Five Longest Garden City Chamber Members

The five longest members of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce still in business are:

• The Garden City Hotel (1956) - The original Garden City Hotel was built by village founder Alexander Turney Stewart in 1874 on Seventh Street. In September 1899 the hotel burned to the ground after a fire. The hotel was rebuilt and opened on the same site in 1901. The hotel was later bought by builder Michael A. Forte and closed in 1971 before being torn down in 1973. The fourth and current incarnation was built in 1983 by the late Myron Nelkin, who died in 2007. Fortuna Realty Group recently acquired the landmark from the Nelkin family and is in the process of restoring it to its "original grandeur."

• Barbatsuly Bros. (1956) - Since 1936, Barbatsuly Brothers Fine Furs has served the Garden City area with its collection of fur for men and women. Arista Furs recently partnered with Barbatsuly Bros. at 1046 Franklin Ave.

• Fairchild Sons Funeral Home, Inc. (1956) - Fairchild Sons located at 1201 Franklin Ave. has been a historical fixture in Garden City for nearly 100 years. Fairchild Sons of Garden City was originally built in 1938 and is Garden City's only funeral chapel.

• Hilton Hall Apartments (1956) - The Hilton Hall apartments located at 67 Hilton Ave. provide numerous amenities for more than 100 families.

• Riesterer’s Bakery (1961) - Riesterer’s Bakery has two locations - its flagship store on Hempstead Avenue in West Hempstead and a second location on Seventh Street in Garden City. Three generations of Riesterers have been serving customers in the area for more than 80 years. Many of the bakery's staffers are graduates of The Culinary Institute of America.

Another longtime Garden City business, Feldis Florists, joined the chamber in 1967. In 1922 Joseph Feldis opeed up a flower shop and greenhouses in nearby Hempstead. For the next 87 years the Feldis family has grown (pun intended) its business and now has two locations - 160 Seventh St. in Garden City and 2170 Sunrise Hwy. in Merrick.

According to Althea Robinson, longtime chamber executive director, prior to 1956, the chamber was located at a Franklin address between the LIRR tracks and Seventh Street on the west side. A fire destroyed all chamber records between 1928 and 1956.