Commack, New York
Encyclopedia
Commack is a census-designated place
(CDP) that roughly corresponds to the hamlet (unincorporated community) by the same name in the towns of Huntington
and Smithtown
in Suffolk County
, New York
, United States
on Long Island
. The CDP's population was 36,367 at the 2000 census.
, the CDP has a total area of 12.1 square miles (31.3 km²), all land.
The name Commack comes from the Secatogue Indians who lived on the south shore between Copiague and Bayport. They named their northern lands in the center of the island Winnecomac meaning "Pleasant lands." This is what they must have thought when they looked over this area of flat lands with rich soil, and thick oak forests abounding with plants and wildlife. From the earliest days Commack was known for its fertile soil, abundance of game, and wood.
Today all of Commack is settled and suburbanized and, like most unincorporated areas of Long Island, does not have a true, walkable downtown or "Main Street." The community is served by four major thoroughfares: the Long Island Expressway, the Northern State Parkway
, the Sunken Meadow State Parkway
and the at-grade Jericho Turnpike. It also includes the historic Long Island Motor Parkway
, which itself included the Spur to NY 25 that later became Harned Road.
of 2000, there were 36,367 people, 11,697 households, and 10,176 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 3,014.9 per square mile (1,164.3/km²). There were 11,824 housing units at an average density of 980.2/sq mi (378.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 80.4% White, 10.6% African American, 3.8% Asian, 6.3% from other races
, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.9% of the population.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP was $109,431, and the median income for a family was $117,020. Males had a median income of $61,475 versus $39,124 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $30,840. About 2.0% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
's New York Nets, later the New Jersey Nets, played its second season (1968–69) at the Long Island Arena
in Commack. Also, some tracks on Frampton Comes Alive were recorded at the Long Island Arena. The Eastern Hockey League
's Long Island Ducks
also played there. The Arena, demolished in 1996, is now the site of a shopping center that includes a Sports Authority and Target.
The Commack Fire Department celebrated its centennial in 2006.
rated the Commack Motor Inn second of the seven wonders of Long Island, just behind the Flanders Duck
and ahead of the Montauk Lighthouse
. The Commack Inn gained notoriety by its advertisements on late night television and radio, extolling "the perfect romantic getaway", its "plush beds", "mirror ball disco room" and "heart-shaped love tubs". By the 1980s, the Commack Motor Inn had become such an accepted part of Long Island life, that its gift certificates were prizes at social clubs. In a 1994 interview, actress Rosie O'Donnell
recounted "That's where everyone in high school went to have their first sexual experience".
The song "Wannabe Gangster" by alternative rock band Wheatus
mentions going "Back to Commack".
In the American television program "Criminal Minds
", Special Agent David Rossi's hometown is Commack. One episode in the fourth season of the same show takes place in Commack (although it was shot somewhere else).
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) that roughly corresponds to the hamlet (unincorporated community) by the same name in the towns of Huntington
Huntington, New York
The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. Huntington is part of the New York metropolitan...
and Smithtown
Smithtown, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 115,715 people, 38,487 households, and 31,482 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,159.9 people per square mile . There were 39,357 housing units at an average density of 734.6 per square mile...
in Suffolk County
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The CDP's population was 36,367 at the 2000 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 12.1 square miles (31.3 km²), all land.
The name Commack comes from the Secatogue Indians who lived on the south shore between Copiague and Bayport. They named their northern lands in the center of the island Winnecomac meaning "Pleasant lands." This is what they must have thought when they looked over this area of flat lands with rich soil, and thick oak forests abounding with plants and wildlife. From the earliest days Commack was known for its fertile soil, abundance of game, and wood.
Today all of Commack is settled and suburbanized and, like most unincorporated areas of Long Island, does not have a true, walkable downtown or "Main Street." The community is served by four major thoroughfares: the Long Island Expressway, the Northern State Parkway
Northern State Parkway
The Northern State Parkway is a long limited-access state parkway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The western terminus is at the Queens-Nassau County line, where the parkway continues westward into New York City as the Grand Central Parkway...
