Valley Stream, New York

In the year 1640, 14 years after the arrival of Dutch colonists in Manhattan (New Amsterdam), the area that is now Valley Stream was purchased by the Dutch West India Company from Rockaway Native Americans (they were a Lenape, or Delaware, band, known by the place where they lived).

With populations concentrated to the west, this woodland area was not developed for the next two centuries. The census of 1840 lists approximately 20 families, most of whom owned large farms. At that time, the northwest section was called "Fosters Meadow". What is now the business section on Rockaway Avenue was called "Rum Junction", because of its taverns. The racy northern section was known as "Cookie Hill", and the section of the northeast that housed the local fertilizer plant was called "Skunks Misery". Hungry Harbor, a section that has retained its name, was home to a squatters' community.[5]

George Bradford Brainerd (American, 1845–1887). Gate House, Valley Stream, Long Island, ca. 1872–1887. Collodion silver glass wet plate negative, Brooklyn Museum.

Robert Pagan was born in Scotland on December 3, 1796. In or about the late 1830s, Robert, his wife Ellen, and their children emigrated from Scotland. On the journey to the United States, one of their children died and was buried at sea. The 1840 U.S. Census for Queens County lists Pagan's occupation as a farmer. Two children were born to Robert and Ellen Pagan after they settled in the Town of Hempstead.

At this time, the community did not have a post office, so residents had to pick up their mail in the village of Hempstead. After Pagan petitioned authorities for a post office, he was appointed postmaster and it was based in his farmhouse, now known as the Pagan-Fletcher House.[6] He was advised that the community needed a name. Pagan chose "Valley Stream" based on the topographical appearance of the area. In 1843, the U.S. Post Office formally accepted the name of Valley Stream. As a consequence, Pagan is credited with naming the community. Pagan died on March 25, 1870.

His wife, Ellen, also played a significant role in early village history. Tired of traveling to Lynbrook for religious services, she began holding services in her home. A Methodist minister was hired for periodic stops at the Pagan home, and the first congregation in Valley Stream was founded.

In 1853, Hempstead Turnpike was the only road that connected Valley Stream to Jamaica and New York City. The main streets in Valley Stream that connected the small village to the turnpike were Mill Road (which is Corona Avenue today) in the west, Sand Street (Central Avenue) in the south, and Dutch Broadway in the north. That year Merrick Road, a planked, one-lane road, was constructed through Valley Stream, connecting the village to Merrick in the east and Jamaica to the west. With the new thoroughfare in the area, Valley Stream residents and industry began to move southward.

In 1869, the South Side Railroad began stopping in Valley Stream and a branch of the railroad was constructed to connect the main line with the Rockaways. The new branch is now called the Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Railroad.

The new railroad, combined with the emergence of Merrick Road as a major artery, stimulated growth in Valley Stream, and it became a substantial community. Around the start of the 20th century, Hendrickson Park was a prime vacationing destination for people from Brooklyn and Queens. The Valley Stream Hotel opened at the beginning of the 20th century, overlooking the golf course. Many tourists who came to visit wound up moving to Valley Stream. The Village of Valley Stream was incorporated on February 14, 1925 as a result of its growth.[5]

In 1922, developer William R. Gibson came to Valley Stream after building more than 2,500 houses in Queens. He bought 500 acres (2.0 km²) of land on Roosevelt Avenue and built homes on Avondale, Berkeley, Cambridge, Derby, and Elmwood streets. Many descendants of immigrants moved into the area. Five years later, he expanded his development to Cochran Place and Dartmouth Street. Realizing that his development was perfectly designed for white-collar commuters, he petitioned the Long Island Railroad for a stop. The LIRR agreed to stop in the area if Gibson built the station himself. On May 29, 1929, the Gibson station was opened. Gibson station, as it became known, retains the name of its founder.

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan addressed Temple Hillel in Valley Stream at the invitation of Rabbi Morris Friedman, father of Ambassador David Friedman, which was the first time since President George Washington a sitting American President addressed a Jewish congregation at their house of worship.

U.S. Census map of Valley Stream.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.5 square miles (9.1 km²), of which 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km²), or 0.86%, is water.[7]

Communities bordering Valley Stream are Elmont (home of Belmont Park racetrack), Lynbrook, Malverne, Franklin Square, Hewlett, Woodmere, and Rosedale (a neighborhood in Queens in New York City).

Panoramic map of Valley Stream with brief description, list of landmarks, and inset images (1924)

As of the census[9] of 2010, there were 37,511 people, 12,484 households, and 9,600 families residing in the village. The population density was 10,569.5 inhabitants per square mile (4,080.9/km²). There were 12,688 housing units at an average density of 3,687.5 per square mile (1,423.8/km²). The racial make up of the village was 57.25% White, 18.57% African American, 0.3% Native American, 11.38% Asian, 8.97% from other races and 3.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino were 22.24% of the population. The median household income was $62,243 and the family income was $72,585. Median household income for the village was $77,905, and the median income for a family was $84,273.[10]

Males had a median income of $80,094 versus $56,260 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $66,334. About 1.0% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 0.4% of those age 65 or over.

There were 12,484 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.37.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.

The village is home to significant Italian American, Irish American and German American populations, with 31.8% of the population identifying themselves as being of Italian ancestry in the 2000 Census.

Valley Stream has many separate elementary school districts (the Valley Stream 13, 24, and 30 Union Free School Districts) which share the same central high school district: the Valley Stream CHSD.[11]

In addition, children living in some of the southern portions of the Village are instead zoned to attend the Hewlett-Woodmere Union Free School District's schools.[11]

Valley Stream Central High School District

The front of Valley Stream Central High School.

• Valley Stream Central High School
• Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School
• Valley Stream North High School
• Valley Stream South High School

• Green Acres Mall is located in Valley Stream.
• National Amusements Movie Theater chain started in Valley Stream.
• Ninety-Nines were started in Valley Stream.
• Snapple Beverage Co., and the drink itself, started in Valley Stream.

Portions of the films Married to the Mob, Goodfellas, Trees Lounge, The Brothers McMullen, The Lords of Flatbush, Frankenhooker and Desperate Endeavors were filmed in Valley Stream.[12] Also, Valley Stream is the setting for a section of The Honeymoon Killers. The Netflix show Maniac, and Ed Burns show Bridge and Tunnel (TV series) filmed some scenes in Valley Stream.[13]

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Valley Stream.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valley Stream, New York.

• Valley Stream official website
• Henry Waldinger Memorial Library