Mystery Friday Foto #59 Solved: A Nice Stay at the Garden City Hotel
Did you identify the Garden City Hotel in the photo?
Identify;
- The building- link it to the Vanderbilt Cup Races.
The Garden City Hotel in Garden City. The Garden City Hotel which served as headquarters for all 6 Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910.
- The date of the photo
The photo's caption reads; July 10, 1924.
- What was at this on this site before and after this building?
This was the third Garden City Hotel on the site. It was demolished in 1973 to make way for the current, and 4th iteration, of the hotel.
- Identify as many streets and structures as possible
See answers and Frank Femenias photo below.
Comments (11)
Congrats to Steve Lucas, Steven Swirsky, Mario Rojas, george philippides, Warren, Ray K, James King, Al velocci, Mitch Paluszek, and frank femenias for identifying the Garden City Hotel.
Greg O.
July 10, 1924
Photo with caption.
Frank Femenias Findings
Hotel artwork by Peter Helck.
Comments
That’s the Garden City Hotel which served as headquarters for all 6 Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910. Judging by the lack of development to the north (top) of the photo, I’d say some time in the 1930’s for the date: wild guess would be 1936. Since this is the third of four hotels built on this site, a Garden City Hotel both preceeded and followed this version. Some streets in the photo include: Cathedral Avenue; Franklin Avenue; Stewart Avenue; 7th. Street; Cherry Valley Avenue; and possibly Rockaway Avenue.
Garden City Hotel with LIRR station
Garden City Hotel originally built in 1874. The photo appears to be 1940’s. I believe this is the 3rd Hotel built prior to 1948 on 7th St in Garden City. The 4th hotel was built in 1983. The Garden City Hotel was HQ for the Vanderbilt Cup Race commission for all six races from 1904 to 1910.
Garden City Hotel
1920s, 1930 ?
GC Hotel was once the Headquarters for the Vanderbilt Cup races.
Also, Lindbergh stayed at the hotel the evening before his famous trans Atlantic flight out of nearby Roosevelt Field.
Streets include Cherry Valley Avenue, Cathedral Avenue, Hilton Ave and Franklin Ave.
Structures include the GC School Administration building ( was an active school back then) at intersection of Cherry Valley and Cathedral, GC LIRR station, a few hundred yards in front of hotel, Garden City Casino, on the other side of tracks from LIRR station
My mom lives in an apartment right next door to the hotel and my brother’s wedding ceremony was in the GC Hotel.
Garden City Hotel. Seventh Street, Hilton Ave. Cathedral Ave, LIRR station, Casino, GC administration office. The new hotel and condos sit on the site presently, but don’t compare to the grandeur of the old hotel. Men’s Club Golf Couse in the background.
Identify the building- link it to the Vanderbilt Cup Races:
-The Garden City Hotel, which served, for those who could afford it, as the center for the Vanderbilt Cup Races of 1904-1910.
The date of the photo:
-Approximately 1911 - once the hotel was enlarged by extending the sides to allow for additional rooms.
What was at this on this site before and after this building?:
-The site before the photo and after the photo always housed the Garden City Hotel but in different variations. Originally built in 1874, it was restyled in 1895 and that version was destroyed by fire in 1899. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1901 and enlarged in 1911. Currently a modernized Garden City Hotel stands on this site.
Identify as many streets and structures as possible:
The hotel is located at 45 Seventh Avenue. Across the street is the Garden City train station. Stewart Avenue, Cathedral Avenue, Hubbell Plaza are all nearby.
The third Garden City Hotel, built in 1901 and razed in 1973. It served as headquarters for the Vanderbilt Cup race commission from 1904 to 1910. It was located at the center of the 30 mile 1904 Vanderbilt Cup course, which traversed from Floral Park in the west to Hicksville and Jericho in the east. The race distance was 3 laps around the triangular-shaped course.
Before:
Two buildings known as the Garden City Hotel occupied this site. The first was built in 1874. It was replaced by the second Garden City Hotel in 1895. That structure burned down in 1899.
After:
A fourth Garden City Hotel was built on this site and opened in 1983 and is currently in operation.
Picture faces north. Railroad tracks (going left to right) and the Garden City train station can be seen at the bottom of the picture.
Streets shown:
Seventh St. (left to right across the bottom of the picture, north of the railroad tracks).
Cherry Valley Av. (diagonally across the top left corner of the picture).
Cathedral Av. (from the bottom left of the picture going north, intersecting with Cherry Valley Av.).
Hilton Av. (from the bottom right of the picture going north).
That is the Garden City Hotel in the center of the photo. The view is to the north. Headquarters for the Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long island. Photo taken most likely in late 1920’s, don’t see the buildings erected in the 1930’s. Also, photo taken in the summer based on the leaf condition on the trees.
(Old) Garden City Hotel, probably around 1909-10; home of the Race Commission.
Hilton on the right, probably Cherry Valley on the left.
Mystery 59 of 49? The second version of the Garden City Hotel, Motor Parkway Inc’s meeting place to plan the world’s first high-speed highway for automobiles. The hotel was torn down for its third and present version. Unsure of date, maybe in the 30’s
Can anyone spot the street that was not labeled in the photo? It’s barely noticeable under tree cover but it’s there!
Hi Frank, If you mean the street than runs east & west just south of the Hotel. that’s 7th Street
Bulls Eye, Brian! Nice work.