Father of the Fire Island Ferry
By Amy Armstrong
Friday, August 31st, 2007
Edwin J. Mooney is a longtime Fire Island Ferry captain, a devoted family man, and the author of Ferries to Fire Island 1856 to 2003. While meeting with me to discuss his book and captaining career, Mr. Mooney sat comfortably in his desk chair in an office filled with pictures of the Long Island coast, Fire Island national seashore, Fire Island light house, and of course, the many Fire Island ferries that he has captained over the years. At the main Fire Island ferry terminal in Bay Shore, Mooney keeps his past captaining experience close; he has been President of Fire Island Ferries since 1971 and Chief Executive Officer since 2000. With 59 years at Fire Island Ferries, Mooney has created a lifetime out of his passion for the boats.
In 1948, right out of high school, Edwin Mooney moved to Bay Shore, Long Island, from New Jersey. At 18 years old he landed his first job at Fire Island Ferries as a deckhand. By making himself so valuable that the boss wouldn’t want to let him go, Mooney quickly earned respect at his new job. By the summer of 1948, Mooney had received his captain’s license—which he held onto for 58 years. As a captain, piloting the ferry became the biggest part of his life. With a camera always on hand, Mooney took in the beauty of the boats and Fire Island’s many communities, from Davis Park to Kismet. Of course, transporting countless Fire Island rental tenants, Fire Island share house lodgers, New York tourism sightseers, and longtime residents gave Mooney deep insight into the community of Fire Island beach. Mooney quickly knew he would be a Fire Island ferry captain for life. “I enjoyed the job so much, I would get off the boats by necessity rather than choice,” Mooney laughs. “My favorite memories are the simple things; the sunrises and sunsets on the water.” Mooney also enjoyed the challenges of every storm, ice warning, and foggy day. When asked if it was difficult to stay controlled and alert under such adverse conditions, Mooney replied “You have to be aware and concerned . . . but never fearful.”
Mr. Mooney used his experience and adventures as a captain for Fire Island Ferries to create a book that explores the past of the boats he always yearns to be near. Inspired by determination to preserve the history of Fire Island Ferries and detail his decades of experience, Mooney wrote Ferries To Fire Island 1856 to 2003. By collecting newspaper and magazine articles, interviewing other captains, and taking many photographs, Mooney compiled enough information to create a 154-page Fire Island Ferry history text. Filled with firsthand observations and stories from former Fire Island Ferry captains, engineers and deckhands, Ferries to Fire Island 1856 to 2003 allows its readers a chance to understand and explore the boats, people, and experiences of Fire Island’s past and present. Mooney dedicated his book to Captain Elmer Patterson, founder of most of the present ferry system to the west end of Fire Island. His dedication is a respectful nod to an overarching theme: more than transportation, the Fire Island Ferries are a family. For Mooney, the Fire Island family is more than figurative: Along with 16 other couples, Mooney met his mate at the ferries. As a new deckhand, he was introduced to Pat Brown, whose brother was also a deckhand alongside Mooney. A few minutes after he hit his head on a half-opened sliding hatch on a boat, a dazed Mooney was introduced to Pat – and new love bloomed. A few years later the two were married, and went on to have two sons (both of whom work for Fire Island Ferries) and a daughter. Mooney’s family continues to grow; he now also has nine grandchildren.
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There is a strong sense of camaraderie among the family of Fire Island ferry workers; with over 1,000 employees, Fire Island Ferries sets a high standard that demands good people who are ready to work. “People who start at Fire Island ferries go on to become very successful in their chosen profession,” Mooney muses. “They can use skills they learn at the dock and on board for the rest of their lives.” Love of the Fire Island ferries lingers even long after workers move on. Past captains and deckhands frequently come back to Fire Island Ferries and work one or two days a week, simply because they miss the sense of family. Mooney still has the same devotion to his career that he had back in 1948. When things go wrong, he is the first to arrive keep the boats running. For all his years as captain, he has lived within a five-minute drive to the Fire Island ferry terminals, so he would be ready to take on any problem immediately. But after 58 years, Mooney decided to not renew his captain’s license. “It’s a young man’s job,” he explains. Full of great memories as a captain, Mr. Mooney has managed to move on, but will never stray far away from his beloved boats.
Copyright 2006 Fireisland.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
What’s a “Kenny”? Resident sculptor Kenny Goodman
What’s a “Kenny”? Resident sculptor Kenny Goodman
By P.J.S. Dougherty
What’s a “Kenny”?
Resident sculptor Kenny Goodman shapes Fire Island
The year is 2067. Along the pure sands of Fire Island National Seashore, a little girl is absorbed in the timeless art of sandcastle creation. With a plastic pail and shovel she digs and sculpts, forming walls, moats and towers. Suddenly, the little girl freezes – there in her shovel, a glint of silver sparkles in the sand. She fishes out the object, and is delighted to discover it is a tiny silver surfboard inscribed with a mysterious “K”. Back up the Fire Island beach the little girl sprints, to show the tiny treasure to her grandmother who sits reclining in the sun. “You’ve found a ‘Kenny!’” the girl’s grandmother exclaims, her eyes lighting up as she examines the charm. “Put it on a chain and hang it around your neck – that’s a piece of Fire Island history!”
Back in 2007, the man behind the “Kenny” – artist Kenny Goodman – is humbly unaware of his legacy. Immersed in quiet intensity, Goodman sits outside his Ocean Beach jewelry shop, whittling an ornamental knife out of a piece of wood. After 35 years of creative expression, Goodman is still enthralled with the craft that launched him to prominence as one of Fire Island’s most beloved artists: carving.
