In 1899, the County of Nassau was formally established and Great Neck became its westernmost boundary.
Today, Great Neck is vibrant community and as ever, many choose here, seeking a perfect suburbia on the outskirts of New York City. If you are paying attention, you must already know that our town is all about the game of real estate, some say, a blood- sport.
There are many real estate investors, brokers and developers among us, and as with the game of Monopoly, its all
about location, location, location.
Sol Atlas
Did you also know that one of our area’s major property developers has generational roots in Great Neck? Enter, Sol Geoffrey Atlas, son of Fanny “Faigel” (née Anczkowski) and Abraham Atlas (formerly Atlasowicz).
Sol was a lifelong resident of the Village of Kings Point, and congregant of Temple Beth El. In 1927, Sol married Edythe Samuels, and they had one child. Sol dropped out of Great Neck High School and followed his father into real estate.
Together, they successfully developed residential and commercial real estate, including NYC skyscrapers. Sol’s greatest under taking was New York Plaza near the Battery where he erected two buildings, one of 50 stories and the other of 40 stories.
He also built 200 East End’ Avenue, which was the first air‐conditioned apartment building in the city.
The Miracle Mile
Famously, Sol developed Manhasset’s “Miracle Mile” Shopping Center (“The Americana”), along Northern Boulevard. The 220,000 square foot open-air shopping center first began as a neighborhood strip center, and not at all what it appears today.
In the early days, stores included a supermarket, drugstore, a movie theater, department store and other various small tenants.
Ownership changed hands in 1957, and the strip expanded to even greater heights to now, a veritable mecca for high- end retail shopping in the metropolitan area.
At inception, given the emerging popularity of The Miracle Mile, Great Neck merchants became increasingly concerned and began to mobilize.
Rightly so, as their unique shops were in danger of being less frequented by the formidable competition further east. In November 1946,
the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce was officially formed to fortify the merchant community and stimulate the local economy, corralling merchants across the economic corridor of Middle Neck Road, spanning several villages.
In that same year of 1946, Great Neck became the first Long Island community to install parking meters to stimulate turnover of parking, and generate revenue. One year later, as traffic volume increased, Great Neck’s diagonal parking was changed to parallel parking.
Subsequently, more parking lots were built, maintained and administered by the Great Neck Park District.
The Gardens
In June 1950, Sol turned his attention to his hometown and developed the “North Shore Shopping Mart” in Great Neck (now “The Gardens at Great Neck”), which was formerly part of the Grace Estate. The shopping center broke ground for John Wanamaker department store, a 3-story structure which included a 2-story show window, two elevators and parking for 500 cars.
In 1955 Wanamakers was replaced by Stern’s Department store and later, by Gertz Department Store in 1961 which shut down in 1980. There was also a Grand Union Supermarket and 2-floor F.W. Woolworths as tenants.
By the early 1990’s, however, the strip center was 85% vacant. We all know the rest of the story, namely, the site was occupied by a succession of major supermarkets, including Foodtown in 1994, Edwards Super Food in 1995, Waldbaums in 2001, and “finally” Best Market in 2016, which closed in February, 2021.
Underground, New York Health &Racket closed in 2013 and Planet Fitness took over in 2014. Today, many local residents lament the closing of Best Market, and that there is no major supermarket. Rumors abound about who is taking over the hulking space in Facebook groups. We hope that questions is answered in 2025.
Sol’s Legacy
In 1959, Sol boldly bid $671,000 to acquire the iconic- Ellis Island – and proposed turning it into a $55 million resort with a 600‐room hotel, marina, amphitheater, tennis courts, swimming pools and skating rinks. While his bid was rejected, he was undeterred.
Sol remained prolific until his passing by stroke in 1973, at the age of 66. He was survived by his mother, wife and three grandchildren. Sol’s only child, was a daughter, Great Neck resident Sandra Atlas Bass, who is a major philanthropist.
She is the owner of the Sol G. Atlas Realty Company, which is located on Great Neck Road. She is also president of the Sandra Atlas Bass
and Edythe and Sol G. Atlas Fund and has been funded over 400 charitable organizations across the world, including Cerebral Palsy of Nassau County, the Interfaith Nutrition Network, North Shore Animal League America, orphanages in Italy and Israel, no-kill animal shelters and sanctuaries.
Bass has also made major monetary contributions to Northwell Health/ North Shore University Hospital. Her name is familiar to many for that reason alone giving the naming rights on those buildings, arising out of her sizable donations over the last decade. Bass said that it is a
“pleasure” for her to be charitable, and she was raised as such, but wishes more people would do so.
“It’s very upsetting to me because I know a lot of people who can give and should give and they don’t,” she said.
In Greek mythology, Atlas is the God of strength and endurance, known to carry the heavens upon his shoulders. In Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, the famed author proposes that it is the capitalists and industrialists of the world who essentially carry the entire planet and their material successes are hard earned.
Our town has endured our share of challenges and growing pains over the decades. Let’s not shrug. Rather, in this season of miracles, lets band together in Year 2025, and pay it forward with our best intentions, time and resources.
Then, we will realize a fully flourishing community on the Great Neck peninsula.
