Savvy residents know that Great Neck, with its cosmopolitan shops, magnificent homes and incredible vistas, is the heart of Long Island's Gold Coast. From Lake Success to the tip of Kings Point, here are the sights, the sounds, the landmarks famous and scarcely recognizable, familiar tales and all but forgotten hidden histories of Great Neck. Explore the fabled peninsula with this dazzling and definitive guide. Beyond vibrant Middle Neck Road, you'll find charming villages, exclusive neighborhoods, a cornucopia of parks, a vibrant cultural arts scene, the finest restaurants and unparalleled educational opportunities.

Along the way you'll come to know the men and women who paved the way to today's Great Neck -- people like Henry Allen, Florence Barstow, Louise Eld-ridge and W.R. Grace -- along with luminaries like F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Groucho Marx, W. C. Fields, Charlie Chaplin, Alan King and Sarah Hughes -- who have lived or still dwell in our midst. They have helped make Great Neck the epitome of fine living, as the George M. Cohan song goes, just 45 minutes from Broadway. Actually, the train takes only 26 minutes.