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Atlantique Cherry Grove Corneille Estates Davis Park Dune Wood Fair Harbor Kismet Lonelyville
Ocean Bay Park Ocean Beach Robbin's Rest Saltaire Seaview The Pines Watch Hill

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To many in New York, summer at the beach means Fire Island -- that South Shore barrier isle that bespeaks clean air and pristine beaches to some, summer-long partying to others.

One major attraction is the absence of automobiles, which has created a string of intimate communities on the western portion of the island. The communities occupy most of the western half of this 32-mile strip. Much of the eastern half belongs to the Fire Island National Seashore, which offers eight miles of pure beach on one side and a unique woodland wilderness inland.

Although many of Fire Island's beaches were ravaged by storms the last three years, most of the lost beach has been restored, thanks to relentless dredging. The Island's two centers of civilization for the visitor are Ocean Beach and Fire Island Pines. These two villages have real downtowns, restaurants, grocery stores and shops.

The Pines and neighboring Cherry Grove are sometimes depicted as exclusively gay communities. More properly, they're tolerant communities, with families and singles, too. Night spots there draw crowds of both sexes via water taxi from up and down the beach.

Ocean Beach, on the other hand, is aptly called The Land of No (NO eating or drinking in the streets). Group rentals are discouraged, as are day-trippers, however, group rentals and day-trippers are aplenty.

Seaview, adjacent to Ocean Beach, is the family paradise.

Lonelyville, mostly inhabited by homeowners and renters who have been there for years, is one of the better places for a quiet summer rental.

Ocean Bay Park, just to the east of Seaview, is the home of many a grouper (groupers are people, not fish, though some claim otherwise; groupers rent homes by the share and sometimes like to party).

Point O' Woods is the only gated community on the Island and is privately owned.

Moving west from Lonelyville is Fair Harbor, a family and non-frantic singles community.

Farther west, is Saltaire, an exclusive community inhospitable to day-trippers and groupers.

Moving on down the beach, one reaches Kismet, the last community before Robert Moses State Park.

Access to to most Fire Island communities is by ferry from terminals at one of three mainland ports: Bay Shore (Fire Island Ferries, 665-5045; Atlantique Beach Ferry, 224-5403), Sayville (Cherry Grove Ferries, 589-0810; Seashore Ferries, 589-8980, and Barrett Beach Ferry, 224-5403), and Patchogue (Davis Park Ferry/Watch Hill Ferry, 475-1665).

At either end of Fire Island, the Robert Moses Causeway leads into Robert Moses State Park, and the William Floyd Parkway into Smith Point County Park. But from there, you'd have to park your car and walk to the central areas of this 32-mile-long island. The ferries are obviously a more convenient alternative.

For many, Fire Island is far more than a day trip. There are overnight accommodations in small hotels in The Pines, Ocean Bay Park, Ocean Beach and Kismet, but you need to book in advance for weekends, especially July-August. Rooms are usually available weeknights. For party-till-you-drop day-trippers, Ocean Bay Park and Kismet are the most congenial settings, with bars and beach aplenty.

Information: Fire Island Tourist Board, 563-8448; Ocean Beach Chamber, 583-5555.

*excerpts taken from newsday.com

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