Manhasset is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 8,080. As with other unincorporated communities in New York, its local affairs are administered by the town in which it is located, the Town of North Hempstead, New York.Manhasset is a Native American term that translates to "the island neighborhood". In 2005, a Wall Street Journal article ranked Manhasset as the best town for raising a family in the New York metropolitan area. The Manhasset area, settled by 1680, grew quickly after it began being served by the Long Island Rail Road in 1898. The LIRR provides access to New York City via the Manhasset and Plandome stations with an approximately 40 minute commute to Penn Station. Express trains, which run during rush hour, make the trip in less than 30 minutes. The hamlet of Manhasset is located 19.5 miles away from midtown Manhattan.