Islip
Islip (pronounced "ICE-lip") is a town on Long Island in the state of New York. It includes the villages of Brightwaters, Islandia, Ocean Beach and Saltaire. It also includes numerous hamlets including Bay Shore and Sayville which are ferry terminals for Fire Island. Other prominent communities are Bayport, Brentwood, Central Islip, Hauppauge, Islip village (the town seat), and Ronkonkoma.
Understand
Islip is a suburb of New York City on Long Island. While not as spectacular as Montauk or Jones Beach, it doesn't lack for things to do.
Get in
By plane
- 🌍 Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP IATA formerly known as Islip Airport), 100 Arrivals Avenue, Ronkonkoma (Islip) (Right off Veterans Memorial Highway (NY 454), which can be accessed from Exit 57 of the Long Island Expressway (I-495)), ☏ +1 631 467-3210. This one-terminal airport is served by Breeze Airways, Frontier Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. As of 2023, there are flights from locations including Baltimore–Washington International Airport, Nashville, Charleston, South Carolina, and numerous cities in Florida (such as Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach). There is free Wi-Fi in the airport.
- Liberty Jet Management, 1965 Smithtown Avenue, Ronkonkoma (Islip), ☏ +1-800-879-2345. Offers private jet charter services.
Bus from airport
- Suffolk Transit's S57 bus (Sayville–Smith Haven Mall) directly serves MacArthur Airport and the Ronkonkoma LIRR station. It runs M-Sa once an hour but ends service before 8 PM at most stops.
By train
Islip has two main LIRR stations (Islip and Central Islip) that take visitors from New York City. However, there are other stations you can get off at depending on where you want to go.
The five stations on the Montauk Branch (in order), which usually only goes to Jamaica, in Queens, are:
- 🌍 Bay Shore LIRR station, Railroad Plaza (Bay Shore). First one after Babylon
- 🌍 Islip LIRR station, Islip Ave, Islip (South of Moffat Ave). Closer downtown
- 🌍 Great River LIRR station, Hawthorne Ave and Connetquot Ave (East Islip). Closer to the Great River neighborhood (hence the name), and East Islip
- 🌍 Oakdale LIRR station, Montauk Blvd (Oakdale). Closer to the arbouretum.
- 🌍 Sayville LIRR station, Depot St (Sayville). In Sayville
The three on the Ronkonkoma Branch (in order), which is more convenient for traveling from Penn Station, in Manhattan, are:
- 🌍 Brentwood LIRR station, Suffolk Ave (Brentwood). In Brentwood
- 🌍 Central Islip LIRR station, E. Suffolk Ave, Central Islip (Near the intersection of E. Suffolk Ave and Lowell Ave). Further away from downtown, but it's easy to get to.
- 🌍 Ronkonkoma LIRR station, Railroad Ave (near the intersection of Railroad Ave and Hawkins Ave, Ronkonkoma). The final stop on the electrified portion into Penn Station, but also where you can catch a "scoot" to Greenport. It's also close to the airport.
Yeah, that's a lot of stations, but with the exception of traveling somewhere specific, it's best to get off at Islip or Central Islip.
See
- 🌍 Sagtikos Manor, Montauk Highway and Manor Lane, West Bay Shore (Robert Moses Causeway South to Exit RM27A Bay ShoreTurn right onto Rt 27A and continue east approximately 1/2 mile. Entrance to Manor on left), ☏ +1 631-494-7526. Tour hours: June: Su 1-4PM, Jul and Aug: Su W Th 1-4PM. Built in 1697, it 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 the Manor House led by costumed docents and stroll through the grounds and nearby Gardiner County Park.
- 🌍 Heckscher State Park, Heckscher Parkway Field 1, East Islip. 1,657-acre park.
- 🌍 Long Island Maritime Museum, 88 West Avenue, West Sayville. Maritime museum in several historic buildings including the Rudolph Oyster House, and the ships Priscilla and Modesty, all of which are National Historic Landmarks.
- 🌍 Long Island Photo Gallery, 467 Main Street. For art!
Do
- 🌍 Bayard Cutting Arbouretum, 440 Montauk Hwy (Great River).
- 🌍 Connetquot River State Park Preserve, 4090 Sunrise Hwy, Oakdale. Connetquot River State Park Preserve maintains 3,473 acres of land and water for the protection and propagation of game birds, fish and animals.The preserve also has 50 miles of hiking, bridle, cross-country ski and nature trails, as well as freshwater fly fishing (by permit only) on the Connetquot River.
Buy
- 🌍 Westfield South Shore (The South Shore Mall), 1701 Sunrise Hwy (Bay Shore). A shopping mall
Eat
Many restaurants are found on Main Street.
Sleep
- 🌍 Courtyard Long Island MacArthur Airport, 5000 Express Drive South (Near the airport), ☏ +1 631 612-5000, fax: +1 631 612-5008.
- 🌍 Holiday Inn Express Hotel Hauppauge-Long Island, 2050 Express Drive South (Long Island Expressway Exit 56), ☏ +1 631 348-1400.
- 🌍 Hyatt Regency Long Island, 1717 Motor Parkway, ☏ +1 631 784-1234.
- 🌍 Residence Inn Long Island Hauppauge/Islandia, 850 Veterans Memorial Hwy, ☏ +1 631 724-4188, toll-free: +1-800-817-3301.
Stay safe
For the most part, Islip is a very safe town – you will find many communities within the town which are safe both during day and at night (such as the hamlet of Islip, which is also the town's center of government). However, like any large municipality, there are also some areas where one should exercise caution. These areas include Brentwood, North Bay Shore, and Central Islip. These areas are generally safe during the day – but at night, they can be very dangerous. Gangs like MS-13 are infamous for having a massive presence in these communities (especially Brentwood) and there is a tremendous amount of drug dealing and usage in these areas. If you have no reason to travel through these communities after the sun sets, then avoid them at all costs. And if you must travel through those areas, make sure to stick to the main thoroughfares through the area – do not travel through the residential areas (especially if there is no street lighting) and do not walk alone under any circumstances in the area at night – especially if you are a woman. Additionally, if you see sneakers dangling from overhead wires or gang graffiti in these areas, leave immediately as these are signs that drug deals and gangs are active in the immediate area.
Should you encounter any problems or witness something suspicious, dial 911. The Suffolk County Police Department is always active and patrolling the area and are happy to assist anybody in need of assistance.
Go next
| Routes through Islip |
| Babylon ← Bay Shore ← | W E | → Sayville → Montauk |
| Babylon ← Becomes Babylon Branch ← Bay Shore ← | W E | → Sayville → Montauk |
| Hicksville ← Melville ← | W E | → Ronkonkoma → Greenport |