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50-469: Covais was born and raised in Levittown, New York , on Long Island . He is the son of John Covais, a retired Sheriff's Correction Officer , and Patty Covais. He is the youngest of three. He has two siblings, a sister (Kathleen) and a brother (John). Covais was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age eleven and receives insulin injections, like his fellow contestant, Elliott Yamin . Covais started singing at

100-614: A Disney World holiday concert. Covais rapped on one track of good friend and fellow Idol finalist Paris Bennett 's debut CD, Princess P . He also recorded "When I Fall in Love" for the compilation CD American Idol Season 5: Encores , which features a song from each of the 12 finalists. Covais had a co-starring role in the 2008 comedy film College as Morris. Covais landed a role in Labor Pains . He returned to New York on March 30. Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi presented him with

150-523: A key to the city , and declared that day "Kevin Covais Day". He has not been signed to a recording contract as of 2006. Covais is a youth ambassador for the American Diabetes Association educating young people about diabetes. A cartoon version of Covais has appeared in the manga webcomic Sorethumbs , due to his striking resemblance to one of the main characters (Fairbanks). Covais made

200-403: A 30-year mortgage with no down payment and monthly costs the same as rental. The resulting surge in demand pressed the firm to further expand its development, which changed its name from Island Trees to Levittown shortly thereafter. Levittown was designed to provide a large amount of housing at a time when there was a high demand for affordable family homes. This suburban development would become

250-567: A donor to provide the funds so that we could secure a Levittown house." He noted that "The stories played out in suburban Levittown are the stories of America. They are stories important to everyone." Although "None of this is set in concrete," according to Yeingst, "the Levittown house would be dismantled at the site, transported to Washington and reconstructed. Then it would be exhibited along with other innovations in American home life." According to

300-551: A guest appearance at Nassau County 's Italian American Night at the Lakeside Theatre on June 26, 2006, in Eisenhower Park . Also, he returned to Island Trees High School on April 3, 2009, to sing at the annual Island Trees Music Department Concert to raise money for the music department. Covais appeared on an episode of The Real World aftershow along with Ace Young and Lisa Tucker on February 18, 2010. From 2012 until

350-624: A house in Levittown if they were aware they would have black neighbors. An opposition group was formed, the Committee to End Discrimination in Levittown, to protest the restricted sale of Levittown homes, and to push for an integrated community. In 1948 the United States Supreme Court , in Shelley v. Kraemer , declared that property deeds stipulating racial segregation were "unenforceable as law and contrary to public policy". Only well after

400-462: A household in the community was $ 124,995, and the median income for a family was $ 132,887 (these figures had risen from $ 95,979 and $ 99,845 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $ 94,803 versus $ 79,962 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $ 45,917. 1.0% of the population and 0.1% of families were below the poverty line . Out of the total population, 0.2% of those under

450-544: A means for transport for the residents of Wantagh and Levittown, WLVAC provides emergency care on ambulances staffed with trained volunteers. Levittown is protected by three volunteer fire departments , the Levittown Fire Department with 231 members operating out of 3 stations, Station 3 of the East Meadow Fire Department which covers portions of Levittown west of Division Avenue, and Station 2 of

500-545: A new plan which it termed a " ranch " house. Larger, 32 by 25 feet (9.8 by 7.6 m), and more modern, these homes were only offered for sale, with a planned price of $ 7,990 (equal to $ 102,317 today). The ranch homes were similar to the rental properties in that they were built on concrete slabs, included an expandable attic but no garage, and were heated with hot-water radiant heating pipes. Five models were offered that were effectively identical with differences in details such as exterior color and window placement. Again, demand

550-518: A postwar "planned community," with common public amenities such as swimming pools and community centers, they were quick to release these high-maintenance, low-profit elements to the surrounding towns; the development sprawled across municipal boundaries, causing legal and administrative difficulties and requiring major initiatives within those existing municipalities to provide for and fund schools, sewage and water systems, and other infrastructure elements. In 1949, Levitt and Sons changed focus, unveiling

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600-584: A reputation of being an affordable, family-centered community. Levittown has become so ingrained in American culture that the Smithsonian Institution in Washington has expressed interest in displaying an entire Levittown house. Bill Yeingst, a historian with Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Domestic Life Division, said "An original ranch model would be ideal. We would like someone to donate their Levittown house, or we would like to find

650-479: A result, American veterans who wished to purchase a home in Levittown were unable to do so if they were black. William Levitt attempted to justify their decision to only sell homes to white families by saying that it was in the best interest for business. He claimed their actions were not discriminatory but intended to maintain the value of their properties. The company explained that it was not possible to reduce racial segregation while they were attempting to reduce

