Stony Brook, New York
- For other uses of Stony Brook, see Stony Brook.
Stony Brook is a hamlet (unincorporated community) (and census-designated place) located in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York. The population was 13,727 at the 2000 census.
General information
Located on the picturesque North Shore of Long Island, the area is home to, among other things, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, The Stony Brook School, and "Stony Brook Village." The history of the town has been closely linked to that of Ward Melville, a local businessman who at one point owned most of what is now sometimes called the "Three Villages" (consisting of Stony Brook, the hamlet of Setauket, and the incorporated village of Old Field). The Three Village Central School District serves all three communities.
Beginning in 1939 with the creation of the Community Fund (currently the Ward Melville Heritage Organization), Ward Melville began the transformation of the area into his idea of an idyllic New England village, with white clapboard and quaint stores. This effect has been largely achieved in the population center, which consists of a green and a crescent of stores. In further pursuit of this goal, Melville donated the land and funds for the creation of the State University of New York at Stony Brook to the state of New York, as well as for the local school district.
The area has virtually no industrial or commercial base due to current zoning, and the rapid growth of residential development in the past decade has begun to place serious strain on schools as they try to cope with the added strain. However, the schools are generally considered to be above average.
Visitors to the area with children should plan to see Sand Street Beach, a duck pond, a historic grist mill (c. 1751), as well as the newly created Avalon Park, which has a fabulous boardwalk, trails, landscaping, and a year-round groundskeeper. Additionally, the Carriage Museum is billed as one of the largest of its type in America.
Geography
Stony Brook is located at 40°54′23″N 73°7′42″W / 40.90639°N 73.12833°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (40.906399, -73.128443)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 16.0 km² (6.2 mi²). 14.9 km² (5.7 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (6.97%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 13,727 people, 4,758 households, and 3,787 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 923.3/km² (2,390.5/mi²). There were 4,970 housing units at an average density of 334.3/km² (865.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.82% White, 1.23% African American, 0.04% Native American, 5.70% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.43% of the population.
There were 4,758 households out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.3% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $90,009, and the median income for a family was $95,567. Males had a median income of $68,400 versus $41,770 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $35,247. About 1.9% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
Famous residents and natives
- Stan Lee (creator Of Marvel Comics)
- Kevin James (comedian, actor)
- George Booth (New Yorker cartoonist)
- R.A. The Rugged Man (hip-hop artist)
- Brooke Ellison (First quadriplegic graduate from Harvard University)