Vanderbilt Cup Races

It’s not Massapequa nor Bethpage

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: The Great Neck Lodge by the Motor Parkway

Fascinating history. That’s one of six John Russel Pope’s first toll lodge/house built to service the Motor Pkwy. Pope’s six lodges were located in Great Neck, Roslyn, Garden City, Meadow Brook, Massapequa, and Bethpage. Some of the lodges still exist today but altered and expanded beyond recognition from their original form. The Garden City Lodge remains intact, relocated and preserved at 7 St and Franklin Ave as the Garden City Chamber of Commerce. My best guess is Great Neck lodge looking NE or Meadow Brook lodge looking NE , I really don’t know. Anticipating the answers this week

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: The Great Neck Lodge by the Motor Parkway

The Ferone house, South Broadway Central Park, served as a fast-food service for those who drove out on the LIMP in the early 1900’s.

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: The Great Neck Lodge by the Motor Parkway

Great Neck Lodge in Lake Success, constructed in 1909 as the Great Neck Lodge. It was one of the original six gate lodges designed by architect John Russell Pope.

The building is about 310 feet east of Lakeville Road adjacent to the Long Island Motor Parkway right of way. The photographer was looking north east.
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The photograph was taken in 1981 by Ron Ridolph.

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: The Great Neck Lodge by the Motor Parkway

Excellent weather for the event!

From Highlights from The Bridge VIII in Bridgehampton featuring the 1963 Mustang III Concept Show Car

I think I’ve seen this photo before. It looks like the former Great Neck Lodge that was located slightly east of Lakeville Road. It was built to allow access to the the LIMP and for collecting tolls along with providing living quarters for the toll keeper. I think we are looking northeast. Since there have been may modifications made to the original structure after the LIMP closed in 1938, I’m guessing the date to be late 1990’s around 1996 before the major alterations that are there now.

From Mystery Friday Foto #38 Solved: The Great Neck Lodge by the Motor Parkway

Brian - it appears in your 1951 aerial, park goers were using the future site of Creedmoor for additional parking space

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!

Yes, Steve. The Pedestrian Tunnel that was built for Creedmoor. The construction of Union Tpke made the Creedmoor Hwy Bridge not accessible anymore. Remember most of us visited the grounds there to check out the now closed tunnel. The Security Guard towards the end of the visit was none to happy with us being there, but it turned out okay. Below I’ll leave some screenshots. One is a comment by James Spina in 2016, a nice memory of his for this location.

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!

I inherited a letter from 1950 from my equestrian uncle, Jim Walsh, who at the time boarded his horse at Alley Pond Stables for $1.58 per day. It was from the stable management informing him the stable (once part of the Taylor estate, The Oaks, circa 1873) had been condemned by the city to add the property to Alley Pond Park. The bridle paths, adjacent to the Oakland Golf Course and now the Queensboro Community College campus were built into a curvilinear neighborhood of homes. My family also had a connection with the golf club; at one time a cousin, George R. Easton, had been its pro. The stable was roughly located at East Hampton Road—once part of Rocky Hill Rd—and 56th Rd, now a shortened “dead end” street.

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!

Roy Warner - A Fairchild aerial photograph of Fresh Meadows showing 50th Ave.

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!

Alley Pond Park ballfields looking west during Union Tpke upgrade, 1931. Winchester Bl
at bottom, Motor Pkwy bottom left with it’s new bridge. The GCP bridge and park house are still there! The GCP Bridge is now concealed by another GCP Bridge by roadway expansion. Queens was growing just before WWII

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!

PHOTO IS OF THE ALLEY POND PARK
MAJOR ROADS - SPRINGFIELD BLVD
73 RD AVE.
76 TH AVE.

BEFORE 1932

WHEELER FRAMWAY BRIDGE #2
WINCHESTER BLVD MOTOR PARKWAY BRIDGE

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!

We are looking north west at the ball fields of Alley Pond Park , They were opened on July 26, 1935 and at the dedication the first batter was Babe Ruth. The pitcher was Mayor La Guardia, (Ruth popped up.)  At the bottom left corner is Union Turnpike under construction, Above it is the Long Island Motor Parkway, At the western end of the Parkway is the new bridge over Winchester Blvd. Thats Grand Central Parkway across the top of the photo.

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!

my wife’s friend said her grandpa’s brother had a black Tucker somewhere in Nebraska. I think she’s full of manure.

From Greg O's Garage; The four "lost" Tuckers #1027, #1023, #1018 and #1042

Alley Pond Park
Grand Central Parkway, Union Turnpike
1940s

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!

Thanks, Howard, for the great record keeping.  Truly keeps our history alive.
Ann

From Kleiner's Korner: The Nassau District Attorney and the Vanderbilt Cup Race

Alley Pond Park around the time of its opening in the 1930’s. The roads around it include the Motor Parkway and the under construction Union Turnpike on the south,Winchester Boulevard on the east,and the recently built Grand Central Parkway on the north. The north parking lot looks pretty full,I wonder what was going on that day. The overlook feature on the north side of the Parkway gradually became neglected and overgrown and much has changed and deteriorated over the years

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!

Those ball fields are in Alley Pond Park. Major roads include Winchester Blvd., Grand Central Parkway, and Union Turnpike (under construction). Since the GCP looks fully operational, I’m guessing the date in the late 1930’s, maybe around 1937. The LIMP is visible in two places: running diagonal in the lower left corner and curving from the side to the top in the upper left corner. LIMP structures include the bridges over Winchester Blvd., under GCP and over Rocky Hill Road (Springfield Blvd.) along with the Rocky Hill Toll Lodge and entrance ramps. Also, I think I see the pedestrian tunnel under the LIMP and Union Tpke.

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!

It looks very familiar except for the lower left corner; appears as though a road is being constructed.  I grew up in Fresh Meadows. In the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, my friends and I would take our Ross 3-speed racers on the Motor Parkway from Peck Ave all the way to what we thought was the end, which was on a rise that overlooked Creedmor. Then heading back we’d get off the Motor Parkway after a short distance to go to, what I think are shown, the ball fields; we wouldn’t have our bats, but we had our mitts and a one or two balls. From the looks of this, the photo must have been pre-War because I don’t see any housing. So, I’m not quite sure that these are the ball fields that I remember. I’m also guessing that the lower left corner shows Union Turnpike under construction. I know that Grand Central already was finished by 1928-30, and that Union Tpke was constructed in the ‘30s as part of the WPA. Oddly enough, the future 4-star general who headed the Army Services of Logistics/Supply during WWII, Gen. Somervell, headed the City of NY’s WPA projects, which included among other projects LaG Airport (‘39) and Union Tpke. I’m a Marine veteran (‘69-‘71) and have as one of my avocations American and some World history, with an emphasis on the US military, especially the Corps. Indeed, the CCC during the Depression was run by the military. I look forward to viewing the correct answers next week. Thank you.

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!

Alley Pond Park.
Grand Central/Northern State Parkway under construction to the left of the baseball diamonds.
Union Turnpike on the other side of the baseball diamonds.
Motor Parkway just to the right of the GCP/Northern State.
Probably around 1936 given the parkway construction
Creedmore State Hospital at the far right across Union Turnpike.

From Mystery Friday Foto #37 Solved: Play Ball! At Alley Pond Park!