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In 1948, the Levitts were not the only people building in Levittown. 
 Pete Ryan, 9 years old at the time, his brothers and their friends were working on building things of their own - forts made with lumber they would steal from Levitt construction crews after dark. 
 “They’d be in the tall grass and weeds,” said Ryan, now 72 and still living in Levittown. “Nobody could see them.” 
 Ryan and his family were one of the first waves of people to move into the historic suburban community, even when much of it was still dirt and grass. 
 The country was in the middle of a national housing crisis as 16 million men were returning home from war, and builders Levitt and Sons were hoping to provide a solution. Father Abraham Levitt and sons, William and Alfred, purchased a vast expanse of farmland - then called Island Trees - after a blight took over the local potato crops. On it, the Levitts vowed to build 2,000 homes for returning veterans. But the homes were claimed quickly and demand continued to rise, so the Levitts continued to build, eventually transitioning from rental to ownership homes. 
 In the span of four years, Levittown, as it was named, became a bustling community of more than 17,000 homes. 
 The community made history books and remains in them today. It was the first suburban development. It was the first community created for veterans. It was produced quickly and produced well. It was affordable for young families - the epitome of the American Dream. 
 Polly Dwyer, president of the Levittown Historical Society, moved to Levittown with her first husband in 1954. She said they put down $100 and paid $65 a month toward their mortgage. 
 “It was a remarkable achievement,” said Dwyer, 83. “They built the houses up so fast that everyone said they are going to fall right down. Well, here I am 57 years later living in the same house.” 
 The identity of Levittown, even today, is the Levitt house - built in two styles, the Cape Cod and the ranch. Dwyer said the houses were innovative because they did not have basements and they were built assembly-line style, with each work crew specializing in one element of construction. 
 But critics worried that Levittown was the beginning of a homogenized society, said Steve Bergsman, a former Levittown resident and author of “Growing Up Levittown: In a time of Conformity, Controversy and Cultural Crisis”. 
 “The veterans loved it and the homes filled up immediately and everyone who lived there was happy,” Bergsman said. “But the intellectuals and urban planners and everybody else just disliked it.” 
 He said “the intellectual left” complained of conformity, and the “<a href="/topics/U.S._Republican_Party">Republican</a> right” complained that it was a hand-out for the working class. 
 The biggest controversy surrounding the community was the fact that it was only open to whites. 
 Louise Cassano, who moved to Levittown in 1951 with her parents and for years worked as a reporter for the local papers, interviewed William Levitt for the 40th anniversary of Levittown. She recalls him speaking candidly about the issue. Cassano said because the Federal Housing Authority had put up the money necessary to build the community, Levitt was bound to their rules. 
 “Looking back, he had regrets about what happened,” Cassano said. “But the FHA would not put up the money for the houses if they allowed black families to move into them.” 
 While the community is a part of history, to the people that lived there it was just a carefree, spacious place to call home. 
 “It was like freedom,” said Ryan, who is one of seven siblings. His family was united under one roof for one of the first times in his life upon moving to Levittown. 
 Ryan’s father left his wife and kids to fight in <a href="/topics/World_War_II">World War II</a> but never returned. 
 “Not for the good reason,” Ryan said, because his father survived the war but didn’t want to return to the burden of a large family. 
 Before moving to Levittown, Ryan’s mother and youngest sister lived with an uncle in New Rochelle; Ryan and two of his brothers lived in an orphanage; his other siblings lived with extended family. 
 In Levittown, his mother could eventually afford to buy their home, where all eight of them and Ryan’s grandmother lived together. 
 “Levittown was the only place anyone would take all of us,” he said. “Living there meant we had a life back. We had a place we could just grow up.”

LEVITTOWN

Levittown: The home of suburban development

Levittown 

Robert Koenig Community associations: Levittown Community Council, Levittown Historical Society, Levittown Property Owners Association 
 You’re a Levittown transplant. When and why did you move here? I was born and raised in Mineola, so not too far away. But Mineola and Levittown are two different things. I worked in Levittown in the early '80s. I just liked it; there’s something unique about it. Even when you go down Hempstead Turnpike it has a different feeling than other areas. And of course, the way the roads wind and the unique houses. With me, a part of it might be the architecture. I always liked the old the Levitt ranch houses. I have a degree in pop culture, and I’ve studied all different things, whether music or restaurants or even cereal companies - there was something about the suburban experience that people seemed to write a lot about. And that was all on display in Levittown. Especially when you deal with popular culture from the '50s and '60s. Obviously now, it’s not that time, several decades have passed and yet when you come home to your Levitt house and you see the way even the streets are, you get a feeling you’re in Pleasantville, like somehow you’re coming back home to that particular time. I‘m sure not everybody feels that way but that was the sense that I felt about it. 
 How long have you lived here? Not that long ago in the scope of things. I moved here in 2002, so only 10 years. But I’ve been with the [historical] society for 15 years. So I was coming back and forth for different things way before that. 
 Now that you do live here, what do you like about it? I like seeing the families, the fact that there’s still a lot of kids. It’s a child-positive town. I like the patriotism, you’ll see a lot of flags. I love the Memorial Day parade every year, that’s a great thing. We have a good library system, we have a good school system, and people get involved. There are so many different groups. We do have free spaces that you can walk around and you don’t feel confined or trapped. There’s just something different about it. It feels like a pop culture, suburban town, like you live next door to the Brady Bunch or something like that. 
 Do you think it still holds on to that 1950s charm? I feel it still has some of that. I think it’s still a good place for people to start off. And this community has reached out and there are all different types of people that live in Levittown now. It isn’t just one type of family. 
 What challenges does the community face? Our neighboring town Hicksville has an industrial area that they get tax income from. We don’t have that here. We have businesses in village greens and Hempstead Turnpike, but if you go down Hempstead Turnpike today there are quiet a few vacancies. And that’s sad. When we first moved to Levittown someone told my wife, you won’t have to leave for anything. Any kind of store you could want is in Levittown. And unfortunately, I think that’s not the case and a lot of people do not shop local. The malls attract people. They become a utopia of their own and are not really part of the community. It would be nice if it became more like what it once was with the village greens. 
 Define the character of Levittown: Suburbanites. TV-land. A nice place to start a family.

