Things To Do On Long Island (New York, Hempstead: townhouse, neighborhood, movies)

[NDL]

Surprised, and grateful, for the wealth of information that's been presented on this forum, I thought I'd present a question of my own:

Are there any points of interest, or things to do, that only old time locals know about?

We have a wealth of parks on Long Island, Gold Coast Estates, etc., although that's not what I am referring to.

I'm thinking of places like the now defunct Johnny's Car Hop. Are there any other gems like these? Not necessarily restaurants per-se, but things of yesteryear; things that made the 'old' Long Island, home?

Thanks in advance

[OvertaxedOnLI]

A number of things come to mind immediately, but first could you clarify the question: Are you asking for (a) things available nowadays to do on LI, (b) things we used to do in the past, that made LI special to us, or (c) things we used to do or go to in the past and can still enjoy today?

For me, one "c" item is the New York Islanders (alright, Rangers fans, hold off on the fishstick-throwing for a few moments, please! ). I grew up not far from the Coliseum and was a real "rink rat" as a kid. As soon as I got my drivers' license I'd invent all kinds of fictional errands on game nights ("gotta go to the library to work on my special English project, Mom!") just so that I could attend even part of a home game. I was one of those who lined Hempstead Turnpike for the Stanley Cup parades. The team was, and is, so thoroughly identified with Long Island that even if I had to permanently relocate halfway across the world tomorrow, they'll always remain the quintessential 'hometown team' (no matter what I may think of some of its ownership or management foibles, past or present). Although I don't go to games as often as I used to (for many years we had season tickets but sadly the pricing nowadays has forced some more realistic "budget prioritizing" in my household), as soon as I walk into that arena I feel like the same kid who snuck out of the house to watch Mike Bossy and Billy Smith play. Even nicer is that so many of those great players are still with the organization.

I'll be sorry if/when they do tear the Coliseum down (much like the fans felt about the old Boston Garden and Maple Leaf Gardens arenas, I'm sure). I know all the arguments, etc., but those of us who care more for the team and the game rather than the glitziness of its surroundings will miss the old place and its memories!

[momix5]

I am a native Long Islander, I think one of the biggest problems of today is that there is no where for the teenagers to go. We had so much more 20 -25 years ago, drive ins, rollerskating, flea markets, just more places to go, instead of hanging in the street, I feel sorry for the teenagers today. Is there anywhere in the US that this exists?

[OvertaxedOnLI]

I admit to having done my share of "hanging out on the street" as a kid/young teen ... "the street" being our immediate neighborhood, though, not the city.

Thinking back on some of the things my friends and I used to do on LI, some are still available and others not:
* Rollerskating (are there any rinks left? To be honest I don't know, though I know of at least two that are gone: Levittown and Bay Shore)
* Ice skating (still available)
* Movies (naturally, still here)
* Places like Jahns Ice Cream Parlor are, sadly, gone.
* Miniature golf (a few left, though not nearly as many as there used to be)
* Parks (still here)
* Clamming (as a summer job? Practically gone)
* Boating, waterskiiing (if your family, or a friend's, has a boat; still here)
* The beach (of course, still here)
* Horseback riding (still available)
* Swimming at the local community pools (are they still around? One would hope so, though nowadays so many people have pools at home than back then)
* Tennis at the local school's or community courts (still around)
* Playing badminton or volleyball in someone's backyard (still done, I hope!)
* Bowling (still available)
* Fishing (still available)
* Organized community sports such as Little League, PAL hockey, etc (still here)
* Street hockey (still alive and well)
* Sunday football games in any open space, usually at one of the elementary schools (until you got chased away )
* Golf driving range (I know of two; there must still be more?)
* Going to Adventureland in Farmingdale (still there)
* Going to Nunley's Happyland (also known as "The Jolly Roger" by the locals) on Hemptead Tpke and Route 106 in Wantagh/Levittown, to shoot skee-ball, ride bumpercars and the carousel, and play pinball (Sadly, long gone...)
* Cruising and drag racing down Hempstead Tpke and similar roadways (still done, I'm sure!)
* Going to the Freeport arena (again, name escapes me) for the stock car races and the Demolition Derby (gone)
* There was a quartermile racetrack out east, as well -- I should know the name, but don't; sorry, Senior Moment again -- which I think is still there.
* Roosevelt Raceway, to watch the trotters (gone)
* Belmont Park, to watch the thoroughbreds (still there)

One thing we did NOT have, or at least had a lot fewer of, is indoor shopping malls. There was Roosevelt Field and the one in Hicksville (the old name escapes me) but they were nothing like what's there today.

