Long Island

Long Island is an island stretching eastward from New York City in the Metro New York region. The island is approximately 115 miles long from Brooklyn and Queens at the western end, to Montauk at the easternmost point. At its widest, the island is approximately 20 miles from north to south. While Long Island geographically includes the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, and the more suburban counties of Nassau and Suffolk, colloquially the term is often applied only to Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York State.

While Long Island is home to seven million year-round locals, many commuting in and out of New York City, the Island is home to a lot of discreet tourism (concentrated in certain towns—Huntington, Fire Island, Montauk) and also serves as the zip code for the vacation homes of many wealthy city dwellers, particularly in the Hamptons.

Long Island is essentially a suburban area throughout (except for the Twin Forks region, which is rural) and has few major towns.

• Bay Shore.
• Brookhaven.
• East Hampton.
• Huntington.
• Islip.
• Long Beach.
• Mineola.
• Ronkonkoma.
• Smithtown.

Bay Shore.

Brookhaven.

East Hampton.

Huntington.

Islip.

Long Beach.

Mineola.

Ronkonkoma.

Smithtown.

• Fire Island National Seashore.
• The Hamptons.
• Shelter Island.
• The North Fork.

Fire Island National Seashore.

The Hamptons.

Shelter Island.

The North Fork.

From a tourist's point of view, Long Island is most ideal to visit in the summer and the fall when the scenery can be most appreciated. Long Island is a great place to visit whether it be for a family vacation, a group of 20-somethings looking to rent a summer house, or an older retired couple looking to enjoy some natural sight-seeing or tour a museum.

Nassau County and Western Suffolk County is very developed and densely populated, and is home more to the 'suburbia' type neighborhoods Long Island became famous for after World War II, where most year-round residents live. (e.g. Levittown and Oceanside). Central and Eastern Suffolk County, however, is somewhat rural (for the New York area, anyway) and is home to much agriculture, wineries, and beach towns. Many summer homes and hotels are located here, and is where most wealthy New Yorkers congregate in the summer months when the concrete jungle is too hot to bear. Tourist attractions can be found equally in both counties and throughout the entire Island.

Long Island's only downside to tourism is harsh north-eastern winters that make traveling somewhat difficult, and the fact that it is an expensive place to both live as a permanent resident and also as a tourist. There are towns that are more friendly to the wallet than the notoriously expensive Hamptons, or "Gold Coast" North Shore towns, however, Long Island is home to some of the most expensive zip codes in the entire world. Do not expect a bargain vacation when traveling to Long Island, or anywhere in the New York Metropolitan area for that matter.

The Long Island Conventions & Visitors Bureau provides information about Long Island and the places to visit.

The primary tourist attractions are the large number of excellent beaches along Long Island Sound on the North Shore (the setting of the famous novel and movie "The Great Gatsby", and the more famous South Shore, which is home to the Atlantic Ocean's waves and white-sand beaches.

The North Fork is also home to many wineries, farms and culinary outlets.

Other attractions include North Shore harbor towns such as Port Jefferson, Huntington Village, Stony Brook and Northport where a variety of eateries and small businesses thrive in a bohemian atmosphere.

• Take a day trip on the Hampton Jitney
• Long Island Wine Country on the North Fork
• The Hamptons on the South Fork.
• Long Island has some great villages, like Great Neck and Huntington where you can just wander around and see cute little stores and take in nice views.
• Port Washington has a beautiful bay with a public park where you can see all the boats and the water.

• Garvies Point Museum and Preserve. has Native American artifacts.
• Sands Point Preserve. with two castles.
• Old Bethpage Village Restoration. has a farm as well as houses and businesses from the early-to-mid 1800s.
• The Village of Roslyn. a historic town located on Hempstead Harbor on the North Shore. Homes date from the 17th Century.
• Sagtikos Manor, Montauk Highway and Manor Lane, West Bay Shore (Robert Moses Causeway Exit RM2E Bay Shore. Turn right onto Rt 27A and continue east approx. 1/2 mile. Entrance on left., +1 631-854-0939. Memorial Day, 1-3:30PM (last tour) June, Saturday & Sundays 1-3:30PM, July & August, Thursday,Friday,Saturday and Sunday 1-3:30PM. built in 1697, served briefly as headquarters for the British army during the Revolutionary War. President George Washington stayed there during his tour of Long Island in 1790. Take a tour of period rooms through the Manor House led by costumed docents and stroll through the grounds and nearby Gardiner County Park., .
• Vanderbilt Museum.
• Stony Brook Village. Visit historic Stony Brook Village, and get afternoon tea.

Garvies Point Museum and Preserve. has Native American artifacts.

Sands Point Preserve. with two castles.

Old Bethpage Village Restoration. has a farm as well as houses and businesses from the early-to-mid 1800s.

The Village of Roslyn. a historic town located on Hempstead Harbor on the North Shore. Homes date from the 17th Century.

