In the early twentieth century, Long Island was booming with new residents and businesses. Towns that had been tiny hamlets were suddenly bursting with growing communities. It wasn’t just the larger towns on Long Island that were growing either. Even smaller places like Lynbrook, New York saw their population double in size and then some by 1920.
Today, there’s a renewed interest in learning more about these beautiful neighborhoods and how they got started. This article will explore some of the key events and people who contributed to shaping the town of Lynbrook into what it is today – a charming village that has grown into one of the largest unincorporated areas on Long Island.
Long Island Before 1920
The first people to inhabit Long Island were the Native Americans who believed the land was given to them by the Great Spirit. They created many settlements along the coasts, in the swamps, and the forests. The most famous of these tribes include the Secatogue, the Rockaway, and the Shinnecock tribes.
The first Europeans to set foot on Long Island were Dutch settlers in the mid-1600s. The Dutch claimed Long Island as their own, but they ultimately lost control of it during the Revolutionary War in the late 1700s. The Spanish were the next ones to control Long Island. By the early 1800s, the British took control of the island once again.
The Creation of the Village of Lynbrook
Although there were a few small villages and hamlets on Long Island as early as the late 1800s, many of them didn’t officially become “villages” until the early 1900s.
In 1907, farmers and business owners applied to the state government to incorporate the Village of Lynbrook. The state granted their request and Lynbrook was officially born. The residents of Lynbrook Village were mainly wealthy farmers and business owners.
Lynbrook was not always called by this name. It was originally called Rechquaakie as well as Parson’s Corners, and Bloomfield. Years later, town officials named it Pearsall’s Corners, after a local store that existed by that name, since it was a popular stop for visitors on the coast who were arriving from nearby New York City.
It was also called “Five Corners” (not to be confused with ‘Five Points’ in Lower Manhattan).
In 1894, The town of Lynbrook was officially incorporated in 1911. Referring back to New York City, the name “Lynbrook” was derived from “Brooklyn”. Confused? “Brooklyn” is “Lynbrook” with its letters reversed. It was given this designation as a reference to the initial home of many of the town’s early residents in the 1900s from Brooklyn.
Geography
The town is located on the south shore of Nassau County, about 15 minutes drive from the NYC border (Queens).
Culture
Lynbrook is no stranger to pop culture. Indeed, several episodes of some very famous TV shows were filmed there. Namely, in one of the Seinfeld episodes, there was mention of traveling to the ‘mall’ in Lynbrook. As the locals of this town are aware, there is no mall in Lynbrook, so the directors most likely meant to refer to the Green Acres Mall which is in Valley Stream, one town away. Leave it up to Hollywood to do this, so we’ll give this one an honorable mention.
In Everybody Loves Raymond, Marie, and Frank Barone are said to live at 319 Fowler Avenue, and Raymond is said to live across the street at 320 Fowler Avenue. Well, this time, the directors got the street right, even though the series was filmed at Burbank Studios in Hollywood.
Probably the most popular of all shows that have been filmed in Lynbrook was in The Sopranos episode, labeled “The Blue Comet” where Bobby got shot and killed in the popular Train Land hobby store.
Traffic Rules
As mentioned, Lynbrook is located on Nassau County’s south shore and two of the major roads are Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway (Route 27). Sunrise Highway can be a dangerous road if you are not careful driving along it or walking across it. There have been plenty of accidents along this road, some deadly, so when driving along 27 through these towns, including Lynbrook, make sure you obey all traffic laws!
Patricia Scanlon is a traffic ticket attorney who services clientele in Lynbrook and the entire Long Island and NYC area.