From a tourist's point of view, Long Island is most ideal to visit in the summer and the fall when the scenery can be most appreciated. Long Island is great place to visit whether it be for a family vacation, a group of 20-somethings looking to rent a summer house, or an older retired couple looking to enjoy some natural sight-seeing or tour a museum.
Nassau County and Western Suffolk County is very developed and densely populated, and is home more to the 'suburbia' type neighborhoods Long Island became famous for after World War II, where most year-round residents live. (i.e. Levittown, Oceanside). Central and Eastern Suffolk County, however, is somewhat rural (for the New York area, anyway) and is home to much agriculture, wineries, and beach towns. Many summer homes and hotels are located here, and is where most wealthy New Yorkers congregate in the summer months when the concrete jungle is too hot to bear. Tourist attractions can be found equally in both counties and throughout the entire Island.
Long Island's only downside to tourism is harsh north-eastern winters that make traveling somewhat difficult, and the fact that it is an expensive place to both live as a permanent resident and also as a tourist. There are towns that are more friendly to the wallet than the notoriously expensive Hamptons, or "Gold Coast" North Shore towns, however, Long Island is home to some of the most expensive zip codes in the entire world. Do not expect a bargain vacation when traveling to Long Island, or anywhere in the New York Metropolitan area for that matter.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Long Island
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Long Island - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Long Island hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Long Island Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
