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.
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Message us to get featured ↗The Five Towns sit at the high end of the Modern Orthodox spectrum. Young Israel of Woodmere is reputedly the largest Young Israel congregation in the world; Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst, Congregation Beth Sholom, and a dozen other shuls serve every Orthodox orientation. The eruv covers the core of Lawrence, Cedarhurst, and Woodmere — check weekly at fivetownseruv.org or call 516-900-3831.
Central Avenue in Cedarhurst and Lawrence is lined with kosher restaurants, Judaica, and Gourmet Glatt’s flagship store. The school infrastructure is elite: HAFTR (co-ed, PreK–12), DRS yeshiva high school for boys, SKA for girls, and Shulamith anchor one of the most complete day-school ecosystems outside Brooklyn. Direct LIRR access to Penn Station makes the Five Towns a realistic commute for Manhattan workers.
Note: portions of Back Lawrence, the Woodmere Dock area, and certain North Woodmere streets fall outside the eruv. Always confirm current boundaries at fivetownseruv.org or with your local rav before carrying on Shabbat.
This is a homeowner market: single-family houses dominate, generally from the $800Ks in Woodmere and Cedarhurst to well past $1.5M in Lawrence’s estate sections, with Inwood the more affordable entry point. Rentals are scarcer than in Brooklyn or Queens — garden apartments and house rentals in Cedarhurst typically run $2,500–$3,500/month for a two-bedroom when they appear. Figures are approximate as of mid-2026 — use the apartment search above for live listings.
Each of the five has its own flavor: Lawrence skews established and upscale around Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst and Beth Sholom; Woodmere is the family engine anchored by Young Israel of Woodmere; Cedarhurst puts you closest to Central Avenue; Hewlett and Inwood trade a shorter shul list for better prices. Check the map above — the eruv and walking distances, not town lines, define the practical choice.
Central Avenue is one of America’s great kosher streets: Gourmet Glatt’s flagship, restaurants from pizza to steakhouse, bakeries, and Judaica end to end. Weekly shopping, Shabbos flowers, and a night out all happen within the neighborhood.
The day-school ecosystem is elite and complete: HAFTR (co-ed PreK–12), DRS for boys, SKA and Shulamith for girls, plus a ring of yeshivos and preschools. Admissions are competitive — start early, and expect school choice to influence which town you land in.
The LIRR’s Far Rockaway branch stops in Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, and Hewlett, putting Penn Station roughly 50–60 minutes away — one of the few full-service Orthodox suburbs with real rail commuting. Drivers reach JFK in 15 minutes, which frequent flyers learn to love.
Five Towns has 11 shuls on ShulMap in Long Island, NY: Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst, Young Israel of Woodmere, Young Israel of North Woodmere, Congregation Shaaray Tefila, Congregation Beth Sholom, Agudas Achim of Lawrence, Congregation Bais Tefilah of Woodmere, Kehillas Ahavas Yisrael (KAY), Beis HaKnesses of North Woodmere, Congregation Anshei Chesed, Chabad of the 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.
Yes — shul is the traditional term for synagogue, and Five Towns has 11 Orthodox synagogues listed on ShulMap, each mapped with the kosher amenities and housing around it.
The Five Towns are a cluster of communities on the South Shore of Long Island, in Nassau County, New York — traditionally Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, Hewlett, and Inwood (the name predates the area's growth, and a few more hamlets are often included). Together they form one of the largest Modern Orthodox communities in North America, with Central Avenue as the kosher commercial spine.
The Five Towns are home to one of the largest concentrations of Modern Orthodox Jews in the country. Community estimates put the Orthodox Jewish population in the tens of thousands across Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, Hewlett, and Inwood, closely tied to the adjacent Far Rockaway community. These figures are estimates.
ShulMap maps 11 of the largest and most central shuls, including Young Israel of Woodmere — reputedly the largest Young Israel congregation in the world — but the community-wide total across the five towns is higher, into the dozens once smaller shuls, shtiebels, and yeshiva minyanim are counted. This is an estimate; the mapped selection covers the major anchors.
Use the apartment and home search on this page to see current listings in Five Towns. Walking distances to shuls are approximate — confirm what's comfortable for your family.
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.