Port Washington

 

 

Bordered by the Long Island Sound on one side and Manhasset Bay on the other, and just 17 miles from New York City, or 38 minutes by rail, Port Washington is located close to Manhasset, Great Neck, and Roslyn. With rolling hills and a gorgeous coastline in the northwest corner of Nassau County, Port Washington is studded with marinas, yacht clubs, and golf courses, and Main Street’s business and restaurant district runs all the way down to Manhasset Bay. Port Washington is heralded as a hip and eclectic section of Long Island’s Gold Coast with an absolutely massive list of town events and happenings. Families flock here for the fantastic schools and stay for the lifelong friends they meet.

 

 

 • Diverse, hip, and unpretentious

 • Well-manicured neighborhoods and homes

 • Wide array of social activities and events

 

 

Residents in Port Washington are hospitable and kind, first and foremost. They take great pride in their town and make a point to welcome newcomers. Many residents are young families who seek to take advantage of the school district and long-time residents who have never left. As with most hamlets in the area, many people in Port Washington love being on their boats or by the water. You’ll find a strong sense of maritime appreciation here and many residents who love to fish.

 

 

Any local will tell you that Wild Honey, Tiga, and Herb & Olive are the popular buzzy spots to enjoy a date night out or dinner with friends. Gatsby’s Landing is a popular spot to grab outdoor cocktails or appetizers in the summer with fantastic waterfront views, and Butler’s Flat is a must-go for a lobster roll and cold Narragansett beer.
There are some great boutiques downtown, but Port Washington’s most infamous spot is the Dolphin Bookshop & Cafe, a fun place to browse for books, toys, games, music, and gifts. You can grab a coffee and pastry in the kid-friendly adjacent cafe or enjoy a reading by distinguished authors such as J.K. Rowling, Eric Carle, and other notables. Lots of residents also head to Americana in Manhasset for high-end luxury shops like Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci.

 

 

Port Washington is one of the most lively places to live in Long Island. The 1908 Main Street School building has been transformed into the Landmark on Main Street, a community center and 425-seat theater which offers more than 35 performances a year. For music lovers, John Phillip Sousa Memorial Band Shell waterfront concerts in Sunset Park on the shores of Manhasset Bay are appropriate for kids and adults such as “Kidstock” and the 1910 Fruitgum Company. They also host family-friendly movie nights on alternate Friday evenings appropriately dubbed “Cinema by the Bay.” The Port Washington Farmers’ Market is the only completely organic market in New York State. The market is open on Saturday mornings, June through October, from 8 am-12 pm and has something for everyone. Manorhaven Beach Park provides outdoor recreation activities such as basketball, tennis courts, handball, horseshoe pits, and racquetball and bocce courts along with picnic areas, a boat ramp, stand-up paddle-boarding, kayaking, skate park, and playground. The Manorhaven Pool Complex features a 25,000-square-foot main pool area with a lap swim area, general swim sections, zero depth entry for children and beginners, as well as two giant water slides and separate kiddie pool with state of the art play features, like palm tree fountains. Beloved by all is Port Washington’s Harborfest, an annual summer family-friendly day featuring Children’s Fun Park, Model Boat Regatta, musical entertainment, cruises on the Bat, art in the park, crafts, food, and more. The 216-acre Sands Point Preserve, a former Guggenheim estate overlooking a beach, offers guided hikes, a learning center, and docent-led tours of Falaise, an art-filled 1920s mansion built to resemble a Norman manor.

 

 

With 5,290 students, the district has five elementary schools plus the Carrie Palmer Weber Middle School and the Paul D. Schreiber High School. The Daly School runs from prekindergarten through Grade 5; the Guggenheim, Manorhaven, Sousa, and South Salem schools start at kindergarten. The district boasts high SAT and ACT scores, and Schreiber High prides itself on its impressive roster of college destinations for its grads, including the Ivy League schools. 
The Vincent Smith School is a nearby private day school for students in grades 1-12 dedicated to providing a small, nurturing, and supportive setting for students with learning disabilities.