Fire Island is a 31-mile barrier island just off the southern coast of Long Island. Its proximity to NYC–paired with picturesque beaches, cute neighborhoods, fabulous rental homes, and the radiant LBGT culture–make this a super popular destination for New Yorkers. Another draw is the complete removal from the city: there are no cars. Instead, the towns up and down the island are are connected by a maze of raised wooden walkways which serve as its avenues, streets and alleys. On these walkways, people tote their beach supplies and groceries in red wagons or folding carts. It takes no more than 10 minutes to walk the width of the island. Deer scamper through backyards, and often, across the beach. To oversimplify, think of Fire Island as a tiny, beachy Manhattan.
To get here, take the LIRR to Sayville for eastern towns (including Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines) and from Bayshore for western towns–then catch a ferry from there. (Here’s links to western end ferries and eastern end ferries.) Once you’ve gotten off the LIRR, though, you have to get across Long Island. You can either catch the bus at the Sayville/Bayshore stations (can’t miss ’em), or take a cab if the busses are full. Busses are cash only and cost $5 per person.
Where to Stay on Fire Island: Rent a Beach House
Your best bet is renting a house through AirBNB, VRBO, or one of the many rental services on Fire Island. Most homes have multiple bedrooms, many with single beds, to make friend-shares possible. Pick a week with some friends and get hunting!
Fire Island’s many towns all have different personalities, much like the neighborhoods in New York City. We stayed in Cherry Grove, which we likened to the East Village of Fire Island. Once a lesbian haven, it’s now more diverse and arty, with just a hint of grit. Its dive bars and fine dining share the same busy intersection; home rentals are charming beach bungalows. The overall vibe in Cherry Grove is very laid back and super friendly–everyone nods or says hello when passing on the walkways. At night, drag shows and dance parties turn this low-key neighborhood into a lively, gritty bar scene. (We could swear we were in the East Village 10 years ago.) Then to contrast, there’s Fire Island Pines. One might guess a wormhole opened from the wealthiest part of Chelsea straight to Fire Island. Everything here is almost annoyingly well-groomed, from the homes, to the dining, to the men. (The lots and lots of men.) Though it’s incredibly beautiful, it almost felt a little too cleaned up and exclusive for us–we preferred the friendlier vibe in Cherry Grove. For straight people looking for a romantic getaway, or more traditional families, Ocean Beach might be most appealing. As the unofficial capital of Fire Island, it has the greatest concentration of homes, bars, restaurants and stores on the entire island. It’s small-town charm is reminiscent of simpler times; it’s definitely the “middle of the road” choice of Fire Island.
For fabulous rental homes in Cherry Grove, check out A Summer Place Reality. Though home rentals are probably more wallet-friendly and comfortable, for a more traditional hotel stay, check out Dunepoint in Cherry Grove, The Palms in Ocean Beach, or The Madison in Fire Island Pines.
Where to Eat & Drink on Fire Island
For breakfast or lunch on Fire Island, we’d really recommend preparing your own food at your rental home. Since everything arrives by boat here, the restaurants here are definitely on the pricy side. Make sure to stock up on groceries before you hit Fire Island because the groceries are pretty expensive too.
That said–it’s fun to go out! Save your cash for dinner and the bar scene. Our favorite spot was Top of the Bay Cherry Grove where happy hour from 4:30-6:30 offers 2-for-1 drinks. The great deal in this beautiful atmosphere made it the go-to spot for our group of friends. Both the dining room and bar are gorgeous, with a great view of the bay and incoming ferries. Sandcastle is another upscale restaurant, where the beachside location and classy live music nights (think flutes and pianos!) make for a memorable evening. For a more laid-back vibe, we also enjoyed cocktails on the patio of Cherry’s on the Bay, whose dockside location made it great for people watching. At night, the back patio turns into a crazy dance party–and if you’re lucky, you’ll have some some celeb sightings. For casual beer and pizza, order at the counter at Cherry Grove Pizza and enjoy a slice or pie while you people watch on their patio.
What to Do on Fire Island: the Beach & Beyond
Duh, the beach. The beaches at Fire Island are incredible. The white sand dunes and uncrowded beaches are the reason people have been coming here since the 1960’s. At some point during your stay, we recommend walking down the beach as far as your feet will carry you, cut inland, grab a bite or a drink, then walk back to your starting point. Do it in both directions! If you can’t bear the long walks, there’s a water taxi that visits multiple towns, connecting east end to west end destinations as well. To get a better idea of the lay of the land, check out this map of Fire Island. Get out there–there’s a lot to see, and it’s all beautiful!
We spent an afternoon strolling down to the Sunken Forest, which was recommended by friends and followers alike as a must-visit. The Sunken Forest gets its name from it’s appearance of being below sea level. (Much to our surprise, it’s not.) This rare ecological community is lush and rich with life; a rare occurance on a narrow barrier island, where growing conditions are harsh at best. It’s about a forty minute walk from Cherry Grove and takes another thirty to walk through it.
One evening at sunset, some European tourists passed on kayaks. We hurried down to the waters edge to ask where they’d gotten their boats, but they didn’t speak english. After a little digging, we found this surf & sport rental in Ocean Beach, but we never got to try it. We’ll definitely do it next time–we can’t think of a better way to take in the sunset! Speaking of which, make a point to be bayside during the evening to watch the fabulous show. The sun rests perfectly over the bay; many people gather at bars and docks to watch it. The view never gets old .
Last, Fire Island is probably most popular for it’s LBGT scene. Even if you stay in Ocean Beach, make it a point to go see a drag performance, comedy show, or go to a dance party. The bar and nightlife scene in Cherry Grove was especially amazing–every other bar had some kind of entertainment, and the shows we went to were packed with gays and straights alike. And though everyone is from present-day New York, partying in Cherry Grove on Fire Island was like a flashback to New York’s past: somewhat gritty, very uninhibited, laid back and crazy fun.
