Small-town professionals are the backbone of community resilience, helping close-knit towns like Great Neck thrive.
Never miss a story
Hanging a shingle, living amongst us, and contributing to our marketplace– keeping it stable and vibrant. It hits differently when you see your doctor or lawyer at the supermarket or at the gym. They become an integrated part of our extended family and their presence makes us stronger, together. One neighbor at a time.
Soul- Mates
I ran into Ellen Siegel at the 2025 Memorial Day Parade. I was just setting up my new law office (at the corner of Middle Neck and Maple) and had a table set up to greet passersby. Ellen welcomed me to Maple Drive, chatted a bit about our town, and told me about her husband’s medical practice at 32 Maple Drive.
She is a veritable one-woman public relations wagon. Although we had just met, we hit it off, shared some laughs, and then she was gone, joining some marchers in the parade. The conversation resumed and this column’s focus is the outcome. Enter Dr. Mitchell Siegel, a Great Neck podiatrist for over 45 years, with another office in Brooklyn.
Feet Incorporated
Siegel is a second-generation podiatrist, a profession he learned from his father, who practiced in Brooklyn. He was ultimately referred to an established 40-year practice for sale, which presented a lifetime opportunity.
As Siegel explained it, when he first started out in our town, there was a “small town feeling” and he felt it was a “wonderful town to raise a family.
Since the early days, his practice has been updated with technology, innovations and efficiencies at every turn. Appointment scheduling, insurance and billing have all been enhanced over the decades. On the medical side, he does pediatrics, sports medicine, dermatological treatments, orthotics and general treatment techniques.
We asked about marketing before Google and Yelp. Was there a different kind of doctor-patient connection back in the day? Siegel said that back then, patients were less ‘insurance driven.’Today, many are concerned about out-of-network and out-of-pocket costs. Still, Siegel’s goal has always been to put the needs of his patients first and foremost, and “that will not change.”
