Village in Nassau County, Long Island, about 35 minutes east of Manhattan. It is the North Shore (Gold Coast) of the Island. NOT to be confused with Westbury.
Old Westbury claims to have no commercial properties, though a gas station and diner techncially are within the village's boundaries. The village therefore is just about 100% residential. The homes here range from McMansions to Gatsby era manor homes, with even land plots rarely going for under $1 million and homes generally ranging between $3 and $12 million (though homes over $40 million are not all that rare). Besides the high mortgages these houses come with, the taxes are even more ridiculous (a $4 million dollar home may have well over $50k in annual property taxes). Old Westbury is where the Phipps, Graces, Whitneys, Vanderbilts, Posts and many other elite families have called home. Some notable residents include Howard Stern (before the divorce), CZ Guest and her daughter Cornelia Guest (the Paris Hilton of the 80s). Bess Myerson's scandalous affair with Andy (Carlos) Capasso took place in the manorhouse on Tredwell Drive.
The village has also been used in countless films, most recently in Cruel Intentions. The television show Growing Up Gotti was filmed in Victoria Gotti's home here. The town also is believed to be the inspiration of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, though some of the characters are based on his time on Chicago's Gold Coast and the geography of the town is based on an unknown source.
Old Westbury claims to have no commercial properties, though a gas station and diner techncially are within the village's boundaries. The village therefore is just about 100% residential. The homes here range from McMansions to Gatsby era manor homes, with even land plots rarely going for under $1 million and homes generally ranging between $3 and $12 million (though homes over $40 million are not all that rare). Besides the high mortgages these houses come with, the taxes are even more ridiculous (a $4 million dollar home may have well over $50k in annual property taxes). Old Westbury is where the Phipps, Graces, Whitneys, Vanderbilts, Posts and many other elite families have called home. Some notable residents include Howard Stern (before the divorce), CZ Guest and her daughter Cornelia Guest (the Paris Hilton of the 80s). Bess Myerson's scandalous affair with Andy (Carlos) Capasso took place in the manorhouse on Tredwell Drive.
The village has also been used in countless films, most recently in Cruel Intentions. The television show Growing Up Gotti was filmed in Victoria Gotti's home here. The town also is believed to be the inspiration of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, though some of the characters are based on his time on Chicago's Gold Coast and the geography of the town is based on an unknown source.
by Theo Capowski July 9, 2006