I promise there must be magic in Williston Park.
Why else would the feature film “The Book of Henry” have been shot here?
You may recall that Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Williston Park’s Hildebrandt’s on one of its shows.
Furthermore Martin Scorsese begins shooting “The Irishman” in Hildebrandt’s in August so if you see Al Pacino or Robert DeNiro walking down Hillside Avenue you’ll be prepared for the experience.
But exactly where is this magic located?
You might want to argue that magic has nothing at all to do with Hollywood’s arrival in Williston Park.
On occasion Hollywood needs an old-fashioned Americana look and Hildebrandt’s and Hillside Avenue is just the place.
But I will argue strongly against this explanation.
Here is a story that happened to someone in Williston Park just the other day.
The story goes like this.
James, a friendly dog remarked to his master “Sir, you don’t look well today. Is there anything troubling you?”
‘Oh, of course not James, It’s just another day in paradise. I wake up stiff and in pain, slurp down some coffee and stumble to work. I then must endure ten hours of tedium, tension and general distress. I finally get to go home, wolf down some food, collapse into bed and do the same thing the next day. Day after day after day. What could possibly be wrong with me?’
‘Well Sir, there is always vacations to look forward to.’
‘Stop acting like an idiot James. Are you trying to tell me that I have to wait a full year, pick a spot in Europe, spend a small fortune and hope I don’t get blown up along the way in order to feel improved, edified and happy?’
‘Sir you may have a point. Why don’t we just take a walk down Hillside to lift your spirits? You know what I like to say that it’s always better to walk somewhere then to drive there.’
‘James, just to appease you and to prove you wrong I will do as you suggest. Let’s go.’
And off they walked heading west on Hillside away from East Williston and past the railroad tracks.
James observed that the man didn’t admire the lovely Victorian, Gothic or Italianate homes along Hillside.
The man failed to notice the flowers planted along the medium on Hillside.
The man walked past the cute statue of the bandito at the Margaritas Café and didn’t look at the pretty gifts in the window at Peter Andrews.
James grew increasingly worried as the man walked along lost in solitude with head down grumbling to himself.
But then something odd happened.
As they walked by Hildebrandt’s the man smiled for the first time and suggested to James ‘Hey, why don’t we go into Hildebrandt’s and get ourselves two strawberry ice cream sodas?’
In a flash they were seated in the back and placed their order.
The man leaned backwards, gazed up and noticed the antique toy named Henry Hildebrandt frozen in time on his high wire above the tables.
This little toy unicycle rider made the man smile and he said to James ‘Do you remember the story the science fiction writer Michael Jan Friedman told us when we interviewed him here?’
The story was that many years ago a wise old magician lived in Williston Park but as he was near death he placed all of his magical powers into the heart of the little antique toy Henry Hildebrandt.
James was quick to remark ‘Sir that was just a story that Mr. Friedman told to entertain us. He didn’t mean for you to take it literally. ‘
‘James, you lack imagination on every level. This is not your fault. I think all dogs think very concretely. But to prove you wrong let us ask Henry Hildebrandt to use his magic to help me to feel better.’
With that the man looked up and asked Henry Hildebrandt if he knew of any way to find happiness right here in Williston Park.
Henry Hildebrandt stopped his cycling, looked down at James and the man and said ‘Well Sir I see you are still in search of that Holy Grail. I give you credit for being steadfast and you get an A for effort. Yes of course there is a very easy way to find happiness in Williston Park. The answer is found in a book you can get at the community library no more than 200 yards from here.
“Go there and ask the librarian to show you “Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame. Many think this is a children’s book but I assure you it is not. Go to chapter seven. It is entitled “The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.”
Not every edition has this chapter in it but I promise you that the answer to your question is in that chapter.’
With that the man and James became very quiet and the both heard soft music from a piper coming from outside the restaurant.
The music made them both shed one tear which ran down their cheeks. They quickly paid the bill and hurried to the library which was very close by indeed. (To be continued.)
