Five Towns
One of the largest Modern Orthodox communities in North America — Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, Hewlett, and Inwood form a self-contained Jewish universe on Long Island's South Shore, with Central Avenue as the kosher commercial spine.
Orthodox Jewish communities on Long Island
4 communities compared — 107 shuls, 9 kosher stores and restaurants, 29 day schools and 7 mikvaos on the map.
Long Island's Orthodox life centers on Nassau County, most of it on the South Shore. The Five Towns — Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, Hewlett and Inwood — form one of the largest Modern Orthodox communities in North America, with Central Avenue as the kosher spine. Far Rockaway, just over the city line and legally in Queens, is its dense, yeshivish-leaning other half, with the most affordable frum housing within walking distance of the Five Towns.
Inland, West Hempstead is a close-knit community built around HANC and the Young Israel, with single-family homes priced well below the Five Towns.
On the North Shore, Great Neck is an affluent peninsula with a large Persian and Sephardic community alongside Ashkenazi Modern Orthodox families, an eruv that describes itself as one of the largest suburban eruvin anywhere, and an LIRR ride into Manhattan.
Map of Orthodox Jewish communities on Long Island
Loading the Long Island map…
- Shul
- Walking radius (approx.)
Compare them side by side
| Guide | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Five Towns | 48 | 5 | 12 | 2 | $$$–$$$$ | $857k | Moving guide → |
| Far Rockaway, NY | 37 | 2 | 9 | 1 | $$ | $677k | Moving guide → |
| Great Neck, NY | 19 | · | 6 | 3 | $$$$ | $662k | Moving guide → |
| West Hempstead, NY | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | $$–$$$ | $638k | Moving guide → |
The communities
Far Rockaway, NY
The dense, yeshivish-leaning half of the Five Towns community — seventeen shuls, Yeshiva Darchei Torah, and the most affordable frum housing within walking distance of the Five Towns.
Great Neck, NY
An affluent North Shore peninsula with one of the largest suburban eruvin in the country — Great Neck Synagogue and the Young Israel on Middle Neck Road, a large Persian and Sephardic community, and a quick LIRR ride into Manhattan.
West Hempstead, NY
A close-knit Nassau County Modern Orthodox community built around HANC and the Young Israel — its own eruv, a kosher strip on Hempstead Avenue, and single-family homes priced well below the Five Towns.
We're adding shuls, kosher places, schools and eruv detail across these communities all the time. Leave your email and we'll tell you when the map gains something where you're looking.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Orthodox Jewish communities on Long Island?
ShulMap maps 4 Orthodox communities on Long Island: Five Towns, Far Rockaway, Great Neck and West Hempstead. Together they have 107 shuls on the map, plus 9 kosher stores and restaurants, 29 day schools and 7 mikvaos. Each has its own page with a walkable shul map.
Which community on Long Island has the most shuls?
Five Towns has the most on ShulMap, with 48 mapped, followed by Far Rockaway (37) and Great Neck (19). Shul count is a rough guide to community size, not to fit — a smaller community with a daily minyan near housing you can afford may suit a family better than a bigger one.
Which is the most affordable Orthodox community on Long Island?
By the US Census median home value for each community's ZIP (2020–2024), West Hempstead ($638,200) is the most affordable on Long Island, followed by Great Neck ($662,000) and Far Rockaway ($677,000), and Five Towns ($857,200) the most expensive. These are ZIP-wide figures as valued by owners — asking prices usually run higher, and each relocation guide says which sections cost what.
Which communities on Long Island have a mikvah and day schools?
ShulMap has mikvaos mapped in Five Towns, Far Rockaway, Great Neck and West Hempstead. Day schools are mapped in Five Towns, Far Rockaway, Great Neck and West Hempstead. A community without one on the map may still have one we have not added yet, and families commonly use institutions in a neighboring community.
Is there an eruv in these communities?
It differs community by community, and ShulMap never infers one. Each community page carries its own eruv detail with the source and the date it was last checked. Always confirm with your local rav or the eruv hotline before carrying on Shabbos.
Walking distance: Walking-distance circles are approximate and do not assert a halachic standard. Confirm what is walkable for you locally.
ShulMap is an independent directory. Listings and routes are informational — verify all details directly with the source.