Garden City, New York

Garden City, New York is a village located in Nassau County, New York in the USA. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 21,672.

History

Garden City is second to only Rockville Centre, NY, in terms of best people, biggest houses, and amount of minorities living in the town. In general, Garden City is second place to RVC.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the 1860's, Scottish-born multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart bought the then relatively unpopulated Hempstead Plains, and in 1868 founded the Village of Garden City. The village was created as an upscale community for those seeking respite from New York City. The main attraction of the community was its McKim, Mead and White-designed The Garden City Hotel (which exists to this day as Long Island's most exclusive hotel, albeit in a more modern form) as well as its many fine Victorian homes, which still exist in the village's Central Section. It is considered the first planned suburb in the United States.

Related Topics:
Alexander Turney Stewart - McKim, Mead and White - The Garden City Hotel - Suburb

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Long Island Rail Road offers convienent and speedy transit to and from New York City. Within the Garden City limits are five LIRR stations: Merelon Avenue, Stewart Manor, Nassau Boulevard, Garden City and Country Life Press. The recent threat of expansion on the LIRR's "main line," has concerned many Village residents. The reason for the high concentration of train stations in Garden City, can be accredited to Alexander T. Stewart's vision of a village public transportation network, known as: Stewart's Central Railroad of Long Island.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the death of Alexander Turney Stewart in 1876, his wife, Cornelia, continued to improve the village, founding the St. Paul's Schoolfor boys, St. Mary's School for girls, a Bishop's Residance and the gothic Cathedral of the Incarnation, which is to today the center of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, as well as the final resting place of Alexander Turney and Cornelia Stewart. St. Mary's school was demolished in the late 1990's, the land being sold to private developers. Six luxury homes now stand where St. Mary's used to be. St. Paul's is a constant debate point for Village residents, as they are unsure of what to do with the building. The Cathedral of the Incarnation is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renevation, which should be completed by 2012.

Related Topics:
St. Paul's School - Cathedral of the Incarnation - Episcopal Diocese of Long Island

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Cornelia Stewart died in 1886, her heirs formed the Garden City Company, to continue the development of the village.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The early village did well due to its proximity to Hempstead, at that time the commercial center of Long Island.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1915, the Village of Garden City merged with the Village of Garden City Estates to its west, to form the Incorporated Village of Garden City.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the 1920's, the community continued to grow, with housing constructing mainly in the Colonial and Tudor styles occurring largely in Garden City Estates as well as the Eastern Section of Garden City (including the Mott Section, developed by the heirs to the Mott Apple Juice fortune), spurred by the relocation of Doubleday & Company's publishing headquarters to Garden City at this time, as well as easy access to the now defunct Long Island Motor Parkway, one of the first expressways in the United States, which provided quick access between Jamaica and Lake Ronkonkoma.

Related Topics:
Colonial - Tudor - Doubleday & Company - Long Island Motor Parkway - Jamaica - Lake Ronkonkoma

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1929 Adelphi University moved its campus to its present 76 acre campus in Garden City. Also in 1929, Charles Lindbergh departed on his famous Transatlantic Flight from an airport that is now the site of the shopping mall Roosevelt Field in Garden City. Housing construction slowed after the 1929 stock market crash.

Related Topics:
Adelphi University - Charles Lindbergh - Roosevelt Field

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During World War II, the airfield of Mitchell Field in the far east of Garden City was used by the airforce. Today, it is the present site of a military base,Nassau Community College, home to the Long Island Children's Museum, Sony IMAX theater and the Cradle of Aviation Museum.

Related Topics:
World War II - Nassau Community College

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After World War II, following a trend of urban flight to the suburbs, Garden City continued to grow. Post War construction filled out the present borders of Garden City with many split and ranch style homes, with construction occurring in the far eastern, northern and western sections of the town. The Waldorf School of Garden City was founded in 1947 (one of the first Waldorf Schools in the United States), originally as a part of Adelphi University. The village's public high school was also constructed during this time.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the 1970's, the old Garden City Hotel declared bankruptcy, and subsequently closed. The hotel was later demolished, and unfortunately Garden City lost one of its grandest and most historical landmarks. A new Garden City Hotel was constructed in addition to some luxury condiminums on the previous site of the old Garden City Hotel.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the 1980's, the St. Paul's School also closed and in 1993 was purchased by the Village of Garden City. Recently, the Village voted to designate St. Paul's and it's property as "park land." Although still a controversial topic among Village politics, hopefully this new designation will help find a use for the classic Gothic-style building.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the late 1980's, 1990's and early 2000's, the village's downtown area on Seventh Street, New Hyde Park Road and Franklin Avenue benefitted from a renewal campaign and some new construction. Formally known as the "Fifth Avenue of Long Island," many upscale department stores moved from Franklin Avenue to the Roosevelt Feild Mall. Today, Franklin Avenue is living up to it's new nick-name as the "Wall Street of Long Island," being the home to many banks and investment firms. In addition to this, several luxury restaurants have opened in recent years along this majestic avenue.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~