“Allenwood.” Does the name ring a bell? Probably not. Great Neck Gardens is also known as Allenwood. But even that name is rarely used. Great Neck Gardens is a hamlet and census-designated place. It sits on the Great Neck Peninsula in Nassau County. This North Shore of Long Island community has a population of around 1,200.
Let’s step back in time. The area we now know as Great Neck Gardens was once called Madnan’s Neck. The Allen family, early European settlers, owned much of this land. They established farms within the boundaries of today’s Great Neck Gardens.
The Great Neck Gardens CDP first appeared in the 2000 United States Census. Although Great Neck Gardens is on many maps, locals rarely use the name. It remains an unincorporated hamlet. This means the Town of North Hempstead governs it.
Consider the geography. Great Neck Gardens covers only 0.2 square miles. That is all land.
In 2020, the population was 1,268. That is a population density of over 7,000 people per square mile. In 2000, the median household income was over $124,000. The median family income was even higher, at nearly $143,000.
Great Neck Gardens is part of New York’s 3rd congressional district. Allenwood Park is located in the southern part of Great Neck Gardens. It is operated by the Great Neck Park District.
Great Neck Gardens is a small part of a larger story. The Great Neck area has a rich history. It evolved from a farming village to a commuter town. F. Scott Fitzgerald even used Great Neck as inspiration for “The Great Gatsby”. He disguised it as “West Egg”.
Today Great Neck Gardens is mainly residential. It offers a suburban lifestyle. Yet it remains connected to the broader history of Great Neck. It is a place where the past and present intertwine. Though its name may not be widely known, its story is part of the larger narrative of Long Island.