What is now the Village of Sands Point was originally inhabited by the MatinecockNative Americans.[2][3] In 1644, the area was settled by European colonists – namely, Dutchmen and Englishmen, after they purchased the territory comprising Cow Neck and its vicinity from the Matinecocks.[2][3][4] A number of these early settlers belonged to prominent, early Long Island families – including members of the Sands, Mott, and Cornwell families, among others.[2][5][6]
The Village of Sands Point was incorporated in 1910, comprising land primarily belonging to three families: the Cornwell family, the Sands family, and the Vanderbilt family.[2][5] In 1912, the village absorbed the adjacent, incorporated villages of Barker's Point and Mott's Point – both of which had incorporated at the same time as Sands Point; residents of the three incorporated villages approved of the consolidation proposal on July 23 of that year, with the newly-consolidated village retaining the Sands Point name.[7][8][9][10]
In 1917, Daniel Guggenheim bought his 216-acre (0.87km2)Hempstead House, formerly Castle Gould. His son Harry Guggenheim, founder of Newsday, later erected his estate "Falaise" nearby in 1923.[2] Today, the estate belongs to the Friends of the Sands Point Preserve, which is a non-profit organization that maintains the property.[11]
In 1932, the village annexed the Harbor Acres community – located between the rest of Sands Point and the Beacon Hill neighborhood of unincorporated Port Washington – in 1932, after the area requested to split from unincorporated Port Washington and become part of Sands Point.[7][12][13] This annexation was approved unanimously in May 1932 by the Town of North Hempstead.[7][12][13]
In the 1960s, as Long Island was undergoing rapid suburbanization – and when Sands Point had less strict building codes, many homes were built on 1-acre (4,000m2) parcels.[14] Current zoning allows subdivisions of 2 acres (8,100m2) or more.[14][15]
The Village of Sands Point – much like the eponymous cape at the tip of the village – is named for the Sands family.[2] This family had long resided on Cow Neck, having arrived during colonial times. The family owned a considerable amount of property in the modern-day village.[2]
Geography
U.S. Census map of Sands Point
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 5.6 square miles (15km2), of which 4.2 square miles (11km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6km2), or 24.56%, is water.[19]
Sands Point is bordered on three sides by water – the Long Island Sound to the north, Manhasset Bay to the west and Hempstead Harbor on the east. It shares land borders with the villages of Port Washington North and Manorhaven, as well as the unincorporated hamlet of Port Washington.[15]
Sands Point is located at the tip of the Cow Neck Peninsula (also known as the Port Washington Peninsula or as Manhasset Neck), which is bordered by Manhasset Bay, Hempstead Bay, and Long Island Sound.[15] This area of the peninsula is historically known as "The Three Points," due to the presence of three named capes: Sands Point, Mott's Point, and Barker's Point – all presently located within the Village of Sands Point.[20][21] A fourth, smaller cape – Prospect Point – is also located within the village.[21]
The village is completely residential in character.[7] There are no areas zoned for business, commercial, or industrial uses located anywhere within the Village of Sands Point. However, there are houses of worship within the village, and the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults is headquartered therein.[7][14][15][30]
As of the census of 2010, 2,675 people, 872 households, and 762 families were residing in the village.[19] The population density was 636.9 people/sq mi (243.2/km2). The 934 housing units had an average density of 222.4/sq mi (84.9/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 88.6% White, 0.8% African American, 8.2% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.7% of the population.[19]
Of the 872 households, 38.3% had children under 18 living with them, 80.6% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.6% were not families. About 10.4% of the households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03, and the average family size was 3.21.[19]
In the village, the age distribution was 26.4% under 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 15.4% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 45.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.[19]
As of 2018, the median income for a household in the village was $231,667, with it being named the richest town in New York.[32] Males had a median income of $158,500 versus $44,943 for females. The per capita income for the village was $112,716. None of the families and 0.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including none under age 18 or 65 or over.[19]
Government
Village government
As of July 2025, the Mayor of Sands Point is Peter A. Forman, the Deputy Mayor is Jeffrey Moslow, and the Village Trustees are Elena Karabatos, David Schamis, Jeffrey Moslow, and Sloane Ackerman.[33]
Village police
A Sands Point Police Department vehicle at Village Hall in 2022
The Village of Sands Point operates its own police department.[15][33] The Sands Point Police Department, as such, is responsible for providing police protection services within the village.[15][33]
As of August 2022, the Police Commissioner of Sands Point is Mayor Peter A. Forman and the Chief of Police is Thomas Ruehle.[33][34]
Representation in higher government
Town representation
Sands Point is located in the Town of North Hempstead's 6th council district, which as of July 2025 is represented on the North Hempstead Town Council by Mariann Dalimonte (D–Port Washington).[35]
Nassau County representation
Sands Point is located in Nassau County's 11th Legislative district, which as of July 2025 is represented in the Nassau County Legislature by Delia DiRiggi-Whitton (D–Glen Cove).[15][36]
In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Sands Point voters voted for Kamala D. Harris (D).[42][43][44]
Parks and recreation
The Village Club of Sands Point in 2022
The Sands Point Golf Club and the Village Club of Sands Point are both located in Sands Point.[45][46] The Village Club, which was formerly the IBM Country Club, was purchased in 1994 by the village.[47]
Additionally, the Port Washington UFSD's Guggenheim Elementary School is located within the village.[15]
Library district
Sands Point is located entirely within the boundaries of the Port Washington Library District, which is served by the Port Washington Public Library in Baxter Estates.[15]
The Village of Sands Point has its own municipal water system, which is operated by the Village of Sands Point Water Department and provides the entirety of the village with water.[15][56]
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925), Sands Point (Port Washington/Manhasset/Cow Neck) was referred to as "East Egg". East Egg (Port Washington/Manhasset/Cow Neck) residents inherited their fortunes and were more highly respected than the nouveau riche in newer "West Egg" (Great Neck/Kings Point), because Sands Point had "old money". The story's fictional Buchanans lived in the western part of Sands Point. Reports incorrectly suggest that Fitzgerald – while he was a guest at the mansion of Herbert Bayard Swope on Hoffstot Lane, at Prospect Point in Sands Point – used the site and its parties as his inspiration for the fictional Buchanan home in East Egg.[87] The home may have served as one of the many inspirations, as Fitzgerald did likely visit it during his time living in Great Neck (1922–24), but not as a guest of Swope's. Fitzgerald left Great Neck for Paris in 1924, prior to Swope's purchase of that mansion. The likely story with regard to Swope is that Fitzgerald and his good friend Ring Lardner would observe many parties held at the home Swope was residing in during the time Fitzgerald was actually living in the area. This Swope residence was adjacent to Lardner's home on Shore Road in Great Neck, and is no longer extant, though Lardner's mansion is still standing.[87]
Another Sands Point mansion, situated next to the Sands Point Light and across a shallow bay from Prospect Point, was Beacon Towers. Scholars believe it served as one of the many inspirations for Jay Gatsby's mansion in the novel, though Gatsby lived on the eastern side of Kings Point, in the book. The extravagant Gothic-style residence was built by Alva Belmont, formerly Alva Vanderbilt, in 1918. It was demolished in 1945.[88]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
United States 
New York 
