Downtown – Huntington, New York
Huntington, New York, has a blend of landmark qualities and infill buildings supporting a vibrant downtown. The two and three-story buildings support a variety of uses. Revenue from upstairs space can help to make the ground floor more affordable for businesses to locate.
Front gable buildings have roof that spans a large area creating space beneath for single or multiple storefronts.
The streetscape benefits from tasteful planters, hanging baskets, and landscaped beds on corners. Other street furniture includes a clock tower, and historic street lighting.
One-story buildings are somewhat more limited in their ability to generate a revenue. The most basic ones are referred to as “taxpayers.” This name reflects the fact that they earn just enough revenue to be able to pay the taxes. Some buildings have articulation with specialized signage, awnings, or parapets.
These blade signs increase the visibility of businesses from further away. On average a storefront cannot be seen from more than 20 feet when approaching on the sidewalk. Blade signs make businesses they promote visible from much further. They also create a sense of visual interest for people walking along the sidewalk.
Visit in September 2011
Our return visit focused on the Hecksher Museum of Art and the nearby park.
Decorative fireback from within the Hecksher Museum of Art.
Public art adds a playful element to the park.
This gazebo with inverted stone arches and a circular plan brings a rustic and playful element to the park.
Visit in November 2010
The Town Hall in Huntington appears to have been repurposed for use as private offices. On the site is a Town of Huntington historic marker erected in 1974 on the bicentennial of the Declaration of Rights: “That every freeman’s property is absolutely his own.” This declaration was made on June 21, 1774. A more recent stone monument from 2009 recognizes the “Patriots of Long Island who defended liberty and independence during the Revolutionary War.”
