Long Island Vacations, Long Island Vacation Reviews, Tourism Guide

Long Island Vacation Guide

First things first, Long Island is a very long island. It runs about 100 miles from its NYC border to its tip out at Montauk Point. The island is about 25 miles at its widest, and it tapers in many places. Many Long Islanders are boaters, and the LI climate is moderate, protected from snow in colder months because it is surrounded by the warmer LI Sound and Atlantic Ocean.

Most people (even New Yorkers) have no idea how varied Long Island is. The counties of Queens and Kings (more popularly called Brooklyn) are on one end of Long Island - across the east river from Manhattan. The south shore is more densely populated and runs into the beginnings of Suffolk County. South shore Nassau is the home of Amy Fisher, et al, and more resembles what many people think of when they hear Long Island. The North Shore is VERY different. It tends to be much less densely populated, hilly and green, and affluent. The North Shore of Nassau County has always been known as the Gold Coast, and it was and still is home to robber barons and Wall Street [b]millionaires. North Shore manions werw owned by the likes of Guggenheims, Vanderbilts, Woolworth, and an endless litany of rich and famous.

The East End is a different world. Everyone has heard of the famous Hamptons, with palatial mansions and stunning beaches. The beaches on the east end of LI are among the finest in the world (REALLY)! When you get past the tony hamptons you finally get out to wonderful Montauk.