User10337_5_t Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York
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Everyone is writing wonderful, inspiring posts about going forward and I'm enjoying them all.  This weekend, though, I took a step BACK in time to remember some wonderful memories in Wantagh, Long Island, New York.  It's where I was born and raised and certainly where I had an awful lot of fun!

I remembered that we had a few TREASURES left of the OLD Wantagh; the very one I grew up in and loved when it wasn't so modern and busy.  And they are preserved.  If you'd like to step, just for a moment, back in time with me you'll see a bit of Mayberry.

My old schoolhouse which we called The Little RED Schoolhouse.  I'm not sure if that's the official name but now it's a historic site (and I'm feeling a bit PREhistoric writing this!   Before we were put in the BIG school, if you lived really close to this one you had the privilege of going here.  There were three classrooms-First, Second and Third grade.  And a lunchroom.  And that was the entire school.  We had a huge rope hanging down in the middle and got to ring it every day....it would take two or three of us to get it to ring.  Unlike the new, modern playground we had the old steel monkey bars.  I didn't often get to play on them because I usually wore a dress.  But the times were SO easy, fun and friendly.

They have preverved the Original Post office of Wantagh!  Another treasure of Wantagh that has been preserved is its old Train Station.  My brother went to Pratt in Brooklyn, a renowned school for artists and often I'd go with my mother to pick him up at the train station-THIS train station, now preserved.  It is still fascinating to see and shows a bit of what Long Island used to be.  Farmland.  Acres and acres of land barely developed.

Wantagh is called The Gateway to Jones Beach and it also borders the famous (or infamous) Levittown where you could purchase a new home for just over $6,000.  The returning GI's jumped on it.  The two styles were either a ranch or a cape cod and my parents choose a ranch home that borders Levittown but was still in Wantagh.  An article in Newsday a few years back claimed that there was only ONE home left in all of Levittown that had not been expanded or modified! 

Here's a few shots, welcome to Mayberry:

Feng Shui Long IslandThe name fits:  The Little Red Schoohouse; it's a daycare now.

Long Island Feng Shui ConsultantThe New, Modern playground.

New York Feng Shui ConsultantI DID say little, right?

Manhattan Feng Shui ConsultantSorry about the sign, it's historic as well!  The year is 1876 when this farmland was donated by John Virsdall Garner; It was the very FIRST School in Levittown!

Wantagh Feng Shui ConsultantThis building was the very first Post Office in Wantagh.  It has also been preserved as a historic site.

Feng Shui Consultant HempsteadThis is the preserved site both the Post Office and the Train Station are on.  It's wonderful that we have a bit of true history here.

Feng Shui Long Island, Oyster BayThe Original Station...

Nassau County Feng Shui Consultant

 

Suffolk County Feng Shui Consultant

Maybe I had to take a step BACK before I could move FORWARD.  I hope you enjoyed a little bit of my old hometown, Wantagh, Long Island, New York.

http://www.FengShuiLI.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

25 Comments on Some Remaining Treasures of Wantagh, Long Island by Feng Shui Long Island

Carole - It is alway fun taking a trip down memory lane.  I love when a community preserve the old buildings.  When I visit my parents I am alway curious to see what buildings  are  still intact.

12/29/2007 12:07 AM by Jennifer Fivelsdal, Rhinebeck NY (Keller Williams Realty)


Carole-What a great trip that was down memory lane. The Little Red Schoolhouse is a wonderful site.  How many students fit in that school?  It's so adorable.  And the train station, I love it. All these pictures are beautiful to say the least.  Thank you for the great tour my friend.  I hope you have a very Happy New Year!

12/29/2007 12:22 AM by Julie Neerings~Lifting Hearts ♥ Building Dreams~Utah REALTOR® (Keller Williams Salt Lake City)


Carole - I really enjoy the tributes to our history that are found throughout the north east - it gives a sense of grounding somehow.  Interesting that you went back to move forward, I've been thinking along the same lines...

I think I can honestly say you are the first "younger" person I've met (outside of my grandma) that had attended a little red schoolhouse - at least yours had more than 1 room! :)

Happy New Year!

Jackie

12/29/2007 12:30 AM by Jackie Peraza, Home Stager - Framingham, Massachusetts (Perceptions AdverStaging(TM), LLC)


Carole- I really enjoyed that trip back in time. I love that movie ( oh, I forgot the name) where Christopher Walken plays the dad that builds that bomb shelter and they raise their son down there and then he comes up to see if it is safe to come out. Katerina

12/29/2007 12:36 AM by Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Luxury Homes (International Properties and Investments, Inc.)


