Buying in the Village of Hempstead

 Nassau County's oldest community -- the Village of Hempstead -- is about to get a $2.5 billion face-lift.

The mixed-use redevelopment program, which will include about 600,000 square feet of commercial space and about 2,000 moderate-income rental apartments along Main Street, should break ground in October, says Mayor Wayne Hall Sr.

Another moderate-income housing project in the works, Hall adds, is a 100-unit apartment complex on South Franklin Street and West Graham Avenue, which should be finished in 10 months. The rentals will be awarded through a lottery system.

Metro 303, a high-end apartment building with amenities on the border of Garden City, which opened in October, is about 70 percent rented.

Other options include condos and co-ops as well as single-family homes dominated by Colonials and capes. Higher-priced homes built in the late 1920s are in Cathedral Gardens, which borders Garden City, Mary Weille of Coach Realtors Fennessy Associates says.

Hempstead is home to Hofstra University and Nassau County District Courthouse. Shops, services and eateries are found along major thoroughfares, including Fulton Avenue.

Efforts to reduce violence include the ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System, which includes cameras. The village recently implemented 311 phone service so residents can anonymously report problems.

CONDOS. Three listings between $229,000 and $349,000

CO-OPS. 25 listings between $58,500 and $185,000

SALES PRICES. According to Multiple Listing Service of L.I. data, there were 145 sales from June 1, 2012, to July 1, 2013. The median price was $210,000, with a low price of $47,500 and a high of $695,000. From June 1, 2011, to July 1, 2012, there were 184 sales with a median price of $215,750. The low price was $65,000 and the high was $962,500.

ATTRACTIONS. Kennedy Memorial Park; Lincoln Park Pool; the African American Museum and Center for Education and Applied Arts

BY THE NUMBERS

Town: Hempstead

Area: 3.7 square miles

ZIP code: 11550

Population: 53,873

Median age: 33.1

Median household income: $50,526

Median home value: $203,500

LIRR time to NYC: 48 minutes to 56 minutes at peak

Monthly ticket: $242

School district: Hempstead, some attend Uniondale; few go to Garden City

SOURCES: 2010 Census; mlslI.com; LIRR;

*Based on sales in the past six months, according to MLSLI