Picture this Little Neck Parkway. A seemingly ordinary road. Yet it holds secrets. It’s the easternmost major north-south route in Queens. Connecting Little Neck and Bellerose. Little Neck Parkway isn’t just a thoroughfare. It’s a living timeline.
Imagine the Matinecock Native Americans. They thrived near Little Neck Bay. Their lives intertwined with the bounty of the bay. Clams oysters fish. These were their sustenance. Their history imprinted on this very land. Long before asphalt and houses.
Then came the Dutch. Seeking fertile land and abundant fish. They settled here. Building elaborate homesteads. The quiet residential streets whisper of their legacy. Wealthy families made Little Neck their home. Their large homes still stand. Some are Tudor style.
By the late 1800s Little Neck’s fishing industry boomed. Captain Christian William Kirkman harvested 40 tons of clams. He sold them to the finest New York City restaurants. Even European capitals savored his catch. The littleneck clam a sweet treat. Its name born from Little Neck Bay. Kirkman’s success was short-lived. Pollution devastated the bay. The clam industry collapsed.
Little Neck Parkway is more than a road. It’s a silent witness. To a thriving clam industry. To the echoes of Native American life. To the quiet success of wealthy Dutch families. Today cars cruise along its lanes. But beneath the surface lies a rich history.
Little Neck Parkway has an unusual feature. An at-grade railroad crossing. At the Little Neck station. This is the only at-grade crossing of the Long Island Rail Road’s Port Washington Branch. A unique aspect. A testament to the path’s evolution.
The Q36 bus runs along Little Neck Parkway. Connecting Jericho Turnpike to the Little Neck LIRR station. The QM5 QM8 and QM35 buses continue the journey. This vital transport link reflects the area’s growth. From quiet farmland to bustling community.
Little Neck Parkway continues its journey north. It becomes a local residential street. The main north-south thoroughfare near Udalls Cove. This serene area stands in stark contrast to the busy southern part. A reminder of the past. And the quiet present.
So next time you travel along Little Neck Parkway. Remember its stories. The Matinecock the Dutch Captain Kirkman. The at-grade crossing. The buses. Each a piece of the puzzle. Little Neck Parkway. A journey through time.