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In the early 1900s, grand homes and luxury hotels filled Steamboat Road in <a href="/topics//Kings_Point,_NY">Kings Point</a>, serving as a summer resort for those coming by boat from Manhattan. About 70 years later, homes with such grand architecture were replaced by more modernize homes and temples. 
 <a href="/topics//Kings_Point,_NY">Kings Point</a> is one of the nine incorporated villages that make up the Great Neck peninsula. The other villages include Great Neck Village, Saddle Rock, <a href="/topics//Kensington,_Brooklyn">Kensington</a>, <a href="/topics//Great_Neck_Plaza,_NY">Great Neck Plaza</a>, Thomaston, <a href="/topics//Russell_Gardens,_NY">Russell Gardens</a>, <a href="/topics//Lake_Success,_NY">Lake Success</a> and <a href="/topics//Great_Neck_Estates,_NY">Great Neck Estates</a>. 
 "This used to be the way you'd get to the steamboats in the early 1900s and there were luxury hotels and other services for travelers," said Alice Kasten, president of the Great Neck Historical Society. "People came to picnic for the day and stay the weekend to get away from the city." 
 It all began in the 1700s when pilgrims landed in Saddle Rock, which they called “Mad Nan’s Neck,” to take the northern part of the peninsula away from the Mattinecock Native Americans. 
 Through 1910, Saddle Rock was home to large estates owned by the Allen, Hubb, Udall, Treadwell, Skidmore and Eldridge families. Saddle Rock was the first to be incorporated in 1911 and Thomaston was incorporated last in 1931. 
 The area has become increasingly suburbanized over the last century, with a thriving business district with stores, ethnic foods and apartment buildings in the heart of the Great Neck peninsula. 
 Kasten, who has lived in Great Neck since 1978, said there's now an influx of religious development and brand-new houses scattered throughout the neighborhoods. 
 Temple Beth-El, the oldest synagogue in Great Neck, was founded in 1928. She said there was an influx of Persian Jews from <a href="/topics//Iran">Iran</a> in the 1970s and many Orthodox Jews have been moving in from Queens in recent years. 
 Jonathan Aubrey, a librarian at Great Neck Library who has lived in the area all his life, said growing up, he saw the area as diverse ethnically and economically, but now, that has changed. 
 “<a href="/topics//Great_Neck_Plaza,_NY">Great Neck Plaza</a> has an apartment, commuter and business culture,” said Aubrey, 47, of Great Neck. “[In the late 1980s] there was a boom of building co-ops and condos in the plaza near the train station. It was desirable [to live near the train station]." 
 Kasten said the plaza is the part of the peninsula where there has been the most development. 
 "New apartments have gone up and assisted living facilities," she said. "Certainly, you can eat any cuisine you want in Great Neck. There's Asian restaurants and Middle Eastern restaurants, anything you want." 
 Aubrey said many families also moved to Great Neck for the school system. 
 In the late 1700s, Quakers <a href="/topics//ADAM_(designer)">Adam</a> and Anne Mott built a small two-story school on their 400-acre land bordering <a href="/topics//Manhasset,_NY">Manhasset</a> Bay, which became the first school built on the Great Neck peninsula. 
 Great Neck opened its first high school in 1914 and today the Great Neck School District includes two high schools, two middle schools, five elementary schools and a private school. 
 "We have a lot of unique parks," Kasten said. "You can tromp through a forest, you can go boating and you can play ball in these parks. In general, the quality of life in Great Neck is quite high." 
 Kasten said that the area has become more diversified as the years go by. 
 “You'll see that if you look at the stores, the churches, temples, restaurants, you'll understand the diversity,” she said. “It's really cool that I can go into one store and buy Asian stuff and go into another and buy <a href="/topics//The_Very_Best_(musician)">the very best</a> in dried fruits and nuts. You have the wealth of all of these different nationalities to choose from.” 
 Kasten plans to stay in the area because she wouldn’t want to miss out on the services it provides and the rich historic background waiting to be dug up. 
 “To me, it has a very homey feel,” she said. “Even though it has a large diverse community, you find your niche and where you belong. It becomes your little world.”

