As “The Great Gatsby” approaches its centennial in 2024, literary enthusiasts and historians are reflecting on the enduring legacy of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic work. Triptych’s descriptive prose introduces readers to the historic and luxurious Gilded Age mansions that line Long Island’s Gold Coast. It’s a testament to what was probably the last truly glamorous and excessive decade, the Roaring Twenties. The Gold Coast used to have over 1,200 beautiful mansions. On its bicentennial, today, it still has much to teach and excite the world over.
In the 1920s, the Gold Coast was a symbol of wealth and prestige, with many homes sprawling across 50 acres or more. Today, the atmosphere has changed significantly. Now, the decadent parties and excess of Fitzgerald’s time have largely disappeared. The allure of these vast estates is still recognized and they remain a powerful reminder of the region’s historic past and nostalgia.
Beacon Towers is a breathtaking monument to this artistic period. Completed in 1919 by the financier Otto Hermann Kahn, this opulent in-town mansion housed a staggering 127 rooms. Renamed “Sanita,” this estate became the basis for Gatsby’s fictional estate in the novel. The Sands Point Lighthouse in North Hempstead is an underappreciated gem and alluring architectural marvel. It’s a wonderful starting point for anyone looking to explore the deeper relationship between Fitzgerald’s vision and the vibrant places that spurred it.
The Gold Coast was not all the glamorous Gold Coast retreat one might imagine it to be today. In the 1920s, getting to the Hamptons was an intrepid expedition. Travelers rode along a highly humanized landscape organic in its development, with fields and fish netters. Through the heart of town, the state highways had a speed limit of just 30 mph. This rendered the trip to those privileged havens that much more fatiguing.
Those gigantic dwellings that used to dot the countryside have lost half their ranks. As few as 50 remain, proudly standing on private land as homes. As of last quarter of 2024, the median sale price in the area peaked at $1.3M. That’s a good indicator of a high, continuing demand for these listed, one-of-a-kind, historic assets.
Irene Vultaggio and her husband, Don, live on the property next to the Sands Point Lighthouse. Their house is a absolutely magnificent French Chateau-style manor that illustrates the architectural splendor of its epoch. Irene embraces her unique connection to “The Great Gatsby,” stating, “I live in Daisy’s house… So [Gatsby] would look towards my house, and there would be the green light.” Her quote highlights how largely embedded Fitzgerald’s story is within the geography of Long Island.
Vultaggio is fond of the low-key way of life her state offers. She looks for it as a bright reprieve to the flashy scene of the Hamptons. “It’s quiet,” she said. “I don’t have to impress anybody. I should just be able to do my thing and fly below the radar.”
Maria Babaev, a local real estate agent, notes that while “The Gatsby lifestyle was fiction, on the North Shore, it’s kind of real.” In the video, she further breaks down the reasons buyers today tend to be so excited to save the old-world beauty of these estates themselves. They’re looking to leave a multi-generational legacy,” she continues.
Maggie Keats, an architectural expert, comments on the distinctive qualities of these historic homes: “New homes are beautiful, but these homes were built differently. There was no expense spared and they have a presence of place because they’ve sat so long on their property.”
Architectural historian Richard Chafee described Beacon Towers as “a Gothic fantasy.” Among its astonishing towers and pinnacles, he admires the powerful medieval influences. These accounts illuminate the ways that these settlements are not just homes, but physical embodiments of a lavish history.
As “The Great Gatsby” nears its 100th anniversary, its themes of aspiration, love, loss—and the American Dream—are more timely than ever. The North Shore continues to attract individuals who are excited to be part of an intriguing time. This land of opportunity and innovation is a landscape of inequality.
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