Sam & Dave’s “Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day”- #3 Searingtown
Our favorite Motor Parkway father and son team Dave and Sammy Russo journeyed once again on their bikes to explore our favorite parkway from Lake Success to Melville. In the third of our new series, Sammy and Dave explored the Searingtown section of the Motor Parkway from Shelter Rock Road to Searingtown Road.
The Russo series helps to document the current condition of the Motor Parkway, while uncovering several new surprises. Super job!
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
2019 Vanderbilt Day
March 30, 2019
Dave Russo :
So we did it yesterday. After a one year hiatus, Sam and I resumed our annual Vanderbilt Day tradition.
What better starting point than the Deepdale Mansion in Lake Success, William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s residence in the early 1900s. The home is still standing, just steps off of the Motor Parkway. I'm sure not by coincidence.
Moving west to east as always, we traveled 18 miles by bike from Lake Success to the Maxess Road Bridge in Melville We had a great time!
East of Shelter Rock Road there is some strange sign -- not really sure what this means! Only joking!
This section of LIMP was never this difficult to travel. It seems like LIPA is not using this at all anymore, it gets very thick as you head towards IU Willets Road.
Road pieces remain throughout.
More.
Approaching where the IU Willets Road bridge was....this was REALLY annoying getting out of here with the bikes. The bamboo is not easy to move around!
looking at the former bridge location from the east
a lonely post in someone's backyard
- speaking of lonely posts, the Searingtown Road bridge post remnant remains
Comments
Attention to Dave Russo: Comments on your last report.
1./ The sign: is old and it is a notification that it is private property and you are
trespassing ...............
2./ LIPA Use of Property: Look over your head and tell us that they are not using
the property formerly the LIMP.
Ron Ridolph
Ron—-perhaps not so obviously although I thought it was and most would understand….that first pic is a joke! We have NEVER disturbed anybody’s property and never will. Whenever a situation has arisen we have knocked on doors and asked permission and have always gotten great interaction.
Understood there are LIPA poles. My point is In the past when we have travelled this section it was maintained. The grass / weeds were cut. More road was visible. The area by the IU Willets Rd bridge is especially overgrown.
Russo Team, all you need to do is view your 2015 images of this section. Would have no problem driving the patrol truck towards the double wood poles at the end. Used to joke that I should drive a Sherman Tank thru these ROWS to tame the growth. Have to say that PSEG is doing a fine job of trimming away from the wires.
I appreciate that Howard has excellent images of the LIMP section near Old Homestead La ( Magid Family ) This section was intact until the mid 1990’s. New homes were built smack on the ROW.
Thank you for the nice pictures Dave and Sam! I think that bridge post is very cool. It would be fun to see whatever else is buried nearby.
Thanks for sharing these adventures with the rest of us….
Great photos Sam and Dave, thanks for sharing. I really appreciated them as its been a while since I walked this section, do not remember seeing the chain link fence. Don"t think it was put up by PSEG.
Great job Sam &Dave;! .I also explore different locations of the the old Motor parkway with some of my buddies looking for some remnants.Especially from Lakeville road and east.What I enjoy is the use of the interactive GPS map thats on the Vanderbilt races site.Have a great Easter and Passover everyone! God bless. Gene Perry
Brian—-absolutely….see attached pics from 2015 and how much more maintained this section was.
And I have seen those old pics of the LIMP just west of Old Searingtown Road what is not Old Homestead Road—the Magid family pics—I really wish I would have been able to see this. Amazing that the LIMP was so in tact in this area as this is a very developed location and to just have the road remnants like that must have been amazing.
Dave - I see what you mean about this section. Those first few photos is a time portal back 100 years. The Roaring Twenties once again!
Great walk down memory lane. Walking home from Herricks Junior High (remember when), my friends and I “hung out” at the 3 foot eastern wall that stood over old Searingtown Rd on our way home. What the hell did we know about this historic road back in ‘61!!! Bob Andreocci