Great Neck history: From mansions to middle-class

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It took Tom Jennings three years to join Great Neck’s Alert Fire Company No. 1 -- not because he wasn’t capable, but because he was on a waiting list. 
 He joined the company 49 years ago at age 31. He now spends his time not only on call to respond to fires, but also collecting firefighter memorabilia and history to honor the departed. 
 He began a historical committee 20 years ago, which now has 14 members. The firehouse’s second floor is a meeting space filled with glass cases with memorabilia, sculptures, awards and photos. 
 “We all love this fire company and we all try to do good by it,” said Jennings, who has lived in Great Neck for 52 years. “Every day, you get out there to save someone or a house is a good day.” 
 The company formed in 1901, with only a hose reel and pumper. Millionaire automaker Walter P. Chrysler of Kings Point became one of the first honorary members of the company, donating a fire truck. 
 Jennings said that in the early 1900s -- because the community and the station’s members were wealthy -- they purchased a horse-drawn, steam-powered engine to put out fires. 
 “If you were the first to come to the firehouse and you came with a horse, you’d get 50 cents a horse,” Jennings said. “That was a lot of money back then.” 
 Firefighting technology improved, but challenges remained. Jennings remembers responding to a fire in the late 1960s at what was then called Gristedes supermarket on Middle Neck Road -- where an Everfresh market stands today. 
 “The gas main ruptured and set the store on fire on a Saturday at 2 in the morning,” he said. “It was zero degrees out, and we had a hard time because the temperature was so low and the water mains were frozen. It burnt to the ground.” 
 When the sirens would echo through his neighborhood, George Motchkavitz remembers riding to the station with a blue light on his bike, asking where the fire was. He and his group of friends would then ride to the fire and watch. He joined the fire department in 1972. Now 56, he’s an assistant foreman at the station. 
 Motchkavitz helped form the Great Neck Junior Firefighters in 1982. 
 “We had 16 juniors the first year, and now we have 30,” he said. “They get a dress uniform and go on parades, learn to use hoses and climb ropes. We don’t put them in live fires, but they crawl on the floor through thick smoke to find dummies at a training house near the annex firehouse on Steamboat Road in Kings Point.” 
 In 1992, Robert Levine, a 15-year-old student at Great Neck North High School, fell 60 feet into a well on Stuart Street, shattering his heel, hitting his head and severely injuring his back. 
 “When I got there in my street clothes, I put the harness on, grabbed a flashlight and radio and fastened the rope,” he said. “In 58 minutes, they pulled us out of the hole, and the kid wouldn’t let go of my hand. Later on, when I visited him at the hospital, his father came up to me and asked if I’d do it again and I responded, ‘In a heartbeat.’ ” 
 The satisfaction of saving someone’s life and responding to a multitude of fires over the years makes him proud to be a part of the fire company. 
 “If it wasn’t for firefighters being crazy and doing it all for free and on their own time, do you know how many people would have died over the 100 years that this company has been around?” he said. “This is just what you do for your community.” 
 Above: Walter P. Chrysler donated this fire truck to the Great Neck Alert Fire Company in 1927. (Aug. 30, 2012)