Levittown people: Robert Koenig

Robert Koenig

Jim Hasselmann, 67 
 My last stop in Levittown was to the VFW hall, where I met Hasselmann, a Vietnam veteran who moved from Brooklyn to Levittown in 1973. 
 Why Levittown? I needed space. I had three kids in 2 ½ years and I was living in a one bedroom in Brooklyn. This was considered the country. 
 What did you know about Levittown before coming here? I knew it was for vets, mostly World War II and Korea. That’s why we came here. I had a friend who was a veteran that was here. And also, it was a blue collar town. A lot of cops, a lot of firemen. Not that I was either of those, I worked for a bank. 
 What did you like about it once you got here? Wide open space. It was completely different than what I was used to. It was not as congested as it is now. Eventually, I had six kids and they loved it, that’s what kept us here. They all enjoyed Levittown. It was a good place to live. 
 So, why continue to live here now? I have a lot of friends still here. The VFW is very nice. It’s a very good group and it’s very social. My wife also made a lot of friends. One of the best events here is the parade. There are a lot of people here, the streets are crowded and everyone applauds us. 
 As a veteran, how did it feel for you to come to a place that was created for veterans? We were welcomed here. As a veteran they did welcome you. After Vietnam, nobody treated you well. But here it was OK. Now, we go out of our way to welcome every vet. 
 How has it changed? It’s crowded. Everything has gotten expensive. Everything was cheap back then. And the houses are just great. They’re huge now. And the taxes, they’ve gone up. When we moved here we were paying $1,000 in taxes, now it’s $12,000 or $13,000. That’s a big difference. 
 How would you define the character of Levittown? Friendly. Looks out for its veterans. The whole Town of Hempstead really does.

Levittown people: Veteran Jim Hasselmann

Jim Hasselmann

Pete Ryan, 72 Community associations: Levittown Kiwanis Club, Levittown Community Council, former board member and chief of the Wantagh-Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corps 
 When did you move to Levittown? 1948. I was born in New Rochelle. 
 How old were you and do you remember your first impressions? I was 9. There was a lot of land. In back of us were all farms. From our backyard on Hill Lane you could see Hempstead Turnpike because there was nothing in between us. There was a farm behind us, and the farmer’s son used to come pick us up and drive us to church through the farm because he wasn’t allowed to drive on the road. It was kind of like freedom, when we moved there. It was almost like we had been let out of jail. You went out in the morning and came back at dark. Nobody worried about you. Nobody told you what to do. 
 So you, your six siblings, your mother and your grandmother all lived in one house? Yes we did. It was a Cape Cod. The four boys slept in one room. Three girls and grandma were in the other room. My mom slept on the couch in the living room. A few years later my older brother built on the top floor. 
 It seems like there was very little other than houses. What was life like then? It was easy. We didn’t know we were poor. Nobody told us that. I found out years later that the church helped us out because they knew our “daddy was a deadbeat.” The Catholic church was very involved. Father O’Brien picked us up and took us out for ice cream. He got me into St. John’s School in the Bronx. He didn’t like the kids I was hanging out with. We did have some bad kids back then. I guess because everyone came from the city. I was one of the few that didn’t. So they were used to being in gangs and things were different. But that faded out. 
 What made you stay here as an adult? Initially because my family was still here. My older brothers started to drift away so for a while I was the man of the house. Then I met my wife and I got involved in the ambulance corps. I worked here as a plumber. 
 What do you like about living in Levittown now? It’s a great community. We couldn’t leave our neighbors if we tried. It’s like a big family in our neighborhood. 
 How has the community changed? It’s changed remarkably. Mostly for the better. People years back thought this place would turn into a slum as it got older and the houses started to deteriorate. But that hasn’t happened, it’s gotten better. Harder to find an original house here than it is to find something that has been renovated and expanded. We were here so early, so much has changed. We didn’t even have lawns when we moved in. It was just dirt. We used to just run around and play on all the empty lots. We’d steal lumber from Levitt at night and build things. I remember when they started putting down the lawns it stunk. The whole place smelled like manure. 
 What’s the biggest challenge Levittown faces? Taxes, mostly. They’re very high. We know it’s becoming a problem for the schools. But they’ll figure it out. I think Levittown is in pretty good shape. 
 How would you define the character of Levittown? Community. It’s all one big community, especially when times are tough, that’s when you see everyone come together. After 9/11, for the Joplin tornado, in the bad economy helping other families - the school does the Adopt-a-Family during the holidays. That’s just the kind of community this is.

