Vanderbilt Cup Races

Question for Brian McCarthy: where are the four Sinclair stations on Long Island?

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

Speaking of pools and Mitchel Field trivia, Uniondale High School was the first in Nassau County to have its own pool.  It was made possible by Federal Government subsidies to reimburse the School District for educating Military children living on the Base.  With no educational facility for kids on the Base at any time during its history, standard operating procedure was to send them to the nearest Public School. 

California Ave. Elementary School (known at the time as ‘East Hempstead Elementary School’) opened in 1928, just in time for the housing on Mitchel then under construction.  The Uniondale School District extends as far North as Old Country Road.  Accordingly, grades 1-8 went to CA Ave. while 9-12 graders attended Hempstead High School prior to 1954 when Uniondale High School opened.

Photos below: 

1) 1928 CA Ave. cornerstone.

2) 1954 UHS cornerstone.

3) UHS pool.

From Hot Post Alert & Update: Beneath the shadow of wings: Mitchel Field and the Motor Parkway (1924-1948)

Howie (& Roz):  This is cuzzin’ Steve (Green) from Calif.  I have great memories of attending the World’s Fair during my summer long visit to New York in 1965.  (I was 20 going on 21).  I took Uncle Hesh’s boys, Rob and Jeff, and still have a picture taken of me sitting below one of the Unispheres (in a red sweater).  Ironically, one of the Unispheres ended up going to California where it still, to this day, graces the entryway to Leisure World in Laguna Hills, the senior community where my mother (your Aunt Sylvia) lived for almost 40 years.  (She sarcastically and irreverently referred to the place as “Seizure World”).  I have fond memories of passing beneath the Unisphere every time I paid her a visit over the decades. . . . .

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

Great high resolution photo!
Salisbury looking NW over former Emily Ladenburg’s Estate, once an oasis in the flat Hempstead Plains. 
Major roads include Old Country Rd, Newbridge Ave (formerly Bellmore Rd,  today’s Salisbury Park Dr), School St, Westbury Rd, Merrick Ave, Post Ave, and LIRR. Wellington Ct is the cul-de-sac at the bottom center. Motor Pkwy is just off the photo at the bottom, about half mile south of the water sump in the bottom left corner.
Salisbury Links Golf Course (today’s Eisenhower Park’s Red Course).
Holy Rood Cemetery with St Brigids Church on the west side of cemetery.
1909, 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races used Old Country Rd as part of the race course.
Guessing 1955, when the houses in the foreground were built. The neighborhood looks new with little vegetation planted yet.

Bottom photo: Motor Pkwy in Eisenhower Park looking east towards “Oasis”, Emily Ladenburg’s Estate in 1908.

From Mystery Foto #11 Solved: A view of Old Country Road (Salisbury) section of the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race courses

Brian, you’d be surprised at some of the prices of homes in Levittown and the surrounding areas in which Levitt built.  Homes are bought and then demolished to make way for much more elaborate homes (besides the homes built on previously undeveloped lots).  Its very hard to find an original Levitt home these days.

From Kleiner's Korner: UPDATE - Levittown Motor Parkway Site Being Excavated

Sinclair film says it all.  Look at where those corporate dinosaurs have gone today and ask our kids about the fate of Apple, Amazon, FB, Google, Microsoft.  Not to mention “lily” white male-focused America at that time.

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

The Chrysler Turbine sold within 24 hours of being listed:
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/incredibly-rare-1963-chrysler-turbine-car-sells-in-under-24-hours-157470.html

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

The actual Turbine car is up for sale as we speak.

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

Thank you Howard and Roz!  Great memories! - What happened to all the service for ones car shown at the Sinclair Service Station?  Now at 84 years I am now pumping my own gas.  We sure have come a long way!

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

One other memory from my time at NCC in the late 60’s. Adjacent to some of the hangers were reserved parking areas that were probably occupied by NCC staff. I recall that they used old RR rails painted yellow as wheel stops.  Perhaps those rails came from the then disused RR spurs that dotted the old warehouse area. Current Google street views in the old warehouse area still shows evidence of RR tracks.

From Hot Post Alert & Update: Beneath the shadow of wings: Mitchel Field and the Motor Parkway (1924-1948)

I think it’s safe to assume that the plumbing was copper. Perhaps in the hurry to close the base no one thought to purge the pipes of water or stop water from draining into the pipes. The first good freeze and it was all over.

From Hot Post Alert & Update: Beneath the shadow of wings: Mitchel Field and the Motor Parkway (1924-1948)

I ride my bike to the Fair Grounds all the time, great memories. Thanks

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

I was 16 y/o when the fair opened in ‘64. I lived in Fresh Meadows and my friends and I would take our bikes to get there; we’d lock them up outside the grounds. The most memorable things to me was the turbine car. It was driven in a depressed roadway that was visible from above. My question to this day is, “Where are the turbine and flying cars?”

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

The NCO pool looks quite large on the aerial above. An online measurement makes it about 100’ long, Olympic length is 164’. Not sure when PVC piping came into play ( need to web search that now : ), say it’s a good guess the original piping isn’t pvc. A bit surprised it hasn’t been filled in/grassed over by now.

From Hot Post Alert & Update: Beneath the shadow of wings: Mitchel Field and the Motor Parkway (1924-1948)

Whoa, I’d say those are most expensive homes in Levittown. The homes look to be built smack on the former roadway. If the homes have basements, I figure more artifacts would be found. Thanks for keeping us informed, Art.

From Kleiner's Korner: UPDATE - Levittown Motor Parkway Site Being Excavated

Two of the best summers of my life. I will always have great memories
of that World’s Fair.

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

Great blog here, I’m too young to have memories of the fair, but we did take our boys to the Science Museum when they were younger. There’s actually 4 Sinclair Stations on LI. I’ll need to watch the After the Fair video on TV later on.

From Update: Memories of the 1964-1965 World's Fair

looking northwest
Salisbury Park Golf Course
Old Country Rd. running east to west between course & cemetery
large track of land is Holly Rude Cemetery with St.Bridget’s church steeple raising up.
looking west and following RR tracks you will see Carle Places water tower.
looking southeast and south you will see the development of Salisbury Estates
if I remember correctly .
Running along golf course N&S is Salisbury Park Dr.

From Mystery Foto #11 Solved: A view of Old Country Road (Salisbury) section of the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race courses

Just goes to show once again - you can’t believe everything you read!  Thanks Lee.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Part I-Mapping the Motor Parkway, Mitchel Field & Mitchel Gardens

The address on the PSEG sign is incorrect and revisionist history!  Stewart Avenue (including Mitchel Gardens) is and always has been in Garden City, NOT Uniondale!  It extends as far eastward as Merrick Ave. where it meets the border of East Meadow.  In fact, that area had its own Zip Code of 11533 when we moved to Mitchel Field in 1965, separate and apart from the main Garden City Zip Code of 11530.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: Part I-Mapping the Motor Parkway, Mitchel Field & Mitchel Gardens