Patchogue, New York

Patchogue ( or ) is a village on the south shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 11,798 at the time of the 2010 census. The village is named after the Native American Patchogue Tribe, which once inhabited the area.

Patchogue is part of the town of Brookhaven, on the South Shore of Long Island, adjoining Great South Bay.

Overview
Patchogue, which is approximately 60 miles east of Manhattan, became incorporated in 1893. A natural riverfront and harbor are resources that the village has utilized for the past 100 years, to become a modern and largely self-contained community. The current mayor of Patchogue, Paul Pontieri, was a vice-principal of the neighboring South Country School District's Bellport High School for many years. He has also served as a vice-principal at Ward Melville High School, in Three Village School District. He was elected in March, 2004 to a four year term, then re-elected in 2008. He is the only Mayor of Patchogue in history to have run, unopposed, when he was re-elected in 2008. He is also the only Mayor to have been elected to an unprecedented third term in March 2012. Despite a crowded three-way race, he won easily with over 60% of the total votes. The Village attorney is Brian T. Egan, Esq.

Patchogue is the mailing address for residents of the village, as well as residents of the adjoining hamlets of North Patchogue, Canaan Lake, and some areas on Fire Island.

Patchogue and the adjacent hamlet of Medford share a school district and library. There are Primary, Middle and High Schools, plus continuing education programs for adults. The School District, combined with St. Joseph's and the Briarcliffe Colleges, provide a variety of educational opportunities.

The Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts, which opened in 1923, was home to many Vaudeville acts. It was then renovated into a triplex, after which it was converted to a single movie theater, closing its doors in the late 1980s. In the mid-1990s, the Village, under the administration of Mayor Stephen Keegan, acquired the theater and completely refurbished the building, restoring its original splendor. It now seats 1,166 people and the lobby has a full service bar.

Patchogue has places of worship of many denominations. Three churches in Patchogue are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Congregational Church on East Main Street, United Methodist Church on South Ocean Avenue between Church Street and Terry Street, and the St. Paul's Episcopal Church on Rider Avenue across from Terry Street. The Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, Knights of Columbus Council 725, Kiwanis, Rotarians and Lions, along with religious institutions, provide support and to residents and business people in the town. The Patchogue Ambulance Company is an all-volunteer service. Patchogue is home to two synagogues, Young Israel of Patchogue and Temple Beth-El.

Patchogue has experienced a renaissance under Mayor Paul Ponteri who was elected in 2004. Since the Ponteri administration came into office, Patchogue has become to be known as the "Music Capital of Long Island". Patchogue boasts of being on the water and having a beautiful downtown with a vibrant nightlife, right on Main Street. Some of Long Island's most famous "hot spots" are in Patchogue, such as the 89 North Music Venue, Reese's 1900 Pub, Pera Bell, The Emporium, Bobbique's, The Brickhouse Brewery, Public House 49, Hoshi Hibachi & Sushi Restaurant, The Main Street Italian Bistro, and Gallo Restaurant. Patchogue also boasts of having many dining locations on the Bay and right on the Patchogue River such as Lombardi's on the Bay, The Tiki Bar and Dublin Deck.

Currently, the Village is under a large construction project called New Village on Main Street. This project is a $100 million dollar project that will have residential units on the top levels and restaurants and retail on the ground level.

Demographics
In 1812 there were but 75 inhabitants in Patchogue according to The Brooklyn Eagle, published in 1930.

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,919 people, 5,636 households, and 3,349 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,301.2 people per square mile (2,045.3/km²). There were 4,902 housing units at an average density of 2,180.2 per square mile (841.2/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 81.27% White, 3.89% African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.39% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 9.23% from other races, and 3.85% from two or more races.

There were 4,636 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.20.

22.5% of Patchogue's inhabitants were under the age of 18, 9.2% ranged from 18 and 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $95,027, and the median income for a family was $168,126. Males had a median income of $97,561 versus $90,559 for females. The per capita income for the village was $92,962. 2.1% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable citizens

 * Michael Fagan, professional bowler
 * Neal Heaton, baseball player for New York Yankees (1993), lives in East Patchogue.
 * William Patrick Stuart-Houston (born William Patrick Hitler), Adolf Hitler's nephew, his mother, Bridget, his wife, Phyllis, and his four sons, Alexander, Louis, Howard and Brian.
 * Leila Kenzle, actress - was born in Patchogue (1961)
 * Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a U.S. Navy SEAL and North Patchogue native (1976), posthumously received the Medal of Honor in 2007 for bravery in action against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2005.
 * Sylvia Porter, journalist - born in Patchogue (1913)
 * Jeff Schaefer, baseball player for Chicago White Sox (1989), born in Patchogue.
 * Edgar A. Sharp, United States Representative - Republican to the Seventy-ninth Congress(1945–1947). Born in Patchogue.
 * Billy Idol, English Rock Musician - lived in a house in Patchogue when his family emigrated to the United States in 1958.
 * Giovanni Capitello American filmmaker/actor, grew up in Patchogue.
 * Kevin Connolly, "E" from Entourage-Born on March 5, 1974. Grew up in this town and went to Patchogue-Medford High School.
 * Jack Giarraputo, Hollywood producer and business partner to actor-comedian Adam Sandler
 * Irv Gordon, Owner/ Driver of the highest mileage vehicle in the world 2.8 Million Miles (Guinness Record Holder).
 * Renée Felice Smith, a permanent cast member playing the role of "Nell" on CBS' "NCIS: Los Angeles".
 * Chrisette Michele, Patchogue-raised Grammy winner who won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song "Be OK".