Life on Long Island

Long Island is considered a haven for residents and visitors alike. The longest and largest island in the contiguous United States, Long Island stretches over 100 miles from New York City to Montauk Point, offering pristine Atlantic Ocean beaches on its famous South Shore and quaint towns on its North Shore.

Though a well-known summer destination for celebrities as well as singles, couples, and families, Long Island is also home to several million residents who enjoy the island’s unique beauty and a myriad of recreational opportunities. From fabulous art galleries and museums to exceptional fishing spots, golf courses to great restaurants, beautiful bike trails to spectacular white sandy beaches, there’s virtually something for everyone.

Located in the northern center of the island, Stony Brook is also close to the excitement of Manhattan where an easy commute places you at the doorsteps of world-famous museums, professional and college sporting and concert events, and restaurants of every cuisine.

What makes Long Island special?

World Famous Beaches
Spectacular Sporting Events
Exceptional Arts Venues
Shopping
Great Neighborhoods
Additonal Information

World Famous Beaches
	Long Island is known for its beautiful beaches—more than 100 of them—from the large public stretches with multiple amenities, to quiet, private coves at the ends of residential streets. Each summer hundreds of thousands visit Long Island for a taste of the tropics within driving distance. Close by… Stony Brook Beach, Stony Brook Crab Meadow Beach, Northport Crescent Beach, Huntington Cedar Beach, Mt. Sinai Fleet’s Cove Beach, Huntington A short drive away… Jones Beach, Wantagh Robert Moses State Park, Fire Island Ocean Beach Park, Long Beach Tobay Beach, Massapequa Smith Point County Park, Shirley Cupsogue Beach, Westhampton Gilgo Beach, Babylon For more Long Island beaches and details: www.exploreli.com/beaches/ Top of page
Spectacular Sporting Events
	From professional hockey to thoroughbred racing, minor league baseball, and exceptional college teams, Long Island has it all. Close by… Stony Brook Seawolves For jump-to-your feet exciting football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, tennis, track and field, soccer, volleyball, and more, the team events of the Stony Brook University Seawolves just can’t be beat. Visit the Web site to find great seats and the schedule: www.goseawolves.cstv.com A short drive away… Belmont Racetrack After the Preakness and the Kentucky Derby comes the Belmont Stakes race at Belmont Racetrack—Long Island’s own thoroughbred track. Magnificent horses are raced at this century-old track during the spring and early summer, and again from Labor Day through mid October. www.nyra.com New York Islanders Hockey The New York Islanders is Long Island’s own professional hockey team. Based in Uniondale, this exciting team has won four consecutive Stanley Cup championships and has eight members in the Hockey Hall of Fame. www.newyorkislanders.com Long Island Ducks A great baseball experience close to home is what the family-friendly Long Island Ducks are all about. Besides terrific team playing from a well-rounded professional team, great views from every seat, and the high jinks of team mascot Quacker Jack, fans can also enjoy plenty of on- and off-field entertainment including giveaways, fan versus fan competitions, trivia contests, and carnival style amusements. Founded in 1998, the Ducks are a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, playing their home games in Bethpage Ballpark in Central Islip. www.liducks.com New York Mets Now in their beautiful new home, CitiField, in Queens, NY, the New York Mets, playing since the early 1960s, continue to excite loyal and new fans alike with their unwavering passion and winning ways. www.mets.mlb.com New York Yankees The 2009 World Series Champions, Yankees, are one of America’s most successful sports franchises, achieving 27 World Series Championships and 40 American League pennants. In the new Yankee Stadium, built in 2009, the team continues to be one of New York’s best-loved attractions. www.yankees.mlb.com New York Knicks Since their debut in 1946, the New York Knickerbockers have thrilled sports fans with powerful players, incredible coaching, and numerous championships. The team’s home base is Madison Square Garden, considered by many to be the world’s most famous sports arena. www.nba.com/knicks Top of page
Exceptional Arts Venues