Sagtikos Manor, Montauk Highway and Manor Lane, West Bay Shore (Robert Moses Causeway Exit RM2E Bay Shore. Turn right onto Rt 27A and continue east approx. 1/2 mile. Entrance on left., +1 631-854-0939. Memorial Day, 1-3:30PM (last tour) June, Saturday & Sundays 1-3:30PM, July & August, Thursday,Friday,Saturday and Sunday 1-3:30PM. built in 1697, served briefly as headquarters for the British army during the Revolutionary War. President George Washington stayed there during his tour of Long Island in 1790. Take a tour of period rooms through the Manor House led by costumed docents and stroll through the grounds and nearby Gardiner County Park., .

Vanderbilt Museum.

Stony Brook Village. Visit historic Stony Brook Village, and get afternoon tea.

Take a day trip on the Hampton Jitney

Long Island Wine Country on the North Fork

The Hamptons on the South Fork.

Long Island has some great villages, like [[Great Neck]] and [[Huntington (village, New York)|Huntington]] where you can just wander around and see cute little stores and take in nice views.

[[Port Washington (New York)|Port Washington]] has a beautiful bay with a public park where you can see all the boats and the water.

• Swim at any of the great South Shore/Ocean beaches. Jones, Hamptons, Montauk, Robert Moses, Smith's Point.
• Boomers! Long Island. - located in Medford
• Splish Splash water park, 2549 Splish Splash Drive, Calverton (exit 73 of the LIE, +1 631 727-3600.
• Splurge at the 'Miracle Mile' shopping resort in Manhasset.
• Sky Zone Deer Park. - located in Deer Park Long Island
• Bar hop through Huntington, Port Jefferson, Smithtown, Babylon, Bay Shore, Farmingdale, Garden City, Mineola, Rockville Centre, Long Beach, Patchogue, Riverhead, Montauk, the Hamptons, Great Neck, and other locales.
• Strike Go-Karts/Bowling/Arcade in New Hyde Park.
• ICE Nightclub in Farmingdale.
• Jones Beach and Captree State Park
• Visit the Saint James General Store off route 25-A in Saint James.
• Visit "Polish Town" in Riverhead.
• Explore Italian-American culture- go to Uncle Giuseppe's Market- trademark store in Smithtown on Route 111.
• Drive around Old Brookville and look at how gigantic the houses are.

Boomers! Long Island. - located in Medford

Splish Splash water park, 2549 Splish Splash Drive, Calverton (exit 73 of the LIE, +1 631 727-3600.

Sky Zone Deer Park. - located in Deer Park Long Island

• Tanger Outlet Deer Park, 152 The Arches Circle, Deer Park, +1 631 667-0600.
• Tanger Outlet Riverhead, 200 Tanger Mall Drive, Riverhead, +1 631 369-2732.
• Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City (Nassau)
• Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove (Suffolk).
• The Americana Mall, Northern Boulevard in Manhasset.. Some of the richest people on the island shop in this stretch of conspicuous consumption, beautiful store layouts, and mind-boggling prices.

Tanger Outlet Deer Park, 152 The Arches Circle, Deer Park, +1 631 667-0600.

Tanger Outlet Riverhead, 200 Tanger Mall Drive, Riverhead, +1 631 369-2732.

The Americana Mall, Northern Boulevard in Manhasset.. Some of the richest people on the island shop in this stretch of conspicuous consumption, beautiful store layouts, and mind-boggling prices.

Long Island is a lot like New Jersey and parts of Connecticut in as much as a there are a lot of 24 hour diners that serve pretty much anything whenever. Young people congregate in these diners at odd hours, and they can be found spread out on the major roads like Jericho Turnpike or Sunrise Highway. There are also many seafood restaurants (especially with local clams and mussels-local Long Island specialty foods). Because there are so many local restaurants (many Zagat-rated), with influence from European families and the nearby international cuisine of New York City, a Long Islander wouldn't recommend to eat at a chain restaurant that could be found anywhere such as Applebee's, the Olive Garden or Red Lobster. They are of course readily available on Long Island, but it is really a shame to not try privately-owned eateries that are equally priced but more distinct than the chain restaurants. Try one of the following:

