Town Focus: Day 1 in Great Neck

Over the next five days, I will be exploring the sites of Great Neck, an incorporated village on the North Shore of Long Island. I will also be spending as much time as I can in the surrounding communities of Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza and Great Neck Gardens.

Today, I’ll be meeting Ralph Kreitzman, the mayor of Great Neck Village, at Village Hall to discuss the character of Great Neck and the surrounding communities.

I will also be capturing sites and people around town with my video camera, in preparation to put together a historical documentary on Great Neck.

Later in the week, I’m meeting Alice Kasten, president of the Great Neck Historical Society and Leila Mattson, the head reference librarian at the Great Neck Library. I will also be at the last concert of Great Neck Plaza’s 2012 Summer Concert Series at Jonathan L. lelpi Firefighters Park on Tuesday. I’m also going to check out the Great Neck Farmers’ Market on Thursday.

In between exploring the community and meeting new people, I will be searching out some of the nearest historic sites like the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point; the Grace Building, built in 1914; the Ben Rehbuhn House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; Saddle Road Grist Mill, built in 1715, the oldest operating, but recently restored, tidal grist mill in the country; Steppingstone Park; and lastly, the Thomaston Building, built in 1926.

If there are any sites that you would like me to see, feel free to get in touch with me at any point throughout the week. And as always, give me a heads up on where to eat lunch and dinner.

As the week progresses, please, feel free to reach out to me via email, Twitter or the comments below.