Vanderbilt Cup Races

This is an easy one for me since I live just slightly out of the lower left hand side of the photo. This is Lake Success, looking north and slightly west. The lower portion of the photo is New Hyde Park. Union Tpke. enters at the lower left and heads towards the lower right. The Lake Success shopping center is on the south side of Union Tpke. Lakeville Rd. snakes north from the lower left to the top center of the photo. NewHyde Park Rd. heads north from the bottom right. The large, low buildings and parking lots just north of Union Tpke. are the Sperry Corp. which is now mostly part of Northwell Health. The building near the small semi-circular drive was once the temporary headquarters of the United Nations. Marcus Avenue is north of Sperry and the Northern State Pkwy. just north of that. The larger road that runs from left to right (west to east) is the LIE, although it was probably still called the Horace Harding Expressway when this photo was taken. The undeveloped area to the left of Lakeville Rd. will become Long Island Jewish Hospital in 1954. The Vanderbilt Deepdale estate can be seen in the woods just south of Lake Success. Remnants of the Motor Parkway can be seen just to the north of the housing development east of Lakeville Rd. and north of the Northern State Pkwy. It extends past the oval track. The photo must be earlier than 1954 because the hospital has not yet been built.

Lake Success, looking north. Lakeville Rd. runs north/south past the lake, and the Northern State Parkway runs east/west below the lake. Marcus Av. runs diagonally east/west to the bottom right corner of the photo, where it meets New Hyde Park Rd. Union Tpke. runs across the bottom of the picture. The “S” shaped clearing north of Lake Success is the Long Island Expressway under construction.

Looking NW, probably from over New Hyde Park, toward Lake Success and beyond. Visible are Deepdale (Willie K, Jr’s home), the gatehouse (since moved), and, of course, the Motor Parkway, crossing the Northern State. It looks like they’re clearing the way for the LIE, so mid to late 50’s? (I actually think the route was ultimately slightly different.)

Lake Success

Looking north we see the giant Sperry plant in the lower part of the photo going from left to right with Marcus Ave along the north edge of the site, New Hyde Park Road running from top to bottom on the right. Lakeview Rd running from top to bottom on the left and Northern Parkway running left to right. Lake Success is the large body of water. The LI Motor Parkway would have crossed Northern State (can’t make out the bridge) just west of Lakeview Rd and continued left to right just south of Northern State. The year? There is no sign along Lakeview Rd of LIJ, which opened in 1954,  and all we see of the LIE along the top is general grading. This portion of the LIE didn’t open, after many delays, until 1958. So it has to be pre-1954 since no LIJ. Late 40s very early 50s.

Looking north/northwest. It’s where my office was for years - 5 Dakota Dr - which appears as undeveloped land between the Northern State and Marcus Ave. Rds - Northern State Pkwy, Lakeville Rd., Marcus Ave, N. Hyde Park Rd, LIMP bridge over Nthn State just west of Lakeville Rd, construction of the LIE north of Nthn State and parallel to it. Year - probably during late ‘57-early ‘58. I grew up in Fresh Meadows. Construction on the LIE started there in mid ‘57 and didn’t reach the stage of construction shown in the photo until late ‘58; construction was already proceeding from the City line eastbound through Lake Success when construction was just starting through Fresh Meadows. Other than the former Sperry Gyroscope facility and plant, the HQ of which became the temporary Secretariat building of the UN until the UN complex between 42nd and 48th on First Ave was completed; there is a plaque at the former entrance to the Sperry site denoting its temporary use for the UN.

Photo is take over Lake Success, looking north.
Major roads include Lakeville Road-running vertically from lower left to middle,
Marcus Avenue-running diagonally from lower right to upper left and Northern State Parkway running horizontally just north of Marcus Avenue and Union Tpke to the south.
MotorParkway is on left, running at edge of Glen Oaks Golf club before crossing Marcus ave, NSP and Lakeville road
Date Late 1951- 1965 since houses on Tanner road are up ( finished 1951?) and NSP not widened yet and LIMP bridge over NSP still up, I think.

Vanderbilt’s Deepdale Mansion is visible just south of Lake Success and Guest House/Police baracks visible at southern end of property.
The motor parkway bridge over NSP and Great neck Lodge visible?

The location and orientation of the photographer
Generally north over Lake Success (visible)

Major roads
LIE (under construction), Northern State Pky, Marcus Ave, New Hyde Park Rd, Lakeville Rd

Year and rationale for the year
Based on what looks like the LIE under construction 1957-58

Any Motor Parkway/Vanderbilt structures
ROW north of Tanners Rd and west of Lakeville, with overpass 2x over NSP.

Aside: these Mystery Photos of the ROW are my favorite!

Aerial looking NNW

East-West roads—Union turnpike on the bottom of image, Marcus avenue middle, LIE under construction top

Lakeville road (left) and New Hyde Park road (right) running north south.

~October 1956 due to LIE construction.

LIMP visible south west of Marcus ave and north of Tanners rd.

The photographer was over New Hyde Park looking Northwest. New Hyde Park Road, Union Tpke, Marcus Ave, Lakeville Road, Northern Pkwy, Long Island Expressway under construction and of course Long Island Motor Parkway (right to left through center of photo) can all be seen. Picture was probably taken in the early to mid 50’s. The LIMP bridge over the NSP might still be standing. It appears that the Farmway bridge on current Great Neck High School is gone.