Bay Shore, New York
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Bay Shore is a hamlet (and census-designated place), located in the town of Islip, County of Suffolk, New York. As of the 2000 census, the hamlet had a total population of 23,852.
Bay Shore has a major railroad station of the Long Island Rail Road, serving both commuters and vacationers as a major gateway to Fire Island.
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Recent history
Formerly a major shopping area, Bay Shore suffered from the building of the South Shore Mall in North Bay Shore, and from the fact that, as an unincorporated area with no local government, it was unable to control social service decisions made at the county level, or effectively plan for revitalization. Its large shopping area became a burden because the many storefronts could not be filled, leading to a cycle of commercial decline.
Facilities and restaurants on the waterfront Great South Bay fared better, partly because of its being an embarkation point for ferries to communities on Fire Island, which cannot be reached by private automobiles.
Several attempts were made at urban renewal over the decades, but none stuck until recently. A planned aquarium appears to have fallen through, but other efforts seem to be having a significant positive effect. A former movie theater was rebuilt and expanded into an attractive YMCA, and redevelopment efforts with new sidewalks, old fashioned streetlights, plantings, public spaces and new businesses appealing to an upscale clientele are gradually spreading from west to east, centering on Main Street.
Housing
An area of rundown housing near the railroad was torn down and replaced with town houses for those with low to moderate incomes. Some other of the smaller, older housing stock in the northern part of the hamlet has attracted an artist community.
South of Main Street (Montauk Highway) is a large area of large houses and mansions, many on large properties, which survived Bay Shore's declining years and promise to help in the hamlet's renaissance.
Geography
Bay Shore is located at 40°43'47" North, 73°15'13" West (40.729857, -73.253722)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the hamlet has a total area of 15.8 km² (6.1 mi²). 13.6 km² (5.3 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 13.30% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 23,852 people, 8,194 households, and 5,530 families residing in the hamlet. The population density is 1,747.5/km² (4,524.5/mi²). There are 8,639 housing units at an average density of 632.9/km² (1,638.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the hamlet is 68.84% White, 17.15% African American, 0.45% Native American, 2.35% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 7.19% from other races, and 3.99% from two or more races. 19.86% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 8,194 households out of which 33.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% are married couples living together, 15.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% are non-families. 25.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.83 and the average family size is 3.40.
In the hamlet the population is spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 females there are 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the hamlet is $50,155, and the median income for a family is $60,046. Males have a median income of $40,878 versus $31,851 for females. The per capita income for the hamlet is $23,437. 12.2% of the population and 8.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.4% of those under the age of 18 and 8.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.