Commack

Commack, New York
U.S. Census Map
Commack, New York Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 40°50′42″N 73°17′0″W / 40.845°N 73.28333°W / 40.845; -73.28333
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Suffolk
Area
- Total	12.1 sq mi (31.2 km2)
- Land	12.1 sq mi (31.2 km2)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation	131 ft (40 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	36,367
- Density	3,014.9/sq mi (1,164.1/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	11725
Area code(s)	631
FIPS code	36-17530
GNIS feature ID	0947221

Commack (/KO-mack/ or /KOM-mack/) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 36,367 at the 2000 census.

Commack is partly in the Town of Huntington and partly in the Town of Smithtown. It is located on Long Island.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Commack, NY CDP has a total area of 12.1 square miles (31.2 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.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] 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 94.4% White, 0.6% 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 2.9% of the population.^[2]

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^[3], the median income for a household in the CDP was $102,658, and the median income for a family was $110,825. 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.

Notable sites

The New York Nets (now the New Jersey Nets) played from 1968-1969 at the Long Island Arena in Commack, the location of which, as of 2008, is a shopping center that includes a Sports Authority, Borders Bookstore, and Target. Also, some tracks on "Frampton Comes Alive" were recorded at the Long Island Arena.

The Commack Fire Department celebrated its centennial in 2006.^[4]

Notable residents

• Entertainer Rosie O'Donnell
• Sportscaster Bob Costas
• Hofstra University football coach Dave Cohen
• Big Brother winner Eddie McGee
• Actress and comedienne Julie Halston
• Food Network chef Adam Gertler
• Pitcher Pete Harnisch
• Craig Minervini- Sportscaster FSN Florida and Sun Sports
• Scot Haney- Weatherman WFSB-TV Hartford, CT
• Member of the gold medal-winning 2000 U.S. Olympic softball team Danielle Henderson^[5]
• New York State Assembly member Daniel O'Donnell
• Virginia House of Delegates member Adam Ebbin
• Opera singer Ruth Ann Swenson
• So You Think You Can Dance participant Courtney Ann Galiano

Political Activist/Veteran Michael Carl Tanner

Hoyt Farm was donated by the Hoyt family to the Town of Smithtown and remains today as pristine land to be enjoyed by all Smithtown residents.

In the media

On November 14, 2006, radio station WBLI rated the Commack Motor Inn second of the seven wonders of Long Island, ^[6][7] 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.^[8]. In a 1994 interview, actress Rosie O'Donnell recounted "That's where everyone in high school went to have their first sexual experience".^[9]

The song "Wannabe Gangster" by alternative rock band Wheatus mentions going "Back to Commack".

See also

• Commack School District

Footnotes

External links

• The Record: a weekly newspaper covering Commack
• Commack History