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The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
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Recent Comments
-The location and orientation of the photographer
-The major roads and construction sites
Looking South at the construction of the Meadowbrook Parkway. In the foreground is the interchange for the Northern State to the Meadowbrook.
-Areas related to aviation
Michell Field in the distance
-Shopping centers
Roosevelt Field Mall
-The year of the Mystery Foto. Provide a rationale.
Parkway construction started in December 1953. Roosevelt Field Mall groundbreaking was in April 1955. The Parkway opened in October 1956. Both construction projects look well underway. My guess on the year is late 1955.
From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction
The photographer is looking south, high above the interchange from Northern State Parkway to the under construction Meadowbrook extension.
The major roads are NSP and MBP, Glen Cove / Clinton Road is prominent going away from the photographer. The LIRR main line and Old Country Road cross left to right.
Areas related to aviation are Roosevelt Field after it’s conversion from air to a shopping mall. Mitchel Field is there top left.
The year of the foto is shortly before ‘56, as the MSP extension was completed in that year.
The ROW of the LIMP, marked by the line of trees, snakes along the right edge till it curves left over Clinton Road and merges with the Mall ring road.
From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction
I grew up around the corner from this and spend many a summer day riding our bikes there.
For many many years the property owners on either side would expand their backyards into the ROW. Some even set their pools there. All was reclaimed a while back, perhaps in the 90’s.
From Kleiner's Korner: UPDATE - Levittown Motor Parkway Site Being Excavated
The location is the Carle Place/Roosevelt Field area, with the photographer looking south. Northern State Pkwy. in the foreground. Jericho Turnpike on the lower right. The vertical road in the middle of the Foto is Glen Cove Road/Clinton Road. To the left of Glen Cove Road is the Meadowbrook Pkwy. (under construction). Horizontally in the middle of the Foto is the main line of the LIRR. Above that, Old Country Road, and above that, Roosevelt Field shopping center (under construction), and beyond that, Mitchel Field.
I’m dating the Foto at 1955, because both the Meadowbrook Pkwy. extension north of the Southern State Pkwy. and the Roosevelt Field shopping center were under construction at the time. Also, Mitchel Field was still in use until 1961.
The remnants of the Motor Parkway can be seen as a dark curved line on the right of the Foto. It continues up, then curves to the left as it crosses Clinton Road and goes between Roosevelt Field and Mitchel Field.
From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction
Looking south. The unfinished Meadowbrook is coming alive as an exit off the Northern State Pkwy. You can see a peak of Jericho Tpke, Roosevelt Field, Carle Place streets, and even the LIMP too.
From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction
The “Belmont Race Track Field” is just west of my house which has Belmont Park on two sides as a neighbor. The Field mentioned is now the north parking lot that has the LIRR tracks along its north edge. The circle with the + sign in it ( to the right of Queens Village station) is the location of the Bellerose train station ( Nassau County) . The north parking lot before it was paved was a grass field with hurdles in it back in the 1950s as it had been since the track was opened in 1907. ( a large section of that grass field that was part of the track was given to the local school district in 1953 for a playground) There are many 3 story white oak trees that are 150+ years old in the track next to my house located in the Village of Floral Park . A very very quiet neighborhood in the west end of the village ( my family settled here in1924) that has some eccentric fellow as the village historian for decades who drives around in a 1930 Packard touring car or if he wants to be more modern a 1940 Buick 4 door convertible. The Mayor and the trustees of the village put up with him.
From Cradle of Aviation Archives: The 1918 Curtiss Engineering Corporation Flying Map of Long Island
A pure guess: this is viewing south at the construction of the Meadowbrook Parkway. Northern State Parkway horizontally at the bottom. Roosevelt Field was being converted into a mall at this time, which means it’s well after the LIMP was closed down. Mitchel Field runways in the background at the top. Glen Cove Road north to south, west of the Meadowbrook. I’m sure other commenters will do better.
From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction
Northern State Parkway, looking South at the Meadowbrook Parkway being constructed, with Mitchell Field in the background.
From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A 1956 Aerial of the Meadowbrook Parkway and Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall Under Construction
Great find Art! Amazing research findings!
From Mystery Foto #42 Solved: A 1929 Curtiss B-2 Condor Bomber Flyover Over Roosevelt Field, Merrick Avenue and the Motor Parkway
Both the 1932 and 1942 photos show a clean peaceful country view.
From Mystery Foto #44B Solved: A 1942 Photo of the Little Neck Parkway Motor Parkway Bridge
Back at the site today for a quick look before it started raining. From what I could see the huge slabs of roadway have been removed.
From Kleiner's Korner: UPDATE - Levittown Motor Parkway Site Being Excavated
I agree with Brian on this piece Art. It’s probably from a utility installation from the early days of Levittown. Those roadway pieces are huge!
From Kleiner's Korner: UPDATE - Levittown Motor Parkway Site Being Excavated
Think this was originally more rounded. With the eye in the middle, it looks very much like my cesspool covers.
From Kleiner's Korner: UPDATE - Levittown Motor Parkway Site Being Excavated
An Oct., 1908 article from The New-York Tribune mentioning the special road between Westbury and the Meadowbrook Lodge.
From Mystery Foto #42 Solved: A 1929 Curtiss B-2 Condor Bomber Flyover Over Roosevelt Field, Merrick Avenue and the Motor Parkway
Great details Sam and Al!!
From Mystery Foto #44B Solved: A 1942 Photo of the Little Neck Parkway Motor Parkway Bridge
In fact this plane with registration nr35, was modiefied during the tour Chamberlin made in February 1928 and received new registration X-4248. This nr 35 was the personal Sperry messenger off Lawrence Sperry. It is not clear to me (yet) if this was the same Messenger that Lawrence Sperry ditched in the Britisch Channel which led to his unfortunate deadth
From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved:Clarence D. Chamberlin Taking Off from Stewart Avenue in 1928
The attached shows the amount that the Motor Parkway paid to lease the property for three years from James C. Smith in today’s Levittown for “grandstand purposes”. For comparison purposes, today’s homes on the site were bought for approx. $700,000 each back a few years. I hadn’t known the property was leased, however Vanderbilt may have changed his mind and outright bought the property instead. Thoughts?
From In Search of the Grandstand, Press Box/Officials Stand and Pits in Levittown
Amazing shots. And a reminder that indoor lighting has come a long way, as well as automobiles.
From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Photos of Old 16 at the 1948 Antique Auto Show from the Helck Family Collection
I like it this concept of unortodox reusing of floats.
From Flying Boat/Seaplane of the Week: Spencer-Larsen SL-12C Amphibian NX-20621
For stone, they used “LOTSA”. Lotsa star drills, lotsa sharpening, lotsa wedges, and lotsa hand hammering. In cold climates, they could pour water in the holes and let expansion do the cracking for them. But someone somewhere must have an old Sci. Amer. or ASCE Proceedings or such that explains how to cut concrete paving. Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #44B Solved: A 1942 Photo of the Little Neck Parkway Motor Parkway Bridge
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