Garden City Park: LIRR stop, park upgrades, shopping, history draw buyers

City Park Plaza on Jericho Turnpike is home to a... — City Park Plaza on Jericho Turnpike is home to a strip of shops, eateries and more in Garden City Park. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin

By Arlene GrossSpecial to NewsdayUpdated April 27, 2026 7:32 am

THE SCOOP A small hamlet often eclipsed by its well-known neighboring villages, Garden City Park boasts quick train access to Manhattan, plentiful shopping and a rich history.

"It's a very tight-knit community," said Town of North Hempstead Councilman Dennis Walsh. "It's a great place to live."

Though there's no actual downtown, the hamlet has two shopping centers and numerous stores. Manhattan is nearby, with a peak trip to Penn Station on the Long Island Rail Road taking less than 40 minutes from the Merillon Avenue stop. Commuters can also park for free at the station lot.

An enclave of Black residents developed decades ago near Mineola High School still exists today, with multiple generations living there. That community started with a few families moving from the South and the Caribbean in the 1940s and '50s, said Joseph Lloyd, 65, a third-generation resident.

"The area was welcoming to them, so they started to move here," Lloyd said.

Because Black parishioners weren't welcomed into white churches, they started their own church about 75 years ago, Bethel Bible Christian Church, which is still a vital institution for the community.

Luca Tenaglia, 9, of Mineola, top, hops over a bucket of balls as his twin sister, Olivia, hits a ball pitched by their dad, Matthew Tenaglia, at Herricks Road Park. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin

Broadway Park, a pocket park on Broadway and Nassau Boulevard, was recently revitalized following years of neglect.

"We managed to get $1.1 million from the Long Island Railroad MTA Third Track Corridor project," Walsh said. "It's a small park but it's used quite a bit and it's very, very nice for the neighborhood over there."

Walsh added that new wheelchair-accessible ramps were added on each corner of the streets along County Courthouse Road, which runs between Jericho Turnpike and the LIRR station.

Known as Clowesville from 1787 to 1874, Garden City Park functioned as a legal and civic hub on the Hempstead Plains. As the county seat for Queens, Clowesville was home to a rickety courthouse and jail notorious for prisoners punching holes through walls and easily escaping. Reflecting its proximity to the nascent development of Garden City, the hamlet's name was changed to Garden City Park.

Homebuyers today will find mostly Cape-style houses, with prices starting at $829,000 and going up to $1.308 million for a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home.

"The home costs are similar but slightly less than the incorporated villages, just because people don't know where Garden City Park is," Walsh said. "Until you drive around and you see a beautiful community."

Homes along Yorkshire Road near Camden Place on the northern... — Homes along Yorkshire Road near Camden Place on the northern side of Garden City Park. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin

SALE PRICES Between April 9, 2025, and April 8, 2026, there were 2 home sales with a median sale price of $945,000, according to OneKey MLS. During the same period a year earlier, there were 3 home sales with a median sale price of $1.2 million.

CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are no condos or co-ops on the market.

OTHER STATS

Population 7,914

Median age 39.8

Median home value $945,000

Monthly LIRR ticket from Merillon Avenue $264.25

School districts, graduation rates Herricks (99%), Mineola (97%), Sewanhaka (96%). Some attend New Hyde Park-Garden City Park through grade 6

Libraries Hillside, Shelter Rock

Transit NICE Bus Route 24

Sources: 2024 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR; data.nysed.gov; Nassau Inter-County Express

ON THE MARKET

$1.308 million

This 2,490-square-foot home has four bedroom and three bathrooms. The renovated Colonial is open concept and has hardwood floors, chef's kitchen, stainless steel appliances, a primary bedroom with vaulted ceilings and a finished basement. Updates include the kitchen, boiler, roof, sound system and central air conditioning. The corner 0.11-acre lot has a deck and attached two-car garage. Taxes are $19,290. Audrey Yujia Liu, Century Homes Realty Group, 917-817-7190

$1.298 million

This renovated Colonial has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The 2,327-square-foot house has an open floor plan and features ceramic tile and hardwood floors, a chef's kitchen with quartzite counters, finished basement and Energy Star appliances and windows. Upgrades include spray foam insulation and central HVAC. The 0.11-acre property has a driveway that can accommodate six cars. Qiao (Joyce) Zou, CPRE Elite, Inc., 929-270-6666

$829,000

This four-bedroom, two-bathroom Colonial has hardwood floors, a living room with a bay window and a full finished basement. The 1,962-square-foot house sits on a 0.14-acre property has a detached one-car garage. Taxes are $12,510. John Johnson, North Star Home Services, 631-617-7737

RECENTLY SOLD

$1.28 million

Vale Court

Style Colonial

Bedrooms 4

Bathrooms 2½

Built 1986

Lot size 0.16 acre

Taxes $17,418

+/- List price -$69,000

Days on market 168

$960,000