Great Neck firehouse's history preserved

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It’s my final day in Great Neck, as part of our monthly Town Focus series. 
 I can say that my week has been filled with exploring new places, getting in touch with the community on a closer level and teasing my taste buds with tantalizing foods at lunchtime. 
 I learned more about the history of Great Neck than I could have ever imagined with the help of Alice Kasten, president of the Great Neck Historical Society, and Jonathan Aubrey, a librarian at the Great Neck Library. 
 Also, I couldn’t have asked for more helpful mayors than Ralph Kreitzman from Great Neck Village and Jean Celender from Great Neck Plaza. 
 Feel free to check back for the history story on Great Neck, which should go up soon, and also a feature on the Great Neck Alert Fire Company. 
 Thank you for your suggestions this week and I hope you continue to follow our coverage of your community. I will most definitely be coming back. 
 Again, if you have any questions, concerns, or you just want to reach out to me about a news tip, please contact me via <a href="mailto:brittany.wait@newsday.com">email</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brittanywait">Twitter</a>, or the comments below. 
 Above: Cutter Mill Park on Great Neck Road in Great Neck has a playground and water park, and is open until 9 p.m. daily. (Aug. 16, 2012) 
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Town Focus: Day 5 in Great Neck

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Editor’s note: All week long, Brittany Wait is profiling people around Great Neck, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. 
 Seth Adelson, 42, is associate rabbi at Temple Israel of Great Neck on Old Mill Road. He has lived in Great Neck for five years with his wife Judith, 44, daughter Hannah, 5, and son Zev, 3. 
 Alan Klinger, 56, comanaging partner at Stroock &amp; Stroock &amp; Lavan on Wall Street, has lived in Great Neck Estates for 22 years. He is also president of Temple Israel of Great Neck. 
 Tell me some interesting facts about Temple Israel of Great Neck. 
 Klinger: Mordecai Waxman was the rabbi at Temple Israel of Great Neck for a little over 50 years [1947-2002] and a prominent figure in Great Neck and nationally, dealing with interfaith matters. The temple was constructed in 1947, but the congregation formed in 1941. The temple offers adult education, youth school, Beth HaGan and religious school. 
 Adelson: These stained glass windows were dedicated to the rabbi’s wife Ruth Bilgray Waxman and have special readings from holidays on them. 
 Klinger: One of the things that make us special is that we strive on the diversity of cultures learning from each other. One-third of our congregation are Sephardic Jews and two-thirds are Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe descent. There are a lot of synagogues in Great Neck, but we are prominently one with a blend of both groups. 
 Adelson: We recognize the importance of both groups and their traditions and cultures. We are also egalitarian, which means we believe that women have the same rights as men. 
 Klinger: We have 950 families and our temple seats 3,000 people on holidays. We have the largest conservative congregation in the area. 
 What brought you both to Great Neck and what has kept you here? 
 Adelson: My wife is a Manhattanite and for us this was a good compromise [to live in Great Neck]. We were close to the train and there were great schools and parks. This is a strong synagogue in a strong community. There are kosher restaurants and it’s a good place to live a Jewish life. I was captivated by the unusual demographics of Jews in the area when I moved here. 
 Klinger: I was looking for a place with good schools, parks and proximity to Wall Street. I have three children and me and my wife wanted to move to a place where we’d feel comfortable raising our children with a Jewish identity. It was important to raise our children in not only a secular, but also religious world. 
 In your opinion, what’s great about living Great Neck? 
 Adelson: The diversity of the Jewish community and the history of the temple is illustrious. Great Neck is a well-educated community, too. 
 Klinger: Great Neck has historically been a community of prominence. 
 Above: Seth Adelson

