Mansions on Long Island, NY

Between the 1800's and 1940's, during the Second Industrial Revolution, America saw a great influx of self-made men who made fortunes in steel, transportation and other major industries. America saw vast amounts of natural resources and an explosion of big, booming cities. It was a time of opulence, wealth and luxury that was forever depicted in the great American epic, "The Great Gatsby", which described the American Dream using Long Island as its backdrop.

These high times seemed to have no end, and beginning in the 1890's, the millionaire captains of industry were swimming in their newfound wealth and chose to celebrate lavishly by building over-the-top homes in the beautiful and highly sought after area of Long Island. Wealthy families such as the infamous Vanderbilts, Astors, Whitneys, Morgans, Pratts, Igleharts, Hearsts and Guggenheims built their mansions, castles, and chateaus on a sixteen mile stretch from Great Neck to Huntington on the North Shore of what is now Nassau County (called Queens County back in the day). In other words, this was the "it" location for anyone who was anyone in New York's most envied social and business circles. Perhaps appropriately so, this stretch of ultra fine homes was later known as the "Gold Coast".

These homes were like nothing we're used to today. In fact, the Gold Coast homes of yesteryear would put today's homes of the rich and famous to shame. The greatest architects, landscapers and designers of the time were employed to ensure each wealthy family that their home was the most posh. These well-known architectures would use every type of style you could think of, including English Tudor, French Chateau, Georgian, Gothic, Mediterranean, Norman, Roman, Spanish, etc. Even more impressive, entire rooms would be built and structured in Europe, dismantled and reassembled on the Gold Coast. And the opulence didn't end there.

Besides the glorious and awe-inspiring great houses, formal gardens, gazebos, greenhouses, stables, guest houses, gate houses, swimming pools, reflecting pools, ponds, children's playhouses, pleasure palaces, golf courses, tennis courts and playing greens further adorned the magnificent mansions. Residents and guests could enjoy a multitude of sporting and leisurely activities such as horseback riding, hunting, fishing, playing polo, boating, golfing, playing tennis, playing croquet, swimming, etc. Of course, in true mansion style - these activities were well hidden and overall privacy was maintained by the vastness of land, tall hedges and trees, fences, gates, private roads and maps that purposely leave off the location of the mansions.

More than 500 mansions were built for wealthy families on the North Shore. These mansions were built to last hundreds of years. Unfortunately, most of them only got to see about 50 years. Financial woes such as the Great Depression, increasing income taxes, and increasing requirements for maintenance stripped these super rich families of their famous wealth, which meant having to give up their grand residences. Most other of these glorious homes have given way to natural disasters, fires, vegetation, abandonment, poor caretaking, and general city expansion and development. However, proof that these grand and opulent homes once stood still exists - even though history and maps tell us that the widely used Long Island Expressway has plowed through some of the mansions' once beautiful landscaping, gardens and roadways. Despite the "wreckage", one is still able to see remnants of those hundreds of mansions that are now in the past. For example, there is a double row of trees in the center median of the Southern State Parkway near the Belmont State Park. These trees were once the main drive to the late August Belmont residence. There are also huge stone gates in the woods which once stood in front of the great Charles Hudson estate.

Luckily, though, you don't have to search too hard to see clues of what used to be. Nearly 200 Gold Coast mansions still exist, many of which are available for you to tour, or better yet, cater an event at. Well maintained mansions of the Industrial Age still exist as private residences, public buildings, museums, catering halls, sports fields, state and county parks, places of worship and universities/colleges. For example, thanks to the vision and care of its children, the Phipps Mansion - located in Old Westbury - is still intact and as beautiful as ever. Indeed, its gardens, the Old Westbury Gardens, is world renowned and hosts several major events throughout the year, not to mention numerous tours. Otto Kahn's famous Oheka Castle, which was once the second largest private residence in the United States, is also still very well maintained. It hosts corporate events, serves as a luxury hotel, and is also available for tours.

The Gold Coast homes have also brought the likes of Hollywood over to Long Island on a number of occasions. Major motion pictures have used various Gold Coast homes as daunting backdrops. For example, the Old Westbury Gardens were featured by Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest, Love Story, Age of Innocence starring Wynona Ryder, Wolf starring Jack Nicholson, and Cruel Intentions starring Reese Witherspoon. The Oheka Castle was used in Citizen Kane and the recent What Happens in Vegas starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher. The Planting Fields Estate was used in Love Story and Sabrina. The Hempstead House in Sands Point appeared in New Jack City. The film Reversal of Fortune featured the Old Westbury mansion, Knole. The Caumsett Estate appeared in Arthur; Vanderbilt's Eagle's Nest in Crocodile Dundee II, Mill Neck Manor in Trading Places, and The Braes in Glen Cove in Batman Forever. And, no one can forget the famous "horse head in the bed" scene in The Godfather, which took place in the Sands Point mansion of Falaise.

The historical, beautiful and grand estates of the Gold Coast serve as a proud reminder of where Long Island comes from. It wasn't too long ago when America's most notoriously wealthy families used the North Shore as fox hunting grounds and as a retreat from their hurried, money-making days in New York City. It was a time when elaborate parties and social gatherings took place daily and when opulent and lavish lifestyles were a thing of the norm. It was a time when posh celebration met comfort and leisure.

Why not take a page out of our history's books by offering your guests a piece of the past by booking your next event at one of Long Island's famous mansions? Give them an experience they'll never be likely to forget.