June 29, 2013 Wilfred Joseph

This is the last post of our Tour the Long Island Gold Coast Mansions.  There are some more of the amazing mansions on the Gold Coast of Nassau County that are open to the public. We continue the list in this week’s blog post.
Chelsea Mansion: This is ‘modest’ home has 40 rooms and was built in 1924. It is an excellent example of the leading architectural styles en vogue at the time. Not-to-be-missed: the moat!
Mill Neck Manor: This property continues to serve a purpose as a primary facility run by the Lutheran Friends of the Deaf.

Mill Neck Manor. Photo Credit: Newsday/Bill Davis
Mill Neck Manor. Photo Credit: Newsday/Bill Davis

It has a state-of-the-art Deaf Education Center, Early Childhood Center, community audiology center and facility as well as administrative offices where work is done to serve those who are deaf all over the world. This 86-acre estate also includes the historic Sefton Manor House and formal sunken gardens.
Cedarmere: This charming property is dwarfed by its neighbors and is slightly older. Originally the home of American poet William Cullen Bryant, he lived here for over 30 years, until his death in 1878. The property was bequeathed by his family to Nassau County as memorial to Bryant. Enjoy a Gothic-style mill and adorable stone bridge over a small pond.
Planting Fields Arboretum State Park: This was the home of Standard Oil heiress Mai Rodgers Coe. Enjoy the Camellia House, which contains the largest collection of flowering camellia bushes in the Northeast.
The de Seversky Center: This Georgian neo-calssical mansion was commissioned in 1816 by the inventor and philanthropist Alfred I. DuPont. Its name come from the famous Russian aviator Alexander P. de Seversky.

Lodging for your Travels on Long Island

Our Bed and Breakfast is located in the heart of beautiful and scenic Long Island wine country. In our semi-rural locale, you can walk to the beach, partake in the local farmer’s market and avoid the crowds. Escape from overpriced and pretentious areas of the island – you won’t regret it!
 



June 16, 2013 Wilfred Joseph

When visiting New York, tour the Gold Coast Mansions in Long Island. The homes of the Gold Coast will transport you to the opulent palaces of Europe. Grand entrances, even grander staircases, tinkling chandeliers and ballrooms fit for Gatsby-esque parties are what you will find in these mansions. Today, these lavish mansions’ gates are open to the public, allowing we commoners to tour the interiors, stroll in the gardens and step back into another era in the American story.

Nassau County Gold Coast History

The Gold Coast was coined during the Gilded Age. Estates with ornate designs and gardens were the weekend and summer homes of the wealthy East Coast elite. Some of their owners included Morgan, Woolworth, Chrysler, Vanderbilt, and Phipps. Their lifestyles and parties are legendary.

Castle Gould at the Sand Point Preserve. Photo by Mate J Horvath.
Castle Gould at the Sand Point Preserve. Photo by Mate J Horvath.

Indeed, F. Scott Fitzgerald captured the spirit of the Gilded Age in his classic American novel, “The Great Gatsby,” which fictionalized Kings Point and Sands Point as West Egg and East Egg.

Tour the Gold Coast Mansions in Long Island Open to the Public

Sagamore Hill National Historic Site: From 1902 to 1908 Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United States and this was the “Summer White House.” He lived there until his death in 1919 and the interior remains exactly the same as it was during his lifetime.
Old Westbury Gardens: Tour the Charles II style mansion where the family of John S and Margarita Phipps lived for 50 years. The property is 160 acres and includes renowned gardens, lawns, woods, ponds, lakes and over 100 species of trees.
Sands Point Park and Preserve: This park includes three castle-like mansions: Hempstead House, Castle Gould and Falaise. Falaise was built by Harry S. Guggenheim and it a unique structure with think walls, steeply pitched roofs and a round tower that reminds one of where Rapunzel was kept.
Come back later in the month for additional Gold Coast villas to explore!

Lodging for Your Long Island Adventure

Our bed and breakfast is perfectly situated for day tripping all over Long Island. Located in the scenic North Fork Wine Region, we hope you will come and explore the island and its history!
 
 
 



June 1, 2013 Wilfred Joseph

By the end of June on the North Fork of Long Island, the strawberry crops are reaching their peak. These little red berries are so full of flavor they seem ready to burst with ruby-red juice.
On Father’s Day weekend, at the peak of the strawberry harvest, the Mattituck Lions Club hosts a very special celebration. The Mattituck Strawberry Festival  2013 is the 59th annual festival in village that has just seen the Mattituck firemen’s barbeque.  The festival offers a delicious, healthy and wholesome way to experience the North Fork of Long Island and raise money for local non-profits. Join in the fun, June 13-16, 2013, also the weekend of Wilfred’s birthday.
Eat strawberry shortcake, nibble strawberries dipped in chocolate, try strawberries any way you like them! Enjoy live music and find out what over 100 arts and crafts vendors have in store for you.
Get in on the small-town fun as the new Strawberry Queen is crowned and take a ride on the Ferris wheel in the Midway. Taste foods from around the world, along with as-local-as-you-can-get strawberries. The fun keeps going after the sun sets, so bring lawn chairs and enjoy the fireworks display Friday evening.
Other fun activities include:
• Raffle
• Coloring Contest DisplayMattituck-Strawberry-Festival
• Local Business Vendors
• Games of Chance
• Tourist Information
• Strawberry Pie
• Used Eyeglass donation center

Mattituck Strawberry Festival 2013 Entertainment Lineup

Here are some of the artists performing at the Festival. See the full lineup on the Strawberry Festival website.
Friday, June 14
Southbound
Saturday, June 15
Miles to DaytonRob Eurpoe
Who are Those Guys?
Sunday, June 16
Robert Bruley
Liz Coppola
Don Bracken
Jeanette Russell
Second Hands

Lodging on the North Fork of Long Island

Just 20 minutes up the island from Mattituck is our bed and breakfast. Enjoy the stunning and scenic region around Greenport, where our B&B Inn is located. We are within walking distance from the ocean and at the heart of Long Island wine country. Come and stay with us, celebrate Wilfred’s birthday and enjoy unparalleled hospitality!