, the Sunken Meadow State Parkway
Sunken Meadow State Parkway
The Sunken Meadow State Parkway is a long north–south parkway on Long Island in New York. All six miles of the parkway are located in the Suffolk County town of Smithtown. The southern terminus of the route is at the Northern State Parkway, where it continues southward as the Sagtikos...
and the at-grade Jericho Turnpike. It also includes the historic Long Island Motor Parkway
Long Island Motor Parkway
The Long Island Motor Parkway , also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway and Motor Parkway, was the first roadway designed for automobile use only. It was privately built by William Kissam Vanderbilt with overpasses and bridges to remove intersections...
, which itself included the Spur to NY 25 that later became Harned Road.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 36,367 people, 11,697 households, and 10,176 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,014.9 per square mile (1,164.3/km²). There were 11,824 housing units at an average density of 980.2/sq mi (378.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 80.4% White, 10.6% African American, 3.8% Asian, 6.3% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.9% of the population.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the CDP was $109,431, and the median income for a family was $117,020. Males had a median income of $61,475 versus $39,124 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $30,840. About 2.0% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Notable sites
The American Basketball AssociationAmerican Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
's New York Nets, later the New Jersey Nets, played its second season (1968–69) at the Long Island Arena
Long Island Arena
Long Island Arena was a 4,000-seat indoor arena in Commack, New York from 1959 until 1996. The Long Island Ducks of the Eastern Hockey League, a popular team in the small community, called the Arena home from 1959 until the league folded in 1973, one year after the New York Islanders came into...
in Commack. Also, some tracks on Frampton Comes Alive were recorded at the Long Island Arena. The Eastern Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
's Long Island Ducks
Long Island Ducks (ice hockey)
The Long Island Ducks were a minor league hockey team in the Eastern Hockey League owned by Al and Renee Baron that played their home games at the Long Island Arena...
also played there. The Arena, demolished in 1996, is now the site of a shopping center that includes a Sports Authority and Target.
The Commack Fire Department celebrated its centennial in 2006.
Notable people from Commack
- Bob CostasBob CostasRobert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
- American sportscaster
- Rosie O'DonnellRosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
- stand-up comedienne, actress, singer, author and media personality
In the media
On November 14, 2006, radio station WBLIWBLI
WBLI is a Top 40 music formatted radio station which mainly serves Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. It can also be heard in the Hudson Valley, the South Shore of Connecticut, and the Jersey Shore...
rated the Commack Motor Inn second of the seven wonders of Long Island, just behind the Flanders Duck
Big Duck
The Big Duck is a ferrocement building in the shape of a duck located in Flanders, New York, on Long Island. It was originally built in 1931 by duck farmer Martin Maurer in nearby Riverhead, and used as a shop to sell ducks and duck eggs. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in...
and ahead of the Montauk Lighthouse
Montauk Point Lighthouse
The Montauk Point Light is a lighthouse located in Montauk Point State Park at the easternmost point of Long Island, in the Town of East Hampton, Suffolk County, New York...
. The Commack Inn gained notoriety by its advertisements on late night television and radio, extolling "the perfect romantic getaway", its "plush beds", "mirror ball disco room" and "heart-shaped love tubs". By the 1980s, the Commack Motor Inn had become such an accepted part of Long Island life, that its gift certificates were prizes at social clubs. In a 1994 interview, actress Rosie O'Donnell
Rosie O'Donnell
Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
recounted "That's where everyone in high school went to have their first sexual experience".
The song "Wannabe Gangster" by alternative rock band Wheatus
Wheatus
Wheatus are an American rock group from Northport, New York. They are known for their 2000 single "Teenage Dirtbag" which was featured in the movie Loser, as well as in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill.-1995-2002: Formation and Wheatus:...
mentions going "Back to Commack".
In the American television program "Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
", Special Agent David Rossi's hometown is Commack. One episode in the fourth season of the same show takes place in Commack (although it was shot somewhere else).