Long Island
Discover Long Island
Long Island stretches eastward from New York City in the Metro New York region. The island is approximately 115 mi (185 km) long from Brooklyn and Queens at the western end, to Montauk at the easternmost point. At its widest, the island is about 20 mi (32 km) 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.
What to Experience in Long Island
Taste of Long Island...
Long Island is a lot like New Jersey and parts of Connecticut, in the sense that 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. The bagel shop is a Long Island institution, and while nearby New York City is better known internationally for its bagels, they're just as good here. It's very likely that a great bagel shop is just a few minutes by car from wherever you are, and while you'll always find the standard sesame-seed bagels, plain cream cheese and smoked salmon, many offer a dizzying array of bagels and fillings, in addition to bagel-shop staples such as black-and-white cookies. You can't do any better for a quick breakfast or lunch. Be sure to visit a local farm stand, especially those out east and on the North Fork (i.e.: Briermere Farms). Local produce and farming is a major industry on Long Island – especially on its eastern end. The well-known cocktail, the Long Island Iced Tea, was created on Long Island.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) runs from Penn Station and Grand Central in Manhattan, from Long Island City and Hunterspoint Avenue in Queens, and from Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, to various points on Long Island on many branches. It is by far the most widely used commuter-rail system in North America, with 325,000 riders on an average weekday, and among Long Islanders who work in Manhattan, it is a much more popular option than driving. While most locals don't use the LIRR to travel between destinations on Long Island, it can be effective for this as well, as long as where you're going isn't far from a station. Service is not as frequent as the NYC subways but it also runs 24/7....
Regions
Explore AreasWhile Long Island also includes Queens and Brooklyn, both boroughs within New York City, most people, when talking about Long Island, mean: Long Island is essentially a suburban area throughout (excep…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Long Island is 118 mi (190 km) long. It can take hours to travel from one destination to another – especially during morning and afternoon rush hours, when the main roads suffer from high congestion and the trains are crowded. There are two main bus operators on Long Island in Nassau and Suffolk. Each maintains extensive bus networks throughout their counties. The Long Island Rail Road crosses the entire island, with stops in virtually every community of note. As it is designed to take residents into and out of Manhattan, connections between branches are virtually nonexistent. However, with the exception of the Port Washington Branch, every branch does come into Jamaica station in Queens, so if you do need to change branches, Jamaica is where you will likely do it (in fact, many locals will tell you that one of the most infamous terms on Long Island is "Change at Jamaica"). The Port Jefferson Branch goes all the way out to Port Jefferson on the North Shore in Suffolk County.
Money & Budget
Long Island is a lot like New Jersey and parts of Connecticut, in the sense that 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.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Be smart: don't travel to communities with a lot of crime at night. These communities include Roosevelt, Hempstead, North Amityville, North Baldwin, Wyandanch, Rosedale, North Bay Shore, Central Islip, New Cassel, Brentwood, Green Acres, 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 and of cars that remain unlocked or have their key fobs left inside of them at night. Most robberies are related to hired help, and are low-profile crimes. However, there is an epidemic of heroin use among Long Island teens, particularly of wealthier neighborhoods along the North Shore. Generally, this should not be a problem for a tourist.
Glimpses of Long Island
white and black lighthouse near brown grass field under blue sky during daytime
brown concrete bridge over river
Panorama of the view from Long Island City, in New York City. A blue beautiful day during the epidemic of COVID-19.
a lighthouse on top of a grassy hill
a light house sitting on top of a hill next to the ocean
Long Island city
The sun sets over Montauk, Long Island
girl wearing black bubble hoodie walking near bench
city skyline across body of water during daytime
a house on a hill
white and black lighthouse near brown grass field under blue sky during daytime
brown concrete bridge over river
Panorama of the view from Long Island City, in New York City. A blue beautiful day during the epidemic of COVID-19.