, Hamlet of East Garden City (Uniondale, NY)

Walt Whitman House, Hamlet of West Hills (Huntington Station, NY)

Walt Whitman Mall, Hamlet of South Huntington (Huntington Station, NY)

Ward Melville High School, Hamlet of Port Jefferson Station (East Setauket, NY)

Wellwood Cemetery, Hamlet of Wyandanch (West Babylon, NY)

Westbury Music Fair, Hamlet of Jericho (Westbury, NY)

Whole Foods, Village of Munsey Park (Manhasset, NY)

W. Tresper Clarke High School, Hamlet of Salisbury (Westbury, NY)

Zorn's Poultry Farms, Hamlet of Plainedge (Bethpage, NY)


Please post a reply if you know of additional places that "Ain't Where You Think You Are" that I can add to the above list.