village in Nassau County, New York, United States
Hempstead Village is the downtown area of Hempstead, in Nassau County, New York. It is an urban-scale downtown area, home to the town’s offices and its largest commercial and employment area.
The Incorporated Village of Hempstead is located within the Town of Hempstead. It is also the town seat of the Town of Hempstead. It incorporated as a village in the 19th century and is one of the oldest incorporated villages on Long Island.
Hempstead is a very diverse community where many languages are spoken. English and Spanish are the dominant languages in the community.
Hempstead station, located within the village, is the terminus of the Long Island Rail Road's Hempstead Branch.
Hempstead is home to the Nassau Inter-County Express bus system's Rosa Parks Transit Center (located across the street from the train station). This bus station serves as one of Nassau County's main bus hubs.
A Greyhound bus station is also located within the village.
If you are from Long Island, you have probably heard stories about Hempstead. It is true that crime does occur in Hempstead, and it is true that a lot of the crimes are drug and gang-related. Exercise caution at night and try to stay away from areas where sneakers dangle from the power lines (a frequent sign of places where drug deals occur). The areas west of Cathedral Avenue north of Hempstead Turnpike and the areas east of Westbury Boulevard north of Hempstead Turnpike are generally safe.
The Hofstra University campus, much of which is located within the village, is very safe at all times of the day and night and is constantly patrolled by Hofstra University's public safety department. Emergency call boxes are located all over the campus should any safety issue (or any other emergency issue) arise, and a safety officer is never far away.
As mentioned in the stay safe section, the crime in Hempstead often plays a dominant role in the perception of the community (as does the corruption from some of its elected officials). If you visit Hempstead, you will find many caring, kind, outgoing people who care deeply about their community and fellow residents.