Carole, What an enjoyable post to read first thing this morning. I absolutely  love history and learning about the heritage of settlements and this was a bonus because as it was all about the place that YOU grew up !

I wonder if you would consider reposting it and adding it to the Heritage Properties, Historic Sites and Antiques group...I'd like to feature it there.

The schoolhouse and train station are certainly unique and beautiful. 

((-:

Jo 

12/29/2007 08:04 AM by Jo-Anne Smith-Belleville, Quinte and Prince Edward Region Real Estate, Ont. (Royal Lepage Proalliance Realty, Brokerage)


Carole ~ I love the pictures and I love reading about the history of a town.  I thought we had a teeny tiny post here here but your post office is the winner!

12/29/2007 09:19 AM by Lisa Ryan~Selling Princeton,West Windsor and Montgomery Township New Jersey (Prudential NJ Properties)


Carole - I love the concept of little schoolhouses, old train stations and history in general.  When I think of Long Island I don't think of history (sadly) but instead of hustle and bustle forever.  Guess I need to adjust my perceptions!

I had some casual friends that lived in Wantaugh - on Lufberry???  Haven't heard from them in a few years, but I still send Christmas cards.... 

12/29/2007 10:29 AM by Carol Smith (Soon to be Keller Williams Preferred Realty)


Jennifer, I am so glad they're preserved a few things, so much of the Wantagh I grew up in is gone.  Thanks for your comment.

Julie, We didn't have more then 15 kids in each class so the entire school held 45 children at most.  I loved it there!  Thank you and have an absolutely beautiful New Year!

Jackie, It made me feel ancient to be back but I have the best memories of that little place!  Truly the good old days, it really was a great place to grow up!  Happy New Year to you, I wish you ALL the best!

Katerina, I'm not familiar with that movie, I must have missed it.  This was definitely a trip down memory lane.  I hope you have the best of 2008!

Jo, I loved it, too.  I wish they could have let me inside.  Of course I will post it there and thank you for the suggestion!  Happy, HAPPY New Year my friend.

Lisa, Isn't that post office the tiniest one you've ever seen?  I love that they preserved that.  All my best wishes for a wonderful 2008!

Carol, Wantagh was SO different back when I was growing up.  No locked doors, we all knew eachother and everyone watched out for eachother.  So different.  Lufberry is in the Wantagh Woods, the nicest part of Wantagh in my opinion.  I lived on Briard, also in the Woods....here's my first house with my ex:

Wantagh Feng ShuiI LOVED this house--we had all the windows "super sized"  :)

12/29/2007 10:47 AM by Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York (Feng Shui Long Island & New York City)


Carole,  What a wonderful look back at your hometown.  When my husband, Buster and I walked around down town Sumter on Christmas, I got such a sense of history.  Just the little things that people walk right by and don't see everyday.  Thank you for sharing.

12/29/2007 12:23 PM by Kim Peasley-Parker (AgentOwned Realty)


Carole, very cool. If you don't step back -- do you know where you are now and where you're heading? It seems like a very small town for Long Island. How many people live there?

12/29/2007 03:35 PM by Blogger To Be Named Later


Carole those pictures were great! They sure couldn't mail many packages from that PO...LOL

babyHAPPY NEW YEAR

12/29/2007 09:38 PM by Joan Mirantz- Concord New Hampshire Realtor (Keeler Family Realtors)


Kim, It was a wonderful flood of memories and I remembered ALL my teachers names...which is odd because I don't remember what I did this morning :)  Have a wonderful New Year!

Andrew, I seem to step back more then most!  I don't always know where I'm going but I figure if I'm not headed in the right direction, I'll find out soon enough :)  I don't know what the population is or Wantagh or Levittown, only that they've built on every square foot of land and they've supersized all the houses.  SO different from when I grew up!  I wish you and your family a wonderful New Year!

Joan, I love your animation, they certainly liven up my posts!  I don't imagine there was much activity in that post office either but it's wonderful that they've saved it!  I hope you have the best New Year EVER.

12/29/2007 11:12 PM by Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York (Feng Shui Long Island & New York City)


Carole, I loved all your pics! Isn't it cool to revisit all the places you lived in when you were young? I always thought the buildings were BIG and when I went back to them later they seemed small. It's fun to enjoy all that again.