	Close by… Staller Center for the Arts Located on the Stony Brook University campus, the Staller Center for the Arts presents an ever-expanding schedule of live music, dance, theater, and fine art exhibitions in its five theaters and 5,000 square foot University Art Gallery. Over 50 professional performances, as well as approximately 450 events generated by the Departments of Art, Theater Arts, and Music, are part of the Staller Center season and are supplemented by those outside presenters such as the Long Island Philharmonic and the Seiskaya Ballet, which presents The Nutcracker. www.staller.sunysb.edu/ Read about all the University’s art and cultural offerings at: www.stonybrook.edu/sb/arts.shtml A short drive away… The light, serenity, and beauty of Long Island have attracted artists and their admirers for decades. The Island is peppered with galleries and museums featuring paintings, photos, crafts, and other works by world famous artists, as well as emerging talent. For a listing of galleries: www.citidexli.com/2504.htm For a listing of museums: www.longisland.com/museums Or venture into New York City, home to some of the most famous museums, theaters, and arts centers in the world. Here’s just a sampling of the many options you can explore along with links for more detail: The Metropolitan Museum of Art www.metmuseum.org The Guggenheim Museum www.guggenheim.org The Museum of Modern Art www.moma.org The Jewish Museum www.jewishmuseum.org Museum of Chinese in America www.mocanyc.org American Museum of Natural History www.amnh.org American Folk Art Museum www.folkartmuseum.org Tenement Museum www.tenement.org Whitney Museum of American Art www.whitney.org El Museo del Barrio www.elmuseo.org The Studio Museum in Harlem www.studiomuseum.org Asia Society www.asiasociety.org South Street Seaport www.southstreetseaport.com Brooklyn Museum www.brooklynmuseum.org Children’s Museum of Manhattan www.cmom.org International Center of Photography www.icp.org Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Home of The Metropolitan Opera, The New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The New York City Opera, The New York City Ballet, and other performing arts companies www.lincolncenter.org Broadway and Off-Broadway Shows You can always purchase tickets at the box offices or through conventional ticket seller web sites. But if you’re looking for a bargain, visit the Theater Development Fund’s TKTS booths in Times Square or the South Street Seaport for deep discounts on day-of-performance tickets. www.tdf.org Top of page
Shopping
	Close by… Smith Haven Mall Just a short distance from Stony Brook, the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove is a shopper’s paradise with more than 140 stores that meet all your shopping needs. www.simon.com/Mall/?id=103 A short drive away… Tanger Outlets For fabulous finds from your favorite stores at excellent discounts take a trip to the Tanger Outlets. There are two locations right on Long Island—one in Riverhead, the other in Deer Park. www.tangeroutlet.com Top of page
Great Neighborhoods
	Stony Brook Village A charming, quaint community, Stony Brook Village is filled with shops, lovely restaurants, parks, lodging, cultural activities, and even an historic grist mill. www.stonybrookvillage.com Port Jefferson One of the most picturesque of waterside villages to be found on Long Island, Port Jefferson is known for its many historic buildings housing wonderful shops and restaurants, its easy going lifestyle, and mid-Island convenience. www.portjeff.com/ Huntington Settled in 1653 and voted one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People, Huntington is a unique town with a rich and diverse history offering numerous attractions including a lighthouse and a whaling museum. town.huntington.ny.us/ St. James Another picturesque locale, St. James attracted many celebrities and socialites early in the 20^th century and remains a desirable community with historic charm and a scenic setting. Top of page
And more…
	Incredible Music Music lovers can indulge in virtually every genre throughout the Island. You can catch well-known rock bands at Jones Beach, enjoy classical music performances by the Long Island Philharmonic, and find venues for everything from pop to jazz to alternative to ska. The Lure of the Hamptons Known for magnificent homes, soft white sand beaches, and celebrity sightings, the Hamptons are a tourist attraction as well as a weekend destination for city dwellers. A series of towns, the Hamptons feature fine restaurants, small town squares, exceptional art galleries, trendy boutiques, and plenty of great people-watching. Award-Winning Wineries Thousands of miles from Napa, France, and Italy, some of the world’s most promising wineries have emerged on the shores of Long Island. Though less than 35 years old, the Long Island wine industry has grown from a single vineyard to more than 30 wineries offering world-class wines, along with enjoyable tours and tastings. The Magic of Manhattan Just 59 miles from Stony Brook is Manhattan, part of the most famous, most-visited city on the planet. Though a small island, just 23.7 square miles in size, Manhattan is exceptionally urbanized, offering visitors a diverse array of restaurants, entertainment options, museums, parks, sports venues, shopping choices, and sightseeing opportunities. From the art galleries and boutiques of Soho and Tribeca, to the fascinating streets of Chinatown and Little Italy, to the upscale shops of Madison Avenue, to the quiet family neighborhoods of the upper West and East sides, to the historic beauty of Harlem, Manhattan is a fascinating microcosm filled with people and places representing virtually every country in the world. Top of page
Photos on this page by John Griffin

Last updated by Webmaster on March 11, 2011

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