Long Island, New York, is not known for having many tall buildings. As a suburban region, residents and local governments have generally opposed proposals to construct tall buildings, to distinguish it from neighboring Queens and Brooklyn, which are geographically part of Long Island but are part of New York City. Most of the tallest buildings were constructed by government entities, who are exempt from local zoning regulations.
Long Island has one building taller than , the Stony Brook University Hospital tower, and at least four other buildings taller than 200 feet, including Nassau University Medical Center and the Alfonse M. D'Amato United States Courthouse. Long Island has no cluster of high-rises dense enough to create an urban landscape, although there are regions with a larger number of scattered high-rises. A number of non-building structures are also prominent, such as the stacks of the Northport Power Station.
This article covers buildings in Nassau County and Suffolk County. Buildings in Queens and in Brooklyn are listed in their own articles, as the New York City boroughs are conventionally excluded from cultural definitions of Long Island.
Overview Long Island has few tall buildings, in contrast to neighboring New York City. Long Island's identity as the birthplace of suburbia involves a desire to maintain the opposite of an urban landscape, with a flat landscape where high-rises are seen to be eyesores that clash with their surroundings, and even three-story buildings can provoke opposition. This has been characterized as a desire to prevent Long Island from being "Queensified", referring to the neighboring New York City borough. The North Shore Towers complex of three 32-story apartment buildings, immediately over the border from Nassau County in Queens, has been often cited as the kind of development Long Islanders seek to avoid.
It has been noted that as most buildings are lower than the trees, views from the few tall buildings consist mostly of treetops punctuated by water towers. The buildings themselves are generally regarded as being architecturally undistinguished.
As of 1974, there were 107 municipal zoning codes on Long Island, most of which limited buildings to four stories; in 2016 there were 175 zoning and building districts, stymieing the construction of tall buildings. Most tall buildings on Long Island have been built by the state or county rather than private developers, as they are exempt from these local codes. The opposition to high-rises also had a racial element, being stereotypically associated with minority residents.
Patterns of development While Long Island has no cluster of high-rises dense enough to create an urban landscape, there are regions with a larger number of scattered high-rises. One is the region in and around northern Uniondale in central Nassau County, including Hofstra University's library and six dormitory buildings, Nassau University Medical Center, Nassau Community College, four office buildings, and a hotel. Another cluster of mid-rise apartment buildings is along the waterfront in Long Beach.
A handful of tall buildings are part of former state psychiatric institutions scattered around Suffolk County, including Edgewood State Hospital (now demolished), Kings Park Psychiatric Center, and Pilgrim Psychiatric Center.
Long Island also has several non-building structures, including broadcast antennas, smokestacks, and water towers. The most prominent of these are the four 620-foot stacks of the Northport Power Station, and other power plants constructed by the Long Island Lighting Company.
History In the mid 20th century, Democrats generally favored more high-rises, while Republicans opposed them. In the late 2000s, the Lighthouse Project proposal to construct a 60-story tower, later changed to two 30-story towers, near Nassau Coliseum was vigorously opposed.
The 21st century saw the beginning of a movement in certain regions towards transit-oriented development around Long Island Rail Road stations, with 11,000 housing units approved in the nine years preceding 2016. The villages of Hempstead and Mineola were seen as being particularly receptive to taller residential buildings, along with Great Neck Plaza, Glen Cove, Long Beach, Farmingdale, Ronkonkoma, Riverhead, and Riverside. On the other hand, the proposed Nassau Hub development surrounding Nassau Coliseum is envisioned as a "walkable, engaging suburban downtown" with no buildings over 100 feet. Increasing the number of rental units, which are rare in the region, was seen as important to attracting young adults and thus employers, as well as retaining older residents who might otherwise relocate to Florida.
Buildings
This table lists buildings higher than . A building is defined as a structure with walls and a roof. Antennas, such as the ones on Constitution Hall or the Long Island Marriott are not counted towards the building's height.
