Vanderbilt Cup Races

Whoo, these new aerial pix are hard to follow foe us non-L’townwers!  Hurrah for the LIACC!  Interesting conjunction - snooty LIACC and viciously-prejudiced Levitt.  Richard, the hangar was NOT bulldozed; one segment was dismantled (as Steve notes) and re-erected south of the intersection of Schneider Lane and Revere and Lexington Avenues, backing on the LIRR’s Central Branch, in downtown Bethpage.  It still stands and is currently marked “Best Market HQ” on Google Maps.  It’s fully documented on my site but I’ll be hang(ar)ed if I can find where!  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: An Aerial of East Meadow and Levittown Circa 1949

Good grief, Charlie Brown (or George Zink)!  Your “lamp post” is the VENTILATOR!  See the drawing above.  What a find!  This whole post is quite a revelation; Mother Nature hasn’t gotten ahead of us here (yet).  If crawling into the Wheeler Farmway Bridge isn’t bad enough, <http://sbiii.com/limp-qn3.html#wheeler>, now we’ve got this one to find a way into - go, Frank!  As to my pages, Brian, thanks but I missed this gem; never even knew of it.  Sam, III

From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass

Awesome post! I’ve passed this but just assumed it was Hospital related - some sort of former walkway. Love this stuff. Will have to check it out.

Did you go down the steps and take pics inside? What’s in there????

From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass

I guess you’re right about that Frank. A lot of findings and still more,it never ends does it? Keep on looking guys.Doing great so far,as usual.

From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass

A+ on your coverage of this tunnel, Mr. Zink. Your photos exhibit that this tunnel was built to last. And Howard’s aerial clearly shows the N and S entrances. My mom was an aide with the Central Islip Psychiatric Center until it closed. She then worked for Creedmoor for a few years until retirement. I’ll have to ask her what she may know about this underpass. I wouldn’t venture in there without a buddy or protection.

From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass

Great job George, and James you’re right about conditions that would’ve existed. Now, how to enter the tunnel. I have a flashlight!

From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass

Howard, about to send a photo of the ped underpass but George already nailed it. Great observation George! See above photo.

From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass

The photographer was over East Meadow looking east showing Levittown. The roads that were used for the Vanderbilt Cup races are: Hempstead Turnpike (1904), and some remnants of the LIMP (1908, 1909, & 1910). Since the building of the homes for Levittown has progressed significantly, and I think I can see the structures at Aviation Country Club are still intact (portions of which were moved in 1950), I’m going to guess 1950 as the year of the photo. As to other large buildings, not too sure, but I believe that’s Bethpage Park & golf course in the upper left corner.

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: An Aerial of East Meadow and Levittown Circa 1949

Brian,
The bridge on the Creedmoor property was a highway bridge, not a pedestrian or a farmway bridge
Al.

From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass

Love that Riviera!

From Highlights from the 10th Annual Hemmings Motor News Concours D'Elegance

Hard to tell for sure but the racers SEEM to have longer wheelbases than Erik’s car.  Sam, III

From Did This Mitchell Racer Participate in the 1908 Nassau Sweepstakes?

George Zink….I’m don’t have an actual memory of the tunnel you know of, but I viewed photos of this location in the past on someone’s website. Sam Berliners websites came to mind, and I’ve been poking around; but haven’t came across the photos yet. The photos showed exactly what you described.  BDM

From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass

From John F,:
Congratulations on this for all your excellent work, Howard.

From The Roslyn Times: Local historian wins award

From Suzette G.:
Great job and a well deserved honor, especially for you and all your good work, and to Supervisor Bosworth and all the members town board for their unwavering support.

From The Roslyn Times: Local historian wins award

So the proposed underpass would’ve been between Winchester Blvd and the Creedmore pedestrian overpass? I guess the N/S of the proposed underpass would’ve led one onto the Creedmore property, too?
_____________________________________________
From Howard Kroplick

That is correct. Al Velocci believes the Creedmoor Bridge was the original highway bridge built in 1912.

From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass

Aerial of Levittown looking southeast about 1948.
The North Wantagh section and the “G” section off Newbridge Rd. not yet built.
LIMP visible at lower right crossing the Wantagh Pkwy. and Rte. 106 (Newbridge)
curving left then east along Orchid Road and continuing through Bethpage.
Visible at upper left is Grumman Plant 2 and the Grumman runways.

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: An Aerial of East Meadow and Levittown Circa 1949

Hello Howard,
If you walked along the south side of Union Turnpike going about 800 feet east from Winchester Boulevard and looked through the fence, you would find a foot high rectangular concrete structure with an iron grating preventing entrance.  In the early 1980’s I was looking for a running path inside Creedmore and found this structure open.  There was no grating at that time and the grafitti practitioners had found it first.  I did venture into the structure which turned out to be a tunnel and I exited it on the north side of Union Turnpike a short distance inside the fence on Creedmore ground.  The northern exit may still there but hidden by trees that have since grown up around it.  There was construction in the area and it is possible that exit no longer exists.  I will try to take some photos when I get the chance.  I guessed that it was made to provide a safe path between the newer large hospital building and the Creedmore complex.  Who knew?
Thanks for the very interesting newsletters.
Enjoy,
George

From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass

I think the mystery photo shows Levittown, 90% completed, with the exception of the removal of the L.I. Country Club Airport’s clubhouse and double hangar, where the undeveloped backwards “L” can be seen. The Wantagh Parkway is running diagonally near trhe bottom right corner, and the traffic loops are for the entrance and exit of Hempstead Turnpike.  I can’t pick out any large structures other than the hangar.  If I’m correct, the wide thoroughfare at the bottom and to the right of the “L” would be Orchard Road, and the barely visible skinny white line to the left of it would be all that was left of the old Vanderbilt Raceway roadway (that had become the Motor Parkway).  My guess is that the photo would was taken in 1950, looking east.  (I humbly bow to anyone who says I’m all wet.)  I always thought that after Mr. Levitt constructed the first portion of Levittown, he bought the airport property and immediately bulldozed the clubhouse and hangar before completing construction of the streets and houses on its site, as well as developing the area to its east (top) north (left) and west (bottom).  If my photo identification is correct, he left the airport structures standing until the very end of the process.  A great photo! Where was it found?

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: An Aerial of East Meadow and Levittown Circa 1949

Is it just me or does this seem to have been one of the worst ideas EVER. Dank, dark and dirty doesn’t even begin to describe the mess that would have resulted.

From The Union Turnpike/Long Island Motor Parkway Pedestrian Underpass

Nice sign, guys!  Three weeks ago I submitted my application to the Town of Hempstead Landmarks Commission for a sign to mark the location—in what is now Levittown— of the L.I. Country Club Airport.  Guy Ferrara, pres. of the Valley Stream Historical Society, said it’s a long process and that I just have to sit and wait for some sort of reply.  (In 2005 Guy was successful in having the Town of Hempstead erect a sign to mark the location of Curtiss Airfield and he filled me in.)

From Vanderbilt Cup Race Historical Marker Installed on Jericho Turnpike In Westbury