700-619: A symbol of the " American Dream " as it allowed thousands of families to become home owners. In 1952, Carl Sigman , who was running as the Democratic candidate for County Executive, stated that he felt it would be wise for Levittown to incorporate itself as a city. If successful, the never-realized Incorporated City of Levittown would have been the third city to incorporate within Nassau County, joining Glen Cove and Long Beach . Previously, locals had proposed incorporating their hamlet as

750-480: A television in the living room, for as little as $ 8,000 each (equal to $ 109,162 today), which, with the G.I. Bill and federal housing subsidies, reduced the up-front cost of a house to many buyers to around $ 400 (equal to $ 5,458 today). The planned 2,000 home rental community was quickly successful, with the New York Herald Tribune reporting that half of the properties had been rented within two days of

800-535: A village. As well as a symbol of the American Dream, Levittown would also become a symbol of racial segregation in the United States , due to Clause 25 of the standard lease agreement signed by the first residents of Levittown, who had an option to buy their homes. This " restrictive covenant " stated in capital letters and bold type that the house could not "be used or occupied by any person other than members of

850-401: A week as elsewhere. The company also cut out middlemen and purchased many items, including lumber and televisions, directly from manufacturers. The building of every house was reduced to 26 steps, with sub-contractors responsible for each step. His mass production of thousands of houses at virtually the same time allowed Levitt to sell them, with kitchens fully stocked with modern appliances, and

900-708: Is Levittown as defined by the United States Postal Service 's Zip Code 11756. Another definition is the extent of the Levitt & Sons development built from 1947 to 1951. A third is the Census Designated Place (CDP) called Levittown as defined by the United States Census Bureau . The United States Postal Service ZIP code called Levittown, New York, is 11756 and what is most commonly used to mean Levittown, New York. It does not include all

950-693: Is a former student of Island Trees Middle School. He is a member of the Drama Club and has played the lead in several school plays including Brighton Beach Memoirs , Godspell and Guys and Dolls ; he is also a member of the Metropolitan Youth Chorale and the National Honor Society . In the 2005–06 school year, he won the lead in the school's musical, Anything Goes but had to leave for American Idol . He also won some competitions outside of school, such as Eisenhower Park 's Reach for

1000-447: Is a suburb of New York City , located halfway between the villages of Hempstead and Farmingdale . The CDP had a total population of 51,758 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the most populous unincorporated CDP in Nassau County and the second most populous CDP on Long Island, behind Brentwood . Levittown gets its name from its builder, the firm of Levitt & Sons, Inc. founded by Abraham Levitt on August 2, 1929, which built

1050-471: Is considered the father of modern suburbia in the United States. There have been multiple proposals in the past to incorporate Levittown either as a village or as the third city in Nassau County. The building firm, Levitt & Sons, headed by Abraham Levitt and his two sons, William and Alfred, built four planned communities called "Levittown", in New York , Pennsylvania , New Jersey , and Puerto Rico ;

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1100-809: Is used as a term to describe overly sanitized suburbs consisting largely of identical housing. Similarly, places have earned names like "Levittown-of-X" or "Levittown-on-the-X" as seen in Long Island's Bayville "Levittown on the Sound" and Fire Island's Dunewood "Levittown on the Bay." Oddly enough, although Levittown is remembered largely for its homogeneity, the majority of houses in Levittown have by now been so thoroughly expanded and modified by their owners that their original architectural form can be somewhat difficult to see; however, with diligent observation, several original examples can still be seen today. Levittown continues to hold

1150-537: The Caucasian race ." Such discriminatory housing standards were consistent with government policies of the time. The Federal Housing Administration allowed developers to justify segregation within public housing. The FHA offered mortgages only to non-mixed developments, which discouraged developers from creating racially integrated housing. Before the sale of Levittown homes began, the sales agents were aware that no applications from black families would be accepted. As

1200-647: The Disney movie. Covais was eliminated on March 22, 2006. He was in the bottom three with Bucky Covington and Lisa Tucker . Covais continued to pursue his singing career after his stint on Idol. He made a number of media appearances including Jimmy Kimmel Live! on March 24, 2006, Live with Regis and Kelly on March 29 and July 4, The Today Show on March 30 and The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 4. Covais also intends to return to television, telling TV Guide ' s Shawna Malcolm, "You'll see me on TV again. If Disney comes calling...." In December 2006, he performed at

1250-948: The New York Chiropractic College . Although there is no passenger rail service in Levittown proper, the Long Island Rail Road provides service from the Hicksville and Bethpage stations on its Main Line and from the Wantagh and Bellmore stations on the Babylon Branch . Levittown, along with the remainder of Nassau County, is served by the Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) bus system along Hempstead Turnpike . Republic Airport , in neighboring East Farmingdale , handles general aviation and charter services;

