On LI, You Ain't Where You Think You Are (Hempstead: university dorms, university)

[Walter Greenspan]

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, 96 villages and 195 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)

Adventureland, Hamlet of East Farmingdale (Farmingdale, NY)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Long Island Jewish Hospital, Village of Lake Success (New Hyde Park, NY)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tilles Center, Village of Brookville (Greenvale, NY)

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

Westbury Music Fair, Hamlet of Jericho (Westbury, 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.