| Great Neck Park District | |
| Type: | Park district |
| Seal: | Great Neck Park District Logo.png |
| Seal Size: | 120 px |
| Formed: | August 14, 1916 |
| Headquarters: | 65 Arrandale Avenue, Great Neck, New York 11024 |
| Website: | https://www.gnparks.org/ |
| Map: | Great_Neck_Park_District_Map_Wikipedia.png |
| Status: | Active |
The Great Neck Park District (also known as Great Neck Parks and abbreviated as GNPD) is a park district serving much of the Great Neck Peninsula of Nassau County, on Long Island, New York, United States. It is the oldest park district in the State of New York and is headquartered a 65 Arrandale Avenue, in the Village of Great Neck.
The Great Neck Park District was established on August 14, 1916, by Great Neck resident Roswell Eldridge.[1] It was created only a few months after a law was passed by lawmakers in Albany allowing towns to establish park districts; the Great Neck Park District was the first such district of its type to be established anywhere in the State of New York.
In 1942, the Great Neck Park District gave some of its public beach in Kings Point to the United States government for the United States Merchant Marine Academy.[2]
In 1973, the Town of North Hempstead gave approval for the Great Neck Park District to purchase Creek Park through a $270,000 (1973 USD) bond.[3] The park, which has a total size of roughly 2.5acres, was purchased from a private developer and created a greenbelt connecting Cutter Mill Park and the Russell Gardens Park (the latter being owned by the Russell Gardens Association).
In 1977, community parents came together to construct an indoor play facility for children in an abandoned locker room at Steppingstone Park.[4] The equipment installed during the project, which was hand-crafted, painted, and assembled by the locals, included a boat (named the USS Boat) and a rocket ship. Each room was painted by the locals with unique themes and murals related to that theme. The materials cost around $1,800 (1977 USD); parents volunteered with the assembly and painting of the playhouse facilities.
In the 1980s, the beach at Steppingstone Park reopened.[5] It had been closed for over 30 years due to pollution in the Long Island Sound caused by sewage plants operated by the City of New York.
In the 2000s, the Great Neck Park District renovated Parkwood Pool.[6] The renovations included creating a water park.
The Great Neck Park District serves the following communities in Great Neck:[7]
Additionally, the Great Neck Park District serves the area of Spinney Hill in Manhasset zoned for the Great Neck Union Free School District.
The Great Neck Park District operates the following parks and recreational facilities:[8] [9] [10]
The Great Neck Park District operates a dog park on Colonial Road.
The Great Neck Park District operates the following commuter parking fields serving the Long Island Rail Road's Great Neck station:[11]
Additionally, the Great Neck Parks District operates the Great Neck House. This facility serves as a cultural venue, and often provides park district residents with activities such as movies and live performances.