Great Neck Park District

The Great Neck Park District is a park district serving much of the Great Neck Peninsula of Nassau County, Long Island, New York, United States. It is the oldest park district in the State of New York and is headquartered a 5 Beach Road, Great Neck, New York 11024.

Great Neck Park District
Seal of the Great Neck Park District
Park district overview
FormedAugust 14, 1916
Websitehttps://www.gnparks.org/

History

The Great Neck Park District was established on August 14, 1916, by Great Neck Resident Roswell Eldridge.[1] It was created only a few months after a law was passed by lawmakers in Albany allowing towns to establish park districts; the Great Neck Park District was the first such district of its type to be established anywhere in the State of New York.[1]

In 1942, the Great Neck Park District gave some of its public beach in Kings Point to the United States government for the United States Merchant Marine Academy.[2]

In 1973, the Town of North Hempstead gave approval for the Great Neck Park District to purchase Creek Park through a $270,000 (1973 USD) bond.[3] The park, which has a total size of roughly 2.5 acres (1.0 ha), was purchased from a private developer and created a greenbelt connecting Cutter Mill Park and the Russell Gardens Park (the latter being owned by the Russell Gardens Association).[3]

In 1977, community parents came together to construct an indoor play facility for children in an abandoned locker room at Steppingstone Park.[4] The equipment installed during the project, which was hand-crafted, painted, and assembled by the locals, included a boat (named the USS Boat) and a rocket ship. Each room was painted by the locals with unique themes and murals related to that theme. The materials cost around $1,800 (1977 USD); parents volunteered with the assembly and painting of the playhouse facilities.[4]

In the 1980s, the beach at Steppingstone Park reopened.[5] It had been closed for over 30 years due to pollution in the Long Island Sound caused by sewage plants operated by the City of New York.[5]

In the 2000s, the Great Neck Park District renovated Parkwood Pool.[6] The renovations included creating a water park.[6]

Service area

The Great Neck Park District serves the following communities in Great Neck:[7]

Incorporated villages

Unincorporated hamlets

Additionally, the Great Neck Park District serves the area of Spinney Hill in Manhasset zoned for the Great Neck Union Free School District.[7]

List of parks

The Great Neck Park District operates the following parks and recreational facilities:[8][9][10]

Major parks
  • Allenwood Park
    Allenwood Park from the street on June 28, 2021.
  • Kings Point Park
  • Memorial Field
  • Parkwood Pool & Sports Complex
  • Steppingstone Park & Marina
  • Village Green & Rose Garden

Neighborhood parks
  • Cutter Mill Park
  • Firefighters Park
  • Lakeville Park
    The entrance to Lakeville Park on June 4, 2021.
  • Manor Park
  • Ravine Park
  • Thomaston Park
  • Upland Park
  • Wyngate Park

Passive parks
  • Creek Park (Daniel Jay Berg Memorial Park)
  • Udalls Pond Park
  • Woodland Preserve
  • Wooleys Lane Park

Dog park

The Great Neck Park District operates a dog park on Colonial Road.[8][9]

Great Neck House

Additionally, the Great Neck Parks District operates the Great Neck House.[8][10] This facility serves as a cultural venue, and often provides park district residents with activities such as movies and live performances.[8][10]

List of parking fields

The Great Neck Park District operates the following commuter parking fields:[11]

  • Canterbury Road Lot
  • North Station Plaza Lot
  • Shoreward Drive

See also

References
  1. "History | Great Neck Park District, NY". www.gnparks.org. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  2. "U.S. TAKES OVER BEACH; Great Neck Park Area to Be Used by Marine Academy". The New York Times. 1942-09-17. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  3. Times, Joseph A. Mann Jr Special to The New York (1973-07-22). "Bonds to Buy Creek Park Voted in North Hempstead". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  4. Logan, Betti (June 15, 1977). "The Playhouse That Parents Built". Newsday – via ProQuest.
  5. Firstman, Richard C. (June 5, 1980). "Beach, Closed 34 Years By Pollution, Revived: Most-Polluted Beach Clears Up Officials consider reopening Steppingstone Park, closed to swimmers since 1946". Newsday – via ProQuest.
  6. Burghardt, Linda F. (2005-02-20). "Great Neck Squabbles Over Parkwood Pool". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  7. "Long Island Index: Interactive Map". www.longislandindexmaps.org. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  8. "Parks & Facilities | Great Neck Park District, NY". www.gnparks.org. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  9. "Dog Park". Great Neck Park District, NY. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  10. "Great Neck House". Great Neck Park District, NY. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  11. "Parking | Great Neck Park District, NY". www.gnparks.org. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
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