Synagogue leaders discuss community

Great Neck synagogue leaders discuss community

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Editor’s note: All week long, Brittany Wait is profiling people around Great Neck, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. 
 Jean Celender, 57, is mayor of Great Neck Plaza, an incorporated village at the heart of the business district. She has lived in the village for 32 years. She has served as mayor since 2000 and was re-elected in March to serve another two-year term. 
 Community affiliations: Board of directors, Great Neck Arts Center; member, Great Neck Village Officials Association; member, Great Neck Vigilant Fire Department Negotiations Committee. 
 So I hear you went to Great Neck Plaza’s last concert of the summer Tuesday night in Jonathan L. lelpi Firefighters Park. How was it? 
 There was a light breeze, the sound of crickets and it was just an amazing last night at the park. We had 12 concerts this summer and we tried to have a really good mix of music genre. We’ve been doing this, oh gosh, maybe 26 years. What amazes me is that even in tough fiscal times we still put on these musical acts. 
 Tell me more about Great Neck Plaza. 
 Our village is small, but we’re dense. Ninety-two percent of development in the area are multifamily units. There are 148 single-family homes. We’re focused on the fact that we have a downtown, train station and we’re trying to constantly keep downtown economically vibrant. Our government works to maintain sidewalks and make it safer for pedestrians to cross streets using traffic-calming measures. 
 What are some of the challenges your community faces? 
 We’re still seeing difficult times for our retailers. We’ve seen some restaurants close. [Now-closed] Pancho’s catered to families until people just weren’t eating out as often. It’s hard to sustain a business when people just aren’t coming in regularly anymore. 
 What can you do about boosting business in the area? 
 Well, we have promenade nights in which we close streets and people come out to dine and shop. It’s casual and friendly. People have a great time in their own community. This is part of the Sept. 9 Street Fair and Autofest from noon to 5. 
 Give me an idea of the diversity in the community. 
 We do have a lot of diversity and neighborhoods to live in. We have an affordable housing project under way with 19 units up for sale [at The Maestro high rise]. We’re trying to do more. We want to help the young people who just got out of college or families just starting out. 
 Define the character of your community. 
 I think it has a very charming, historic and hometown feel. It has the feeling of quaintness. You go on the street and recognize your neighbors walking by.

Mayor enjoys village, faces challenges

Great Neck Plaza mayor enjoys village, deals with challenges

Great Neck Celender

Editor’s note: All week long, Brittany Wait is profiling people around Great Neck, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. 
 Doug Reynolds, 22, of Great Neck, has lived in the community all his life. He studied actuarial sciences at Binghamton University. 
 In 80 degree heat with a light breeze, he watched 20 kids steer small sailboats in Little Neck Bay from the dock at Saddle Rock Park and Marina Wednesday. 
 Community affiliations: Co-director of Stepping Stone Waterfront and Sailing School 
 Tell me about your interest in sailing. 
 I started sailing in the school at 7 years old. I even taught my parents how to sail, and now I compete in sailboat races in Port Washington and other places on Long Island. I’m in the process of looking for a job on Long Island or in the city. You’ve lived here all your life, except in college, so what has kept you from leaving? 
 Great Neck is unique. I feel there’s a lot of history in it, and it’s an older community with a lot happening. This is where my parents live. It’s comfortable for me, and I’m close to the city. 
 Tell me some of the hidden gems in Great Neck. 
 This whole park belonged to Walter Chrysler, Jr. at one point. It’s really cool to me that we’re basically chilling in what once was his backyard. It’s a hidden gem. Look at it, there’s no one here, and it’s often like this. Define the character of the community. 
 It’s a good community. It’s a very focus-oriented community.

Great Neck native sails back home

Great Neck Reynolds 

As I continue exploring Great Neck this week, on my second to last day, I plan to meet even more people for the historical story I’m working on. 
 The first person I’m meeting is Tom Jennings, a volunteer firefighter at Alert Fire Department Co. 1, and the department’s historian. He’s giving me a tour of the firehouse, showing me historic photos, old plaques and pictures of previous members. 
 If I have time, I’m going to stop by the Great Neck Farmer’s Market at the Village Green Park between Arrandale Avenue and Middle Neck Road. It runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The vendors include Orient Organics Farm, Goodale Farms, Blue Duck Bakery, DelPozzo Foods, A Taste of the North Fork, Horman's Best Pickles, Dora's Gourmet, Life is Grruff and Papa Pasquale. 
 The first thing I did Wednesday morning was meet Alice Kasten, president of the Great Neck Historical Society, at the Great Neck Library. She took me on a tour of Great Neck, Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza, Saddle Rock, the Saddle Rock Grist Mill, Kings Point, the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, and Saddlerock Park and Marina. 
 I couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was 80 degrees with blue skies and a light breeze. It should be about the same today, just a little warmer. Let’s cross our fingers. 
 On Wednesday, I ordered a turkey and avocado wrap with honeydew bubble tea at Entre on Grace Avenue. It was amazing. I highly recommend stopping by there if you’re in the area. 
 Have any recommendations on where to eat lunch on Thursday? Tell me below, or via Twitter. 
 I also met with Rabbi Seth Adelson and president Alan Klinger from Temple Israel of Great Neck on Old Mill Road Wednesday. I learned a lot about the Jewish culture in Great Neck and the history of the temple. Do you have any more questions for them? If so, let me know. 
 Just before, I met with Jean Celender, mayor of Great Neck Plaza. We got to know each other and I got a small taste of what makes the village so special. 
 I want to hear from you. Please tell me how my coverage of Great Neck has been and how I can do even better. Reach out to me via <a href="mailto:brittany.wait@newsday.com">email</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brittanywait">Twitter</a>, or in the comments below. And check out the historical video of Great Neck above. 
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Town Focus: Day 4 in Great Neck