Despite his Fire Island notoriety, the Brooklyn-born Goodman hates the beach – sandy bathing suits, beach athletics, and bright sunlight have always been his bane. Searching for an acceptably macho alternative to beach life while occupying a Fair Harbor Fire Island rental house, Goodman purchased gouges and a mallet and chopped out his seminal wood sculpture, “Snaggletooth.” The massive, curiously disquieting wooden head sculpture launched Goodman’s career as an artist – though artistic acclaim was hardly his intent. “I have no art background, I didn’t study art, didn’t draw, paint . . . nothing,” Goodman explains. “I have no background in anything except being nice.”
Soon after Snaggletooth, Goodman’s productivity exploded as he became increasingly wrapped up in his craft. In the daytime, Goodman carved large wooden heads in the open, frequently attracting Fire Island crowds that marveled at his skill. In the evening, Goodman moved on to carving smaller faces out of chalk and crayons; as a teacher, he had plenty of access to these materials. Through carving, Goodman discovered himself: “I’m a terrible competitor,” he admits. “But as I began to carve, I found a niche at being OK at something. I’m not a great speller, not a great dancer . . . but I can carve. I began to feel a balance in myself.”
Bolstered by his local popularity, Goodman launched his first shop out of his house in Fire Island’s Fair Harbor, and eventually moved to Ocean Beach to run his “one-man-band” art business. Goodman’s shop is a stone’s throw from the Ocean Beach Fire Island ferry; simply hang a right after disembarking. “You can’t miss it,” Goodman will say – and he’s correct. A unique piece of Fire Island real estate, Goodman’s Ocean Beach storefront yard is adorned with a hodgepodge of bric-a-brac; old boots, pots, vintage signs, rusty tools, watering cans, and carvings. The eclectic motif continues inside with carved wooden heads, old western memorabilia, pocketknives, and a display of the book The Little Prince. Of course, the fascinating shop is also teeming with “Kennys.”
What’s a Kenny?
A Kenny is a piece of art or jewelry made from Goodman’s carvings. Though his art takes many forms in silver and wood, themes resonate throughout his body of work: surfboards, the human form, aquatic life, castles, hearts, and most significantly, faces. These faces are Goodman’s “characters,” projecting personalities that are haunting, comical, mysterious and wise. In his wood faces carved out of logs, youthful facial features are juxtaposed with long beards of age, creating majestic illusions. In Goodman’s tiny silver visages, features allude to demons, fairies, rabbis, jesters, seers and sultans.
A Kenny’s true essence transcends the tangible. A Kenny is the offering a young boy bashfully presents to his first-ever crush; a token of a coming-of-age summer spent on Fire Island beaches. A Kenny silver surfboard can be found on a broad chest of a 35-year-old Cherry Grove lifeguard or hanging around the neck of a 13-year-old boy from Kismet who just got his first short board. Two newly acquainted girls ride their bicycles from Ocean Bay Park to Goodman’s Ocean Beach shop, where they purchase identical heart-clasp ankle bracelets. The Kennys they share come to symbolize the Fire Island beach summer that made them lifelong best friends. A father who bought his first Kenny 25 years ago now brings his son to Goodman’s Ocean Beach shop to complete the cycle. A teenage girl wears a silver necklace adorned with ten Kennys – one for each summer she has spent on Fire Island.
A Kenny is a charm; a magical artifact imbibed with the soul of an artist and the spirit of Fire Island beaches. “They turn into a souvenir, a way to identify one Fire Island person from another,” Goodman explains. Most of all, a Kenny is an experience that is wholly and inseparably connected to the Fire Island community.
The Kenny Experience
“Are you the famous Kenny Goodman?” A Fire Island rental tenant asks, removing her sunglasses to get a good look at Goodman’s wares for the first time. A long-time fan appears in his shop’s doorway, broadly grinning and holding aloft an old cast iron-pan – an offering for Goodman’s front-yard “Pot Garden” of rusted cookware. A little girl named Olivia proudly shows off three Kennys on her necklace; a starfish, a surfboard, and a “kastle.”
A young boy shyly enters the store with his mother, and after an agonizing inner debate, selects a Kenny as a birthday present for a special friend. Goodman engages the child. “You know why you just picked out the perfect present? Because you chose it all by yourself.” He shows the boy how to tie the cord necklace, measures it out on his neck, and gift-wraps the piece, sending the smiling boy on his way.
After 25 years as a special education teacher, Goodman is attuned to behaviors, especially those of children. He immediately identifies why the boy’s decision was so challenging. “That gift was for a little girl; he has a deep crush on her . . . you just know by the way he’s looking that he’s buying it for someone important,” Goodman says. “That little boy will be a customer for the rest of my days.” Given Goodman’s popularity with Fire Island kids, many more will be returning to visit his shop every summer – both to add to their Kenny collections and to absorb the wisdom of the artist behind them.
“My whole approach is, how do you get to be the best person you can be?” Goodman says. “I’m interested in encouraging you.” Such benevolent support is woven into the experience that makes a Kenny much greater than the sum of its art.
Though Goodman will demur at the suggestion that he is a famous artist, he grudgingly acknowledges the importance of his work in the tapestry of Fire Island beach culture. “A Kenny is not just a piece of jewelry,” he muses. “It’s really significant to Fire Island locals, more significant than I ever could have planned for it to be.”
Equally significant is Goodman the person; now a well-established Fire Island and Ocean Beach icon. When not helping customers, he can often be found outside his shop, chopping away at a log to reveal the face within, whittling away at a promising hunk of Fire Island scavenged wood, or immersed in carving a tiny charm out of chalk or crayon. An image of contentment, balance, and positive energy, Goodman exemplifies the relaxed, mellow state of mind that Fire Island imparts on even the most harried visitor.
For Goodman, despite his disdain for the beach, Fire Island’s natural beauty has served as a source for tremendous artistic inspiration. “It’s a great place to be creative,” Goodman explains. “Fire Island turned out to be this spectacular environment to just be who I was. I walked around and I saw sticks that I turned into art, pieces of wood that I could see things in . . . it allowed me to be creative, in the way that I wanted to be creative.”
