Long Island, NY
This Isn’t What You Expect New York To Look Like
As a part of our downsizing journey, we relocated to Long Island to establish a lock & leave cozy home. It's ideally located an hour from major airports. When it became clear that this was the plan, we adopted a travel mindset and began to explore our new backyard. We thought we would take you with us on the journey and share a bit of what we have come to love. First and foremost, Discover Long Island is a guide that has a wealth of information for anyone who wants to explore our new area. We thought it might help you in your adventures should you come to explore the beaches, Gold Coast mansions, theaters, fishing and the music that defines Long Island
Old Westbury Gardens is a magnificent mansion surrounded by 200 acres of formal gardens, landscaped grounds, woodlands, ponds, and lakes. The set of many movies & weddings, the gardens have festivals and theme weekends. It’s also open for a picnics on a summer’s eve & more! A wonderful place to explore!
Oheka Castle glittered as the second largest home ever built in America during the Gilded Age. Oheka now welcomes guests to stay and their restaurant serves lunch & dinner. Reservations are recommended. This mansion has also been the setting for many movies & TV series. Explore the glory days with a tour of this impressive landmark & its gardens.
Vanderbilt Museum & Planetarium Perched overlooking incomparable views of Northport Bay, take a tour of this remarkable Vanderbilt historic gold coast mansion, and take in a show at the planetarium.
Sagamore Hill Located in Oyster Bay, Sagamore Hill was the home of Theodore Roosevelt. The 26th president of the United States lived there from 1885 until his death in 1919. Tours are available. Come explore the north shore!
Sagamore Hill
Fire Island is a 32 mile long car free barrier island off Long Island’s South Shore. Your adventure begins when you board the Fire Island Ferry and let the wind blow through your hair as you cross the Great South Bay. The Ferries serve a number of communities and have a number of departure points. After disembarking, stroll on the white sand beaches, have lunch at Maguires in Ocean Beach, wander Sunken Forest or enjoy ice cream as you walk the paths that criss-cross the island and let your cares melt away. Vacation rentals and hotels dot the island if you want to stay that bit longer, but you have to book them early to secure just the right spot .
Visit Fire Island Lighthouse on Robert Moses Beach State Park and climb to the top of the tallest lighthouse in NYS! This beauty, perched on the sands of Robert Moses Beach, has been a beacon of light for since 1826.
Robert Moses Lighthouse as viewed from the beach
Jones Beach State Park is the home of six & a half miles of beautiful white-sand beach on the Atlantic Ocean. The state park is made up of more than 2,400-acres of maritime environment on the south shore of Long Island. Designed on the theme of an ocean liner, Jones Beach offers many activities to those who visit the park. Swim in the ocean, stroll the boardwalk, fish, get a bite to eat at one of the many concession stands, visit the Boardwalk Cafe, dine-in at the Gatsby on the Ocean Restaurant, play miniature golf, shuffleboard, basketball, corn hole, paddle tennis, table tennis and pickleball, & attend concerts at Northwell at Jones Beach Theater.
Bayard Cutting Arboretum Your visit to LI is not complete without a stroll through this 691-acre former estate. The park includes an grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted for William Bayard Cutting in 1886. The Manor House has windows designed by family friend Louis Comfort Tiffany. Lunch, tea & scones are served with a view over the great lawn at The Hidden Oak Cafe in the mansion.
LI Maritime Museum has been charged with the mission of preserving Long Island's maritime history and heritage for educational purposes, and has been welcoming visitors from all over the world for over 50 years!
Sunset Concert at Long Island Maritime Museum
The Hamptons- A trip to the Hamptons is incredible. As you drive along, the road narrows to two lanes…As you leave the hustle of NYC & Nassau County behind, you begin to relax. Trees line the streets, windmills abound, vineyards stretch as far as the eye can see and there are fruit & veg stands in abundance. There are cozy restaurants on the water for you to enjoy. The Hamptons are known for upscale shopping, mansions of the rich and famous and hotel costs that are out of sight. However, there are deals to be had using hotel points, day passes at area resorts and visiting off season when you can still enjoy all that the East End has to offer. Here are some wonderful places to explore out east:
Coopers Beach is one of the most highly rated beaches in America. This is a wide fine sand beach lined with beautiful homes that is wonderful to stroll on. It's a fabulous day out! We make the trek as a day trip in summer leaving early and it's worth it every time!
Sag Harbor - A visit to the Hamptons - In September, while the ocean was still warm, the breezes were gentle and the sun was shining, we took a trip to the village of Sag Harbor. Sag Harbor was settled by English colonists between 1707 and 1730. It played a role in the American Revolution and became a major port in the whaling industry. Today, quaint shops, ice cream parlors and lovely cafes line Main Street and it is a wonderful place to include on a visit to the East End.
Brieremere Farms is a renowned, family-owned farm and bakery in Riverhead NY established by Leonard and Gertrude McCombe in 1960. Known for their famous pies and jams using fruit grown on their 200-acre property, the farm maintains traditional, from-scratch recipes. We picked up a pie and shared it with our neighbors. Everyone was thrilled!
Montauk Point Lighthouse, commissioned by President George Washington in 1792, is one of the best-known and most-beloved icons of Long Island. It was the first lighthouse to be built in New York, and is the fourth-oldest working lighthouse in the nation. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 2012, one of only 12 lighthouses to be so honored.
Montauk Point Lighthouse
Theater & Shows are important in our household as Vinny made his living in the arts. There are many theaters in Long Island ranging from smaller houses with intimate comedy shows to large scale arenas and venues that bring Broadway to Main Street. We have been to several of these venues and the rest are on our list. We thought we would provide you with a sample of what is on offer:
John Engerman Theater, Northport
Patchogue Theater , Patchogue
Argyle Theater in Babylon, Babylon Village
Westbury Music Fair, Westbury
The Paramount , Huntington
Gateway Theater, Bellport
These are just a few of the many adventures you can have if you come to explore Long Island. Waterfront restaurants, fishing, farms, vineyards, and quaint towns all beckon you to visit these shores. Come visit!