12/30/2007 09:22 AM by Lizette Fitzpatrick, Lexington KY Real Estate (Central Kentucky - Prudential Don Foster - Richmond KY)


This is what I love about living in the east...there is so much history.  Your pictures are great.  How lucky you are that your community values preservation!

12/30/2007 09:44 AM by Lake Norman Real Estate ~ Diane Aurit (RE/MAX at the Lake)


Lizette, It was fun to see--I remembered them as small but not THAT small!  Wishing you a terrific New Year with everything you wish for.

Diane, I wish they had saved more but I'm thankful these remain.  It was such a wonderful area to grow up in.  Happy, happy New Year with lots of blessings!

12/30/2007 09:58 AM by Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York (Feng Shui Long Island & New York City)


Carole - It is so nice to see that these special places in your childhood memory have been preserved.  Nice to share with your children (and us as well).  I wish you a very Happy New Year!

12/30/2007 10:28 AM by Candy Henthorne- Spring Texas Real Estate (Results Realty)


Hi Carole,
I think a trip down memory lane is a good thing and I enjoyed accompanying you on your journey.  You may be right about the necessity of "going back before you go forward".  It is amazing how much smaller things look when you go back as an adult.

12/30/2007 08:04 PM by Cynthia Tilghman, Realtor® Onslow County NC Home Specialist (Kingsbridge Realty, Inc)


Candy, It was nice to go back and revisit.  And it's amazing when you think how all that time flew by SO fast!  I'm fortunate to have grown up in a wonderful time.

Cynthia, It was fun.  I wonder how many people can remember their teachers names??  Those little places they preserved are truly treasures for many of us that grew up there and remember them.

12/30/2007 10:43 PM by Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York (Feng Shui Long Island & New York City)


Carole:  I just love to go down memory lane.  This was a wonderful idea you had for this post.  The little post office is just too darn cute!  I am saving a picture of our water company here in Morganton, just outside of Blue Ridge because I know in time, it will be a distant memory and what a kick it will be to look back at the little place.  I don't have the pic handy or I would include it in my comment.  Suffice it to say, that it is on the order of your post office (probably smaller).  Also, I got a kick out of you talking about wearing dresses to school.  I had forgotten but I did too.  My, my, times have changed!

01/02/2008 01:33 AM by Donna Yates, Georgia Realtor North Georgia Blue Ridge Real Estate (Mountain Investments of North Georgia)


Donna, Times certainly have changed!  Those dresses (although we wore those petticoat things) kept me from playing on the monkey bars!  I can't imagine having to have my children when they were younger dress the way I had to!  Happy New Year to you!

01/02/2008 08:35 AM by Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York (Feng Shui Long Island & New York City)


Hi Carole,

Nice post! I love remembering the good old days!! When times where much safer then and you could leave your doors unlocked and never worry. Nice pictures I love the old train station. The old post office is so cute.

01/02/2008 10:33 AM by Trace Galle (Stages by Trace)


Trace, What a different world back then. Wide open spaces, everyone knew and looked out for each other.  We didn't have road rage or all the new diseases....Life was good back then :)!

01/05/2008 07:53 PM by Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York (Feng Shui Long Island & New York City)


Hi Carole...History is what Real Estate is all about, New only Lasts until some one moves in then a house becomes a home..Your Old Photos are priceless, I like the Train Car, is it being used for anything?

Cheers

01/08/2008 12:27 AM by Fred Carver Victoria BC Realtor Find Quality Victoria Homes For Sale (Re/Max Camosun Victoria Real Estate)


Carole- How wonderful that it is all still there for you to visit and reminisce about. Must help you feel connected.

01/08/2008 12:31 AM by Eloise Gift, New Mexico Real Estate (Eloise Gift-Keller Williams)


Fred, Thanks for  your comment.  It's not used for anything except to be preserved.  I love it too, it's a nice reminder how small and uncrowded Long Island used to be!

Eloise, I'm surprised they saved some history.  It does bring back some nice memories when I see them (but I don't remember that tiny post office :)!  Thank you for your comment.

01/09/2008 09:56 AM by Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York (Feng Shui Long Island & New York City)


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Home Stager: Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York  (Feng Shui Long Island & New York City)
Carole Provenzale Owner, Feng Shui Long Island & New York
Locust Valley, NY
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Feng Shui Long Island & New York City

Office Phone: (516) 454-8107
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Ideas, tips, advice, questions on Feng Shui, Home Staging and Home ReDesign. I don't "plan ahead" on Blogs, it's just what I'm thinking and I love to hear others perspectives. That's what makes us unique, we all see things differently! Site Meter Site Meter


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