A Birds Eye View Of Little Neck-Douglaston

Since the dawn of civilization, human beings have been infatuated with the view from above.

And in just a few weeks, Little Neck-Douglaston residents will get the unique opportunity to get their own bird's eye view of the rapid development of their neighborhoods over the decades.

"The plan is to present a view of the area that's never been seen before by the local community," said Lisa Lempel-Sander, a member of the Douglaston-Little Neck Historical Society.

Lempel-Sander speaks of the DLNHS' "Flights of Fancy" exhibition featuring aerial photos and images of the area taken between 1925 and 1945. The show, composed of prints, negatives and photo mosaics from the Fairchild Aerial Photography Collection, kicks off at a fundraising event Feb. 12.

Through the assorted media on display, residents will get the opportunity to see the evolution of Little Neck and Douglaston over time, Lempel-Sander said.

And according to Lempel-Sander, aerial images of Little Neck and Douglaston will be held up next to recent satellite images in order to better illustrate the city’s expansion into northeast Queens.

The opening of the "Flights of Fancy" exhibit is part of DLNHS effort to raise awareness about the efforts of local conservationists and to raise funds for the development of a master plan to revitalize the Douglaston Village commercial area.

“We’re working closely with the Douglaston Village Local Development Corporation, a group made up of local business owners and developers, to see the restoration of the Douglaston Village come to fruition,” said Kevin Wolfe co-founder of the DLNHS. “The event, which is going to be at the Douglaston Club inside the Manor on the 12th, is a crucial step down the path towards achieving this goal.”

Flights of Fancy is one of a series of forums initiated by Historical Society, in association with other local civic groups, that started two years ago with the Douglaston Village Visioning project.

And the Douglaston Little Neck Historical Society would like to invite everyone in the community to get involved with preserving the uniqueness of their community.  

"All are welcome to attend 'Flights of Fancy,'" Lempel-Sander said. "It should be a really fun event."

For more information on the Flights of Fancy event, visit www.dlnhs.org or email Lisa.LempelSander@LempelSander.com.