Name(Former names)ImageHeightFloorsOpenedLocationNotesCoordinatesRefsStony Brook University Hospital161976Stony BrookTallest building on suburban Long Island, Suffolk County, and Town of BrookhavenNassau University Medical Center191974East MeadowTallest building in Nassau County and Town of HempsteadAlfonse M. D'Amato United States Courthouse122000Central IslipTallest building in Town of IslipJones Beach Water TowerN/A1929Jones Beach IslandTallest building on the Outer BarrierEdgewood State Hospital Building 102 131942Deer ParkDemolished in 1989; former tallest building in Town of BabylonCathedral of the IncarnationN/A1885Garden City Tallest church on Long IslandRobert Moses State Park Water TowerN/A1968Fire IslandKings Park Psychiatric Center Building 93131939Kings ParkTallest building in Town of SmithtownHofstra UniversityConstitution Hall151967Uniondale Tallest privately owned building in suburban Long IslandHofstra UniversityEstabrook Hall151967UniondaleHofstra UniversityEnterprise Hall151968UniondaleHofstra UniversityVander Poel Hall151968UniondaleAT&T Site Tower(1444 E Jericho Tpke)111970Dix HillsTallest building in Town of HuntingtonRXR Plaza(EAB Plaza)151983UniondaleTwo towers of equal heightH. Lee Dennison Administration Building121969HauppaugeHofstra UniversityAlliance Hall131966UniondaleHofstra UniversityBill of Rights Hall131966UniondaleFire Island LighthouseN/A1858Fire Island6th Tallest Lighthouse in the United StatesSt. Agnes CathedralN/A1935Rockville CentreTallest Catholic church on Long IslandShinnecock LighthouseN/A1858Hampton BaysDemolished in 1948; former tallest building in Town of SouthamptonKings Park Psychiatric Center Building 7101966Kings ParkHeight includes now-demolished cube on top; current height is unknownLong Island MacArthur Airport new control tower2011RonkonkomaAt left in photoNassau Community College Administrative Tower121978Uniondale50 W Broadway122021Long BeachTallest building in City of Long BeachBreeze Oceanfront Apartments122022Long BeachHofstra UniversityAxinn Library111967HempsteadLong Island Marriott111982Uniondale10 West Apartments(Avalon Towers)111990Long BeachOne Third Avenue112016MineolaTallest building in Town of North HempsteadNorth Shore University Hospital101976ManhassetGlenwood Generating Station61931Glenwood LandingDemolished in 2015; height excludes stacks on roof of buildingThe Omni101990UniondaleLong Beach Terrace101965Long BeachTwo towersRenaissance Condominiums101985Long BeachHyatt Regency Long Island101986HappaugeSeapointe Towers101988Long BeachJake's 58 Casino Hotel(Islandia Marriott Long Island)101988IslandiaJake's 58 Casino Hotel; Contact UsWhite Sands of Long Beach102004Long BeachGood Samaritan Hospital Medical Center1959West IslipThe Financial Center91986East MeadowMontauk Point LighthouseN/A1796MontaukTallest building in Town of East HamptonPilgrim Psychiatric Center Building 2510BrentwoodVerizon Building91930HempsteadPilgrim Psychiatric Center Buildings 81 and 829BrentwoodTwo towersJohn P. Cohalan, Jr. Courthouse91992Central IslipCourthouse Corporate Center92003Central IslipGarden City Hotel91983Garden CityWyndham Condominiums91989Garden CityTwo buildingsMorgan Parc Apartments92020MineolaLong Island MacArthur Airport old control tower71963RonkonkomaAt right in photo; demolished in 2015St. Patrick Catholic ChurchN/A1900Glen CoveTallest building in City of Glen CoveNeptune Towers101968Long BeachBelmont Park GrandstandN/A1968ElmontDemolished in 2024Republic Airport control towerN/Aca. 1970East FarmingdaleTallest building in Town of Babylon666 Old Country Road81980UniondaleUBS ArenaN/A2021ElmontMost expensive building on Long Island
