On 10/3/02 (8:35:43 AM MDT), in a private eMail, John L. Carpenter ([email protected]) asked, "Do you have any Hx of Sea Cliff" The Village of Sea Cliff is the most unique community in either Nassau or Suffolk County: the village and the postal zone are 100% coterminous. The pertinent geography: The Village of Sea Cliff (incorporated in 1883) is in the northwestern part of the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County. There are 18 hamlets and 18 villages all or partly within the Town of Oyster Bay. There are 2 cities and 3 towns in Nassau County. (I'm including after my name a NYS Geographic Glossary with the NYS definitions of county, city, town, village, hamlet and postal zone.) Beginning on its northern border and proceeding clockwise: The Village of Sea Cliff is bordered on the north by the City of Glen Cove; on the east by the Hamlet of Glen Head; on the south by the Hamlet of Glenwood Landing; and, on the west by Port Washington Harbor. And, unlike every other of the 293 communities (2 cities + 95 villages + 196 hamlets = 293 communities) in either Nassau or Suffolk Counties, the village (Sea Cliff) and the postal zone (Sea Cliff, NY) that use the same name, have the exact same border: ........................................................acres ………Village of Sea Cliff...................752 ...........Sea Cliff, NY 11579.................752 Thus, every place in the Village of Sea Cliff has a Sea Cliff, NY mailing address and every place with a Sea Cliff, NY mailing address is in the Village of Sea Cliff. No other city, village or hamlet on Long Island can make this statement. For those who have their copy of the 2001 LI Population Survey or have already downloaded the report from the Long Island Power Authority web site (eMail me directly if you need instructions on how to access and download the report), you'll find the Village of Sea Cliff (incorporated in 1883) in the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County on pages 5 & 11 (map) and 12 (population estimate). I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. Regards, Walter Greenspan . Cities, Towns, Villages, Hamlets and Postal Zones in New York State New York State is divided into counties. County A county is a municipal corporation, a subdivision of the state, created to perform state functions; a "regional" government. All counties are divided into cities, towns and Indian reservations. City A city is a unique governmental entity with its own special charter. Cities are not sub-divided, except into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Town A town is a municipal corporation and encompasses all territory within the state except that within cities or Indian reservations. Towns can be sub-divided into villages and hamlets. Village A village is a general purpose municipal corporation formed voluntarily by the residents of an area in one or more towns to provide themselves with municipal services. The pattern of village organization is similar to those of a city. A village is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Hamlet A hamlet is an unincorporated area in one or more towns that is governed at-large by the town(s) it is in. A hamlet is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Postal Zone "City" and "Town" A postal zone "City" and "Town" is an administrative district established by the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the mail. Postal zone "City" and "Town" may not (but are encouraged to) conform to municipal or community borders. Thus, postal zone location does not always determine city, village or hamlet location. Please be aware: In many areas of New York State, the problem of non-conforming postal zones leads to a situation where the majority of places have a different community name in their mailing address than the community where that place is actually located.