Old Westbury Gardens

I was born and raised in New York. A part of New York that those unfamiliar with are very quick to stereotype; Long Island. The "Oh, Long Island you must be a guido. ew." or the "Oh my god! I love the Hamptons!" Long Island. Well, this post will show you that there's much more than the stereotypical aspects of Long Island you've heard of. There's beautiful parks, amazing historical sites, great boutiques, nice beaches, and so much more. 

Today, as the end of summer is approaching, my brothers and I paid a trip to Old Westbury Gardens in Old Westbury, New York. This was our last hoorah together for the summer, before all of us went back to school. So of course I, the blogger, needed to document it. Old Westbury Gardens is the former home of John S. Phipps, his wife, Margarita Grace Phipps and their four children. Completed in 1906 by the English designer, George A. Crawley, the magnificent Charles II-style mansion is nestled amid 200 acres of formal gardens, landscaped grounds, woodlands, ponds and lakes. Westbury House is furnished with fine English antiques and decorative arts from the more than fifty years of the family's residence. 

My mother used to take my brothers and I to Old Westbury Gardens pretty often when we were growing up. There we attended many events, enjoyed the beautiful gardens, and had many lovely picnics. Our trip there today made us reminisce on all the memories we had there and growing up on Long Island. Our mother made sure we were constantly surrounded by beauty wether it be landscape, architecture or culture and we're very grateful for it.

You may recognize the property in the photographs. Old Westbury Gardens has also been utilized as a set for many famous films including North by Northwest, The Age of Innocence, Wolf, Hitch, Cruel Intentions, American Gangster and more. Old Westbury Gardens has also been used for television series Gossip Girl, Sex and the City, and Royal Pains.

Along with the beautiful property that normally comes with going to Old Westbury Gardens. Today, we  also got to view some interesting vintage goodies. The elderly man pictured above is not only the owner of that 1932 Chrysler, but also dressed to theme to match it...which of course I absolutely loved.

Today, Westbury Gardens welcomes visitors of all ages for guided tours of Westbury House and Gardens, in-depth tours of the formal gardens, school visits, children's programs and events, family programs, museum exhibits, classic car shows, indoor and outdoor classical concerts, summer pop concerts, slide lectures, book signings, horticultural demonstrations and workshops, Scottish Games, botanical arts and gardening classes, and Master Gardener and Educator-led Talks and Tours of topics relating to horticulture, art, history, design and architecture.

Read more about Old Westbury Gardens on their website.
See more photographs from our visit there on my tumblr.