Patchogue, New York

Overview

Patchogue, which is approximately 60 miles (100 km) east of Manhattan, became incorporated in 1893. A natural riverfront and harbor are resources that the village has utilized for the past 100 years, to become a modern and largely self-contained community.

The current mayor of Patchogue, Paul Pontieri, was a vice-principal of the neighboring South Country School District's Bellport High School for many years. He has also served as a vice-principal at Ward Melville High School, in Three Village School District. He was elected in March, 2004 to a four-year term, then re-elected in 2008.

Patchogue is the mailing address for residents of the village, as well as residents of the adjoining hamlets of East Patchogue, North Patchogue, Canaan Lake and some areas on Fire Island.

Patchogue and the adjacent hamlet of Medford share a school district and library. There are Primary, Middle and High Schools, plus continuing education programs for adults. The School District, library, St. Joseph's and the Briarcliffe Colleges provide a variety of educational opportunities. In 2010, the Patchogue-Medford Library was awarded the 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Science for the library's work in bilingual programming.

The Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts opened in 1923. It was later renovated into a triplex, after which it was converted to a single movie theater. It closed in the late 1980s. In the mid-1990s the Village acquired the theater, and completely refurbished the building; it now seats 1,166 people.

Patchogue has places of worship of various Christian denominations. Three churches in Patchogue are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Congregational Church on East Main Street, United Methodist Church on South Ocean Avenue between Church Street and Terry Street, and the St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Rider Avenue across from Terry Street. St. Francis de Sales is the Roman Catholic parish which was formed in the 1880s. It was formed and flourished despite the protests of the nativist movement (the Know Nothings). Patchogue also has two synagogues, Young Israel of Patchogue and Temple Beth-El.

Volunteer organisations include The Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, Knights of Columbus Council 725, Kiwanis, Rotarians and Lions. The Patchogue Ambulance Company is an all-volunteer service.

In 1996, the Village acquired the old Ward & Glynne theatre located in the heart of the Village. It had opened in 1923 as a Vaudeville and live theatre. It stayed open through the 1940s when it was converted into a movie house. Around the late 1980s, the theatre closed its doors. In 1996, the Village acquired it, and it reopened in 1999. Done by an army of volunteers, the theatre was restored as close to its original beauty as possible. In 2006 over 100,000 people visited the theatre, which accommodates all types of live theatre. From Broadway shows, to Irish Tenors, to local bands, the theatre continues to draw an audience from all over the island and New York.

The Blue Point Brewing Company opened in Patchogue in 1998, and is the only commercial brewery on Long Island (not counting the Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, which is in the City of New York and contracts most of its product from Matt Brewing Company in upstate Utica, or the various brewpubs that brew mostly for consumption on the premises).

Geography

Patchogue is located at 40°45′48″N 73°1′4″W (40.763370, −73.017868).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), of which 2.2 square miles (5.8 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square miles (0.7 km²) of it (10.71%) is water.

Demographics

In 1812 there were 75 inhabitants in Patchogue according to The Brooklyn Eagle, published in 1930.

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,919 people, 4,636 households, and 2,749 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,301.2 people per square mile (2,045.3/km²). There were 4,902 housing units at an average density of 2,180.2 per square mile (841.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 81.27% White, 3.89% African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.39% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 9.23% from other races, and 3.85% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 23.84% of the population.

There were 4,636 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.20.

22.5% of Patchogue's inhabitants were under the age of 18, 9.2% ranged from 18 and 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $47,027, and the median income for a family was $60,126. Males had a median income of $38,561 versus $30,599 for females. The per capita income for the village was $22,962. 8.1% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.5% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

In 2010, the demographics were 61.8% White, 29.6% Hispanic, 5.3% Black, 0.3% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% Some Other Race, and 1.4% Two or More Races.

Industry

The Patchogue Former Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) was operated from 1904 to 1926. The company was a small operation, converting coal and/or petroleum products to a flammable gas for use in lighting and industry. The company was sold to Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO). Patchogue has a strong entrepreneurial community; Fundera ranked the city the 4th best place in New York for small businesses.

Transportation

Notable people