Like other locations on the island, it is not accessible by car, but you can walk there from other Fire Island locations like Ocean Beach, or directly by ferry. In Ocean Bay Park, Flynn’s has been open in one iteration or another since the 1930s, offering sophisticated lobster meals overlooking a 50-slip boat marina. It’s been around in its current form for 25 years, now owned by a long-time island enthusiast who started working at local restaurants in 1976. Island Mermaid in Ocean Beach is a casually elegant restaurant and playful event space, serving up classic seafood, burgers, and lobster rolls with a side of live music, DJ sets, bingo, and burlesque. Around since 1945 (it opened the same day the Allies reached the beaches of Normandy in WWII, the website likes to point out), it has been passed down through several generations to become a central island meeting spot, complete with a bar and grill, a huge deck overlooking white sand dunes, and frequent live music and dancing. There’s no gambling on the premises, but the Casino Café over in Davis Park does afford some of the glamor of a night out on the town. A wraparound patio ensures terrific views of the sunset over the beach, while a menu of craft cocktails ensures you’ll have a great time long into the night. That means you can order Korean fried chicken or Baja fish tacos along with your classic Caesar salad. Le Dock, in Fair Harbor, has been around since 1976, but now it’s updated its classic seafaring menu to include global items that are sure to please a younger generation. Many were first established in the heady midcentury party days, and are now blossoming under a new generation of ownership eager to carry on the island vibe.
Tucked in among Fire Island’s windswept sand dunes are plenty of excellent places to get a bite to eat. Tasty Fire Island Fair Harbor, Davis Park, Ocean Beach, and Ocean Bay Park Photo courtesy of Daniel Fiore / Discover Long Island. “But if you know what to look for, it’s absolutely amazing,” he says, “with everything from tiny sand crabs to a wide variety of birds.” Then, of course, there’s the beach itself, which most people tend to overlook just because it’s always right there, as Anderson explains. The only federally designated wilderness area in New York State, Otis Pike is also one of the nation’s smallest, but it offers plenty of opportunities for birdwatching (waterfowl are abundant), nature walks, and angling for bluefish and striped bass.
No restaurants, bars, or clubs here what you’ve got instead is seven miles of salt marsh, dotted with campgrounds and fishing spots, accessible only by foot or boat. The Otis Pike Wilderness near the eastern community of Watch Hill takes you even farther away from any sign of urban living. You can explore on your own, perhaps with a copy of the National Parks Service’s Sunken Forest Trail Guide in hand, or sign up for one of the ranger-led public tours that leave from Sailors Haven Visitor Center. A rare collection of trees that took root from seeds drifting on the air, the Sunken Forest edges up against the sand dunes beyond, with holly, sassafras, juneberry, oak, and black cherry, some of which are thought to be 300 years old.
One of Fire Island’s most distinctive natural features, the Sunken Forest in Sailor’s Haven is a favorite among professional photographers and Instagram enthusiasts alike. Eco-friendly Fire Island Sailors Haven and Watch Hill Photo courtesy of Diana Jones. If you’re looking to relax, take a breezy bike ride or beach walk, eat some seafood, and enjoy the calm far from the storm of city life, here’s a guide to the historic, eco-friendly, and tasty sides of Fire Island. Today, there are plenty of car-free and carefree resort communities where you can experience its quieter side, including Sailor’s Haven, Fair Harbor, and Ocean Beach. Thanks to famed destinations like Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove, the island got its reputation for raging summer parties filled with drag and disco balls in the 1970s and ’80s. People have been coming to Fire Island as a relaxing escape from the city for centuries (Oscar Wilde even stayed there on his tour of America in 1882).