Jericho, NY

Jericho was originally part of the Roger Williams Plantation in 1648. In 1692 the name of the area was changed from Lusum to Jericho after the town near the Jordan River mentioned in the Bible as part of the Promised Land.

On the Westbury side of Jericho, the NYCB Theater, once known as the Westbury Music Fair, has been recognized by audiences and performing artists as one of the most comfortable, friendly and acoustically inviting theaters in the New York metro area. Also close by are the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of LIU Post and the Jones Beach theatre, an outdoor amphitheater that presents the popular Nikon Concert Series every summer.

For art lovers, the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn presents major rotating exhibits, alongside a permanent collection of over 500 pieces.

The Market Bistro is located in the Birchwood Plaza strip mall, yet it has the ambiance of a Manhattan restaurant. With an industrial feel, softened with rustic accents and great lighting, the Market Bistro brings modern American cuisine to Jericho. The ingredients are procured from local farms, wineries and breweries, and the menu is seasonally inspired. Entrees include braised pork osso bucco, served with creamy polenta, and local pan-seared fluke with roasted spaghetti squash. Try the MB burger which uses freshly ground dry-aged rib-eye, kobe brisket and short rib, accented with a shallot marmalade and a garlic aioli and served with a side of hand-cut fries.

Fanatico, a contemporary Italian bistro, serves old-world favorites alongside new culinary delights. Honeyed woods used throughout warm the modern interior. Many of the pastas, including fusilli, fettuccine, oreichette and rigatoni, are fresh made daily. Diners rave about the chicken Sinatra with layered eggplant, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and roasted peppers in a lemon white wine sauce. The seafood risotto is also a favorite with baby clams, mussels, shrimp and calamari, along with garlic, oil and a splash of tomato and basil.

Frank’s Steaks thrills carnivores with prime-aged, center cut steaks in addition to a wide range of salads, seafood, chicken and chops. If you have room, cap off your meal with one of Frank’s homemade desserts; the triple chocolate cake and the bottomless cheesecake with raspberry puree are always big sellers. Tables in the restaurant are covered with paper, and patrons are encouraged to draw with the crayons provided; in fact, the art that graces the walls of Frank’s Steaks comes from the diners.

The venerable Milleridge Inn has been serving a traditional American menu for over 80 years. Always a popular spot for celebrations, the Inn has 11 private dining rooms, many with dance floors, for special events and business meetings. The wait staff, dressed in colonial garb, serves diners old-fashioned foods like Yankee pot roast, roasted turkey and baked salmon. The Sunday Grand Brunch Buffet includes unlimited lobster, shrimp, Nova Scotia salmon and freshly made waffles and omelets. Complimentary mimosas, Bloody Marys and champagne are an added bonus.

Most of the restaurants in Jericho have full bars serving nightly drink specials, and they account for most of the nightlife in Jericho. For those who don’t want to venture into Manhattan, nearby Huntington Village has numerous bars and lounges, as well as the Paramount, which is the premier music venue on Long Island and was ranked one of the “Hottest Clubs” in the world by Billboard Magazine.

Cars rule in suburbia, and that certainly holds true for Jericho. Unfortunately, Uber service is not yet available on Long Island, but Zipcar has a location on the campus of CW Post College in Brookville. Easy access to both the Long Island Expressway and the Northern State Parkway make it easy to get around the island. There are no public garages in Jericho, but all of the office buildings have ample parking, and most of the residential streets permit on-street parking.

Jericho is not a community built for walking or biking as a means of transport. Some residents of East Birchwood are in walking distance to the Birchwood Plaza Shopping Center, but beyond that, the only walkers you see in the area are people strolling around the neighborhood for fun or fitness. The main thoroughfares in the area, Jericho Turnpike and Route 107, are not designed for walkers.

Jericho does not have a Long Island Railroad station, but Hicksville, a major hub, lies only a mile away. Trains to Penn Station run frequently, and there are several express trains during peak hours. The cost of a monthly train ticket from Hicksville to Penn Station is $276. NICE (Nassau Inter-County Express) has one bus route than runs from the Hicksville LIRR station to the Jericho Quadrangle. Taxi services are always available, though it is recommended that you call ahead.

Jericho does not have a community park, but residents frequent Cantiague Park, a Nassau County-run facility in Hicksville that contains a swimming pool, an indoor ice rink, an 18-hole miniature golf course, lighted athletic fields and tennis, handball and basketball courts.

The Town of Oyster Bay operates the Syosset-Woodbury Park, which has playing fields, a playground, an outdoor ice rink, an outdoor swimming pool with diving area, a kiddie pool and courts for basketball, tennis, handball, shuffleboard and bocce. When it snows, kids and adults enjoy sledding down an impressive hill. During the summer, locals enjoy weekly concerts under the stars.

Private town beaches are another perk for Jericho residents. Tobay Beach, on the Atlantic Ocean, also offers swimming in South Oyster Bay, refreshment stands, two bayside restaurants, a surfing area and a transient boat basin. On the North Shore, Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park and Beach in Oyster Bay also has sport facilities and children’s play areas.

Dog owners will find many options for dog parks and off-leash sites in Nassau County, including Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn.

At a median price of $3,500 per month, rents are almost 50 percent higher than the median for downstate New York. The cost of living in the area is higher than the rest of the nation, but it is comparable to the New York area. Gas prices hover around 15 percent higher than the national average, while beer drinkers can expect to pay around $7 for a pint of their favorite brew.

Jericho does not have a downtown district, and there are few shopping options within the area’s borders. Anchored by a Marshall’s, the Birchwood Park Shopping Center houses several restaurants and stores, including Gold Coast Kids, a popular high-end boutique for children.

The Milleridge Inn, located in front of the Birchwood Park Center, has a charming Village with an array of old fashioned stores, including the Toy Shoppe, the General Store, the Christmas Shoppe, the Irish Shoppe and the Cranberry Cottage. When they need a greater variety of shops, local residents visit the Broadway Mall in Hicksville and the many boutiques in neighboring Syosset and Roslyn.

Jericho residents can do their grocery shopping at a large Waldbaum’s supermarket on Route 107 or at the Whole Foods Market in the Birchwood Park Center. People from all over Long Island flock to the famous Jericho Cider Mill, the go-to spot for all things apple. During the fall, it’s not unusual to see a line-up of cars down Route 106 waiting for the chance to purchase the tasty cider and fresh baked pies.

The Long Island Growers Market is available at various locations throughout the area, including Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn on Wednesday mornings from June through November.