Levittown people: Pete Ryan

Pete Ryan

On my last day in Levittown, I’m focusing on the man himself -- William Levitt. 
 There were actually three men, Abraham Levitt and his sons “Bill” and Alfred, but Bill Levitt was the face of Levittown. 
 I learned these things and more about the building of Levittown yesterday from Bill Koenig, a Levittown resident and member of the historical society. Koenig, who is also a musician and produced a CD with eight songs about Levittown, grew up in Mineola but became so intrigued by the Levittown community that he finally moved here about 10 years ago. You’ll find an interview with Koenig posted here today. 
 I’m also headed back to meet with Louise Cassano, who I interviewed earlier in the week about growing up in Levittown. For the 50th anniversary of Levittown, Cassano, a former reporter for a local paper, got the chance to interview Bill Levitt. 
 I’ll talk to Cassano about getting to meet him. You can find part of her interview immediately on Twitter, and the rest later today in the complete video we’re producing on the history of Levittown. 
 You’ve got one more day to send in your suggestions via <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/eringeismar">Twitter</a>, <a href="mailto:erin.geismar@newsday.com">e-mail</a> or the comments below for people I should meet or places I should visit. But feel free to reach out in the future if there’s something we shouldn’t miss in Levittown.

Town Focus: Levittown, Day 5

hlTOWN02

Donna Ryan, 70 Community associations: Past president of the Levittown Chamber of Commerce, charter member of the Levittown Community Council 
 How long have you lived in Levittown? I’m 70, I moved here when I was 14. 
 Why did you decide to stay in Levittown as an adult? We enjoyed it. It was a great place to grow up, with the pools, and back then in the high schools they had recreation night once a week. And during the weekend, kids had something to do. 
 Have you ever thought of living elsewhere? We got married and moved out to an apartment in Farmingdale for about eight months, then we found a house here and moved back. We’ve been here every since. And I don’t want to leave the neighborhood because it’s such a great neighborhood. All of our neighbors have extended their homes rather than move. We do Christmas day brunch together and Mother’s Day brunch and things like that. 
 How have you seen it change? It’s gotten much more mixed, thankfully. It was Christian and Jewish when I was young, but color wise it was strictly white. That lasted for a while. There was one family that was black for a few years when I was in school and then they moved. I think it is a much better place for the kids to grow up in at this point. 
 Define the character of Levittown: It’s a friendly place. It’s always been a comparatively safe place. There’s always some little things going on here and there. Basically it’s a very safe place to live. Contrary to ideas, it’s always had a pretty good educational background. If you wanted to learn, you did and you could get much further than you could in the city. They paid more attention to you because classes were smaller.

Levittown people: Donna Ryan

Donna Ryan

The halls of East Broadway Elementary School in Levittown were quiet on Wednesday afternoon except for the excited chatter of a group of students that roamed them and the rustle of the big, black garbage bags they held as they hurried between classrooms. 
 “Recycling,” the students would announce as they peeked inside doorways before being welcomed inside to carry away the classroom’s discarded plastic water bottles. 
 The group of volunteers dutifully collects the school’s recycling twice a week. Every Friday, a parent volunteer picks up the week’s collection, brings it to a redemption center and returns the money to special education teacher Patricia Block, who leads the recycling effort. 
 Block said the school has been recycling for about five years, but three years ago decided to take the extra step of bringing the bottles to the redemption center and collecting the money. Each year, the money has gone to a different nonprofit, but this year, it’s especially close to the teacher’s heart. 
 So far this year, the school has donated about $500 to the <a href="http://www.rsds.org/index2.html">Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association</a>, which promotes awareness of the affliction, also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. 
 Block’s daughter, Nicole, suffers from RSD, a neurological syndrome that causes severe physical pain. Nicole Block, 22, was diagnosed last year. The syndrome causes a severe burning sensation in her left foot, which at times has left her unable to walk. After intensive treatments, Patricia Block said her daughter can walk and run but was forced to quit her tennis team and still undergoes treatment. 
 Block said early treatment is the key to managing the disorder, which does not have a cure. In most cases, the RSD symptoms occur suddenly after a bodily trauma like a broken limb or sprained ankle. 
 "And it can affect children," she said. "That's why I think it's do important to make them aware." 
 The students have taken on the cause with zeal, nicknaming this year’s recycling campaign “Nickels for Nicole.” 
 On Friday, the students and parent-volunteers will be rewarded for their hard work with a special concert and assembly. Students will perform skits, sing and dance; there will be an “Are You Smarter than Mrs. Block’s Fifth Graders?” competition including parents; and special guests, including Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr. (R-Merrick), representatives from the Town of Hempstead, and Jim Broatch, executive director of the RSD association. 
 “This assembly is really to thank the students and the parents,” said Block, who has taught in the district for 20 years and at East Broadway for 10 years. “In the beginning, I had to ask for volunteers. Now everybody wants to do it.” 
 Block said the students come into her classroom, look at pictures of her daughter posted on her wall and ask how she is doing. They’ve made recycling posters to spread awareness of their mission with slogans like “Recycling Rocks” and “Through Recycling We Can Save Lives.” 
 Fifth-grader Dylan Tobie said he feels a special connection to the project because his brother suffers from cerebral palsy so he knows how important it is to give hope to someone with a disability 
 “It’s important that we are raising money and awareness so they can feel better and we can help them,” he said. 
 Justin Hama, another fifth-grader at East Broadway, said he has been collecting school recyclables since he was in the first grade. He said it’s fun to do but it also feels good to know they are making a difference. 
 “I think it’s important for us to go green for the Earth,” said Hama. “But also important because we are helping Mrs. Block’s daughter.”