As the Fire Island environment inspired him to create, the Fire Island community embraced him and gave Goodman the welcoming home he needed to thrive. “They were looking for someone to like, I was looking for someone to like me,” he shrugs. Like a crucial puzzle piece, Goodman fit perfectly into Fire Island’s culture, and completed its vibrant scene with art, character, and creativity.
“Who are is who you shape yourself to be,” Goodman concludes. “For me, being nice – kindness – just worked out.”
For more on Kenny Goodman, visit www.kennygoodman.com. Even better, visit Kenny Goodman’s Ocean Beach, Fire Island, shop at 325 Denhoff Walk or give him a call at 888.898.6789.
Copyright FireIsland.com
FireIslandNews.com
TheFireIslandNews.com
CherryGrove.com
By P.J.S. Dougherty
What’s a “Kenny”?
Resident sculptor Kenny Goodman shapes Fire Island
The year is 2067. Along the pure sands of Fire Island National Seashore, a little girl is absorbed in the timeless art of sandcastle creation. With a plastic pail and shovel she digs and sculpts, forming walls, moats and towers. Suddenly, the little girl freezes – there in her shovel, a glint of silver sparkles in the sand. She fishes out the object, and is delighted to discover it is a tiny silver surfboard inscribed with a mysterious “K”. Back up the Fire Island beach the little girl sprints, to show the tiny treasure to her grandmother who sits reclining in the sun. “You’ve found a ‘Kenny!’” the girl’s grandmother exclaims, her eyes lighting up as she examines the charm. “Put it on a chain and hang it around your neck – that’s a piece of Fire Island history!”
Back in 2007, the man behind the “Kenny” – artist Kenny Goodman – is humbly unaware of his legacy. Immersed in quiet intensity, Goodman sits outside his Ocean Beach jewelry shop, whittling an ornamental knife out of a piece of wood. After 35 years of creative expression, Goodman is still enthralled with the craft that launched him to prominence as one of Fire Island’s most beloved artists: carving.
Despite his Fire Island notoriety, the Brooklyn-born Goodman hates the beach – sandy bathing suits, beach athletics, and bright sunlight have always been his bane. Searching for an acceptably macho alternative to beach life while occupying a Fair Harbor Fire Island rental house, Goodman purchased gouges and a mallet and chopped out his seminal wood sculpture, “Snaggletooth.” The massive, curiously disquieting wooden head sculpture launched Goodman’s career as an artist – though artistic acclaim was hardly his intent. “I have no art background, I didn’t study art, didn’t draw, paint . . . nothing,” Goodman explains. “I have no background in anything except being nice.”
Soon after Snaggletooth, Goodman’s productivity exploded as he became increasingly wrapped up in his craft. In the daytime, Goodman carved large wooden heads in the open, frequently attracting Fire Island crowds that marveled at his skill. In the evening, Goodman moved on to carving smaller faces out of chalk and crayons; as a teacher, he had plenty of access to these materials. Through carving, Goodman discovered himself: “I’m a terrible competitor,” he admits. “But as I began to carve, I found a niche at being OK at something. I’m not a great speller, not a great dancer . . . but I can carve. I began to feel a balance in myself.”
Bolstered by his local popularity, Goodman launched his first shop out of his house in Fire Island’s Fair Harbor, and eventually moved to Ocean Beach to run his “one-man-band” art business. Goodman’s shop is a stone’s throw from the Ocean Beach Fire Island ferry; simply hang a right after disembarking. “You can’t miss it,” Goodman will say – and he’s correct. A unique piece of Fire Island real estate, Goodman’s Ocean Beach storefront yard is adorned with a hodgepodge of bric-a-brac; old boots, pots, vintage signs, rusty tools, watering cans, and carvings. The eclectic motif continues inside with carved wooden heads, old western memorabilia, pocketknives, and a display of the book The Little Prince. Of course, the fascinating shop is also teeming with “Kennys.”
What’s a Kenny?
A Kenny is a piece of art or jewelry made from Goodman’s carvings. Though his art takes many forms in silver and wood, themes resonate throughout his body of work: surfboards, the human form, aquatic life, castles, hearts, and most significantly, faces. These faces are Goodman’s “characters,” projecting personalities that are haunting, comical, mysterious and wise. In his wood faces carved out of logs, youthful facial features are juxtaposed with long beards of age, creating majestic illusions. In Goodman’s tiny silver visages, features allude to demons, fairies, rabbis, jesters, seers and sultans.
A Kenny’s true essence transcends the tangible. A Kenny is the offering a young boy bashfully presents to his first-ever crush; a token of a coming-of-age summer spent on Fire Island beaches. A Kenny silver surfboard can be found on a broad chest of a 35-year-old Cherry Grove lifeguard or hanging around the neck of a 13-year-old boy from Kismet who just got his first short board. Two newly acquainted girls ride their bicycles from Ocean Bay Park to Goodman’s Ocean Beach shop, where they purchase identical heart-clasp ankle bracelets. The Kennys they share come to symbolize the Fire Island beach summer that made them lifelong best friends. A father who bought his first Kenny 25 years ago now brings his son to Goodman’s Ocean Beach shop to complete the cycle. A teenage girl wears a silver necklace adorned with ten Kennys – one for each summer she has spent on Fire Island.
A Kenny is a charm; a magical artifact imbibed with the soul of an artist and the spirit of Fire Island beaches. “They turn into a souvenir, a way to identify one Fire Island person from another,” Goodman explains. Most of all, a Kenny is an experience that is wholly and inseparably connected to the Fire Island community.
