Flower Hill, NY Road Trips

Flower Hill was incorporated on May 25, 1931, as a result of Port Washington's plans to incorporate itself as the "City of Port Washington" with the same boundaries as the Port Washington Union Free School District. Carlos W. Munson, heir to a steamship fortune and Flower Hill's founding father, said so. As much of Flower Hill is located within the Port Washington UFSD, much of the area now within village limits would have been absorbed by the City of Port Washington, and would have been its major source of tax income, according to Munson (Sands Point was already incorporated when the proposals were made in 1930). The residents of Flower Hill were successful in establishing Flower Hill as a village, and stopping these plans; to this day, Port Washington remains an unincorporated hamlet governed by the Town of North Hempstead. When incorporated, Flower Hill's population was 288, whereas in 2020 it was home to 4,794 residents. Flower Hill is one village anchored by three of the Town of North Hempstead's major communities; the western parts are anchored by the hamlet of Manhasset (which is also the Town Seat of North Hempstead), the northern parts are anchored by the hamlet of Port Washington, and the southern and eastern parts are anchored by the Incorporated Village of Roslyn.

1 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society, 336 Port Washington Boulevard, ☏ +1 516-365-9074. The main historical society for the entirety of the Cow Neck Peninsula. It is located within Flower Hill, at the historic Sands-Willets House, which the organization operates as a museum and as their headquarters. (updated Apr 2023) 2 Elderfields Preserve, 200 Port Washington Boulevard, ☏ +1 516-571-8130. A historic preserve, museum, and art gallery. The Elderfields Preserve consists of the historic Hewlett-Munson-Williams House. This was the home of Carlos W. Munson, the founding father of Flower Hill, and was named "Elderfields" by him. (updated Apr 2023) 3 Flower Hill Cemetery, Country Club Drive, ☏ +1 516-627-5000. Dating back to the 18th century, this historic cemetery was active between 1798 and 1896, and many prominent locals of the time – including some people involved in the American Revolution – are buried here. It was restored in 2022 and designated a Village of Flower Hill Historic Landmark in April 2023. (updated Apr 2023) 4 Flower Hill Village Park, ☏ +1 516-627-5000. A park owned by the Village of Flower Hill. It consists of walking paths, a stage, a field, a playground and sports facilities, and an exceptionally-planned and maintained garden. The park was purchased by Flower Hill from Nassau County in the 2000s, and was redesigned and beautified after the purchase by arborist and former Village Trustee Ann Frankel. (updated Apr 2023) 5 North Hempstead Country Club, 291 Port Washington Boulevard, ☏ +1 516-365-7500.

Explore local history – after all, Flower Hill takes great pride in its history and heritage. The community and the village's government make exploring and learning about the history of the area very fun and very easy. Flower Hill Historic Trail, ☏ +1 516-627-5000. A huge, self-guided historic walking tour network of the village. It was created by the village in 2021 and has over 100 stops, and with all 7 routes combined is over 50 miles in length, with some routes covering the entire village while others are area-specific or subject-specific. (updated Apr 2023) 1 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society, 336 Port Washington Boulevard, ☏ +1 516-365-9074. The main historical society for the entirety of the Cow Neck Peninsula. It is located within Flower Hill, at the historic Sands-Willets House, which the organization operates as a museum and as their headquarters. (updated Apr 2023) Flower Hill Village Historical Gallery, ☏ +1 516-627-5000. The village's very own local history museum, located inside Village Hall. Covers the history of the village and the surrounding areas, and has an extensive, highly-detailed guidebook. Admission is free for all visitors. (updated Mar 2024) Visit the beautiful Flower Hill Park and enjoy all it has to offer. Complete with some of the finest park landscaping you can possibly find, the park has a beautiful, winding path network, a stage, a huge, a state-of-the-art playground with multiple climbing frames and swings, a basketball court, a self-service library, a pollinator garden, and a sports wall.

1 Holiday Inn Express Roslyn – Long Island, 1053 Northern Boulevard, ☏ +1 516-627-2460. Despite the name, this is the popular hotel chain's Flower Hill location and is located within the village. Features include a fitness center and free breakfast. Wifi is available to guests. (updated Apr 2023)

Flower Hill has excellent road access. Two major state routes travel through it. Those routes are Northern Boulevard (NY 25A) and Port Washington Boulevard (NY 101). Additionally, it is served by the Long Island Expressway (I-495) and the Northern State Parkway, via Searingtown Road (which becomes Port Washington Boulevard at its intersection with Northern Boulevard) or Mineola Avenue (which becomes Willis Avenue south of the Long Island Expressway, in Roslyn Heights). Flower Hill has great bus service, provided by Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE). Several NICE routes serve Flower Hill: the n20H (Great Neck – Hicksville), the n20X express bus (Flushing – Roslyn), the n21 (Great Neck – Glen Cove), and the n23 (Mineola – Manorhaven). While there are no train stations in the village, all of Flower Hill has good access to the Long Island Rail Road's Port Washington Branch. The southeastern portion of Flower Hill also has great access to the Oyster Bay Branch (although residents make more use of the Port Washington Branch). In fact, portions of Flower Hill's western border are formed by the Port Washington Branch. The nearest stations to Flower Hill are Manhasset, Plandome, and Port Washington on the Port Washington Branch and the Roslyn station on the Oyster Bay Branch. Most residents will advise for you to take the Port Washington Branch (which sees significantly better, more frequent service than the Oyster Bay Branch does), assuming that you do not need to go through Jamaica or Mineola.

The easiest ways to travel around Flower Hill are by walking, riding a bicycle, or by driving. Additionally, it is possible to move about Flower Hill by bus. The n20H, n20X, and n21 run west–east near the southern boundary of the village with Roslyn Estates via Northern Boulevard and Old Northern Boulevard. The n23 runs north–south through the heart of Flower Hill via Port Washington Boulevard.

Flower Hill, in its entirety, is an extremely safe and friendly place to visit – both during the day and at night. On the rare occasion something does happen, it is usually due to someone leaving valuables exposed in their vehicle, leaving their key fobs in their cars, or neglecting to lock their car's doors overnight, leading to their car being broken into. Any suspicious activity gets noticed very quickly by locals and the police and is not tolerated. In fact, any questionable behavior will likely lead to you being questioned about your intentions. You can reach emergency services (including the Nassau County Police Department and other emergency services) by dialing 911. Speeding is usually the biggest safety issue in Flower Hill, especially along roads like Woodland Road and Ridge Drive East. The speed limit on all of Flower Hill's village-maintained streets is 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) – having been lowered from 30 mph (48 km/h) in November 2022. And as many children tend to be outside to walk, bike, or play when it is nice out, speeding is a big concern amongst the locals. Please be mindful of pedestrians, and remember to "drive like your kids live here" like the signs say. Except for most of Northern Boulevard, Mineola Avenue, and West Shore Road, portions of Middle Neck Road and Old Northern & Port Washington Boulevards, and the bicycle/pedestrian pathway along Stonytown Road, sidewalks and designated foot/pedestrian paths along roads seldom exist (most streets lacking sidewalks, however, are quiet residential streets and are not needed).