Students' recycling efforts benefit nonprofit

Levittown students' recycling efforts benefit nonprofit

HLRECYC15

Mike Muccio, 28, Seaford Community association: Chief of the Wantagh-Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corps 
 We met Muccio at the headquarters of the ambulance corps on Wednesday night. Muccio, who, beside working with the ambulance corps is employed as a nurse, was born and raised in Levittown but moved to Seaford as an adult. He remains connected to the community where he grew up and his parents still live. 
 When did you join the ambulance corp and what made you join? I’ve been here for about eight years. I was going to Stony Brook University for my bachelor’s and I wanted to join the ambulance corp there, but that’s a really busy squad and I was put on hold. There are always a lot of people that want to join there. So then one day I was sitting home and just kind of didn’t know what I wanted to do, and my mom picked up the phone and called our local headquarters and put me on the phone with the chief. I ended up talking to him for like two hours and I haven’t missed a tour since. 
 What made you stay in the area and keep connected with the community? I like the area. This is where I grew up. My friends and family are here. The only reason I even moved out of Levittown was because I love the water and I wanted to live closer to it. It’s a great community to grow up in and still a great place to live. 
 What did you love about it as a kid? In the summertime I lived at the pool. I could walk there, it was around the block. I went to Island Trees High School and there was always a lot of stuff to do at school. I graduated with about 150 people so everyone knew each other. I could still go back to the high school now and all the teachers would still remember me. Everything is accessible here. 
 How have you seen the community change? It’s becoming a little more urban. Where the Target and the Stop &amp; Shop are now, that used to be a field. The whole place has become a lot more built up, more than it should be maybe. It’s starting to look a little like Queens. 
 How much did you know about the history of Levittown when you were growing up? I was in sixth grade for the 50th anniversary. And in fourth grade, we had a unit on local history and there were four chapters on Levittown. So, you learn about it. You know where all the old Levitts are in town. 
 It comes in handy here because when we’re training new members, we’ll describe a home and say, so if you respond to a Levitt, you walk into a living room and the bathroom is across from the boiler and there are two bedrooms on the side. 
 How would you describe the character of Levittown? Wise. There’s a wealth of experience that this community has to offer. There are so many people who are active in different things, in Kiwanis, people in the fire department, you have all this experience there. You always have access to someone who knows better than you.

Levittown people: Mike Muccio

Mike Muccio

On Day 4 in Levittown, we’ll take a peek into one of Levittown’s eight elementary schools. 
 At East Broadway Elementary School, a dedicated team of recyclers has been helping their school raise money for a cause. Twice a week, students collect discarded plastic water bottles and other recyclable material from every classroom, and a parent-volunteer brings it to a redemption center for them. The money -- this year they’ve raised almost $500 -- goes to the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association, which raises awareness and promotes education about the syndrome that affects a family member of one of the students’ teachers. 
 At the end of their school day on Wednesday, the students showed me how they do their job. Tomorrow, their hard work will be celebrated with a special concert and assembly. 
 Look for the story on East Broadway students later today. 
 I also paid a visit to the Wantagh Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corp last night, which has headquarters on Balsam Lane in an updated Levitt Cape Cod house. I spoke with a few of the members there, including the current chief, Mike Muccio. You can find those interviews posted here today. 
 I’ve also reached out to the local VFW and American Legion halls to get the perspective of a veteran. When Levittown was built, it was considered a unique place because only veterans and civil service members were eligible to rent the first homes. If you’d like to recommend a Levittown veteran I should reach out to, you can let me know by <a href="mailto:erin.geismar@newsday.com">email</a>, on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/eringeismar">Twitter</a> or in the comments below. 
 Anything else I should see in Levittown? My days here are numbered, so keep up the suggestions!

