Vanderbilt Cup Races

A view of Fresh Meadows looking North East at the LIMP terminus. The North Hempstead Turnpike and 73rd Avenue Motor Parkway Bridges can be seen in the photo taken sometime around 1950/51 and probably part of the Thomas Airviews aerials series.
The NY Life Insurance Company constructed the apartment complex on the old Fresh Meadows Country Club property in 1946 bounded by Horace Harding Blvd on the North and Francis Lewis Blvd. to the West.
This photo, complex and entire area was well documented by mystery photo #2 on January 15th, 2018.

https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mystery_friday_foto_2_an_aerial_of_the_motor_parkway_right_of_way_in_queens

Looking northeast towards Little Neck Bay this is a view of the Fresh Meadows apartment complex bordered by 188th St.,Horace Harding Boulevard,Francis Lewis Boulevard,and 73rd Ave. The North Hempstead Turnpike and 73rd Ave. bridges over the defunct Motor Parkway are visible. The Kissena Corridor Park is under development. The apartment complex was built on the site of a golf course which hosted - I believe - the US Open;the grove of trees in the middle of the complex is a remnant of the course. This picture probably dates to the early 1950’s.

Fresh Meadows, Queens.  Photographer looking northeast.
Union Turnpike, 73rd Ave., Horace Harding Blvd. (North Hempstead Turnpike).
North Hemstead Turnpike and 73rd Ave. Bridges.
Fresh Meadows Housing Development, originally built by New York Life Insurance Company in 1947 on the grounds of the Fresh Meadows Golf Club.
1930 PGA Championship (see article from the NY Times of Sept. 7, 1930) and the 1932 U.S. Open (see screen shots from You Tube video clips).
1950/1951 - apartment complex, bridges intact .

1932 U.S. Open video clip showing more of the Fresh Meadows Golf Club
https://youtu.be/DREZDPMZmaI

I grew up on the other side of what was Horace Harding Blvd. I can see PS 162 at the intersection of 201 St. and 53rd Ave. I lived at 51st Ave and 199th St in a newly built house which is not shown. Given that we moved into it in June, 1953, with construction of the homes in the area taking about one year, the view looking Northeast is most likely from the early 1950s. Indeed, the overpass for the Motor Pkwy over what was N. Hempstead Tpke is visible. I used to start my bike rides on the Motor Pkwy at the point where it is today; south of what became PS 179 and its playground/park. The view shows the two hi-rises, which were the originals; the third hi-rise opened in 1964. And construction of what became the LIE through Fresh Meadows didn’t start until 1957-58, which I remember well. As for the sporting events, the only one I know of was the U.S. Open for the PGA at the original Fresh Meadows CC, which was bought by NY Life to build Fresh Meadows just after the War.  Nothing but vacant parcels are shown at the NW corner of the intersection between Horace Harding Blvd., Francis Lewis Blvd and Hollis Ct Blvd. The huge Penn Fruit supermarket opened in 1958 as part of a small shopping center, which included “Friendly Frost,” an appliance store chain where, among other things, window air-conditioners were sold. Four years later in 1962, both the Blue Bay Diner and Bishop Reilly (today’s St. Francis Prep) opened. Thanks for the trip home.

We are looking northeast over Fresh Meadows in Queens with Cunningham Park on the right. Major roads include Nassau Blvd. (Horace Harding Blvd.), 73rd. Avenue, Union Tpke., 75th. Avenue, Francis Lewis Blvd. The LIMP structures are the 2 bridges over the old North Hempstead Tpke. and 73rd. Avenue. The complex is the Fresh Meadows Apartments. This complex was previously the location of the Fresh Meadow Country Club, the site of the 1932 US Open and 1930 PGA golf championships. Since it looks like the apartments have either just opened or are almost ready to open, the date should be around 1949.

Obviously the article attached to my comment was an incorrect attachment.  Watch for this in an upcoming Kleiner’s Korner.

At the top of the photo is Douglaston, Little Neck Bay, Bayside, Bayside Gardens and the Oakland Golf Course that soon would become the site of Queensborough Community College. (A cousin of mine was golf pro there in the 1930s.) I live in the middle garden apartment building on Horace Harding just off Francis Lewis. The easternmost of the buildings (including garages) were acquired by use of eminent domain and razed for the Clearview Expressway. The houses on the streets between 204th and 207th Streets were physically moved to other lots.

Correction: I meant Bayside Hills, not Gardens.