Other structures
At least 300 feet
NameImageTypeHeightOpenedLocationNotesCoordinatesRefsWFTY-DT tower Guyed mast1984Middle IslandTallest structure on Long Island, Suffolk County, and Town of BrookhavenWLNY-TV tower(CBS Communications Services tower) Guyed mast1985RidgeNorthport Power Station Chimney1967Fort SalongaTallest structure in Town of Huntington; tallest freestanding structure on suburban Long IslandWEHM tower Guyed mast1998Manorville Sayville Telefunken Mast Guyed Mast1912SayvilleDemolished in 1938; Former tallest structure in Town of Islip American Tower tower Tower2000IslipTallest structure in Town of IslipRCA Radio Central antennas Tower1921Rocky Point12 towers; Demolished in 1977United States Coast Guard Tower Tower2007Hampton BaysTallest structure in Town of SouthamptonPort Jefferson Power Station Chimney1948Port JeffersonKeySpan weather tower Guyed mast1973East ShorehamKeySpan weather tower Guyed mast1973NorthvilleTallest structure in Town of RiverheadUnited States Coast Guard Tower Tower2006Fire IslandTallest structure on the Outer BarrierUnivision tower Tower2014IslandiaGrandview Development tower Guyed mast2006HauppaugeReworld Hempstead(Covanta Hempstead) Chimney1989UniondaleTallest structure in Nassau County and Town of HempsteadSuffolk County Police Department tower Tower1998HauppaugeVillage of Greenport tower Guyed mast1997GreenportTallest structure in Town of SoutholdWHLI tower Tower2006HempsteadFormerly two towers; older guyed mast was dismantled in 2025Optimum Communications tower Guyed mast1969GreenportOptimum Communications tower Guyed mast1969East Hampton NorthTallest structure in Town of East Hampton; Tallest structure east of the Shinnecock CanalHigh-Tower Communications tower Tower1993FarmingvilleE. F. Barrett Power Station Chimney1963Barnum IslandSuffolk County Water Authority tank Water Tower2006Stony BrookPinnacle Towers tower Guyed mast1965Dix HillsWWSK tower Tower1998BrentwoodOptimum Communications tower Tower1966RiverheadOptimum Communications tower Tower1969SouthamptonWALK-FM tower Guyed mast2002FarmingvilleCommunications Leasing tower Tower1982PlainviewTallest structure in Town of Oyster BayWLIW tower Guyed mast2004PlainviewWBWD tower Guyed mast1969IslipCommunications Leasing tower Tower1975Plainview Brookhaven National Laboratory Exhaust StackChimney1950UptonDemolished in 2021Mackay Radio Tower Tower1995NapeagueAmerican Towers tower Tower1957NoyackWRCN-FM tower Guyed mast1982ManorvilleAT&T tower Tower1996NoyackCommunications Leasing tower Tower1985FarmingvilleStratcap Wireless Tower Tower1968SyossetCatholic Faith Network tower(Telicare tower) Tower2004Central Islip
Other notable structures at least 100 feet
NameImageHeightOpenedLocationNotesCoordinatesRefsOld Bethpage Radio Tower(American Tower)1954MelvilleRoslyn Fire Tower(AT&T Tower)1994Roslyn HarborTallest Structure in Town of North HempsteadGlenwood Generating Station1931Glenwood LandingDemolished in 2015 (Document starts on page 27 of file.)Wardenclyffe Tower1901ShorehamDemolished in 1917; built by Nikola TeslaAN/FPS-35 radar tower>1960MontaukConcrete base is highDish height is Bald Hill Monument1991FarmingvilleLong Island's only monumental columnGreat South Bay Bridge1954Great South BayFire Island Inlet Bridge1964Fire Island Inlet
References