66 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JANUARY 2019
PRESS BUZZ: DESTINATIONS GREAT NECK:
“Great Neck is truly a warm and
neighborly place to live, with premier
schools, beautiful parks and an
excellent library system,” says North
Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi
Bosworth. “It's a community with a
rich historic past that is headed for
an exciting future. Whether you're
looking to go shopping in in any of the
villages’ vibrant business districts,
take in our beautiful waterfront
views, or attend a concert in one of
our many parks, Great Neck has
something for everyone and is one of
our many jewels in the Town of North
Hempstead.”
These days, Great Neck boasts a
dizzying array of choices for fine
dining, shopping and nightlife, as
well a multitude of active pursuits for
sports, nature and art lovers. Some
recommended Great Neck diversions
include:
LAND & SEA
To fully appreciate Great Neck's
prime location on the Long Island
Sound, take a stroll through the
waterfront Great Neck Steppingstone
Park (38 Stepping Stone Ln.,
516-487-9228, gnparks.org), which is
outfitted with a marina, great lawn,
concert stage and an ever-popular
playground. Only Great Neck residents
(or their guests) with a pass are
permitted to enjoy the park, however,
so be sure to hit up your local friends
in advance of your arrival.
When the weather is right, you can
also turn your trip to Steppingstone
Park into a full-blown aquatic venture,
courtesy of Watersports NYC
(38 Stepping Stone Ln., 917-714-7707,
watersportsnyc.com), which provides
water jetpack and jetblade rental
experiences, supervised by fully
licensed and insured instructors.
Getting a chance to soar above the
LI Sound, courtesy of your jetpack,
is truly one of those bucket-list
moments.
Or, perhaps your idea of ocean adventure
is more about what happens
under the sea's surface. Great Neck
has you covered there, too, with Big
Blue Scuba (975 Northern Blvd., 516-
869-1888, bigbluescuba.com) being
the go-to spot for enthusiasts. In addition
to its well-stocked dive shop,
Big Blue offers bilingual teaching in
English and Chinese and provides
diving training, adventure tours,
equipment retail and team-building
events. So the next time you consider
orchestrating a "trust fall" to build
co-worker camaraderie, consider
strapping on a wetsuit and scuba
tanks, instead.
Another good park choice (especially
for nonresidents) is Village
Green Park (640 Middle Neck Rd.,
516-487-4360), which contains an
assortment of playground features
to captivate the kiddies, as well as
a picnic area and bandstand. Don't
miss taking a gander at the stunning
tree carvings on display there, handcrafted
by artist Ken Packie, using
dead stumps from trees that were
damaged during storms in 2010.
THE SPORTING LIFE
Facilities devoted to keeping active
and staying fit are a huge part of the
Great Neck community, whether
you're a tot with too much energy, a
teen training for competitive play,
or a senior looking to remain limber.
But for kids who love to bounce,
the default stomping ground is
Dreamnastics (24A Great Neck Rd.,
516-918-9060, dreamnastics.com),
which offers classes, birthday parties
and special open gym sessions. The
little ones love the gym's slide, bars,
trampolines and zip-line swing;
parents love the safe, supervised
environment.
Another haven for bounce addicts
is Pump It Up (225 Community Dr.,
516-466-7867, pumpitupparty.com/
great-neck-ny), which is popular for
the birthday parties it hosts but is also
open to the general public for various
"open jump" sessions throughout
the week (check the online calendar).
There are also special events and
group activities, like its new six-week
Occupational Therapy Sensory Jump
Program and its summer kids camp.
Great Neck is also tops for tennis,
thanks to the New York Tennis
Academy at Great Neck (12 Shore Dr.,
516-233-2790, nytagn.com), the area's
premier tennis center for players of
all ages and skill levels. The academy
offers a range of programs for
juniors, including sessions for recreational,
high school and tournament
players, as well as high-energy cardio
tennis, express tennis, leagues, Drill
& Play and group clinics for adults.
And last, but definitely not least,
for those who prefer a "court"
featuring a sheet of ice, there's the
Andrew Stergiopoulos Ice Rink
(65 Arrandale Ave., 516-487-2975,
gnparks.org/190/Ice-Rink), part of
the Great Neck Parkwood Sports
Complex. The full-sized rink offers
public skating sessions, skate school,
travel hockey, intramural hockey,
freestyle sessions, synchronized
skating and competitive figure
skating lessons and events. You can
The Andrew Stergiopoulos Ice Rink is a family friendly way to spend a winter day.
continued from page 65
"Great Neck has something for everyone,"
says North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth.
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