Sea Cliff

• Name — Sea Cliff, New York • Official Name — Incorporated Village of Sea Cliff • Type — Village • Motto — One Square Mile, 16 Parks • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — United States • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — New York • Subdivision Type2 — County • Subdivision Name2 — Nassau • Named For — Its location on a bluff overlooking Hempstead Harbor • Leader Title — Mayor • Leader Name — Elena Villafane • Established Title — Incorporated • Established Date — 1883 • Unit Pref — Imperial • Area Total Km2 — 5.08 • Area Land Km2 — 2.89 • Area Water Km2 — 2.19 • Area Total Sq Mi — 1.96 • Area Land Sq Mi — 1.11 • Area Water Sq Mi — 0.85 • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Total — 5062 • Population Density Km2 — 1753.13 • Population Density Sq Mi — 4539.91 • Time Zone — Eastern (EST) • Utc Offset — -5 • Time Zone Dst — EDT • Utc Offset Dst — -4 • Elevation M — 57 • Elevation Ft — 187 • Postal Code Type — ZIP code • Postal Code — 11579 • Area Code — 516, 363 • Area Code Type — Area codes • Custom Label Sec1 — FIPS code • Custom Data Sec1 — 36-66047 • Custom Label1 Sec1 — GNIS feature ID • Custom Data1 Sec1 — 0964716 • Website — www.seacliff-ny.gov • Subdivision Type3 — Town • Subdivision Name3 — Oyster Bay

Sea Cliff incorporated as a village in 1883, with the growing community seeking to gain home rule powers and better control local affairs. The community's public library initially opened in 1894. It formally became a village-administered agency in 1927, through a transfer of charter. In 1968, the village moved its government offices and administrative facilities to its current location in the former Sea Cliff Methodist Church building and parsonage, which had been donated to the village by the church. The library followed suit in 1970, when it, too, moved into the building. The Sea Cliff Museum opened within the building later in the decade, following the United States Bicentennial. In March 2025, Robert Ehrlich, the founder of Pirate's Booty, falsely claimed to be the mayor of Sea Cliff during a "tense standoff at Village Hall", making reference to the Citizen Empowerment Act. Village officials refuted Ehrlich's claim. Ehrlich ran for mayor as a write-in candidate, but lost to incumbent Elena Villafane by a vote of 1,064-62.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.0 sqmi, of which 1.1 sqmi is land and 0.9 sqmi, or 44.67%, is water.

According to the Köppen climate classification, Sea Cliff has a Humid subtropical climate (type Cfa) with cool, wet winters and hot, humid summers. Precipitation is uniform throughout the year, with slight spring and fall peaks.

As of the 2010 census the population was 92.8% White, 88% Non-Hispanic white, 2.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.8% of the population.

At the 2000 census there were 5,066 people, 2,013 households, and 1,356 families in the village. The population density was 4,655.1 PD/sqmi. There were 2,082 housing units at an average density of 1,913.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 94.83% White, 1.68% African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.76%. Of the 2,013 households 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 26.6% of households were one person and 9.4% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.06. The age distribution was 24.1% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% 65 or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males. The median household income was $78,501 and the median family income was $100,576. Males had a median income of $65,469 versus $41,146 for females. The per capita income for the village was $41,707. About 2.1% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

The Village of Sea Cliff is governed by the Village of Sea Cliff Board of Trustees. This governing body consists of an elected Mayor and four elected Village Trustees. As of March 2026, the Mayor of Sea Cliff is Elena Villafane, and the Village Trustees are Nick Pinto, Mark Sobel, James Versocki, and George Williams.

Sea Cliff is located in Nassau County's 11th Legislative district, which as of March 2026 is represented in the Nassau County Legislature by Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D–Glen Cove).

Sea Cliff is located in the New York State Assembly's 13th State Assembly district, which as of March 2026 is represented by Charles D. Lavine (D–Glen Cove).

Sea Cliff is located in the New York State Senate's 7th State Senate district, which as of March 2026 is represented by Jack M. Martins (R–Old Westbury).

Sea Cliff is located in New York's 3rd congressional district, which as of March 2026 is represented in the United States Congress by Thomas R. Suozzi (D–Glen Cove).

Like the rest of New York, Sea Cliff is represented in the United States Senate by Charles E. Schumer (D) and Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D).

In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the majority of Sea Cliff voters voted for Kamala D. Harris (D).

• Illustration — The Sea Cliff School in 1914 The village is part of the North Shore Central School District. The North Shore CSD's Sea Cliff School, furthermore, is located within the village. It previously served as the community's sole school, prior to the Sea Cliff School District's merger into the North Shore Central School District in 1953; the school was then repurposed as one of the district's elementary schools.

The Village of Sea Cliff operates its own municipal library. Known as the Sea Cliff Village Library, its service area boundaries are coterminous with those of the village. It is one of the 54 member libraries comprising the Nassau Library System.

Several buildings in Sea Cliff, mostly Victorian houses, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of them were built as summer homes as part of Sea Cliff's late nineteenth century role as a resort town, and they have been collectively called "one of the best collections of late Victorian era architecture in Nassau County." Properties in Sea Cliff listed on the National Register of Historic Places include: • Central Hall • Christ Building • Crowell House • House at 9 Locust Place • House at 18 Seventeenth Avenue • House at 19 Locust Place • House at 58 Eighteenth Avenue • House at 65 Twentieth Avenue • House at 103 Roslyn Avenue • House at 112 Sea Cliff Avenue • House at 115 Central Avenue • House at 137 Prospect Avenue • House at 173 Sixteenth Avenue • House at 176 Prospect Avenue • House at 195 Prospect Avenue • House at 199 Prospect Avenue • House at 207 Carpenter Avenue • House at 240 Sea Cliff Avenue • House at 285 Sea Cliff Avenue • House at 332 Franklin Avenue • House at 362 Sea Cliff Avenue • House at 378 Glen Avenue • Sea Cliff Firehouse • Sea Cliff Village Hall, Library, and Museum Complex • St. Luke's Protestant Episcopal Church • Stephen Harding House • Illustration — WPA Poster advertising Sea Cliff (c. 1939)

• Mac Ayres – Singer, songwriter • Rose Elizabeth Bird – First female Chief Justice of California • Robert Olen Butler – Writer • Nini Camps – Lead singer of rock band Antigone Rising • Robert Ehrlich – Businessman • Dan Fagin – Writer • Kristen Henderson – Drummer of rock band Antigone Rising • Alfred Lansing – Author of Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage • Arnold Levin – Cartoonist • Michael McKean – Actor, comedian, screenwriter, and musician • Kate McKinnon – Actress and comedian • Natalie Portman – Actress • John Rzeznik – Frontman of the rock band Goo Goo Dolls • Amanda Sobhy – Professional squash player • LaMarcus Adna Thompson – Inventor and businessman • Linda Yaccarino - X Corp. and Twitter CEO