Vanderbilt Cup Races

I rode this section last week, great job and a BIG Thank You to all involved.

From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens

Howard, The new historical marker-“What became of the Long Island Motor Parkway” is not technically correct. There were five government agencies, not three, that took over the Motor Parkway ROW in 1938 with Robert Moses authorized to represent the recipients. Suffolk County, Nassau County with the exception of that portion of the ROW between Marcus Ave, and New Hyde Park Rd. which was dedicated to the Long Island State Park Commission and that portion of the ROW through Bethpage Park which was acquired by the Bethpage Park Authority. The NYC section was taken over directly by the New York City Parks Dept….. Guess who was the Parks Commissioner at the time. (Moses, on more than one occasion, made it clear that the Motor Parkway ROW would never be used for automobile traffic again.) Also, again a minor error, portions of the ROW were not “turned” over to utilities companies bu purchased at market rates.

From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens

While the new paving looks great, it is a little disappointing to not be able to see any remaining original pavement.

From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens

We are looking east with Island Trees (soon to be Levittown) in the foreground and Bethpage in the distance. The date is mid to late May, 1947 since no significant Levitt home construction is visible. LIMP links are the bridges at Wantagh State Parkway, Newbridge Road, Jerusalem Avenue, farmway bridge near Bloomingdale Road, and 3 others in the distance at Wantagh Avenue, Massapequa-Hicksville Road, and Jerusalem Road. Vanderbilt Cup links are: the section of the LIMP on the left was part of the course for the 1908, 1909, and 1910 races. Hempstead Turnpike on the right was part of the 1904 V.C.R. course. The businessman is William Levitt, who along with his brother Alfred, continued their father Abraham’s business in building the Levittown that we know today which began in the central area of today’s photo.

From Update: Mystery Foto #49 Solved: A 1947 Aerial of Levittown and William J. Levitt

Thanks for the memories as Bob Hope would have sang

From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now

-The location and orientation of the photographer

Looking directly East at the Island Trees section of the Hempstead Plains.

-The date of the Mystery Foto. Provide a rationale.

A very freshly built Wantagh Pkwy. May 27th, 1947.

-Links to the Long Island Motor Parkway (the largest # of links wins the kudos)

LIMP vertical on the left. Seen in the photo; Long Island Aviation Country Club, Newbridge Rd, Jerusalem, Bloomingdale Rd bridges, dead man’s curve also all seen.

-Links to the Vanderbilt Cup Races

1908, 09, 10 races all held on this portion of the LIMP.

-The businessman and his link to the aerial

William Levitt seen and the aerial is the future site of Levittown.
The same area was unrecognizable just 2 1/2 years later on Dec 24th, 1949

From Update: Mystery Foto #49 Solved: A 1947 Aerial of Levittown and William J. Levitt

The original LIMP that’s in the wooded area between Francis Lewis and Rte 295, being that it’s not part of the exercise path and became forgotten by most ( except us ), I don’t feel that section is in any danger. They should just work along the path that’s between the wooded area and the ball fields.

From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens

And a postcard showing the mansion in better condition.

From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now

Al,  all the new historic markers are correct. The construction sign was likely based on the contract bid. Not sure if they replaced the old historic markers that are located in Phase II of the project

I informed NYC parks that the road should always be Long Island Motor Parkway.  They have added the correct signage to the bridges.

From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens

Howard,  I’m personally disappointed with what the City has done to the Motor Parkway ROW in Queens. Do they plan to leave any portion of the ORIGINAL pavement with the concrete extensions exposed ?, I doubt it. They can’t even get the name right. Among other errors, they still have Pope responsible for 12 toll lodges. For years I’ve been pointing out some of the errors they have made on the historical markers. When the City puts up an historical marker on that portion on the original Motor Parkway ROW between Francis Lewis Blvd. and Rte. 295…, somebody let me know, some of the original pavement is still there, just on the west side of 295.

From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens

Two more.

From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now

Some more.

From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now

JeRita - yes a beautiful place, now gone forever, except in your mind and in pictures. 
Here are some of the ones I’ve taken before and during demolition.  I have more pictures of the house in disrepair but better off remembering the mansion and track the way it once was.

From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now

Lovely, thanks so much!

From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens

When I was a farrier apprentice in the 60’s I got to go to Hitchcock’s farm a few times and it was quite an experience for a young man. It was the most beautiful horse farm I had ever seen up to that time. I got to go back in the early 90’s when the track was gone but the barns were still there for lay ups. Thanks for the memories.

From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now

Interesting research. Somewhere, someone must have pictures of the reconstruction project. Thanks for all of your efforts.

From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now

Of course we are looking at the classic photo of the beginning of the construction of Levittown New York.

We are looking east with the Wantagh Parkway and Newbridge Roads crisscrossing at the bottom, Hempstead Turnpike running up the right hand side, and the Motor Parkway snaking up the left hand side.

There are the pre-Levittown houses along Loring Road that ends on Sherwood road, possibly still under construction along with Wolcott, Birch, William, and James. Along what will be Schoolhouse the slabs for several homes can be seen. I can’t be sure if they end at Valley Road or Division Ave, which parallel there.

This section of Levittown was the first of several built. It was built only on the south side of the Motor Parkway, with a gap between the ROW and Orchid Road. Orchid ended at the curve south of the parkway, where homes were built on the ROW for the west side of Carnation. Homes were built in this gap later, as was the extension of Orchid to Newbridge.

Per Wikipedia, Levittown ground breaking was on July 1, 1947. As only the slabs of several houses are complete this must be shortly after that date.

The man pictures is none other than William Levitt who pioneered the entire plan for this town and several others. Wikipedia dates the photo as 1964.

Aside: I am writing this from my family home located in the dark area left side where the parkway curves south the Newbridge.

From Update: Mystery Foto #49 Solved: A 1947 Aerial of Levittown and William J. Levitt

This is one of the classic photos of the area that would become Levittown. The photographer is over the East Meadow area looking east. The Motor Parkway crosses Wantagh Parkway from the bottom and continues east with the bend north and then back south before continuing east. The Vanderbilt Cup Races grandstand would have been just below the dark line that appears on the photo. That’s the Green Acre Homes development (1933) in the lower right adjacent to the WP/Hempstead Turnpike cloverleaf.  The appearance of a completed Wantagh Parkway (1936) and the lack of any Levitt development would place this picture at between 1936 and 1947. I am going to guess 1946-1947 since it may be related to an aerial survey of the area for Levitt. Oh yes, the man in the picture is none other than William Levitt.

From Update: Mystery Foto #49 Solved: A 1947 Aerial of Levittown and William J. Levitt

Beautiful!!!

From A Preview Look: Tucker 1044 on display one week before the opening of the Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, Georgia

Gee, it doesn’t sound like a Falcon.

From Video of the Week: Hear the Challenger III roar for the first time in over 30 years