So I've learned that many random commodities and businesses have roots on Long Island. Although they may not lead to big pertinent "experiences" related to my project itself, each one has had its own unique influence and relevance to my personal experiences.
Just to clarify, yes Brooklyn and Queens are technically located on Long Island, but they are boroughs of New York City. Therefore, Nassau and Suffolk counties are usually what are referred to as "Long Island". And yes, it is a very expensive place to live. According to Business Insider, Nassau and Suffolk counties together make up the most expensive place to live in the United States.
Just to clarify, yes Brooklyn and Queens are technically located on Long Island, but they are boroughs of New York City. Therefore, Nassau and Suffolk counties are usually what are referred to as "Long Island". And yes, it is a very expensive place to live. According to Business Insider, Nassau and Suffolk counties together make up the most expensive place to live in the United States.
Long Island is home to 208, yes, 208, 7-Eleven locations. Moreover, four of the top-grossing 7-Eleven stores (out of 7,800+ in the US) are located in Suffolk County. If you couldn't tell already by the amount of delis and 'The Barn' drive-thrus, Long Islanders like convenience stores.
7-Eleven
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield met in 1963, during their 7th grade gym class in Merrick, New York (about 5 miles down the road from where I am!). Ben was introduced to the ice cream business during his senior year of high school prior to leaving for college. In 1977, Ben and John decided to go into the food business together, opening Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream Parlor in Burlington, VT. Ironically, the two first conceived the idea of going into the food industry as partners during that 7th grade gym class (but, also fitting for Long Island, they had talked about a bagel business). When deciding upon the location to open their ice cream shop, the two men agreed it must be in a college town; however, all of the 'warm' college towns already had an ice cream shop nearby, leading them to settle on Burlington. As made obvious by the extreme popularity of their ice cream today, their 7th grade ideas were those bound for success.
Unfortunately, and surprinsingly, there is not a Ben & Jerry's shop in their hometown of Merrick, NY! The closest location, besides the pints in the freezer sections of the grocery and convenience stores, is on the North Shore in Huntington.
Unfortunately, and surprinsingly, there is not a Ben & Jerry's shop in their hometown of Merrick, NY! The closest location, besides the pints in the freezer sections of the grocery and convenience stores, is on the North Shore in Huntington.
american Suburbia: Levittown
(*This is the town I lived in last summer)
The town is named after its planner, Abraham Levitt in 1947. Uniform houses lining the freshly created roads of previous farmland were built for veterans returning home from WWII and their families. After the war, there was a severe housing shortage. Thus, the communities the Levitts built (two others in New Jersey and Pennsylvania) were revolutionary, adding over 140,000 homes to the market. They developed a methodology to mass-produce homes, spaced 60 feet apart, constructing each in 27 explicit steps.
The town is named after its planner, Abraham Levitt in 1947. Uniform houses lining the freshly created roads of previous farmland were built for veterans returning home from WWII and their families. After the war, there was a severe housing shortage. Thus, the communities the Levitts built (two others in New Jersey and Pennsylvania) were revolutionary, adding over 140,000 homes to the market. They developed a methodology to mass-produce homes, spaced 60 feet apart, constructing each in 27 explicit steps.
Golf
Golf came to America through Long Island in 1891 when Shinnecock Hills opened in Southampton, making it the first golf course in the United States. Long Island is now home to many prestigious courses, and has hosted the US Open Championships eight times.
Repurposed: Doggy Mansion
| Many Gold Coast mansions from the Jazz-era have either been destroyed or restored for tours, parks, or event venues. One mansion, Coindre Hall, has been restored (hopefully more so internally than the external, which is still pretty rough), for use as a private event venue. Unlike other properties, however, the huge backyard overlooking Huntington Bay is now a public dog park. |