Town Focus: Levittown, Day 4

Throughout this week's Town Focus series in Levittown, we are profiling people we meet, from community leaders to residents we bump into around town. 
 Celeste Watman Director of the Levittown Public Library 
 How long have you been with the library? More than seven years now as director. 
 Did you hold another position prior to that or were you at another library? I was at the Hicksville library for 17 ½ years. 
 What were your first impressions of the Levittown community? It was very much like Hicksville. There wasn’t a substantial difference in the demographic. 
 What does the library mean to this community? How do they use it? The computer labs are very, very popular. We see heavy usage there. We started loaning out e-readers -- each one comes with 25 titles. They have become quite popular so we’re working on developing learning applications for the e-reader -- in particular, geared toward special needs populations. 
 Which community programs are the most popular? Defensive driving, which we offer year round, is very popular. The exercise programs are very popular -- we can never have enough of them. We also show films, which can draw a big crowd depending on the title. Musical programs and children’s story time are other big ones. I like to introduce new things to the community, big, annual events. We’ve had a museum day, where museums from around Long Island came here and set up booths. And a Harry Potter Day. 
 The library has a local history department. Do you find that people are interested in that? Here’s something I find gratifying: We have a public telephone downstairs around the corner from our offices and it was a very plain section of the library. We used photos from our local history collection and posted them around that hallway and now people are intrigued by them. They call their friends over and people come here specifically to see those photos. I hear people saying, ‘Remember when?’ 
 I think that Levittowners are quite proud of their history.

Levittown people: Celeste Watman

Celeste Watman

Throughout the week a few people mentioned that we should speak with Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray, who is a lifelong Levittown resident. She met with Community Journalist Erin Geismar at the East Village Green on Wednesday to reminisce about the place she grew up. 
 Kate Murray Town of Hempstead supervisor 
 So, I heard you were born and raised in Levittown? Yes, I was born in '62. I'm one of seven children and I'm number six in line. I had just a phenomenal time growing up here. I would not change my childhood for anything in the world. When I was a kid, we would get home from school, run into the house to change our clothes, and then we could not get out of the house fast enough because there would be 1,000 kids outside playing. When the streetlight came on, that's when you would come home for dinner. And you had lots of moms. Everyone looked out for each other. And you listened. So if any adult told you to do something, you did it. 
 What do you think it was that made Levittown such a great environment? What I think was unique about Levittown was that everyone was in the same position. When my parents moved here, they were newly married and so was everyone else. They all started having kids at the same time so everyone really understood each other. Nobody had money, they were new homeowners, they were doing what they could to get by. It makes for a very communal experience. My mother tells me these stories. Most of the women were stay-at-home moms. So there was only one paycheck and it would come every other Friday. So my mom and another woman whose family got their paycheck on differing Fridays would help each other out. When my father got paid, my mom would share a pound of butter or something like that. Then the next week she would pay it back when her husband got paid. 
 What made you stay in Levittown as an adult? I bought the house right next door to my parents. I knew the original owner and she was getting older and she didn’t want to maintain the house. I heard from her children that she was considering moving in with her son. So one day, it was in October and I was actually campaigning at the time, I saw real estate agents at her house and I went in there and said, ‘Did you decide on moving? I think I’d be interested in buying your home.’ She handed me the keys right there. So I sort of fell into the house right next door to my parents, and I used to think people who lived near their parents were crazy, but I have to say, they are great neighbors. 
 You have great memories from childhood, but what is it about Levittown that you love now, as an adult? I’m a single woman and I don’t have children, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the village greens, the playgrounds, youth sports. These are just things that make a community really solid. It’s the support from parents, we have two good school districts and a desire from everyone to keep this community strong. That continues to be exhibited in our community. That’s the heartbeat of the community and it makes a great place to live. 
 How have you seen Levittown change? Certainly now we’re seeing a new generation of people. My parents generation are into their 80s, so as new families move into Levittown, they need to develop that Levittown vibe. But I see that happening. I see them getting involved in their kids schools, in the community. They are gaining that Levittown spirit. Of course, in terms of change there is also the development of the business corridor. On the corner of Hempstead Turnpike and Gardiners Avenue, that used to be a potato farm when my parents moved here. Now it’s a shopping center. So we’ve gone from farmland to a mature community structurally. The business district on Hempstead Turnpike has really grown and matured. 
 Do people still use the village greens for shopping? I think so. If you take a look around -- they’re vibrant. Fred’s Deli at my village green has been around for at least 55 years. La Focaccia restaurant, right here in this green, that’s where we hold our Kiwanis meetings every week. Some of the stores have come and gone but there are really nice anchors in each village green. That’s what creates that commercial destination. That’s what keeps the community vibrant. 
 What challenges does Levittown face? Not necessarily any that are unique to Levittown. The maturing of an infrastructure. That’s all over the town. It’s about revitalizing downtowns and business districts across Long Island, keeping them vibrant and relevant in an age of big box stores. That’s why we keep up the parks, the playgrounds, whatever we can do to help bring the people to the greens and then they’ll shop here. 
 Growing up, did you realize how historic Levittown was? I didn’t. As kids, you just know what you know. As I grew up, I realized. We’re in the Smithsonian, we’re in textbooks. As an adult, my mom went to Columbia University, she was a history major, and right there in her textbook was Levittown. When I look at early pictures, it couldn’t have looked more picturesque. The houses were all cookie-cutter models. They all looked the same. Now, of course, they’ve all changed. What Bill Levitt did was genius. He did something no one else had done and it was for veterans, who really needed and deserved an upper hand. It was a brilliant development idea. 
 Speaking of the houses, what style house do you have? I grew up in a Cape Cod and I live in a Cape Cod now. My parents’ is much bigger than mine. They’ve done four extensions over the years as the children kept coming. Mine has one dormer on the back, but you really can’t see it from the front so it still looks very much like an original Levitt Cape Cod home. 
 How would you define the character of Levittown? Family oriented. From my perspective, that’s what I want to see in a community. It’s child-oriented, it always has been. There have always been a million kids in Levittown.