[Viralmd]

You can go to Manhattan!

[NYer]

Here are a few:
Ice skating on the pond off 25A in Cold Spring Harbor by St. John's church

Hanging out at OHEKA castle (ooops- can't do that now- you have to go to a swanky catered event to get in!)... here's what you do... drive west on Jericho past the Huntington Townhouse... as you come up over the hills you will see Oheka on the north side, rising up like a fairytale castle out of nowhere, & then disappearing behind the trees again...

Climb up Jayne's Hill, the highest point on LI

take a scenic drive hrough West Hills, between Northern Sate, the mall, & Jericho... it is Walt Whitman's old stomping grounds, many historical homes remain, and there are lots of horses to see, too. You will feel like you have stepped back 100 years or more, it is so peaceful there.

kayaking around the Huntington beaches

[OvertaxedOnLI]

Can't believe I omitted these from my previous list:

* The Route 110 Drive-In (as momix5 mentioned) (closed quite some years ago). After the movie, we'd go to one of the
* A&W Root Beer locations. They had carside service, and along with fried clams on a roll (best I've ever tasted) you'd get draft rootbeer in an ice-encrusted glass mug. The last "carhop" type of A&W restaurant closed in the late 1970s I believe (it was on Route 27A in Lindenhurst or thereabouts).
* Feed the ducks at the pond in the Village of Stony Brook (still here; the village and the duckpond)
* Sledding during the winter at any of the parks, many of the golf courses (again, until you got chased! ) or, much less safely, down the hills created by the parkway entrance and exit ramps (all still done)
* Hayrides at places like Old Bethpage Village and Old Westbury Gardens (still done, I think.. it's been awhile)

As you can see from my main list, most of the things we did as teenagers are still available (not all, but most). IMHO the difference is that we didn't have the "mall scene" or home video games or computers. There's no reason that young people today can't do most of the things we did at their age, except that by and large they prefer to be doing those three things instead. If we'd had those things in the 50s and 60s, would we have acted differently? Good question!

Even as adults, how many of us LI'ers still take advantage of all the things there are to do and see here? Or if we do, how often? Not as often as we should or could, IMO. I'm as guilty as the rest, because if I were to shut off my computer, walk out my door, around the corner and to the end of that street (about 2000 ft, more or less), I could sit down on a small beach and enjoy the spectacular view of the bay. Collect shells, enjoy the breeze (well, not in today's temperatures but you know what I mean). Gorgeous, relaxing, inspiring, etc etc etc. and it's all right there! And when was the last time I did that? Probably one day last April. Maybe even longer than that? I honestly can't remember. And why haven't I? Because "stuff" and "life" happens and we don't think about the things that are right in front of us to enjoy. Too distracted by all the other stuff.

My point (sorry for rambling) being that IMHO it's not that there's nothing for young people to do here anymore: It's that they choose to hang out at the mall, or online, or playing Nintendo or Playstation or XBox instead, and they get into the rut of doing those things instead of the alternatives. Just like I've gotten into the rut of being online instead of taking that walk down to the beach. "Doh"

[Callie_D]

OvertaxedOnLi-the mall in Hicksville used to be called Mid Island Plaza, then became Broadway Mall. (I grew up in Levittown). Spent a lot of time in my teenage years at the Levittown Roller Rink and always went to Jahn's after....The good old days!.........

[OvertaxedOnLI]

Mid Island Plaza... that's it! Thanks so much -- I just couldn't dig out that name from the musty recesses of my brain!

I grew up in East Meadow, so Jahn's was like a second home to us! Remember The Kitchen Sink? Though my favorite was the Blue Blazer, when they soaked the sugar cube in alcohol and brought it to your table flaming. And for a drink, a Black Cow of course. Or a Vanilla Egg Cream.

Remember Shor's and Dave Shor's?

[Callie_D]

I remember all those things! You really cracked me up when you mentioned Jolly Rogers, I haven't thought about that in years! How about the Westbury Drive In? I saw the originial Night of The Living Dead movie there when I was about 10 (older sister drove). Those were some good times!