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Twins George and Lenny Motchkavitz, now 85, recall their younger years, taking care of farm animals and tending to chrysanthemums at a farmhouse down the street from a home in Great Neck their father built almost 90 years ago. 
 “Middle Neck Road was a two-lane road with small stores on both sides,” said Lenny Motchkavitz, who now lives in Ocala, Fla., and just completed a two-week visit. “I remember that there was one funeral director and across the street from him on North Road was a drugstore. You wouldn’t go to the doctors, you’d go there with any ailment you had and he would fix you up.” 
 When the twins were young, they would take their lunch break at St. Aloysius Catholic School, to bring water to the cows at the farmhouse on their block and then run back to school. 
 They grew up among nine other children in a house their father John Motchkavitz built at 8 Elm Place in Great Neck in 1925. Their father fled Poland when he was 17 so he wouldn’t be drafted into the Russian Army. He moved to Brooklyn and later started his family in Great Neck in 1920. 
 “Their whole life they basically ate breakfast and lunch together,” said George’s son, John Motchkavitz, 44, of Great Neck. “They also had their own business together called M and P Plumbing and Heating for 40 years.” 
 The twins joined the Navy at age 17 and were assigned to Waldron Field, a landing airfield in Corpus Christi, Texas, for guard detail defending merchant ships during World War II.&nbsp; When they returned home they joined the Alert Fire Company in 1946 at age 19. 
 George, who still lives in Great Neck, recalls the good ol’ days when he and his brother would drive the hook-and-ladder truck, which had a turntable ladder and required two drivers with separate steering wheels to steer the front and rear wheels of the engine. 
 “When we heard sirens, we would run at the end of the block toward the firehouse and the truck would just pick us up on the way,” George Motchkavitz said. 
 Lenny Motchkavitz remembers a tragic experience in 1967 when he was fire chief at Great Neck Alert Fire Co. 1. He and his brother responded to a fire that engulfed a home on Potters Lane, which they couldn’t put out in time to save a mother, father and daughter. 
 George Motchkavitz teared up just thinking about it. 
 “When we finally got in there we found the daughter lying on the bed and we could tell that she was trying to wake up her parents,” he said. “Those people didn’t have a chance. There was nothing we could do.” 
 But that tragedy didn’t stop a tradition of the family serving. George’s son, John Motchkavitz, volunteers with the fire department when not teaching religion at St. Aloysius Catholic School on Great Neck Road and serving as chairman of business and technology at Great Neck South High School. 
 A phone rang and both George and Lenny reached into their pockets, pulled out their cellphones and put to their ears. The twins, who act very much the same, recall spending most of their lives together doing many of the same things and plan to continue the tradition with frequent visits. 
 “I told my sister, ‘I’m never going to die because look at the things I’m gonna miss,” Lenny said. “She said I was crazy, but I don’t want to miss a thing.” 
 Above: From left, twins George and Lenny Motchkavitz, 85, recall what it was like growing up in Great Neck. (Aug. 28, 2012)