Levittown people: Kate Murray

Kate Murray

Throughout this week's Town Focus series in Levittown, we are profiling people we meet, from community leaders to residents we bump into around town. 
 Louise Cassano Charter member and first president of the Levittown Community Council 
 Tell me a little about the community council. It started after the 50th anniversary of Levittown, when the [council's] charter was signed. It was an enormous undertaking. There were more than 40 events held that year, one or two a month and all the organizations got involved. It ended in November of that year. We started the community council to continue that momentum of community support. A number of the events have continued since then, including the Lazy Days of Summer and the Winter Fest. The Levittown Kiwanis also took over the annual 5k run on Father’s Day. Every April we hold an Earth Day cleanup and in May we give awards to junior high students. 
 When did you first move to Levittown? In 1951 with my parents. They bought a new ranch house. It was my mom, my dad and my two older sisters. I was 7 years old. 
 Where did you move from and what was it like for you here? We moved from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. We lived in a beautiful area, but after World War II when all of the service people were coming home -- our landlord had two sons in the service and she began to put on tremendous pressure to move. She would break windows and pretend that there were burglars. I guess she didn’t know how to get us out and she wanted the apartment for her sons. 
 I thought it was wonderful moving here. It was a great change for us. It was still the country. We felt free. For me it was great. I had many friends and we had sleepovers in the backyard -- there was no fear of anything. There were no fences so we would just run from one backyard to another. We were always in the street playing. 
 What made you stay as an adult? I just loved Levittown. I didn’t really want to leave. When I got engaged, our first intention was to get an apartment somewhere, which meant leaving Levittown because there really were no rentals at that time. One day, my boss called me into his office and told me about cash over mortgage. Basically, that means we could put down the difference between the selling price of a house and the seller’s mortgage. 
 So we started looking around and looking into that. We found the house that we live in now. We needed $3,000 to buy it and that was a lot of money then. I had saved $2,000, and we borrowed $1,000 from my husband’s aunt. We paid off the loan immediately from our wedding gifts. We sent her a check while we were on our honeymoon. We’ve been here ever since. 
 Did you raise children here? Yes, we have two sons. My sons are still very close to friends they made here. It’s an incredibly close friendship they have and even their children have started to become friends. And we’re still friends with their friends’ parents. 
 How has the community changed? A lot of physical changes. The buildings, the business environment. When we moved here, we shopped at the village green. Every village green had a drugstore, a sweet shop, and other businesses. That’s how Levittown was made, so everyone had their own village green. The main shopping was on Hempstead Turnpike, but nothing like it is today. It was much more limited. That has changed enormously. Those businesses we had were all mom-and-pop. People came from the city with a certain skill or trade and set up a shop. 
 Now it’s big boxes in town. A lot of national chains. The environment has remarkably stayed the same. People are still involved in the community, still show an interest in the schools -- although the schools have changed. When I was going to school, there were 25,000 students being educated in Levittown. Now it’s much less. And the schools have changed a lot. They kept building new schools as the population changed. 
 It seems that the actual houses play a large role in the identity of Levittown. Yes. I had the privilege of interviewing William Levitt for the 40th anniversary of Levittown. He was a very warm, very nice man. He said that he wanted to build a house that could grow with families. That’s exactly what he accomplished. 
 When we bought this house it had four rooms. As my children grew up, we extended our house. As my extended family grew, we pushed out the rooms. As of a couple years ago, we were still expanding. 
 People stayed here because of these houses. The houses are very expandable. They were built basically as boxes so you could expand in any direction. And the houses were very affordable. What challenges does Levittown face now? The biggest challenge we are facing now is the business environment. That has become a key point. There are a lot of vacant businesses but the Chamber of Commerce is undertaking a project to figure out why that’s happened and what we can do. 
 Taxes are also very high. Our school taxes are three times our town taxes. We have a wonderful education system. I got an education here that prepared me for anything. But the money it costs to run the system is an enormous [burden]. One of the reasons that it’s so hard is that there aren’t enough businesses to bear it. It’s the reason families leave, the reason seniors leave. It’s expensive and there is not ample senior housing. I think that’s something Levittown has to consider -- a more modernistic approach in terms of building development in the community. We need affordable housing for our youth and our seniors. 
 How would you define the character of Levittown? I very often say, Levittown is a large community with a small town quality. It’s so large that we don’t know everybody in the community, but there is a sense of awareness in the whole town. It’s warm, congenial, welcoming.