• Little Vincent's, 329 New York Ave, Huntington, +1 631 423-9620. Italian food, pizza - make sure to ask for a cold cheese slice. It's amazing.
• Peter Luger's Steakhouse. Est. 1887 in Brooklyn is one of the best steakhouses in New York
• Benten Japanese Restaurant. In Miller Place is a highly rated Japanese restaurant. While dinner is excellent, it can be quite pricey. If cost is a concern try to make it there during lunch hours.
• Bulldog in Amityville is an excellent place for burgers
• The restaurant at the Jedediah Hawkins House in Jamesport is really good and in a beautiful setting.
• The really amazing New York restaurant, Il Mulino, has a location in Roslyn.
• Mama's in Copiague has some of the best Italian food
• Kitchen Kabaret in East Hills (Roslyn), while not the best ambiance for a restaurant, has great food to take out. Very popular for rich kids getting lunch and upscale north shore catering.
• The Cider Mill in Laurel on Route 25 has the best pies.
• All-American Drive-in in Masssapequa has the great hamburgers.
• Tennessee Jed's. Is an old fashioned family-owned BBQ restaurant in Wantagh.
• Bobbique in Patchogue has fantastic real pit barbecue and lots of great beers on tap. Not for vegetarians.
• The Milleridge Inn in Jericho is a rustic eatery perfect for dinner or classy lunch.
• Briemier Pies in Riverhead- people travel from the city to eat one of these delicious pies- you wonder what is in them that makes them so addicting!
• The Kitchen, a Bistro, in Saint James- voted the best restaurant on Long Island of 2009. French Mediterranean cuisine using local Long Island ingredients.
• The sister eatery, The Kitchen, a Trattoria, offers light, rustic Italian cuisine. Also located in Saint James, this is a bit different than New York Style Italian that leaves you feeling like a huge salami about to roll out the door- this is the real deal. Light, delicious non-Americanized Italian food that you would find at a trattoria in Italy.

Many major fast food chains and chain casual dining restaurants have locations on Long Island.

Be sure to visit a local farmstand, especially those out east and on the North Fork. Local produce and farming is a major industry on Long Island.

Little Vincent's, 329 New York Ave, Huntington, +1 631 423-9620. Italian food, pizza - make sure to ask for a cold cheese slice. It's amazing.

Peter Luger's Steakhouse. Est. 1887 in Brooklyn is one of the best steakhouses in New York

Benten Japanese Restaurant. In Miller Place is a highly rated Japanese restaurant. While dinner is excellent, it can be quite pricey. If cost is a concern try to make it there during lunch hours.

Bulldog in Amityville is an excellent place for burgers

The restaurant at the Jedediah Hawkins House in Jamesport is really good and in a beautiful setting.

The really amazing New York restaurant, Il Mulino, has a location in Roslyn.

Mama's in Copiague has some of the best Italian food

Kitchen Kabaret in East Hills (Roslyn), while not the best ambiance for a restaurant, has great food to take out. Very popular for rich kids getting lunch and upscale north shore catering.

The Cider Mill in Laurel on Route 25 has the best pies.

All-American Drive-in in Masssapequa has the great hamburgers.

Tennessee Jed's. Is an old fashioned family-owned BBQ restaurant in Wantagh.

Bobbique in Patchogue has fantastic real pit barbecue and lots of great beers on tap. Not for vegetarians.

The Milleridge Inn in Jericho is a rustic eatery perfect for dinner or classy lunch.

The well known cocktail, the Long Island Iced Tea, was first created on Long Island. One of the most celebrated local beers is called Blue Point, named for the town of the same name.

Drinking on Long Island is tough because you need a car to get around, with this in mind, use the Long Island Railroad to your advantage. Take it from town to town, or take a night out to go into the City. At night, there is little public transportation besides LIRR, but there are taxis. The South Shore in Nassau County has some good bars, (with a somewhat rowdy crowd, however).

On the North Shore you will find a buzzing college-bar scene year-round, mostly for those college students and other 20-somethings looking for a night out that doesn't involve a dorm party, frat or sorority or an expensive trip to NYC. The most popular towns for this kind of bar-scene are Huntington Village, Port Jefferson, (both along Route 25-A) and recently Smithtown along Jericho Turnpike/Route 25, which has developed as an up-and-coming bar scene by night despite their charming shopping and family-oriented atmospheres by day.

Montauk and Fire Island, which are very much touristy beach towns, are home to many bars—what else is there to do on a warm summer's night?!

Be smart, don't travel to towns with a lot of crime at night. These towns include: Roosevelt, Hempstead, North Amityville, North Baldwin, Wyandanch, Rosedale, North Bay Shore, Central Islip, New Cassel, Brentwood, Uniondale and northern Freeport. In the daytime, these areas are generally safe.

Other than those towns, which most locals could tell you is where most of the dangerous crime occurs, crime on the rest of Long Island is related to drug-arrests and burglaries of high-end neighborhoods. Most robberies are related to hired help, and are low-profile crimes. However, the most recent epidemic crime problem has been the increase in heroin use among Long Island teens, particularly of wealthier neighborhoods along the North Shore. Generally, this should not be a problem for a tourist.

• The daily, Island-wide newspaper is Newsday, which also provides a detailed history of the island. .
• News 12 on Cable TV (Cablevision) also covers local news.

One of the biggest safety hazards Long Islanders face when preparing for natural disasters such as hurricanes is the lack of ways to get off Long Island. There really is only one immediate way out via car, through the highly congested bridges of New York City. You may also exit via Ferry to New England, or fly out of one of the three major airports. Fortunately, dangerous hurricanes are very rare for Long Island.

You may leave Long Island to go on day trips to any borough of New York City, Connecticut, New Jersey, upstate New York (another great place to visit).