When you drive on West Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst, you might notice two tall pillars with lions on East and West Riviera drives. Those massive structures are the entrance to American Venice, a project that debuted in 1926 that ties Long Island to Venezia. 

Real estate developers Victor Pisani and Isaac Meister designed waterways to mimic the canals and bridges of Venice, and the East and West bridges exist today nearly 100 years later. At its inception, it was a classy and prominent placement.