Long Island, New York, is comprised of four counties: Queens and Brooklyn (which are boroughs of New York City), Nassau, and Suffolk. As its name suggests, Long Island is, in fact, an island, surrounded by the Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean.
This guide focuses almost exclusively on Nassau and Suffolk Counties, which are totally separate from New York City. (The boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens are politically part of New York City and not typically considered part of Long Island, except geographically.) Long Island is connected to several other boroughs of New York City, as well as Manhattan itself, via bridges and tunnels. Regularly scheduled ferryboat service is also offered linking Long Island to parts of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. See the “Getting Here, Getting Around” chapter for details about how to reach Long Island by air, car, train, bus, or boat/ferry.
Encompassing about 1,401 square miles, Long Island is both the longest and largest island in the contiguous United States. It is 118 miles long (east to west), and at its maximum width (north to south), it is approximately 23 miles across. As of July 2008 the population of Long Island was estimated to be 7.7 million, making it the most populated island in the United States and the 17th most populated island in the world. If Long Island were its own state, it would rank 12th in terms of population.
Combined, Brooklyn and the Bronx represent 4.69 million of the island’s overall population, while Nassau County’s population was 1.3 million and Suffolk County’s population was 1.4 million in 2008. Suffolk County has more than twice the land area than Nassau County, so it’s much less congested.
While located on the same island landmass, Nassau and Suffolk Counties are vastly different. Nassau, which is located on the west side of the island, is closer to New York City and is more urbanized than Suffolk. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Nassau was the fastest growing county in the United States. Based on the 2000 Census, it was the third-richest county per capita in New York State. Suffolk County, on the other hand, is much more rural and comprised of many small towns.
The North Fork portion of Suffolk County is home to the much less populated but fast-growing wine region, while the South Fork region contains the Hamptons, Montauk, and many small, upscale beach towns. These regions are among the most affluent on the East Coast and are extremely popular vacation destinations—especially in the summer (early June through early Sept).
From a political standpoint, Long Island is part of New York State, which has a governor, as well as U.S. senators and congressmen, just like any other state. Nassau County and Suffolk County are each led by a county executive and have their own county legislature. The towns within both counties all have their own local governments. There are also two Indian reservations in Suffolk County.
As you know, there’s a huge difference between Nassau and Suffolk Counties. While Nassau County is more of a year-around destination, as well as where the majority of the island’s residents live, Suffolk County is more of a seasonal place to visit (though that’s slowly changing). When late Oct rolls around, it’s well into the off-peak season in Suffolk County, so many of the area’s attractions close until the spring. Those that remain open throughout the year have greatly reduced hours, or only operate on weekends and holidays.
Throughout Long Island there are literally hundreds of historical places to visit, as well as museums, attractions, cultural centers, and parks that offer organized activities and events. This chapter highlights just a sampling of the more popular tourist attractions in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. If you’re traveling with kids, you’ll definitely want to check out this guide’s “Kidstuff” chapter to learn about children’s museums, aquariums, zoos, and other kid-oriented attractions and activities on the island.
Kids have a lot of reasons to love Long Island, especially in the summer. Like so many popular tourist destinations, the island offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities that kids and teens enjoy.
First and foremost, Long Island’s beaches are a huge draw for young people. Plus, many of the hotels and resorts also have swimming pools and organized, camplike activities for kids to keep them entertained.
Long Island also has several museums, aquariums, theme parks, zoos, water parks, and other attractions that are extremely popular with the younger crowd. This section highlights some of the kid-, teen-, and family-friendly activities and attractions throughout Long Island.
Long Island is a unique destination because it covers a lot of territory and is divided into several very distinct regions. Thus, it’s common for people living in Nassau County, for example, to enjoy a day trip or a weekend getaway in the North Fork or South Fork of Suffolk County, or to get away to Fire Island. So, even if you live in one part of Long Island, don’t discount the day trip and weekend getaway opportunities that exist elsewhere on the island.
Long Island is also a short trip from Manhattan, which provides for another incredibly memorable day trip or weekend getaway opportunity. Plus, because Long Island is also within a few hundred miles of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., it’s easy and convenient to take road trips to these and other nearby destinations.
If you’re not in the mood for a long drive, you’ll discover that the Long Island Railroad will take you directly to Penn Station in Manhattan. From there, its easy to hop on the high-speed Amtrak train service (the Acela) and travel from New York City to Boston (with stops in Connecticut and Rhode Island) or down to Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. These train trips take two to four fours, depending on your destination. You can also utilize LaGuardia or JFK Airport and take a quick flight almost anywhere. The flight to Boston; Washington, D.C.; or Philadelphia is under one hour, and several airlines offer hourly shuttle service between these cities.
This section offers a few ideas about how you can enjoy a fun, exciting, educational, or romantic day trip or weekend getaway to a destination that’s quick and easy to reach from Long Island.