Suffolk County (New York)

Suffolk county consists of the following ten towns:

• 🌍 Babylon including Babylon village, Lindenhurst, Copiague, Deer Park, Gilgo, and Wheatley Heights, and Wyandanch.
  • 🌍 Amityville
• 🌍 Brookhaven includes the villages of Belle Terre, Bellport, Lake Grove, Mastic Beach, Old Field, Patchogue, Poquott, Shoreham, Brookhaven hamlet, Centereach, Center Moriches, Coram, Fire Island Pines, Shirley, and Yaphank.
  • 🌍 Port Jefferson, Mount Sinai, Stony Brook
• 🌍 East Hampton including the hamlets of Amagansett, Wainscott, Napeague, and Springs
  • 🌍 Montauk and Sag Harbor
• 🌍 Huntington
  • 🌍 Melville, Northport (New York)
• 🌍 Islip, including the villages of Brightwaters, Islandia, Ocean Beach, Saltaire, and Sayville
  • 🌍 Bay Shore
• 🌍 Riverhead
• 🌍 Shelter Island
• 🌍 Smithtown
• 🌍 Southampton
  • 🌍 Westhampton Beach
• 🌍 Southold

• 🌍 Fire Island
  • 🌍 Fire Island National Seashore
• 🌍 Shelter Island
• 🌍 North Fork
• 🌍 The Hamptons

Both Nassau and Suffolk Counties are usually divided into the North Shore, which is on the Long Island Sound, and South Shore, which is on the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, in the extreme east of Suffolk County, there is a North Fork (ending in Orient Point) and a South Fork (ending in Montauk Point). There are several offshore islands, including Fire Island and Shelter Island, which are popular beach and summer home locations, respectively. The island together is about 120 miles in length and some 25 miles, depending on location, in width. Suffolk is vastly populated suburbs to the west and bordering Nassau County, near New York City. As one travels east in Suffolk county you encounter rural farm lands, nearer Riverhead, and traveling to Montauk Point. The eastern part of the county, especially the North Fork, is reminiscent of New England.

Most people in Suffolk County get around by car. For short trips, there are generally taxis that wait for arriving trains at LIRR stations but may otherwise need to be called; don't expect to hail taxis on the streets. There is a network of Suffolk County buses, but they are often slow and in many cases run infrequently, so depending on the route and time of arrival and departure, it may be impractical to depend on them as part of a day trip. In order to access some islands off the shore of Long Island, such as Fire Island, a ferry may be convenient or even required.

• Go to one of the beaches on Fire Island in warm weather.
• See a performance at the Staller Center for the Arts at State University of New York at Stony Brook.
• Visit the Atlantis Marine World Aquarium in Riverhead.
• Take the plunge at Skydive Long Island in Riverhead or Long Island Sky Diving Center in East Moriches.
• Visit the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport.

Seafood is fresh from the fishing boats in Montauk. There are dozens of restaurants where you may eat lobster, striped ocean bass, fluke, bluefish, clams, squid and other fresh, local seafood. Gosman's is the best known; their lobsters are sometimes overcooked and watery but the view of the harbor and Long Island Sound from the "Top Deck" is among the most charming in the world. Among other excellent places: The West Lake Chowder House, Harvest, and the reliable old Shagwong, where Montaukers gather when the tourists leave and for World Cup football matches. If you happen to be Irish, you are especially welcome.

Good bagels (the best outside of New York City) can be found in Suffolk County.

Port Jefferson Village has many restaurants, but can be pricey. It is a tourist hotspot in the summer, however, so be prepared for crowds. Port Jeff is an adorable little town with numerous eccentric shops and art galleries. They also have good pubs like Billie's Saloon, Tara's, or Tommy's. This is also the port for the Port Jefferson/Bridgeport ferry.

Pizza on Long Island is a must! With many "mom and pop" run Italian places, the words Pizza Hut and Dominoes should never enter one's vocabulary. Areas with the best pizza are not limited to but include: Port Jefferson, Lake Ronkonkoma, Huntington, Smithtown, and Commack!

Peconic (the eastern part of Long Island, including both forks) is New York State's most important wine-growing area, and New York State produces the most wine in the United States after California (though it's a distant second). Wine enthusiasts may want to arrange vineyard tours and tastings.

Suffolk County is in general a very safe place to visit, as is most of Long Island. However, some areas have problems with gang and drug activity. It is wise to avoid sections of Brentwood, Copiague, Central Islip, Huntington Station, North Amityville, North Bay Shore, North Bellport, and Wyandanch at night.

Areas of Mastic and Mastic Beach should also be avoided at night, as these areas also frequently experience issues with crime.