The Kenny Experience
“Are you the famous Kenny Goodman?” A Fire Island rental tenant asks, removing her sunglasses to get a good look at Goodman’s wares for the first time. A long-time fan appears in his shop’s doorway, broadly grinning and holding aloft an old cast iron-pan – an offering for Goodman’s front-yard “Pot Garden” of rusted cookware. A little girl named Olivia proudly shows off three Kennys on her necklace; a starfish, a surfboard, and a “kastle.”
A young boy shyly enters the store with his mother, and after an agonizing inner debate, selects a Kenny as a birthday present for a special friend. Goodman engages the child. “You know why you just picked out the perfect present? Because you chose it all by yourself.” He shows the boy how to tie the cord necklace, measures it out on his neck, and gift-wraps the piece, sending the smiling boy on his way.
After 25 years as a special education teacher, Goodman is attuned to behaviors, especially those of children. He immediately identifies why the boy’s decision was so challenging. “That gift was for a little girl; he has a deep crush on her . . . you just know by the way he’s looking that he’s buying it for someone important,” Goodman says. “That little boy will be a customer for the rest of my days.” Given Goodman’s popularity with Fire Island kids, many more will be returning to visit his shop every summer – both to add to their Kenny collections and to absorb the wisdom of the artist behind them.
“My whole approach is, how do you get to be the best person you can be?” Goodman says. “I’m interested in encouraging you.” Such benevolent support is woven into the experience that makes a Kenny much greater than the sum of its art.
Though Goodman will demur at the suggestion that he is a famous artist, he grudgingly acknowledges the importance of his work in the tapestry of Fire Island beach culture. “A Kenny is not just a piece of jewelry,” he muses. “It’s really significant to Fire Island locals, more significant than I ever could have planned for it to be.”
Equally significant is Goodman the person; now a well-established Fire Island and Ocean Beach icon. When not helping customers, he can often be found outside his shop, chopping away at a log to reveal the face within, whittling away at a promising hunk of Fire Island scavenged wood, or immersed in carving a tiny charm out of chalk or crayon. An image of contentment, balance, and positive energy, Goodman exemplifies the relaxed, mellow state of mind that Fire Island imparts on even the most harried visitor.
For Goodman, despite his disdain for the beach, Fire Island’s natural beauty has served as a source for tremendous artistic inspiration. “It’s a great place to be creative,” Goodman explains. “Fire Island turned out to be this spectacular environment to just be who I was. I walked around and I saw sticks that I turned into art, pieces of wood that I could see things in . . . it allowed me to be creative, in the way that I wanted to be creative.”
As the Fire Island environment inspired him to create, the Fire Island community embraced him and gave Goodman the welcoming home he needed to thrive. “They were looking for someone to like, I was looking for someone to like me,” he shrugs. Like a crucial puzzle piece, Goodman fit perfectly into Fire Island’s culture, and completed its vibrant scene with art, character, and creativity.
“Who are is who you shape yourself to be,” Goodman concludes. “For me, being nice – kindness – just worked out.”
For more on Kenny Goodman, visit www.kennygoodman.com. Even better, visit Kenny Goodman’s Ocean Beach, Fire Island, shop at 325 Denhoff Walk or give him a call at 888.898.6789.
Copyright FireIsland.com
FireIslandNews.com
TheFireIslandNews.com
CherryGrove.com
An Open Letter to Ocean Beach Elitists
An Open Letter to Ocean Beach Elitists
By Edgar Spenser
I am a tourist. I don't live in Fire Island, New York. But I do visit beautiful Fire Island beaches. In summers past, I would catch the Patchogue Fire Island ferry and relax at Davis Park. For a change of pace, I recently checked the Fire Island ferry schedule and hopped on a Bay Shore Fire Island ferry to explore Ocean Beach’s amazing shopping, dining, and drinking choices.
While visiting Ocean Beach, I learned about the controversy surrounding ABC’s One Ocean View, the Fire Island reality TV show. I’m not a fan of reality TV. I can understand why some locals are annoyed by One Ocean View and the mere idea of a Fire Island reality TV show. However, my sympathy for the cause dissolved when I encountered a couple of obnoxious Ocean Beach locals. I do not wish to cast aspersions upon the entire Ocean Beach Fire Island community, but I feel compelled to address Ocean Beach elitists with ugly attitudes, and give them a dose of reality (not reality TV, mind you - just reality).
My first encounter happened on Main Street in Ocean Beach. I brought my skateboard to Ocean Beach because it is lightweight, compact transportation. I know that biking is part of the Fire Island community, so I figured skateboarding would be OK, too. Most of the time, I carried my skateboard. Away from Main Street in Ocean Beach, when there was no pedestrian or bicycle traffic, I would hop on my board to cover more ground while exploring.
As I carried my skateboard and window shopped along Ocean Beach’s Main Street, I noticed a mustachioed guy walking towards me, wagging his finger in my general direction. In denial that anyone would have the nerve to wag their finger at me, I kept walking, eyes fixed straight ahead. But as the mustachioed clown drew closer, it became apparent that he was wagging his finger at me. He raised his hand higher, arm outstretched, until his finger wagged in my face as he walked past.
"That's against the rules," he spat as he walked by. As soon as I figured out he was talking about my skateboard, I turned and snapped back "I’m carrying it." The mustachioed clown wisely kept on walking - though I hoped he would engage me in debate so I could expose his asinine attitude publicly. Carrying a skateboard is not against the rules. I checked with an Ocean Beach policeman to make sure. The resident’s obnoxious finger-wagging was presumptuous, out-of-line, and annoying.
My second encounter occurred inside a shop on Main Street. As I browsed, I struck up a conversation with a clerk, who was welcoming and friendly. As I explained to her that I was on a Fire Island day trip, checking out Ocean Beach for the first time, a clown in a cowboy hat literally butted into our conversation . . . physically insinuating himself between us to announce, "I'm not a DAY TRIPPER so I wouldn't understand."
