'64 World's Fair (New York, Riverhead, Patterson: for sale, subdivision, train)

[lorriem]

My goodness all of you were so young when you went to the fair. My husband and I went soon after we were married I was 19 and he was 21 and we loved seeing all the things that we all would have in the 21st century. We didn't believe it but we were wrong on most of what we saw. We went the first year and also the 2nd year and I still have a glass that I bought with the worlds fair logo after so many years. My husband and I will be moving once again for another move and I just packed it today. wonderful memories of living and growing up on the Island even though we have not lived there since 1969. I come to this site often just to relive them and seeing if anyone has anything to say about my hometown Syosset.

[ClarkStreetKid]

Check this out.
Tomorrowland (the future we were promised)

[nancy thereader]

Nice post , clark street.

[ClarkStreetKid]

BTW, Thanks to everyone for sharing their NYWF stories and making this thread enjoyable.

[syosset]

I worked there for a while late summer of '65. I've some recollection of seeing The Stones there. Is that a result of brain dysfunction or did it really occur? Anyone?

[Songbird42]

My dad worked for many months clearing the land and other heavy construction at the site, put food on the table and he had a steady job for a long time, back in 65 I had just graduated, I had a penpal in upstate NY, he had never been to NY we decided to go to the Fair, he drove 4 hrs to get to my house in NJ then we drove into NY, we became very close that day, what I thought was the start of a romance, but fate stepped in he was going into the Navy and off to Illinois he went, 2 weeks later I got this letter, I'm a country boy and your a city girl...bluh,bluh,bluh......I often wonder if Roger ever thinks of this city girl and our time at the Worlds Fair, true to his word, he's still in upstate NY in that little town, and me, well, I've traveled the world
I love a good adventure.

[NYNewbie]

All alone at the '64 World's Fair
Eighty dolls yelling "Small girl after all"
Who was at the Dupont Pavilion
Why was the bench still warm? Who had been there?
Or the time when the storm tangled up the wires
To the horn on the pole at the bus depot
And in the back of the edge of hearing
these are the words the voice was repeating:

They Might Be Giants
(Thought you'd like this)

[exhdo1]

I was 14 when we went and I can remember battling with my brother about who was going to sit in the drivers seat of the Mustang in the Ford exhibit.

[mtnblondy]

Thanks for the great pictures and memories.I was 10 at the time and took the train from Brentwood. I particularly remember the debut of It's a Small World. To this day it is my favorite Disney attraction! I also remember riding the Uniroyal ferris wheel that looked like a big tire!

[flu189]

I grew up living only a few short blocks from the Lawrence Gate to the fair which is where the pedestrian bridge crosses what is now College Point Blvd. The nywf64 site is pretty interesting and I frequently check it out as there are quite a few contributers who post great memories and photos. The 1964-65 fair actually lost money and to try and pull off something of that size today would be pretty much impossible. The fair years and especially the years that followed was a turning point in changes to Flushing and NY in general for that matter. We lasted there until '76 and then left for good. Robert Moses gets lambasted quite a bit, but it was his vision and connections that gave us the 64/65 fair which actually almost wasn't because it was not sanctioned by the Int'l Exposition Assn due it's time proximity to the Seattle '62 fair and Expo '67 in Montreal, as well as it's duration of two seasons. Anyway, for those that remember the fair most will agree it was an event and experience of significance.