1300-435: The U.S. Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 6.9 square miles (17.8 km ), all land. It does not conform to the U.S. Postal Service boundaries nor to the extent of the development built by Levitt & Sons; it also includes areas built by other developers. Levittown, New York, is an unincorporated area in Nassau County, New York. It can be defined in three overlapping but non-conforming ways. The most common use

1350-707: The Wantagh Fire Department which serves portions of Levittown South of Abbey Lane School. Levittown is patrolled by the eighth precinct of the Nassau County Police Department . People born in Levittown: People at one point living in Levittown : Informational notes Citations Bibliography Webcomic Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

1400-487: The 1954 racial integration decisions, including Brown v. Board of Education , was Levittown racially integrated, and even as late as the 1990 census, only a tiny fraction of the community was non-white. Starting primarily in the 2010s, Levittown's demographics have been shifting as it has been attracting middle-class South Asian and Hispanic residents to the community. While the Levitts are generally credited with designing

1450-459: The 1960s, Levittown's population was one-third Roman Catholic, one-third Jewish, and one-third Protestant. In the community, the population was spread out, with 18.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males. The median income for

1500-727: The 19th century, originally called the Jerusalem School District of the Town of Hempstead. Private schools include the Maria Montessori School, The Progressive School of Long Island, and the South Shore Christian Elementary and Secondary School located in the former Geneva M Gallow Elementary School building. Vocational schools available are the Brittany Beauty School, Hunter Business School, and

1550-596: The Levittown in New York was the first. Additionally, Levitt & Sons' designs are featured prominently in the older portion of Buffalo Grove, Illinois ; Vernon Hills, Illinois ; Willingboro Township, New Jersey ; the Belair section of Bowie, Maryland ; and the Greenbriar section of Fairfax, Virginia . The Levitt firm began before World War II, as a builder of custom homes in upper middle-class communities on Long Island. During

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1600-672: The Stars in 2003. He is also a fan of the New York Yankees , the New York Knicks and the New York Jets . Covais auditioned in Boston, Massachusetts . On March 9, 2006, he made it into the top 12 of American Idol. Covais has sarcastically dubbed himself the show's " sex symbol ," while fellow finalist Paris Bennett called him " Chicken Little " for his supposed resemblance to the character in

1650-786: The United States Supreme Court case Board of Education v. Pico . The case determined that students' first amendment rights were violated when the school board removed several books it found objectionable from the high school's library. The Levittown Union Free School District, which also serves North Wantagh and the northern portion of Seaford, has two high schools: Division Avenue and General Douglas MacArthur , one career and technical institute: Gerald R. Claps Career & Technical Center, two middle schools: Wisdom Lane and Jonas Salk, and six elementary schools: Abbey Lane, East Broadway, Gardiners Avenue, Lee Road, Northside, and Summit Lane. The Levittown School District dates back to

1700-1007: The age of 18 and 0.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. Levittown is served primarily by two public school districts, the Island Trees Union Free School District with approximately 2,574 students and the Levittown Union Free School District with approximately 7,380 students. A small portion of the northwest corner of the hamlet is served by the East Meadow Union Free School District . The Island Trees Union Free School District serves northeastern Levittown, and portions of Bethpage , Seaford and Plainedge . The district hosts Island Trees High School , Island Trees Memorial Middle School, Michael F. Stokes Elementary School, and J. Fred Sparke Elementary School. In 1982, Island Trees gained national attention from

1750-401: The age of ten and has taken voice lessons for four years. Covais has stated that Brian McKnight and American Idol first season winner Kelly Clarkson are favorite singers of his. In the future, he plans to pursue a career in singing , acting or journalism . Covais was a junior at Island Trees High School during his Idol run; he graduated at the end of the 2006–07 school year. He

1800-415: The building of this community, did not permit concrete slabs. Given the urgent need for housing in the region, the town agreed. Levitt & Sons also controversially utilized non- union contractors in the project, a move which provoked picket lines. On the other hand, they paid their workers well and offered multiple incentives that allowed them to earn extra money, so that they often could earn twice as much

1850-546: The central CDP in the vicinity of Hempstead Turnpike (NY 24) and Jerusalem Avenue range from 31.6 °F (−0.2 °C) in January to 74.5 °F (23.6 °C) in July. The hardiness zone is borderline between 7a and 7b, meaning that the average annual absolute minimum temperature is approximately 5 °F (−15 °C). As of the 2020 United States census, there were 51,758 people, 16,833 households, and 14,031 families residing in