With a smug nod, the cowboy clown moseyed away, lingering to browse. Now, when this rodeo clown said "day tripper," his voice dripped with scorn and disdain. From that tone, I knew he was an Ocean Beach local who looks down his nose at us visitors.
I met wonderful people in Ocean Beach that day, too - Fire Island rental tenants and even some long-time Fire Island residents. But the two aforementioned clowns were peas in a pod; their respective repulsive behaviors driven by the same misguided, snobby self-entitlement.
For these two Ocean Beach elitists and their ilk, I have an important message: Ocean Beach does not belong to you. We Fire Island visitors are welcome to enjoy the same Fire Island beaches, shops, bars and restaurants as you. It is not your place to enforce or fabricate "rules." Desperate attempts to assert authority via "rules" will not grant you any control or power over Ocean Beach. Wagging your fingers at Fire Island day trippers will not make them disappear; nor will arrogant rudeness. What did you expect, buying Fire Island real estate in a beautiful beach community with great shops and restaurants - a ghost town?
If you xenophobic Ocean Beach snobs desire tight control, elitism, and total privacy, then I have a suggestion: move to Fire Island’s Point o’ Woods. There are no day trippers there because it is a private, fenced community. Or maybe try Fire Island Pines, or even Ocean Bay Park - though you’d have to deal with Fire Island Flynn’s crowds. If you can’t move from Ocean Beach, then check your aristocratic attitudes, swallow your elitism, and accept the fact that you must share with tourists.
If you have issues with a friendly, respectful visitor carrying a skateboard and shopping in Ocean Beach, then you’ve got much more serious issues on the horizon. ABC’s One Ocean View, the Fire Island new reality TV show, debuts soon. Like all reality TV shows, this Fire Island reality TV show will get lots of attention. You know what that means? Ocean Beach will soon be swarming with even more tourists. They’ll be filling Fire Island ferries, snoozing in Fire Island hotels, and otherwise overtaking Ocean Beach.
Give these tourists a chance, OK? They’re not here to ruin your lives; they’re here to share in the pleasures of this beautiful Fire Island community. Besides, most of these tourists would certainly represent a dramatic character improvement over the two obnoxious Ocean Beach locals I encountered.
Copyright FireIsland.com
FireIslandNews.com
TheFireIslandNews.com
CherryGrove.com
By Edgar Spenser
I am a tourist. I don't live in Fire Island, New York. But I do visit beautiful Fire Island beaches. In summers past, I would catch the Patchogue Fire Island ferry and relax at Davis Park. For a change of pace, I recently checked the Fire Island ferry schedule and hopped on a Bay Shore Fire Island ferry to explore Ocean Beach’s amazing shopping, dining, and drinking choices.While visiting Ocean Beach, I learned about the controversy surrounding ABC’s One Ocean View, the Fire Island reality TV show. I’m not a fan of reality TV. I can understand why some locals are annoyed by One Ocean View and the mere idea of a Fire Island reality TV show. However, my sympathy for the cause dissolved when I encountered a couple of obnoxious Ocean Beach locals. I do not wish to cast aspersions upon the entire Ocean Beach Fire Island community, but I feel compelled to address Ocean Beach elitists with ugly attitudes, and give them a dose of reality (not reality TV, mind you - just reality).
My first encounter happened on Main Street in Ocean Beach. I brought my skateboard to Ocean Beach because it is lightweight, compact transportation. I know that biking is part of the Fire Island community, so I figured skateboarding would be OK, too. Most of the time, I carried my skateboard. Away from Main Street in Ocean Beach, when there was no pedestrian or bicycle traffic, I would hop on my board to cover more ground while exploring.
As I carried my skateboard and window shopped along Ocean Beach’s Main Street, I noticed a mustachioed guy walking towards me, wagging his finger in my general direction. In denial that anyone would have the nerve to wag their finger at me, I kept walking, eyes fixed straight ahead. But as the mustachioed clown drew closer, it became apparent that he was wagging his finger at me. He raised his hand higher, arm outstretched, until his finger wagged in my face as he walked past.
"That's against the rules," he spat as he walked by. As soon as I figured out he was talking about my skateboard, I turned and snapped back "I’m carrying it." The mustachioed clown wisely kept on walking - though I hoped he would engage me in debate so I could expose his asinine attitude publicly. Carrying a skateboard is not against the rules. I checked with an Ocean Beach policeman to make sure. The resident’s obnoxious finger-wagging was presumptuous, out-of-line, and annoying.
My second encounter occurred inside a shop on Main Street. As I browsed, I struck up a conversation with a clerk, who was welcoming and friendly. As I explained to her that I was on a Fire Island day trip, checking out Ocean Beach for the first time, a clown in a cowboy hat literally butted into our conversation . . . physically insinuating himself between us to announce, "I'm not a DAY TRIPPER so I wouldn't understand."
With a smug nod, the cowboy clown moseyed away, lingering to browse. Now, when this rodeo clown said "day tripper," his voice dripped with scorn and disdain. From that tone, I knew he was an Ocean Beach local who looks down his nose at us visitors.
I met wonderful people in Ocean Beach that day, too - Fire Island rental tenants and even some long-time Fire Island residents. But the two aforementioned clowns were peas in a pod; their respective repulsive behaviors driven by the same misguided, snobby self-entitlement.
For these two Ocean Beach elitists and their ilk, I have an important message: Ocean Beach does not belong to you. We Fire Island visitors are welcome to enjoy the same Fire Island beaches, shops, bars and restaurants as you. It is not your place to enforce or fabricate "rules." Desperate attempts to assert authority via "rules" will not grant you any control or power over Ocean Beach. Wagging your fingers at Fire Island day trippers will not make them disappear; nor will arrogant rudeness. What did you expect, buying Fire Island real estate in a beautiful beach community with great shops and restaurants - a ghost town?
