Fire Island, New York
Encyclopedia : F : FI : FIR : Fire Island, New York
For other uses, see Fire Island.
Fire Island is a barrier island, approximately 30 mi (48 km) long and 0.5 mi. (1 km) wide, in Suffolk County on the southern side of Long Island in the U.S. state of New York.
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Fire Island geography
Fire Island is separated from Long Island by the five mi (eight km) wide Great South Bay, a natural harbor formed by the island. A small portion is accessible from Long Island by the Robert Moses Causeway on its western end and by William Floyd Parkway (Suffolk County Road 46) near its eastern end. The island and its resort towns are mainly accessible by the numerous ferries that traverse Great South Bay or by private watercraft.Fire Island landmarks and preserves
Except for the western 5 mi. (8 km) of the island, the island is protected as part of Fire Island National Seashore. Robert Moses State Park on the western tip of the island is one of the popular recreational destinations in the New York City area. The Fire Island Lighthouse is a visible landmark just east of Robert Moses State Park.A memorial to TWA800 is located on the island.
Inhabitants of Fire Island
The incorporated villages of Ocean Beach and Saltaire within Fire Island National Seashore are carfree during the summer tourist season (Memorial Day through Labor Day) and permit only pedestrian and bicycle traffic (during certain hours only in Ocean Beach). There are a limited number of driving permits for year-round residents and contractors for use during the Off-season. Fire Island also contains a number of unincorporated villages (hamlets). Two of these hamlets, known as the Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove, have a reputation as being popular destinations for gay vacationers.
Beach erosion largely due to construction of jetties at the Moriches Inlet, opened naturally by a storm in 1931 and widened by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1938, is described in a report on the [geological effects of the Hurricane of 1938].
The avant-garde American poet Frank O'Hara was accidentally killed on July 25, 1966, when he was run over by a dune buggy while sleeping on the beach.
Fire Island on film
When Ocean Meets Sky [link] (2003), a documentary detailing the 50-year history of the Fire Island Pines community, had its television premiere on June 10, 2006. Frank Perry's Last Summer (1969), about a summer of sexual discovery on Fire Island, brought an Oscar nomination for actress Catherine Burns. Garbo Talks (1984) has scenes of the Fire Island ferry. Longtime Companion (1990) is a drama that recreates chronologically the spread of AIDS during the 1980s. Returning Mickey Stern (2002) has scenes at the Ocean Beach community.Famous summer residents
After the Manhattan theater community began staying on Fire Island during the 1920s, the island had numerous summer celebrity residents.- Louis Alter, songwriter ("Manhattan Serenade. "Nina Never Knew")
- Truman Capote, author
- Claudette Colbert, actress
- Mart Crowley, playwright
- David Duchovny, actor
- Peggy Fears, Broadway performer
- Peter Greenberg, TV travel authority
- Rex Harrison, actor
- Ethan Hawke, actor, novelist
- Nat Hentoff, columnist, jazz critic
- Harvey Keitel, actor
- Paul Krassner, author, editor
- Carson Kressley, TV fashion authority
- Mary Martin, Broadway performer
- Pola Negri, silent film actress
- Frank O'Hara, poet, playwright
- Tony Randall, actor
- Carl Reiner, actor
- Tedi Thurman, Miss Monitor
- Uma Thurman, actress
Communities and locations
Communities
- Atlantique – A hamlet in the western part of the island.
- Bayberry Dunes – A hamlet in the western part of the island.
- Cherry Grove– A hamlet in the western part of the island popular with lesbians and gay men.
- Corneille Estates
- Davis Park/Ocean Ridge – A hamlet in the western part of the island.
- Dunewood – A hamlet in the western part of the island.
- Fair Harbor – A hamlet in the western part of the island.
- Fire Island Pines – A hamlet in the western part of the island; a popular vacation spot for wealthy gay men.
- Kismet – A hamlet in the western part of the island.
- Lonelyville – A hamlet in the western part of the island.
- Long Cove – A hamlet in the eastern part of the island.
- Ocean Bay Park – A hamlet in the western part of the island.
- Ocean Beach – The Village of Ocean Beach.
- Point O'Woods – A hamlet in the western part of the island.
- Robbins Rest – A hamlet in the western part of the island.
- Saltaire – The Village of Saltaire.
- Seaview – A hamlet in the western part of the island.
- Watch Hill – A hamlet at the eastern part of the island.
- Water Island – A hamlet in the eastern part of the island.
Other Small Islands Around Fire Island
- West Fire Island – A small island with only about five houses
- East Fire Island – Another longer and larger island next to West Fire Island, this island, unlike West Fire Island, is unhabited (people are allowed, although there are no tours, so the only way to get there is on your own boat).
Parks
- Fire Island National Seashore
- Robert Moses State Park – A state park on the western end of the island.
Inlets
- Fire Island Inlet – The gap between the west end of Fire Island and Jones Beach Island, allowing watercraft to enter the Atlantic Ocean from the Great South Bay.
- Moriches Inlet – An inlet at the eastern end of the island.
Other Locations
- Clam Pond – A small cove in Saltaire and Fair Harbor
See also
External links
- ["Escapades on Fire Island" by Ralph Blumenthal (New York Times, August 2, 1996)]
- [Fire Island Chamber of Commerce]
- [Fire Island Ferries]
- [Fire Island Lighthouse]
- [Fire Island's major attractions, 3 important rules, musings...]
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