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C.L. Steiner's avatar

Another great read, Rob!

My wife and I lived in Bellerose in the early 1980s, in the Glen Oaks apartments (now condos), in the shadow of Creedmor. I remember the Frozen Cup well.

In those days, the parking lot at Alley Pond Park was the place to purchase LSD … or so I’m told 😊

These days, I’d rather have a dosa.

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

Buying LSD in view of a psychiatric hospital is a choice! Sadly, the only thing on offer in the Alley Pond parking lot during my visit was Capri Sun.

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Keith Walpole's avatar

RIP Frozen Cup! My uncle used to work there.

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Emily Zareen Cronin's avatar

I got so excited seeing this subject in my inbox- Bellerose has been my home my whole life and most New Yorkers have never heard of it! Thanks for highlighting all the interesting art + history.

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

Thanks, Emily. I'm so glad I visited! Do you know the story of those Spanish colonial houses around Winchester and Seward? I love those!

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Anne Kadet's avatar

A fun game would be to blindfold someone and spin them around and then drive them around and then take the blindfold off and then have them guess if they were in Manhattan Psychiatric Center or Creedmore State Hospital.

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

You have an interesting take on "fun." It would be hard until you noticed all the Acid dealers loitering in the parking lot.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

A lot of music history associated with the old Creedmoor asylum. I knew about Bud's mental illness issues and Woody's last days, but Lou Reed getting treatment there is new info to me. I have to wonder now if any of the music he wrote for the Velvet Underground and his solo career might possibly have been influenced by his treatment...

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

I am still working on a Creedmoor playlist which would have to include Lou Reed’s track Kill Your Sons which has the lyrics: ā€Creedmoor treated me very good but Payne Whitney was even better/ And when I flipped out on PHC, I was so sad, I didn't even get a letter/ All of the drugs that we took, it really was lots of fun/ But when they shoot you up with thorizene on crystal smoke/ You choke like a son of a gun

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Alex's avatar

This is one of my favorite posts yet, and I love that it leads me down a rabbit hole of other fascinating reads...Thank you Rob !

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Rob Stephenson's avatar

Hey, thanks! Nothing like a good rabbit hole! Are you researching alternative long-range riflery stances?

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Justin Difazzio's avatar

That museum. Wow!

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Keith Walpole's avatar

Inching closer to my hometown of Floral Park! Never knew about the living museum. I may be biased but Alley Pond Park is one of my favorites.

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Irv's avatar

Enjoyed the Claritin & Noah Kalina product placements this week :-)

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Eden's avatar

There are actually even more Belle-towns on Long Island, one of which is maybe aptly named Bellemore.

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