If you xenophobic Ocean Beach snobs desire tight control, elitism, and total privacy, then I have a suggestion: move to Fire Island’s Point o’ Woods. There are no day trippers there because it is a private, fenced community. Or maybe try Fire Island Pines, or even Ocean Bay Park - though you’d have to deal with Fire Island Flynn’s crowds. If you can’t move from Ocean Beach, then check your aristocratic attitudes, swallow your elitism, and accept the fact that you must share with tourists.
If you have issues with a friendly, respectful visitor carrying a skateboard and shopping in Ocean Beach, then you’ve got much more serious issues on the horizon. ABC’s One Ocean View, the Fire Island new reality TV show, debuts soon. Like all reality TV shows, this Fire Island reality TV show will get lots of attention. You know what that means? Ocean Beach will soon be swarming with even more tourists. They’ll be filling Fire Island ferries, snoozing in Fire Island hotels, and otherwise overtaking Ocean Beach.
Give these tourists a chance, OK? They’re not here to ruin your lives; they’re here to share in the pleasures of this beautiful Fire Island community. Besides, most of these tourists would certainly represent a dramatic character improvement over the two obnoxious Ocean Beach locals I encountered.
Copyright FireIsland.com
FireIslandNews.com
TheFireIslandNews.com
CherryGrove.com
New York Travel - A Fire Island Getaway
New York Travel - A Fire Island Getaway
By Blake Severin
You’ve had your Fire Island day trip planned for a couple of weeks, and finally the day has come. It’s a beautiful Saturday, and you’re enthusiastically beach-bound. You and your significant other are hanging out at Penn Station, with backpacks full of Fire Island beach gear; towels, sun block, Fire Island maps, and cash.
8:39 – The Bay
Shore bound Long Island Railroad train rolls in to Penn Station on Track 19. You gather your belongings and hustle for seats. The bustling nexus of New York travel by crowded subway or teeming sidewalk is ingrained in your soul; it’s hard to believe in just a couple of hours you will be worlds away. You and your sweetie find seats and chill – she grabbed coffees for you both at the Hot & Crusty, along with a chocolate croissant, which you share.
The Long Island Rail Road trip is a fascinating way to see Long Island, as town by town, stops are made. At Jamaica station, you and your girl switch seats to a facing section for a little more room. Looking up, you see a poster for One Ocean View, the Fire Island ABC reality TV show that recently debuted. You wonder if it’s an accurate depiction of Fire Island.
9:42 – The Long Island Railroad train pulls into Bay Shore station
You hop off the train and get your bearings. You pull out the map you printed—looking at your watch, you decide to hop into a waiting cab for the short ride to the Fire Island ferry terminal. You pass by Touro College, and cross over Bay Shore’s Main Street. As you cruise towards the ferry terminal, you admire some truly spectacular old Bay Shore houses. You smell the sea, see ferries in the distance, and grow excited.
9:50 – You stroll into the Ocean Beach Ferry terminal
What luck! The 9:55 Ocean beach ferry is boarding as soon as you walk up. You purchase tickets, board the ferry, and take stairs up to the ferry’s upper deck. You plop down on a bench-like seat, dab some sun block on your nose, and take a deep breath. As you exhale, urban pressures dissolve. The air is sweet and fresh, the sun warms your skin, and a gentle bay zephyr swirls across the ferry’s topside. Soon you cast off, and you’re chugging across the bay, relishing the refreshing breeze, watching in fascination as the mysterious Fire Island shore grows closer and closer.
10:25 – The ferry pulls into the Ocean Beach terminal
As it maneuvers into docking position, you see smiling happy faces waiting on the dock, calling out and waving to friends. Everyone stands up, eager to disembark and begin their Fire Island beach day – but you take a moment to view the town from the Fire Island ferry’s upper deck perspective. Ocean Beach appears like something out of another time; there are quaint little shops and restaurants, and a walkway packed with beachgoers and residents – but no cars. Everything is vibrant and colorful, yet peaceful and relaxed.
10:39 – You made it
A mere two hours after boarding the Long Island Railroad train, you’re at the beach – and it is beautiful. As you reach the top of the stairs that cross the dunes, you are reminded why you’re here: crashing waves, pure, intoxicating ocean air, and warm Fire Island beach sand. It’s a little crowded, so you walk down the beach a ways until you find the perfect spot. You pitch a blanket, apply sun block, and relax as the sun melts all your cares away.
4:15 – It’s been an amazing Fire Island beach day
But having had your fill of the sun and sand, you make your way back into town to explore. You duck into a convenience store and buy a Gatorade, which you chug faster than Napoleon Dynamite. Refreshed and ready to rock, you and your girl stroll through Ocean Beach’s Main Street, pausing to window shop and browse through its boutiques. You pick up an intriguing Hawaiian shirt and your girl buys some shell jewelry.
5:15 – You’ve got a hunger inside, and it’s time to feast
You decide to dine at Matthew’s Seafood House, which a friendly beachgoer recommended earlier as a top Fire Island restaurant for nearly three decades. It doesn’t disappoint. You sit on the back deck and relax in the sublime, mild summer night – looking out over the calm bay, you see a Fire Island ferry chugging towards Ocean Bay Park next door. You dine on fresh seafood, sip wine, and feast your eyes on the magnificent view.
7:08 – Ice Cream Anyone?
Fully sated, you take a little time to explore, strolling up the Ocean Beach walkways, pausing to admire the houses and whimsical landscaping jobs. A myriad of bicyclists pass you by as you stroll, ringing their bells, nodding their heads and smiling at you. You make your way back to town and have some ice cream at an old-fashioned parlor.