Levittown people: Louise Cassano

Louise Cassano

We continue our week in Levittown with a look at local business today and more interviews with lifelong residents, including the perspective of one 24-year-old who came back from college and became active in his hometown. 
 I’ve been asking residents I meet to steer me toward a local gem, whether a long-running business or a favorite spot in town. If you have a suggestion, send it my way and maybe I’ll highlight it. 
 I’ll take a look at some of the original and not-so-original Levitt homes today on a walking tour of the community, recommended to visitors at the Levittown Historical Society Museum. Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/eringeismar">Twitter</a> for photos and comments from the walk. 
 I’m also headed to the Wantagh Levittown Volunteer Ambulance Corps tonight to meet with a member there who has a long history in the community. 
 Later this week, look for a full story on Levittown’s history, find out what local students are up to and read more from the residents. Keep in touch with via <a href="mailto:erin.geismar@newsday.com">email</a> or the comments section below.

Town Focus: Levittown, Day 3

Steve Dalton, 24 Vice president, board of trustees Levittown Public Library 
 Dalton reached out to us by email and we met up with him at the library on Tuesday. Currently a law student at Touro College, Dalton grew up in Levittown and left only to get his undergraduate degree at American University in Washington, D.C. 
 In addition to his position on the Levittown Public Library board of trustees, he is a member of the board for the Levittown Kiwanis Club; on the membership board for the Levittown Community Council; a member of the board for the Levittown Swimming Association; and he teaches religion and lectors at St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church. 
 As a young person living and staying very active in the Levittown community, are you unique? Perhaps in the amount of things I do. But in each one of the organizations I’m involved in there are other young people involved. At St. Bern’s, at the Swimming Association, at Kiwanis. I think they understand the importance of keeping the organizations going, especially with something like the swimming association, where we all grew up being a part of it. So, if I’m unique, it’s only because of how many things I’ve taken on. But young people absolutely want to get involved. 
 What does make you want to stay so involved in your community? People are the lifeblood of their community. Otherwise, it’s just a spot on the map. I don’t want to live in a town that is just a spot on the map. I want it to be a community. I’m doing my part to make that happen and I think others are doing their part. People wouldn’t stay here if it was just a spot on the map, and people do stay here. There are people that live here that came right after it was all potato farms and have been here ever since. 
 How have you seen Levittown change since you were growing up? There has been a great influx of families. I think in a lot of places, people grow up wherever their parents live, and then they move away and start their own families. Here, people who’ve grown up here come back. They take the community and make it their own. I think it’s a testament to the community that people come back. 
 Growing up, did you understand the history of Levittown? Did it impact you at all? I think I realized it when I was in fourth grade and Levittown was in our history textbook. That was eye-opening to realize this is really a place that people know about in places outside of Levittown because of how it was formed. I think that’s part of what sparked my interest in history, and I ended up with a history minor when I went to college. I think you would be hard-pressed to find a legitimate history textbook anywhere that doesn’t have something about Levittown in it. I don’t think many communities can say that. I’m taking a zoning class right now and there is a section about Levittown. Levittown follows me wherever I go. 
 Do you plan to stay in Levittown? I’d like to stay. You can’t predict the future, but it’s a community that obviously I care a lot about. 
 What challenges does the community face? Taxes. That’s a large problem. There are vacancies, but I think the Town of Hempstead is doing a good job to bring in new businesses where others have left. Levittown is really ready to roar back and we’ve got people in and out of government that are working hard to make sure it does. 
 Define the character of Levittown. Family-centered. Small town. People know everybody. If you go into Dortoni’s Bakery on a Sunday after mass, you probably know a third of the people in there. Same goes with Bagel Town. You’ll wind up staying for 10 minutes longer than you planned because you’ll stay and talk.

Levittown people: Steve Dalton

Levittown people: Library trustee Steve Dalton

The Levittown Public Library may soon have a celebrity on its hands. 
 Levi, a black and white cat with a big, round belly and a red striped hat, is the star of a new children’s book to be available at the library in the coming weeks. He is also a stuffed animal. 
 In the self-published book, “Let’s Go to the Library,” the small toy is photographed doing various tasks at the library like getting his library card, playing in the toy room and checking out books. The book is geared toward special needs children to teach them how to use the library. 
 “Especially with a special-needs child, it’s really important to learn the steps they’ll be taking in an unfamiliar environment,” said Geraldine Farmer-Morrison, head of children’s services. 
 The idea came from similar books published at other libraries, Farmer-Morrison said, and was originally to be published as an e-book. But library director Celeste Watman thought it would be nice to have something parents could physically pick up and read to their children; and children’s librarian Frances Contonzo thought of using Levi the stuffed animal as a character. 
 “We were following the model of another book but I thought it needed to be jazzed up,” said Contonzo, who took the photos for the book. “It makes the pictures more fun for the kids to see with him all dressed up and doing things in the library.” 
 Watman said the newly formed Levittown Public Library Foundation provided funding to publish the book. There will be 25 copies available in the next couple of weeks. She said the library also plans to publish a sequel, including another popular library toy, Dewey the Dachshund, to inform families about children’s programming. 
 Watman said another promotion allowing library patrons to borrow Dewey the Dachshund was a huge success, so she expects Levi to be a hit as well. 
 “Soon, we’ll have people coming here just to see Levi,” she said.

