Then and now: Long Island through the years

Islip Speedway

Cars that had seen better days compete at Islip Speedway in 1984. Widely considered the birthplace of the demolition derby, the now-defunct track opened in 1947, hosting races (including a number of NASCAR competitions) at its location along Freeman Avenue until it closed in 1984.

Today, the area along Freeman Avenue in Islip that once held the Islip Speedway track is an industrial park, most notably featuring a Gold's Gym, pictured. Some of the former Speedway grounds remain unused, although it's hard to visually determine that a racetrack ever existed at this location.

Levittown homes

This aerial photo shows new Levittown homes in 1948. This view looks northwest from Wolcott Road on the bottom right to Newbridge Road on the top left.

This 2012 photo matches Newsday photographer Cliff DeBear's 1948 photo of the Levittown homes.

'Fire Island Queen'

Fire Island Ferries' "Fire Island Queen" docks at Maple Avenue in Bay Shore with a Memorial Day holiday crowd on May 30, 1951.

People board the "Fire Island Queen" at the Fire Island Ferries terminal in Bay Shore on July 28, 2011.

Pizza D'Amore

On March 13, 1971, pizza cost 25 cents a slice at Pizza D'Amore in the Mid-Island Shopping Plaza in Hicksville.

Mid-Island Shopping Plaza is now Broadway Mall, and while Pizza D'Amore is no more, the California-based Blaze Pizza chain is around. Don't bother running in for a quick slice, though. Blaze Pizza, in the word of Newsday's staff foodies, "features an interactive assembly-line style (a la Chipotle) of building-your-own 11-inch artisanal pie."

Riverhead Raceway

Drivers compete at Riverhead Raceway on July 13, 1985. The track was built in 1949.

Riverhead Raceway has outlasted the likes of Islip Speedway and Bridgehampton Race Circuit and is the only place to watch live auto racing on Long Island. This action is from Aug. 20, 2011.

Huntington Townhouse

The exterior of the Huntington Townhouse on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington on July 28, 1975.

The Huntington Townhouse closed in 2007. Lowe's initially purchased the property for a reported $35 million, but canceled plans to build a store on the property fourth months after breaking ground in 2011. Target bought the land in 2012 and opened a store there a year later.

Downtown Huntington

Royal L. Green of Huntington holds a 1905 photograph of the northeast corner of Wall and Main streets in Huntington at the same location on July 25, 1963.

Courtney Maitland-White, of England, holds the 1963 photo of Royal L. Green at the same street corner -- the intersection of Wall and Main streets in Huntington -- on Aug. 4, 2016.

Huntington LIRR station

On Nov. 10, 1965, few commuters waited at the Huntington LIRR station. It was the day after the Great Northeast Blackout, and trains were still not running on schedule.

The Huntington train station as seen on Aug. 4, 2016.

Roosevelt Field

Air Force mechanic trainees stationed at Roosevelt Field in Garden City march back to their classes after a flying demonstration by famed World War l aviator, Major Al Williams on Aug. 18, 1943.

The former airfield and U.S. Army training ground closed in 1951. It now boasts Long Island's largest mall, Roosevelt Field, shown here on Jan. 28, 2016.

Glen Cove and Old Country roads

Friday evening rush hour at the intersection of Glen Cove and Old Country roads on Aug. 13, 1982.

The intersection, shown here on July, 26, 2016, remains as busy as ever.

Baumert's Confectionery and Luncheonette

Baumert's Confectionery and Luncheonette at 94 Deer Park Ave. in Babylon on Sept. 10, 1967.

The location now houses Masa Asian Cuisine, known for its sushi burrito.

Jack-in-the-Box Hamburgers

The Jack-in-the-Box fast food chain still exists today, but not at this location on East Main Street and Montauk Highway in Patchogue, as seen on May 20, 1972.

The old hamburger joint in Patchogue has since been turned into a Colombian eatery called Mi Tierrita Restaurant.

Amityville Theatre

The Amityville Theatre on Broadway in Amityville, seen here on Oct. 6, 1983, shortly after closing for business.

The theater has since been converted into a three-story office building.

Argyle Lake Park

Argyle Lake Park in the Village of Babylon on Aug. 21, 1967.

The park has maintained much of its natural beauty and remains a popular outdoor destination in Babylon.

Westbury Drive-In

The Westbury Drive-In, shown here in 1996, opened in 1953 and provided entertainment for 45 years before closing in 1998. The drive-in fit 950 cars.

The drive-in has been replaced by the Westbury 12 United Artists multiplex.

MacArthur Airport

Overall view of the main terminal at Long Island MacArthur Airport in 1978. The airport, located in Ronkonkoma, opened in 1942 and began servicing commercial flights in 1960.

The airport underwent renovations and an expansion in 2004.

Tri-County Flea Market

Shoppers flock to the Tri-County Flea Market on Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown on April 19, 1986.

Thirty years later, the Tri County bazaar -- a MyUnique thrift store -- is still a popular fixture on Hempstead Turnpike.

Patchogue Diner

The Patchogue Diner glows on East Main Street in Patchogue on Feb. 14, 1972.

Los Andes Restaurant now stands where the Patchogue Diner once was. The redesigned plot has changed hands several times since the '70s -- at one point, it was the Oasis Diner, and later, the 112 Diner.

Sherwood Diner

The Sherwood Diner has remained a fixture on Rockaway Turnpike in Lawrence since this photo was taken on Feb. 17, 1985.

Shown here in March 2015, the Sherwood Diner in Lawrence has since expanded and the exterior has been remodeled.

Wetson's Superburger Restaurant

Wetson's Superburger Restaurant, at Sunrise Highway and Rockaway Avenue in Valley Stream on May 20, 1972, was known for its 15-cent burgers and 10-cent fries. The fast food chain existed from 1959-75.

The Valley Stream Wetson's closed down in 1975 and was replaced by a McDonald's.

Farmingdale Theater

The Farmingdale Theater on Main Street in Farmingdale sold movie tickets for 77 cents on Feb. 15, 1978. The theater opened on the corner of Main and Prospect streets in 1942, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

With the rise of rentals and cable TV, the Farmingdale Theater shuttered in 1984. The building is now home to a law firm.

Main Street in Roosevelt

The business section of Nassau Road in Roosevelt can be seen in this photo from Oct. 20, 1975.

More than 40 years later, Nassau Road in Roosevelt remains busy.

Hempstead Turnpike shopping

Long Islanders hit the shops along Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown on May 24, 1971.

Most of the shopping along Hempstead Turnpike in Levittown today consists of more uniform strips of glass storefronts set back farther from the highway.

Fire Island coast

A nor'easter on March 15, 1962, devastated the coast of Point O' Woods on Fire Island.

Nearly 50 years later, another nor'easter caused serious land erosion on Fire Island and Robert Moses State Park in March 2010.