Lake Ronkonkoma in the 1930s: NY's Beach Party Hotspot

Explore the rich history of Lake Ronkonkoma, a former Long Island party town in the first half of the twentieth century. In this video, I hunt for relics of the many hotels and restaurants which once crowded the circumference of the lake. Today, the lake's prestigious history is largely unknown and obscured by a humble landscape of overgrown brush and aging town beaches. However, there has recently been some efforts at revitalization and several memorials recognizing Lake Ronkonkoma's unique history have appeared around the shore.