8:05 – All Aboard
Along with other day-tripping beachgoers, you line up to board the ferry once more. Everyone is radiating like the sun – tired, relaxed, and ready to head home. You board the ferry and get a seat on the upper deck. Your girl nestles her head on your shoulder and you set off across the placid bay. As you look over the water, you are stunned by a sublime scene: the sun has begun its descent, and its declining rays cast golden light over the bay’s rippling surface. For the rest of the ride back to the mainland, you watch the sunset, enraptured as if it’s the first sunset you’ve ever seen.
8: 35 – Walk if off
You decide to walk off dinner and ice cream, so slinging your backpacks over your shoulders, you and your girl set off on foot to the Long Island Railroad’s Bay Shore station.
8:53 – The walk was short
Only 15 minutes, but you’re feeling exhausted by the sun at this point. You’re relieved to see the 8:53 Long Island Railroad train to Penn Station pull up. You and your girl find a good seat, slip your tickets in the ticket holder, cuddle and promptly pass out, snoozing the whole way to Penn.
9:58 – You’re back home
Groggy, tired and thoroughly relaxed. In a 14-hour span, you’ve made an amazing escape to a magical, car-free land of sand, surf and sun. You feel refreshed, but Penn Station seems strange upon returning from the unique, otherworldly feel of Fire Island. You get one more coffee for the subway ride back to your apartment, feeling a twinge of regret that your Ocean Beach day trip has concluded. When will it happen again? Maybe next weekend . . . .
Copyright FireIsland.com
FireIslandNews.com
TheFireIslandNews.com
CherryGrove.com
By Blake Severin
You’ve had your Fire Island day trip planned for a couple of weeks, and finally the day has come. It’s a beautiful Saturday, and you’re enthusiastically beach-bound. You and your significant other are hanging out at Penn Station, with backpacks full of Fire Island beach gear; towels, sun block, Fire Island maps, and cash.
8:39 – The Bay
Shore bound Long Island Railroad train rolls in to Penn Station on Track 19. You gather your belongings and hustle for seats. The bustling nexus of New York travel by crowded subway or teeming sidewalk is ingrained in your soul; it’s hard to believe in just a couple of hours you will be worlds away. You and your sweetie find seats and chill – she grabbed coffees for you both at the Hot & Crusty, along with a chocolate croissant, which you share.
The Long Island Rail Road trip is a fascinating way to see Long Island, as town by town, stops are made. At Jamaica station, you and your girl switch seats to a facing section for a little more room. Looking up, you see a poster for One Ocean View, the Fire Island ABC reality TV show that recently debuted. You wonder if it’s an accurate depiction of Fire Island.
9:42 – The Long Island Railroad train pulls into Bay Shore station
You hop off the train and get your bearings. You pull out the map you printed—looking at your watch, you decide to hop into a waiting cab for the short ride to the Fire Island ferry terminal. You pass by Touro College, and cross over Bay Shore’s Main Street. As you cruise towards the ferry terminal, you admire some truly spectacular old Bay Shore houses. You smell the sea, see ferries in the distance, and grow excited.
9:50 – You stroll into the Ocean Beach Ferry terminal
What luck! The 9:55 Ocean beach ferry is boarding as soon as you walk up. You purchase tickets, board the ferry, and take stairs up to the ferry’s upper deck. You plop down on a bench-like seat, dab some sun block on your nose, and take a deep breath. As you exhale, urban pressures dissolve. The air is sweet and fresh, the sun warms your skin, and a gentle bay zephyr swirls across the ferry’s topside. Soon you cast off, and you’re chugging across the bay, relishing the refreshing breeze, watching in fascination as the mysterious Fire Island shore grows closer and closer.
10:25 – The ferry pulls into the Ocean Beach terminal
As it maneuvers into docking position, you see smiling happy faces waiting on the dock, calling out and waving to friends. Everyone stands up, eager to disembark and begin their Fire Island beach day – but you take a moment to view the town from the Fire Island ferry’s upper deck perspective. Ocean Beach appears like something out of another time; there are quaint little shops and restaurants, and a walkway packed with beachgoers and residents – but no cars. Everything is vibrant and colorful, yet peaceful and relaxed.
10:39 – You made it
A mere two hours after boarding the Long Island Railroad train, you’re at the beach – and it is beautiful. As you reach the top of the stairs that cross the dunes, you are reminded why you’re here: crashing waves, pure, intoxicating ocean air, and warm Fire Island beach sand. It’s a little crowded, so you walk down the beach a ways until you find the perfect spot. You pitch a blanket, apply sun block, and relax as the sun melts all your cares away.
4:15 – It’s been an amazing Fire Island beach day
But having had your fill of the sun and sand, you make your way back into town to explore. You duck into a convenience store and buy a Gatorade, which you chug faster than Napoleon Dynamite. Refreshed and ready to rock, you and your girl stroll through Ocean Beach’s Main Street, pausing to window shop and browse through its boutiques. You pick up an intriguing Hawaiian shirt and your girl buys some shell jewelry.
5:15 – You’ve got a hunger inside, and it’s time to feast
You decide to dine at Matthew’s Seafood House, which a friendly beachgoer recommended earlier as a top Fire Island restaurant for nearly three decades. It doesn’t disappoint. You sit on the back deck and relax in the sublime, mild summer night – looking out over the calm bay, you see a Fire Island ferry chugging towards Ocean Bay Park next door. You dine on fresh seafood, sip wine, and feast your eyes on the magnificent view.
7:08 – Ice Cream Anyone?
Fully sated, you take a little time to explore, strolling up the Ocean Beach walkways, pausing to admire the houses and whimsical landscaping jobs. A myriad of bicyclists pass you by as you stroll, ringing their bells, nodding their heads and smiling at you. You make your way back to town and have some ice cream at an old-fashioned parlor.
