Levittown, NY

Levittown is widely recognized as America’s first modern planned suburb. Built across former Long Island potato fields starting in 1947, the community was designed to give returning World War II veterans and young families an affordable place to settle down. Planners mapped out quiet, curving residential streets connected to neighborhood greens and local parks throughout the development. As an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of Hempstead, Levittown shares municipal management with the broader town, while dedicated school districts and community boards oversee neighborhood services.

ATTRKenneth C. Zirkel / CC BY-SA 4.0

Builder William Levitt applied assembly line techniques to residential construction, turning empty lots into move-in ready homes at an astonishing pace. Specialized crews rotated from plot to plot to handle single tasks like pouring foundations or framing roofs, allowing teams to finish dozens of houses a day. Between 1947 and 1951, workers built over 17,500 modest Cape Cod and ranch style houses. Generations of homeowners have since expanded, dormered, and personalized those original floor plans, giving today's streets plenty of variety while keeping the neighborhood's classic midcentury feel.

ATTRYuriy Mikhed (Juras14) / CC BY-SA 4.0

Levittown's rapid postwar growth also carried a documented history of racial discrimination. Restrictive covenants and unequal mortgage access under the GI Bill barred Black buyers and other minority families from purchasing homes during the town's initial decades. These early barriers sparked significant civil rights challenges and helped spur national fair housing reforms. Today, the community has grown far more diverse, and residents still benefit from original neighborhood amenities like the Town of Hempstead's nine resident-only swimming pools spread across local sections.

ATTRKenneth C. Zirkel / CC BY-SA 3.0

Everyday convenience is a major draw for people moving to the area. The Levittown Public Library on Bluegrass Lane serves as a central gathering place, offering modern maker spaces, family events, and an extensive archive documenting local history. Hempstead Turnpike cuts directly through town as the main retail corridor, lined with supermarkets, casual eateries, and big-box shopping centers. Local buses connect riders to nearby Long Island Rail Road stations and regional transit centers, giving commuters reliable routes into New York City and across Nassau County.