There was a time when you could spend an entire day on the Great Neck without ever leaving the Peninsula. Shopping or strolling meant running into half a dozen people you knew. Middle Neck Road, from its northern tip to our downtown, was an extension of our living rooms.

Destination Great Neck Ltd. (@greatneckbiz) As demographics and habits changed, some of the energy that once filled our town diminished. In 2021, I founded DGN, a booster club of local residents aiming to foster hometown pride and economic development after the pandemic. In the early days, we hosted events, produced music festivals, and held community forums. We participated in ribbon cuttings across the peninsula and spread news online about businesses old and new. Today, with close to 10000 IG followers, DGN enjoys a robust social media presence, touting all the bells, whistles and highlights of our schools, parks and Great Neck life. DGN’s celebration of local history, dating back to the Roaring Twenties and the Great Gatsby era in particular, has garnered attention, leading to DGN’s initiative for the “Museum of Great Neck”.

While the days of yore are no more, many new entrepreneurs have taken a chance on Great Neck, and many have continued to invest in our community. With the health and vitality of Great Neck in mind, the question is not whether we can recapture the past. We can’t—and we shouldn’t try. Rather: What is next for Great Neck?

Introducing the Great Neck Business Circle (@greatneckworking) Two local business owners, JR of J.R. Orenstein State Farm Insurance Agency (j.r.orenstein) and yours truly, of Esagoff Law Group PC (janet_nina_esagoff_esq) have launched the Great Neck Business Circle (GNBC), a new community initiative and committee of Destination: Great Neck Ltd. The purpose of GNBC is just this: to organize, connect and fortify the businesses and merchants of the Great Neck Peninsula as a nimble, grassroots, action-oriented business network. We are proud to share that within days of our Instagram launch, we had 400+ members/ followers join us.

Built to Be Different From the Ground Up Question: How is the GNBC different from a Chamber of Commerce? Answer: GNBC is not intended to be a traditional Chamber, which can play an important role in representing and advocating the business community. Instead, GNBC aims to connect Great Neck businesses with one another to cross- promote and collaborate to strengthen the Peninsula. Membership is free. There are no complicated barriers to participation, only the goal to build relationships and get things done. Rather than “What can we do for our members?” GNBC asks, “What can we accomplish together?” That could mean a coordinated “Shop Great Neck” campaign, a restaurant crawl promotion, a new-business welcome program, networking events, seasonal activities, social-media promotion, beautification efforts, or bringing business owners together to address a common concern. And there is another important distinction. GNBC is part of Destination: Great Neck Ltd., a community nonprofit (501c3) whose mission is to unify, fortify and celebrate Great Neck. That means the business community is not being viewed in isolation.

A thriving business community creates a thriving community. Our goal is to connect businesses with residents, neighborhoods, culture and community life—and to make Great Neck a place where people don’t just live, but where they shop, dine, gather, discover and participate. GNBC is creating a movement of businesses and people who care about the future of Great Neck. It is a circle because everyone has a place in it. No board/hierarchy or unnecessary bureaucracy translates into a Great Neck group that is for us, by us. The leadership group communicates by WhatsApp, and meetings will be held via Zoom and in person at DGN headquarters on Middle Neck Road.