Lenny Nilson: Bait fisherman Lenny Nilson was born in Bay Shore in 1947 and spent the first five years observing his father who had a shrimp and killie business. By age 16 he began working on the bay. He has worked as a commercial fishermen for the Sunrise Fish Company, and currently owns L & […]
Fire Island The history of Fire Island is a long and complicated one, beginning with its Native American settlements. Local indigenous peoples harvested shellfish and finfish including migrating whales, traditions that were shared and passed on to new European immigrants who settled in Bay Shore, Moriches, and other shoreline communities. To protect regional commerce the […]
Western Suffolk Western Suffolk: Bay Shore, Oak Beach, Gilgo Beach and Fire Island Bay Shore Settlement of the Bay Shore area began in the early 1700’s when John Mowbray received a royal patent and concluded negotiations with Native Americans for the land on May 9, 1721. The deed specified that Mowbray had possession for the neck […]
Historic Hotels The earliest recreational visitors came to Patchogue in the 1800s, typically businessmen who were involved in transporting the lumber and other products to New York City. Recognizing the natural beauty of the area, some visitors stayed overnight to enjoy the scenery and bountiful seafood. However these inns and houses are no longer standing. […]
Fish Markets & Eateries Waterfront hotels and clam bars have marked the landscape of the south shore since the late 19th century, when more visitors, including estate owners, sportsmen and recreational fishermen began exploring the region, during summers and on weekends. Soon afterwards various investors began building summer hotels, from Long Beach to Patchogue, most […]
Summer Bungalows Since the 1870s out of town residents have built summer homes along the south shore, in order to escape the oppressive heat and high population density of New York City. The most popular communities for summer homes were Freeport, Point Lookout, Long Beach, Babylon, Oak Beach, Fire Island, Bay Shore, Patchogue, Blue Point, […]
Estates The South Shore has long been a haven for industrialists, celebrities, actors and musicians, politicians and other wealthy people. What began as a summer retreat gave birth to a year-round region of well-healed families, stretching from Atlantic Beach in the west to Westhampton Beach in the east. They erected monumental houses and estates, along […]
South Shore Portal Long Island’s South Shore is one of the oldest historic regions in the United States, from the pre-contact period when Native Americans harvested shellfish and finfish for survival, to the arrival of European settlers beginning in the 1500s. Over the past 300 years it has grown from a rural economy to a […]