Great Neck twins, 85, recall upbringing

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Did you know that there are nine incorporated villages on the Great Neck peninsula? They include Great Neck Village, Kings Point, Saddle Rock, Kensington, Great Neck Plaza, Thomaston, Russell Gardens, Lake Success and Great Neck Estates. 
 On Tuesday, I learned that Saddle Rock was the first village to be incorporated in 1911 and Thomaston was the last to be incorporated in 1931. But what ties all of these communities together? I’ll be finding this out and more throughout my week in Great Neck. There will be a historical story and video to come, so stay tuned. 
 Yesterday, I met 85-year-old George Motchkavitz and his twin brother Lenny, who used to live together in their father’s house, which he built in Great Neck in 1925. The story will be up soon. 
 I hope you all enjoyed the last concert of Great Neck Plaza’s 2012 Summer Concert Series at Jonathan L. lelpi Firefighters Park last night. I want to hear all about it, so give me some feedback down below, or via Twitter. 
 I had to take Great Neck resident Brett Joseph’s advice and stop by Gino’s Pizzeria for lunch yesterday. I ordered the Gino’s salad with mozzarella cheese and a grandma slice. My taste buds sang. 
 This morning, I’m meeting with Alice Kasten, president of the Great Neck Historical Society, once again, to finish our conversation on the history of Great Neck, while she gives me a tour of Great Neck Village and surrounding areas. 
 In the afternoon, I’m speaking with Rabbi Seth Adelson from the Temple Israel of Great Neck on Old Mill Road in Great Neck to get a feel for the religious atmosphere in the community. 
 If anything comes to mind, please tell me if I’ve missed something by reaching out to me via <a href="mailto:brittany.wait@newsday.com">email</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brittanywait">Twitter</a> and in the comments below. 
 Picture: Jonathan L. lelpi Firefighters Park 
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Town Focus: Day 3 in Great Neck

Editor’s note: All week long, Brittany Wait is profiling people around Great Neck, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. Sherry Ross Goodman, 69, has lived in Lake Success, one of the nine villages on the Great Neck peninsula, since 1967. She was hired to teach kindergarten at Parkville Elementary School in Lake Success in 1992 and retired in 2009. 
 Community affiliations: Treasurer of the Open Door Parent-Child Caring Center in Great Neck, which is closing after 31 years of service to the community. 
 Tell me about your time at Parkville Elementary School. 
 When I taught there I’d stay until 11:30 at night, designing my own curriculum. I taught those kid what they needed to learn. I taught them as much as possible about history. I had 3D dolls, things they could touch and a bunch of books. I loved teaching kindergarten. I think what they could do more of is allow for more socialization among the kids. What initially brought you here and what has kept you here? I didn’t think I’d stay here at first. Parents spoiled their children with fancy clothes and fancy cars. People needed to show their money. That was the negative. I decided to raise my two girls under our own family values. Housing can also be expensive in Great Neck. But on a positive note, since I grew up next door, in Port Washington, and my first husband was commuting to Wall Street and I worked in Herricks School District, I chose to live in this area. 
 When you first moved here, what was most notable about the community? 
 The schools and quick commute to Manhattan. If people didn’t want to send their kids to city schools they would move here. Whether our schools are better than those in Roslyn or Manhasset, who knows. One thing about Great Neck that is truly unique is that the apartments near the railroad station is in a good part of town. Usually, that is not true. What does the community have to offer? 
 The park district is amazing in Great Neck. Living in the incorporated village of Lake Success, we’re not part of the district, but we used to take advantage of the ice skating rink, pool and gymnastics center. I liked that we had all these things available for my kids. 
 Tell me more about the closing of the Open Door Parent-Child Caring Center. 
 It was a question of the state of the economy and the lack of busing and daycare that parents needed. For us to sustain a program like this, serving over 30 kids, it just wasn't possible anymore. What are some of the challenges the community faces? Certainly you have different groups of people who have different expectations based on their own cultural values or where they were brought up. It makes it harder for schools to keep offering small class sizes. Define the character of the community. 
 Multicultural. I think it’s a community that strives for excellence whether it is in sports, a great library program, parks or in the schools.

