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| Atlantic Ocean view at a Fire Island house. |
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| Moon watching board in Fire Island, New York. |
You are in humid and hot New York City in the summer and long for some sun and swimming? Be a splurge traveller, stack some cash and head out to the beach in Long Island for one or two days, preferably during the week. (Picky establishments might require you to stay at least two or three nights, so check!) This would also help your stay to be more affordable although if you want to be close to the Long Island's far end Hamptons (consisting of many towns that end with "Hampton"), even one night stay may be expensive enough, around USD 350-400.
Indeed, Hamptons is known to be the summer spot of the rich and the affluent of the Northeast with its high end and most valuable summer properties some of which get rented out. Hotel prices are equally high. If you want to see some NYT picks, click here. There are other parts of Long Island that are less expensive but generally you should be ready to over-spend if you want to spend some time in Long Island. It starts with the Long Island Railroad leaving the Penn Station in New York City. If you are going to Fire Island, like I did, your return train ticket to Sayville in off-peak hour costs about USD 23,50. The shuttle from the station to the ferry costs USD 10 return while the ferry to Fire Island Pines is USD 14 return. You are not on the island yet and spent already USD50! Ladies and gentlemen, this is how you create exclusivity! This amount will make sure that many people stay away from this beautiful stretch of land.
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| The interiors of a Fire Island summer house, New York. |
Once you are on the island, you will notice that there are no cars around and it is very quiet save the sirens at 1200 noon time. They are to stop after a while if there is no fire. You will also notice that the homes are built in environmentally friendly ways and what passes as road is from wood. All houses are simple looking from the outside but tastefully decorated inside. Beach parties abound especially in the island's gay and lesbian community!
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| Enviromentally friendly boardwalk in Fire Island. |
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| The harbour of Fire Island, New York. |
In addition to the price, I must caution that the season in Long Island is very short given that the Atlantic Ocean gets warm late and chills fast. Nevertheless, head out and taste this American summer classic even for one day. It's worth the visit.
