Revitalization vital to West Hempstead's vivacity

Dozens of planters, banners and benches dot Hempstead Avenue in West Hempstead. Trees line both sides of the recently repaved commercial street, interrupted at various intersections by brick paving and new curb cuts. The avenue has become more inviting, both to look at and to walk.

And that, according to community leaders, is the point. “It’s really to try to enhance [Hempstead Avenue’s] appearance and make it more pedestrian-friendly, and to bring it into the realm of other communities where they have facade improvements, streetscaping, etcetera,” said Rosalie Norton, president of the West Hempstead Community Support Association, the nonprofit community group spearheading the Hempstead Avenue Revitalization Project.

Thanks to a grant from State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), some help from the Town of Hempstead, a promised earmark from U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) and assistance from County Legislator Vincent Muscarella, the WHCSA has brought HARP to life. Although it is still awaiting $50,000 from the state and the $750,000 congressional earmark, the group has managed to accomplish a great deal operating on donations from area residents, community activists and local business owners. The WHCSA has given Hempstead Avenue a much-needed facelift, installing six benches, eight planters and dozens of banners. According to Norton, it intends to add more of the same next spring and to replace some street signs along the avenue with decorative ones.

“When you have something attractive to go to, I think it tends to encourage people to patronize the various businesses in the area,” said Norton. “It also makes it more pedestrian-friendly: Maybe you won’t get in your car if you have somewhere you could sit in between if you’re tired of walking. I think that it improves the whole appearance [of the community] — just the aesthetics, the way it looks. When you see an area that’s been streetscaped, as opposed to an area that looks as though it was broken down … it enhances the community in itself. It gives a sense of community pride.”