Ex-schoolteacher finds niche in Great Neck

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Editor’s note: All week long, Brittany Wait is profiling people around Great Neck, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. 
 Brett Joseph, 27, of Great Neck, has lived in the community his entire life, but plans to move to Manhattan in October to pursue a business initiative with his friend Benjamin Sherman, 30, of Great Neck. 
 He graduated from SUNY Albany with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and business in 2007, then got his master’s degree in management at Polytechnic Institute of New York University in 2011. He is now vice president of BoozBucks, an Internet company that provides promotional discounts at bars and nightclubs across the country. 
 Community affiliations: He was director of media relations for the Rotary Club of Great Neck between 2008 and 2010. You’ve lived here all your life, so what has kept you from leaving all these years? It’s definitely been a privilege growing up in Great Neck. Our line provides easy access to Manhattan by train or car and all of the comforts of an intimate suburban setting. What is most notable about the community? 
 Things have definitely taken a turn in the last couple of years, but one thing I love about living here is the sense of community. Being in such a cultural community gives us a very necessary exposure to perspectives outside of the Long Island bubble. What challenges do you think the community faces? Perhaps it’s due to the bad economy, but one thing that I’ve noticed is that there aren’t as many places for people to dine and congregate. It has lowered the energy level of the town. As a 27-year-old, it seems like people are drifting away from Great Neck. Most of my friends have already moved away and people are finding less and less a reason to stay. I’m moving in October to Manhattan. I’m hesitant to think that the current generation will stay like generations before. 
 Tell me some of the hidden gems in Great Neck and some of your favorite hangout spots. 
 Gino’s Pizzeria [on Middle Country Road] was, like, the “spot.” Their house salad with mozzarella cheese on top is amazing. I still have friends that ask me to bring them a salad. It’s everyone’s “go-to” food. I like Kensington Deli, too. The Paulie special, which is a brisket on a hero with horseradish sauce, is amazing. We also just got a new organic place called bee-ORGANIC on Bond Street. There’s also Lola, which is the best in fine dining, which has a lot of rich food on the menu. And go to JulieBelles [on Northern Boulevard] to pick from like a hundred sandwiches on the menu. Define the character of the community. 
 Ambitious. It’s a very goal-oriented community. We take a lot of steps to try and make it better. They decorate the streets during the holidays and I enjoy the classic car festival each year. There always has been a very vibrant feeling in Great Neck. After all, Great Neck is referred to as the “West Egg” in “The Great Gatsby.”

Great Neck man talks loving, leaving home

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It’s my second day exploring the sites of Great Neck, and I will be reaching out to residents and visiting sites in the surrounding communities on the peninsula. 
 Yesterday, I met Ralph Kreitzman, 66, the mayor of Great Neck Village. Check out what we talked about <a href="http://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/long-island-now-1.1732330/great-neck-mayor-loves-community-commute-1.3930545">here</a>. I also met Brett Joseph, 27, who has lived in Great Neck all his life, and Sherry Ross Goodman, 69, a retired kindergarten teacher from Parkville Elementary School in Lake Success. 
 This morning I’m meeting with Alice Kasten, president of the Great Neck Historical Society, and Leila Mattson, head reference librarian at the Great Neck Library. 
 At 2 p.m., I’m meeting 85-year-old George Motchkavitz and his twin brother Lenny, who used to live together in their father’s house in Great Neck. 
 I’m also checking out the last concert of Great Neck Plaza’s 2012 Summer Concert Series at Jonathan L. lelpi Firefighters Park this evening. 
 I’m continuing my search of historic sites. If you have any suggestions on that or where I should eat lunch and dinner, let me know. 
 Throughout the week, I’m depending on you to tell me how I’m doing and what I’ve missed, so please reach out to me via <a href="mailto:brittany.wait@newsday.com">email</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brittanywait">Twitter</a> and in the comments below. 
 Above: Great Neck Library 
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Town Focus: Day 2 in Great Neck