Book to help kids learn about Levittown library

New book to help kids learn about Levittown library

HLLEVIT12

Today, I’m back in Levittown and learning more about the organizations that help keep the community together. 
 I stopped in at the Levittown Public Library yesterday to chat with library director Celeste Watman. Look for a story today on a new project that has librarians there excited. 
 I’ll also meet with one of the charter members of the Levittown Community Council, a group open to anyone in the Island Trees or Levittown school districts that aims to rally support and pride for the community. The council sponsors annual community events, like the Lazy Days of Summer, that brings residents together. 
 Yesterday, I spent the morning at the Levittown Historical Society Museum, where a local second-grade class was getting a lesson on local history. I was there for my own lesson, as well, given to me by historical society president Polly Dwyer. 
 In addition to taking me through the vast collection of materials they have at the museum, Dwyer sat down with me to talk about her own experiences moving to Levittown almost 60 years ago. She also gave me a map and marked a walking tour of Levittown that would take me to a few original Levitt houses -- some that have been modified almost beyond recognition -- and other original landmarks in town. 
 When the sun comes back this week, I may take Dwyer up on that tour. Be sure to follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/eringeismar">Twitter</a>, where I’ll post photos as I go. You can also reach out to me or send suggestions by <a href="mailto:erin.geismar@newsday.com">email</a> or in the comments section below.

Town Focus: Levittown, Day 2

Throughout this week's Town Focus series in Levittown, we are profiling people we meet, from community leaders to residents we bump into around town. 
 Polly Dwyer, 83 President, Levittown Historical Society 
 When did you move to Levittown? 1954 
 How old were you then and what brought you out here? I was 26. It was the most economical place. We couldn't find a house with everything it offered anywhere else. 
 My first husband was a World War II vet. He served in the Philippines with the army, so that qualified us, although by 1954 they had relaxed the rules a bit as to who could buy a house here. 
 We put down $100 and got it back at closing, so really it's like we put nothing down. We paid $65 a month for our mortgage. 
 Which type of house do you live in? The Cape Cod style. They built the Cape Cod houses over two years. In the first year, they had porcelain kitchen sinks, which were terrible to clean. In the second year, they put in stainless steel sinks. Thank God we have the second year. 
 What were your first impressions of Levittown? Very cute and I liked it that way. 
 We had been living with my mother-in-law in Little Neck. When we came out here, the salesman told us all the houses looked the same on the inside. We had seen a ranch and we had seen a Cape Cod house, so we bought the house without ever looking inside of it. But we really liked the location, we were three houses away from the public library and one of the village greens -- they built seven village greens when they built the houses. 
 What made you stay in the same town and the same house all these years? I don't know, it just happened. This was going to be our starter house and we'd move up. 
 My first husband had the kind of job where if the company was not doing well, his job got cut. So he was out of work for a while. He died in 1980 and all my children were grown but I had one son still living with me. When he died, he was repairing the house. He built an apartment so I could have the income. So that kept me here, I guess, because our house had an income. 
 What made you become involved with the historical society? I didn't even know while I was living here that it was so historic. It would come to me in drills and drabs, but I didn't know the scope of it. 
 After I thoroughly retired, I found out about the historical society and before I knew it, I was the president. 
 What do you love about the community? The neighbors. And it's a very convenient place. You can shop on Hempstead Turnpike for big things, there are loads of grocery stores, in the next town over, Hicksville, are all the department stores. You can go into the city or you can stay here and go to the beach or one of the swimming pools. 
 What challenges does the community face? Paying the taxes. Taxes are outrageous and it's not that big a house. People expand their houses to accommodate their children and then they can't afford the taxes and move. I have a house next to me that's been vacant for two years. 
 How has Levittown changed? Less children. Very few children. There are almost none on my block. Everybody just stays inside. 
 In the early days, the children were all running around outside in the lots. Now everybody works, the husband, the wife. There's nobody in the house most of the time. It's a sad change to me. 
 On a poster board in the historical society museum here, you're quoted as saying you fear for the children of the future because there is no Levittown for them. What did you mean by that? 
 You can't find houses for that price anymore, even relatively speaking. There are not affordable houses. There isn't anything line there was for us then in Levittown. There is nothing special for the veterans. No special place to live. It's tough and I feel sorry for them today. 
 How would you define the character of Levittown? Pride in homes. 
 The actual houses here seem to be a big part of the identity of Levittown. Absolutely. We're so proud of our homes. Houses are improved, lawns are kept up. You have an obligation to your neighbors, I think, to keep it lovely.

Levittown people: Polly Dwyer

Levittown people: Polly Dwyer, historical society president

HLLEVI12

This month’s installment of Town Focus is set in Levittown, where community journalist Erin Geismar will be working throughout the week. 
 Levittown is best known for its rich history as a model for suburbs around the country post-World War II. 
 Geismar will delve into this history and other aspects of the Nassau County community through talks with members of the Levittown Historical Society and those who grew up in the first Levitt homes. 
 Today, she’ll meet with Polly Dwyer, who is both of those things. Look for an interview with her posted later today and a story and video on the history of Levittown at the end of the week. 
 Have a suggestion for someone we should talk to? A favorite spot in Levittown? A great memory there? Feel free to share. 
 You can reach Geismar on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/eringeismar">Twitter</a>, by <a href="mailto:erin.geismar@newsday.com">email</a> and in the comments.

Town Focus: Levittown, Day 1

Town Focus: Levittown

Levittown

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