Yes, it's rather confusing. There is the Town of Hempstead, one of three "towns" in Nassau county. But really the "villages" are what people would say is the "town" they are from. For example, nobody from Seaford would say they are from the Town of Hempstead, I bet many people on LI don't even know what town they are in. To make it more confusing, there is a village of Hempstead in the Town of Hempstead. They should just get rid of the town system on Long Island and give whatever responsibilities the town has to the county. Nassau County, where I grew up, is a pretty terrible place to live, it is just all concrete, strip malls, malls, parking lots, highways, and subdivisions. But on the other hand, it is pretty safe, middle class, OK schools. Nassau county actually had a pretty good park system at one time, but they are not woods, fields, wetlands, etc.; more just the playground and baseball field variety park. Growing up there has made me despise sprawl and angry as I see the same patterns repeating itself here in New England. The only nice thing about LI are the beaches.