Fire Island lies to the south of Long Island. It’s a two-hour journey from New York City, but it’s like entering another world. It is a little “heaven on Earth” where New Yorkers can enjoy peace and quiet, as well as contact with nature. Many of them either own or rent the 4,500 houses there. There aren’t many hotel rooms and staying for a weekend can be pretty expensive. Renting a cottage for a night can cost $500 and more. Not surprisingly, Fire Island is popular with film stars.
gay and lesbian
Fire Island, which was divided in two by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, is a barrier island which protects Long Island from the Atlantic Ocean. It is 32 miles (51 km) in length and less than a mile (1.6 km) in width. Its communities include Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines – both of which are popular with gays and lesbians –, Kismet, Atlantique, Ocean Beach, which has many restaurants and bars, and Davis Park, home of the Casino Bar or “the CAS”, and Watch Hill.
national seashore
Fire Island is a National Seashore run by the National Park Service. This explains why there are almost no cars. You can, however, travel between the individual communities by ferry. And if you go for a walk (preferably in the company of a guide) in the Sunken Forest you can discover many rare plant and animal species. The Fire Island lighthouse, which was built in 1858, is also worth checking out. It isn’t hard to find as you can see it from 20 miles (32 km) away.
CON AUDIO:
Pirates and Film Stars
Fire Island is where New Yorkers go to get away from it all. In actual fact today there are technically two Fire Islands, as it was divided in two by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Fire Island is a barrier island to the south of Long Island, and it is a place of outstanding natural beauty. We asked Elizabeth Rogers, a public affairs specialist with the Fire Island National Seashore, about its unusual name:
Elizabeth Rogers (standard American accent): Well, the truth is no one knows why it’s called Fire Island. Some people believe that the island, the barrier island, was named after the inlet, Fire Island Inlet, on its western end. That name appeared on maps, the inlet’s name appeared on maps, since the early 1900s. Other people believe that the name Fire Island came from the fiery red vegetation that we see in the fall, when trees and plants turn red in the fall, but one of my favourite stories is that fires were lit on the beach. This happened when Fire Island was a launching point for the whaling industry, when whales would be brought ashore and their blubber would be burned for oil, and it also is said to have happened when pirates lit fires on the beach to fool ships to think there was an inlet, and ships would run aground and the pirates would steal their loot.
home TO the stars
The pirates have long since left Fire Island, but there are now plenty of film stars:
Elizabeth Rogers: Many celebrities have owned or do own homes on Fire Island because it offers such a laid-back vibe and unique experience in such a stunning setting. Our own National Parks Service Fire Island lighthouse is a bit of a celebrity itself. It’s been featured in films and television shows and most recently in an ad campaign including the “Follow Me Instagram” for (an) Instagram photographer. It’s a really neat picture of a couple approaching the Fire Island lighthouse.
car free
Many New Yorkers don’t own cars, and that could explain why Fire Island is a car-free zone:
Elizabeth Rogers: There are no cars on Fire Island, so people walk and bike most places and, to get from community to community, there are water taxis and to get to Long Island there are passenger ferries, so it really helps you feel like you’re far away from the hustle and bustle
of New York City, when you’re really just a little over an hour from Times Square.
