North Baldwin, South Baldwin, Baldwin Harbor ... do they actually exist?

Depending on whom you ask in town, people are likely to give different answers on what part of Baldwin they live in. Some will say “North Baldwin.” Others say “Baldwin Harbor.” But how many “Baldwins” actually exist?

“No one knew the town was divided until you ordered a service to find that your area had been classified either ‘north’ or ‘south,’” said Jackie Bell, president of the Baldwin Oaks Civic Association and outspoken critic of the north/south distinction. Bell, a longtime resident, claims that the “North Baldwin” classification was introduced in the 1990s as realtors allegedly began “steering” minorities to the northern part of Baldwin. But before that, she said, “the only designation that was recognized was Baldwin Harbor, and that was due to its proximity to the harbor.”

Robert “B.A.” Schoen — a lifelong resident and current member of the Baldwin Board of Education — said he did not presume to know whether racial steering had taken place in North Baldwin. He said that when he was growing up, Baldwin was primarily white, but that he has seen significant integration in both North and southern Baldwin over the years. Though he acknowledged the differences in certain parts of town, he said that Baldwin has one school district, one fire district, one zip code, and thus, it is one community.

“There’s one Baldwin, and in Baldwin there are different neighborhoods.”

So how many “Baldwins” are there?

According to Bernice Sinclair, postmaster at the Baldwin Post Office, there are two officially recognized “Baldwins:” Baldwin and North Baldwin. Sinclair said that the post office receives letters addressed to and from a number of different “Baldwins,” but since the hamlet has only one zip code there is rarely a problem with mailings.    

“A lot of people try to distinguish where they live,” Sinclair said, “but it’s all Baldwin.”  

Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony Santino, who has served the Baldwin area for more than 16 years, said he believes there is one Baldwin.       

“I’ve always considered Baldwin one great community filled with fantastic people,” Santino said. “To me, Baldwin is Baldwin. Whether it’s all the way north by the Southern State Parkway or as far south as Baldwin Park, it’s all the same.”