1900-510: The community being announced on May 7, 1947. As demand continued, exceeding availability, the Levitts expanded their project with 4,000 more homes, as well as community services, including schools and postal delivery. With the full implementation of federal government supports for housing, administered under the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Levitt firm switched from rental to sale of their houses, offering ownership on

1950-532: The community with an eye towards speed, efficiency, and cost-effective construction; these methods led to a production rate of 30 houses a day by July 1948. They used pre-cut lumber and nails shipped from their own factories in Blue Lake, California , and built on concrete slabs, as they had done in a previous planned community in Norfolk, Virginia . This necessitated negotiating a change in the building code which, prior to

2000-412: The community. The population density was 7,598.1 inhabitants per square mile (2,933.6/km ). There were 17,447 dwelling units at an average density of 2,531.9 per square mile (977.6/km ). The racial makeup of the CDP was 75.7% White , 9.3% Asian , 1.3% Black , less than 0.1% Native American , and less than 0.1% Pacific Islander . Hispanics or Latinos of any race made up 16.3% of the population. By

2050-412: The district as a planned community for returning World War II veterans between 1947 and 1951. Sons William and Alfred served as the company's president and chief architect and planner, respectively. Levittown was the first truly mass-produced suburb and is widely regarded as the archetype for postwar suburbs throughout the country. William Levitt , who assumed control of Levitt & Sons in 1954,

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2100-460: The houses built in this area by Levitt & Sons and it does include houses built by other developers. The actual Levitt built development sprawls over three other postal zones, Wantagh NY (11793) and Westbury, NY (11590) in the Town of Hempstead , and Hicksville, NY (11801) in the Town of Oyster Bay . Levittown has a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Dfa ) and average monthly temperatures in

2150-451: The housing shortage. Levitt said "As a Jew, I have no room in my heart for racial prejudice. But the plain fact is that most whites prefer not to live in mixed communities. This attitude may be wrong morally, and someday it may change. I hope it will." The Levitts explained that they would open up applications to blacks after they had sold as many homes to white people as possible. They believed that potential white buyers would not want to buy

2200-416: The nation's largest builder to file for bankruptcy as the housing market boom of the early 21st century continued to crumble. As the first and one of the largest mass-produced suburbs , Levittown quickly became a symbol of postwar suburbia. Although Levittown provided affordable houses in what many residents felt to be a congenial community, critics decried its homogeneity and blandness. Today, "Levittown"

2250-546: The nearest commercial airports are Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma and John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York City proper. NY 24 runs west–east directly through the town, otherwise known as Hempstead Turnpike. This road features locally owned family businesses as well as many prominent chains, and it is the busiest and most congested road in Levittown. Wantagh Parkway marks

2300-454: The show's series finale in 2014, Covais held a recurring role on Good Luck Charlie as Victor DeLeseur. Covais starred as an ice cream employee in the second-season episode "The Wedding" of This is Us in 2018. Levittown, New York Levittown is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County , on Long Island , in New York . It

2350-525: The war, however, the home building industry languished under a general embargo on private use of scarce raw materials. William "Bill" Levitt served in the Navy in the Seabees – the service's construction battalions – and developed expertise in the mass-produced building of military housing using uniform and interchangeable parts. He was insistent that a postwar building boom would require similar mass-produced housing, and

2400-565: The western border of Levittown, with an exit onto Loring Road, a north–south local roadway. Gardiners Avenue also runs north-south through the center of the town, which becomes Jerusalem Avenue north of NY 24. Wantagh Avenue is the main north-south road on the eastern edge of Levittown. North Jerusalem Road (Old Jerusalem Road east of Gardiners Avenue) is a major west–east road that marks the southern border of Levittown to Wantagh. The Wantagh-Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corps provides paramedic level of care. Founded in 1956 by Homer K. Moore as

2450-521: Was able to purchase options on large swaths of onion and potato fields in undeveloped sections of Long Island. Returning to the firm after war's end, Bill Levitt persuaded his father and brother to embrace the utilitarian system of construction he had learned in the Navy. With his brother, Alfred, who was an architect, he designed a small one-floor house with an unfinished "expansion attic" that could be rapidly constructed and as rapidly rented to returning GIs and their young families. Levitt & Sons built

2500-573: Was high, requiring that the purchasing process be streamlined as the assembly process had been, reaching the point that a buyer could walk through the process of selecting a house through contracting for its purchase in three minutes. This ranch model was altered in 1950 to include a carport and a built-in television. In 1951, a partially finished attic was added to the design. Levittown proved successful. By 1951, it and surrounding regions included 17,447 homes constructed by Levitt & Sons. On November 9, 2007, Levitt & Sons of Fort Lauderdale became

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