View from the Park Bench in Great Neck

By Robin Gorman Newman

I am not a Long Island native. I was born/raised in Fresh Meadows, Queens, but when I got married, we settled in Great Neck because my husband was already living here. He, too, was originally from Queens….Bayside…..but bought a 1 bedroom in Great Neck within walking distance from the LIRR and town. He was pretty happy in this community. I, as well, came to enjoy Great Neck, and when we decided to have a family, we went house hunting and after an arduous search for some three years, we wound up in a section called University Gardens. We found our dream ranch, and it’s been a work-in-progress ever since. As most home owners will say, there is always something to be done.

Our son recently turned five, and loves our home and Great Neck. He will be entering kindergarten this fall, and I’m now on a quest to potentially get involved with the PTA at his upcoming school. You can never connect enough with other moms, and it’s always great to befriend new people.

It’s funny. When I first moved to Great Neck, and we talked about becoming parents, I didn’t give any thought as to what the town offered for children, other than knowing it has a good school district, which was important. But, especially now, that my son has become a busy, social boy, I am grateful for the different classes, etc. that are available here. But, in particular, I have become a huge fan of the parks.

Great Neck has some of the best parks on Long Island (in my opinion)…and quite a few of them. And, I’ve come to know most of them and to recognize the distinct points of each. Some have more shade than others. Some have more benches. Some are more intimate, allowing you to easily watch your child from various angles. Some have great toddler areas. Some have a lot of sand, that kids enjoy digging in. Some have sprinklers that are great for the dog days of summer. Some have bicycle paths. Some have ball fields. Some have easy parking. Some have gazebos. Some hold concerts or show movies. Some have picnic tables. Some have great climbing structures. Most attract ice cream trucks, which my son relishes. I’ve learned the hard way that not all have bathrooms….but they’re thankfully working on that.

One of my favorite parks is Allenwood. I always run into moms I know there, and it’s a welcoming social scene. My son navigates it like a pro, and I have my regular bench spot. It’s a pleasure having a park like this in my backyard, and we count on it especially on sunny days when my son doesn’t have a playdate. I bring my reading material when I don’t plan to meet up with a designated mom. Me and Oprah magazine settle in, and being a writer, I often think it would be a cool place to bring my laptop. But, since I’m always carting Seth’s huge bag of digging toys, snacks, and his bicycle, I don’t have enough hands for everything.

We’re also really lucky because aside from Allenwood Park, there is a community pool in the neighborhood where we live. And, it is a G-dsend. We pay a membership fee, and it is so worth it. It is like having your own personal pool. It is clean and well-staffed, and the life guards are terrific…very important since Seth doesn’t swim as yet…though he will tell you he does. And, he aspires to one day be a life guard, when he’s not aspiring to be a fireman or paramedic, so we plan to work on his swimming this summer, and he will be going to camp. But, again, having this pool available to us isn’t something I thought of when we chose this community. We just hit the jackpot, in that sense. And, friends we have brought to the pool as guests have agreed. Seth particularly loves the pizza nights they offer, after a hard days work helping the lifeguards.

So….all in all….we embrace life in Great Neck, particularly in the summer. And, if you’re not familiar with it….I urge you to pay a visit. It’s an easy and quick ride on the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station. And, there are loads of cool stores and good restaurants within walking distance to explore. And, when you tire from all the shopping and eating, you can stroll over to one of my parks, take your shoes/socks off, and chill in the shade.

Robin Gorman Newman is founder of Motherhood Later...Than Sooner, a nationwide resource/community for those embarking on parenthood at age 35+.