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Editor’s note: All week long, Brittany Wait is profiling people around Great Neck, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. Ralph Kreitzman, 66, mayor of Great Neck Village since 2007, has lived in the community for 38 years. 
 Community affiliations: Vice president of the Great Neck Village Officials Association; director of the Water Authority of Great Neck North; president of the Nassau County Village Officials Association; vice president of the Tri-County Municipal Officials Association; on the executive committee of the New York State Conference of Mayors What initially brought you here and what has kept you here? I’ve been married 43 years and my wife [Wendy Karpel, editor of the Great Neck Record] and I both grew up on the South Shore of Long Island. We knew we wanted to live on the North Shore and came here because of the school system, parks and community. We’re happy here. When you first moved here, what was most notable about the community? &nbsp; 
 We knew we wanted to move here and when we did we became the youngest couple on the block for three to four years. We moved here for the quality of life and all the great things the community has to offer like the shops, parks, school system, history and a real sense of community. 
 What does the community have to offer? 
 Everything. We have 13 temples and churches, so people under any denomination have a lot to choose from. I like that we’re close to the city, about 25 minutes by train and 20 minutes by car. This line on the railroad is the best. It really makes for a phenomenal commute. I have to mention the many pocket parks our kids grew up with. They’re fantastic. What challenges do you think the community faces? We want to enhance our downtown. We’re expecting more multi-family housings coming in and our road program to do repairs on the streets to extend the sidewalks and make it safer for pedestrians to cross the street. How is business in Great Neck? It’s been tough since 2008, but we’ve been holding our own. Ideally, we want to fill our empties with our own local businesses to keep the money in the village. The big-box stores near Great Neck really hurt us. 
 How has Great Neck changed throughout the years? 
 Great Neck has been changing for years. About 30 years ago, Jewish Persians who escaped from Iran settled here, primarily in Kings Point. Now, we have a larger Asian population and there’s more diversity than in previous years. Our schools are also ranked higher than others. Define the character of the community. 
 My village is different than most. The community is very diverse and is a terrific place to live, work and raise your kids. I love it here.

Great Neck mayor loves community, commute

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Over the next five days, I will be exploring the sites of Great Neck, an incorporated village on the North Shore of Long Island. I will also be spending as much time as I can in the surrounding communities of Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Plaza and Great Neck Gardens. 
 Today, I’ll be meeting Ralph Kreitzman, the mayor of Great Neck Village, at Village Hall to discuss the character of Great Neck and the surrounding communities. 
 I will also be capturing sites and people around town with my video camera, in preparation to put together a historical documentary on Great Neck. 
 Later in the week, I’m meeting Alice Kasten, president of the Great Neck Historical Society and Leila Mattson, the head reference librarian at the Great Neck Library. I will also be at the last concert of Great Neck Plaza’s 2012 Summer Concert Series at Jonathan L. lelpi Firefighters Park on Tuesday. I’m also going to check out the Great Neck Farmers’ Market on Thursday. 
 In between exploring the community and meeting new people, I will be searching out some of the nearest historic sites like the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point; the Grace Building, built in 1914; the Ben Rehbuhn House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; Saddle Road Grist Mill, built in 1715, the oldest operating, but recently restored, tidal grist mill in the country; Steppingstone Park; and lastly, the Thomaston Building, built in 1926. 
 If there are any sites that you would like me to see, feel free to get in touch with me at any point throughout the week. And as always, give me a heads up on where to eat lunch and dinner. 
 As the week progresses, please, feel free to reach out to me via <a href="mailto:brittany.wait@newsday.com">email</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brittanywait">Twitter</a> or the comments below. 
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Town Focus: Day 1 in Great Neck

Town Focus: Great Neck

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