"Pt. Washington NY (Sands Point) " a Port Washington Travel Page by TRimer

While Chicago has been my home for the last 15 years, I still consider Port Washington to be my hometown. We lived in the Soundview section of Port Washington when I was in grade school. Since college we have lived in the beautiful village of Sands Point.

Originally named Cow Bay, Port Washington was later renamed for a president who never slept there or even visited (he reportedly visited nearby Roslyn). More than most places, Port Washington is a study in contrasts. Though it's a model of modern suburbia, its Main Street is known as antiques row.

When the railroad inched its way eastward along the North Shore to Port Washington in 1867, it attracted many city people to Port Washington for its beautiful beaches and restaurants. Before long, resort hotels were built to accommodate the thousands of tourists, many of whom would make a permanent home in this picturesque seaside town. The movement of city people to Port Washington increased sharply after the Second World War when suburban living became chic to those who lived in Manhattan. The development of Port Washington at this time included commercial development as well as residential. A thriving seaplane factory opened on Manhasset Isle in the early nineteen hundreds, making good use of the waters of Manhasset Bay. Pan American Airways regularly tested aircraft there, and later operated its pioneering international airline passenger service from the bay. In 1937, the line began regularly scheduled flights to Bermuda and in 1939 opened the first regularly scheduled service to Europe.

Here is a picture of Half Moon Beach in Sands Point.