Friday, July 18, 2025
The push to erase “East Garden City” is gaining traction for sections of north Uniondale, but for those leading the charge, a name change is just the beginning.
The Long Island Power Authority substation once labeled East Garden City now bears a new name, the Stewart Avenue–Uniondale Hub Substation. Advocates say it marks a symbolic shift that brings Uniondale one step closer to reclaiming its identity — a change that LIPA approved in fall 2024, with the support of local leaders, including Nassau County Legislator Olena Nicks.
Nicks, who is from Uniondale, stated in a news release on June 18 that names are not arbitrary, and that they are anchors of the identity of a community.
“The renaming of this substation is not just a symbolic gesture,” John Rhodes, LIPA’s acting chief executive officer, said in a news release when the renaming was announced in 2024. “It’s a concrete step towards addressing the historical divisions that have affected the hamlet of Uniondale. We are grateful to the Greater Uniondale Area Action Coalition, Jeanine Maynard, and all those in the community who have voiced their concerns to us.”
Maynard, co-coordinator of the Greater Uniondale Area Action Coalition, has been a member of the Community Advisory Board for a year, and from the start, she raised the issue of the East Garden City name, explaining that it has been a longstanding problem for the community.
The board responded promptly, demonstrating a willingness to address a concern that matters deeply to residents.
The renamed facility is one of 27 substations operated by LIPA across Long Island, forming the region’s power network.
In 2015 before she became a state senator, then County Legislator Siela Bynoe introduced legislation to prohibit the use of “East Garden City” in all county documents, communications and records.
“There is no East Garden City,” Bynoe said after the substation was renamed. “It doesn’t exist. It was erroneously created in some way or another during the census.”
The name was reportedly created in order for real estate developers and business owners to set themselves apart from Uniondale.
Northern Uniondale,
By STACY DRIKS
sdriks@liherald.com
The push to erase “East Garden City” is gaining traction for sections of north Uniondale, but for those leading the charge, a name change is just the beginning.
The Long Island Power Authority substation once labeled East Garden City now bears a new name, the Stewart Avenue–Uniondale Hub Substation. Advocates say it marks a symbolic shift that brings Uniondale one step closer to reclaiming its identity — a change that LIPA approved in fall 2024, with the support of local leaders, including Nassau County Legislator Olena Nicks.
Nicks, who is from Uniondale, stated in a news release on June 18 that names are not arbitrary, and that they are anchors of the identity of a community.
“The renaming of this substation is not just a symbolic gesture,” John Rhodes, LIPA’s acting chief executive officer, said in a news release when the renaming was announced in 2024. “It’s a concrete step towards addressing the historical divisions that have affected the hamlet of Uniondale. We are grateful to the Greater Uniondale Area Action Coalition, Jeanine Maynard, and all those in the community who have voiced their concerns to us.”
Maynard, co-coordinator of the Greater Uniondale Area Action Coalition, has been a member of the Community Advisory Board for a year, and from the start, she raised the issue of the East Garden City name, explaining that it has been a longstanding problem for the community.
The board responded promptly, demonstrating a willingness to address a concern that matters deeply to residents.
The renamed facility is one of 27 substations operated by LIPA across Long Island, forming the region’s power network.
In 2015 before she became a state senator, then County Legislator Siela Bynoe introduced legislation to prohibit the use of “East Garden City” in all county documents, communications and records.
“There is no East Garden City,” Bynoe said after the substation was renamed. “It doesn’t exist. It was erroneously created in some way or another during the census.”
The name was reportedly created in order for real estate developers and business owners to set themselves apart from Uniondale.
Northern Uniondale, between Hempstead Turnpike and Old Country Road, has been referred to as East Garden City since 2000.
In a 2022 episode of “Jeopardy!” Uniondale’s Museum Row was described as being in Garden City — even though the 2020 census placed the museum in the 11553 ZIP code. Long Islanders, and specifically Uniondale residents, were shocked.
Maynard echoed the legislators’ concerns, saying that the ZIP code confusion has only muddied the issue, and that Nassau County has denied responsibility.
“The government says that really belongs with the postmaster general, and how they route their mail,” Maynard said.
ZIP codes are controlled by the U.S. Postal Service, and don’t always match where municipalities begin or end, because the postal service created them simply to help deliver mail faster. If residents want to change a code, they must follow a special review process.
“If half of these places said that they were the ZIP code of Garden City but they’re part of the Uniondale community,” Maynard said, “we would be less offended.”
At a Juneteenth celebration held at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, event fliers listed the location as Garden City. The museum itself identifies as part of Garden City, as stated on its website and maps.
“We don’t want to be taken for granted when the community needs something, or needs beautification, or needs things that other communities have,” Maynard said. “We don’t want to be pushed to the side.
Have an opinion on the name change? Send a letter to sdriks@liherald.com.
