Long Island Life
Come visit our beautiful Island. You won't be dissapointed!
Long Island is unique in that it is considered a suburb yet it has the population of a large city. As of 2023, Long Island has a population of approximately 8.063 million. Yes, you read that correctly. It feels like all 8 million are on the Long Island Expressway every Friday afternoon heading out to the Hamptons from Memorial Day Weekend until Labor Day Weekend!
Some Long Island vernacular and facts:
You don't live in Long Island, you live ON Long Island.
You go IN to the city and OUT to "the Island" which is what Long Island is referred to.
I live in the middle of the Island, about an our east of Manhattan and an hour west of Montauk with no traffic.
There is ALWAYS traffic and/or construction on Long Island so plan on your trip taking longer.
When we say "on the water" it's not literal. We aren't actually out on the water swimming or in a boat. If you say a restaurant is on the water or a house is on the water, you mean it's right near. You can see the water from the site.
Your house could be a block in and you would still say you live "on the water" because it can be seen from you backyard or front yard or your upstairs bedroom window.
If you are going past the middle of the Island, you are headed out East, whether you are going to the North Shore or the South Shore. This is referred to as "The East End"
The Hamptons are on the South Shore and includes towns that do not have the word Hampton in them. That's where you will find the sandy beaches, the mansions, the fancy restaurants and the nightlife.
Montauk is part of the Hamptons and people travel from all over the world to visit.
My husband and I, although locals, took our honeymoon in Montauk. We wanted to stay close to home because at the time, we had a close relative who was very sick.
The wineries, farms and family restaurants are on the North Shore.
You can also drive to the end of the North Shore to Greenport where you can catch the ferry over to Connecticut. You can also get a ferry to Connecticut from Port Jefferson.
While the Hamptons is known for it's celebrities (singers, actors, actresses) and the rich and famous - i.e. hedge fund managers, designers, architects, royalty, authors, etc., regular people live out there too and aren't impressed by celebrity or famous people sightings.
The Hamptons is in our backyard and is our playground.
The movie Something's Gotta Give with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton is set on Long Island in the Hamptons.
"Since Erica’s beach house is set in the Hamptons, the production went on location there to film many of the beach house scenes. The house used for the exterior shots of Erica’s beach house in the movie is a real Hamptons beach house located at 576 Meadow Lane in Southampton."
In the beginning of the movie, when Jack Nicholson's character says, "your mom must be rich," in real life, yes, absolutely. The real beach house is worth $41 million.
"The largest industrial park in the US is located on Long Island - The Hauppauge Industrial Park which houses 1,300 companies and employs more than 55,000 people."
"Together Nassau and Suffolk counties' nearly 180 fire agencies possess more fire trucks than New York City and Los Angeles County combined."
"Long Island’s Gold Coast served as the backdrop to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby."
For more stories about Life on Long Island, check out my category Long Island, New York.
This past Sunday, some of the family got together and headed out East - that's the terminology - to one of the wineries on the North Shore. My son chose Osprey's Dominion - one of the many, many wineries on the North Shore.
As we drove East on the LIE, I spotted a long line of sports cars in the right lane. I took some pictures as we drove as it was fun to see. No sooner did we arrive at the winery than the cars pulled in. Coincidentally, they were going to the same winery for a car show! What a treat.
Many of the wineries are pet-friendly and kid-friendly, welcoming both. Some set up play areas for the kids and around Halloween they cater to children. They also attract all adult celebrations such as bachelorette parties and birthdays. When we were there a group got off one of the coach buses and were celebrating a 60th birthday. We knew because they had balloons and the birthday person was wearing a sash.
We hit the wineries for my niece's 30th and visited two in one day. Very often groups will do tours and visit several wineries in one day.
Most often there will be entertainment in the form of live music and we've even seen comedians.
Some wineries will sell food, others allow you to bring your own. Osprey's Dominion sells snacks, but encourages you to bring your own picnic to enjoy, which we did. Of course, I brought my own food so I had something to eat. At one point, my sister Ubered sandwiches and macaroni salad to the winery for my very pregnant daughter who decided she wanted a certain meal! Yes, you can do that these does.
Of course, there is wine available and most people enjoy it by the glass. Some buy by the bottle for the group to share, My daughter-in-law bought a bottle of wine to take home to save for a special occasion.
There is an indoor area that people will use more in the fall and winter. But you can go inside to buy wine and in some wineries, food, homemade pies and other items. Most wineries will also sell their goods outside as well. There was a beautiful gazebo where people could purchase various wines and drinks. My son had a wine that was mixed with something else, a little cocktail he said was delicious.
It was a gorgeous day out so we spent the entire time outdoors. There were bathroom facilities out there as well as inside.
You could also walk through the actual vineyards if you wanted to. It's very peaceful and relaxing. My son's dog made friends with all the people and children and of course the other pups and insisted on taking my son for several walks around the facility.
They also took my five-month old granddaughter who thoroughly enjoyed being outdoors and, of course, dancing with me, Grandma, and her mom and great aunt to the live music.
There is so much to see and do on Long Island. This past September, my daughter married at The Vanderbilt Museum, which was absolutely GORGEOUS. They are also home to the planetarium. I've been several times and it is a ton of fun.
Live entertainment is one of my favorites. At Christmas we had a girl's night and went to dinner. Of course I brought my own food. We then went to see a play.
My husband and I also saw a holiday rock band which was absolutely amazing. What a great show.
Long Island is known for it's food. We are very diversified and any type of food you want, you can get here on Long Island. Some popular cuisines are Italian, Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, Turkish, Japanese, and much more. Zan's Kosher Delicatessen is one of our most famous establishments. Of course we are known for our egg sandwiches, bagels and pizza and yes, the water makes a huge difference in why it tastes so good no matter what anyone tells you.
We have so much to do here, it would be impossible to name it all. Rest assured, we have museums, golf courses, beaches, farms, wineries, restaurants, theater, historical sites, amazing parks, castles, lighthouses, bars, clubs, and of course our famous Long Island Iced Tea and Long Island Duck. Last but not least, our seafood. I mean, we are an Island surrounded by water. Nothing is more fun than being at a restaurant, sitting outdoors on the water, and having the fishing boats pull up with fresh catch. Afterwards, visit the beach, watch the sunset, enjoy some cocktails and listen and dance to live music!
Speaking of the water, boating, jet skiing, surfing, fishing, crabbing, scuba diving, are all abundant. Also, if you love water, visit our huge Water Park, Splish Splash. Last but not least, we are the home of the baseball team, The Long Island Ducks.
Whatever it is you like to do, if you visit Long Island, we will likely be able to accommodate you.
Check out my post Long Island - South Shore On The Coldest Day of the Year.
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