8:05 – All Aboard
Along with other day-tripping beachgoers, you line up to board the ferry once more. Everyone is radiating like the sun – tired, relaxed, and ready to head home. You board the ferry and get a seat on the upper deck. Your girl nestles her head on your shoulder and you set off across the placid bay. As you look over the water, you are stunned by a sublime scene: the sun has begun its descent, and its declining rays cast golden light over the bay’s rippling surface. For the rest of the ride back to the mainland, you watch the sunset, enraptured as if it’s the first sunset you’ve ever seen.
8: 35 – Walk if off
You decide to walk off dinner and ice cream, so slinging your backpacks over your shoulders, you and your girl set off on foot to the Long Island Railroad’s Bay Shore station.
8:53 – The walk was short
Only 15 minutes, but you’re feeling exhausted by the sun at this point. You’re relieved to see the 8:53 Long Island Railroad train to Penn Station pull up. You and your girl find a good seat, slip your tickets in the ticket holder, cuddle and promptly pass out, snoozing the whole way to Penn.
9:58 – You’re back home
Groggy, tired and thoroughly relaxed. In a 14-hour span, you’ve made an amazing escape to a magical, car-free land of sand, surf and sun. You feel refreshed, but Penn Station seems strange upon returning from the unique, otherworldly feel of Fire Island. You get one more coffee for the subway ride back to your apartment, feeling a twinge of regret that your Ocean Beach day trip has concluded. When will it happen again? Maybe next weekend . . . .
Copyright FireIsland.com
FireIslandNews.com
TheFireIslandNews.com
CherryGrove.com
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
New York Travel: Escaping to Elsewhere
New York Travel: Escaping to Elsewhere
By P.J.S. Dougherty
New York travel is remarkable in its diversity. A mere two hours from the buzzing epicenter of New York City, one can find placid peace in completely natural surroundings – and then be back in the city in time for cocktails at a swanky lounge. Here are three New York travel excursions that transport visitors to another realm – faraway, yet close to the towering skyline.
Fire Island’s Sunken Forest
For most, the name “Fire Island” conjures images of beaches, sand dunes, the spread of the Atlantic, quaint shops and restaurants. As New York City weekend escapees catch the Fire Island ferry to towns like Ocean Beach, Cherry Grove, and Fire Island Pines, they carry with them vestiges of the big city’s vibrancy – which is seen in some of the elaborate and raucous parties and nightlife that these Fire Island communities offer.
However, for those seeking a unique Fire Island travel sanctuary, wedged between the flamboyant nightlife of Cherry Grove and Ocean Beach lies one of the few maritime forests left on the eastern seaboard: The Sunken Forest.
Sunken Forest is snugly nestled between two sets of sand dunes, the protection of which allows this peaceful wooded refuge to exist. Due to exposure to harsh, salty winds, trees do not usually fare well on narrow barrier islands like Fire Island. Parts of Sunken Forest appear as a surreal Halloween dream, with shrunken, twisted trees kept at a uniform height of 20-30 feet by the ocean’s salt spray.
The result is a truly singular canopied 40-acre wilderness, through which miles of well-maintained boardwalks meander and wind. For hikers, explorers, and naturalists, Fire Island’s Sunken Forest is an alluring New York state travel destination. In the off-season, when crowds dissipate, Sunken Forest possesses an especially potent magic. Standing outside the forest’s entrance, where the boardwalk disappears into a yawning opening in the trees, excitement and curiosity follow. The first step into the shady grove urges silence. One can sense wildlife, but a hush fills the air. Progressing deeper into Sunken Forest, nature’s music strikes up, once the inhabitants sense you mean them no harm.
In Sunken Forest’s depths, keen-eyed naturalists will recognize the American holly, sassafras, and shadblow trees that make up the oldest continuously growing forest on Long Island. Other plant species like the winged sumac, bayberry, blueberry, wild grape, bearberry, and poison ivy color the forest floor. Wildlife watchers will be thrilled at Sunken Forest’s 300 species of birds, and may even catch a glimpse of deer, red fox, raccoons, and other locals.
Sunken Forest can be reached by the Sayville Fire Island ferry to Sailor’s Haven during the summertime. At other times of the year, the closest Fire Island ferry stop is at Cherry Grove, a mile east. Once at Cherry Grove, you can walk up and down the two rows of sand dunes that shield the forest on a boardwalk, and then take the Sunken Forest Nature Trail, a 1.5 mile boardwalk that winds through the multiple ecosystems in the forest. In the summer, ranger-guided tours are available.
Gone Fishin’: the Atlantic Ocean
Emerging from Sunken Forest’s meandering boardwalks to the beach side, a trail leads over protective dunes to reveal a spectacular view of the majestic Atlantic. For those seeking New York travel adventure, this sight may inspire a desire to venture out to sea—a yearning easily satisfied by the many charter boats that offer intense Long Island fishing and off-shore fishing action. Prepare for a very early start, bring coffee, bring beer, and bring a camera! Boarding a charter boat and chugging out to sea, the Fire Island shoreline disappears in the distance until you’re well out to sea, singing shanties and clinking beer bottles with buddies while bait dangles in the briny deep.
There are numerous options for charter fishing on Long Island’s South Shore. Most boats depart from Babylon, Freeport, or Captree State Park. Fishing can range from striped and black sea bass, fluke, mackerel, and bluefish inshore to mako and blue sharks, cod, tilefish, tuna, and marlin offshore.
There are two types of chartering services: private and party. Private boats usually require a group of 1-6 people and charge at a flat rate, while party boats usually charge per person and have a minimum person per group requirement that can range anywhere from 15 to 150 people. Inshore charter trips for Long Island fishing typically last eight hours, while offshore charter trips can be as many as 24 hours. The type of fish sought and party size, as well as the size of the boat and quality of its equipment, determines the cost.
Typically, the cost includes bait, ice, equipment, and cleaning of any fish you catch. Beer is usually allowed on board, but hard liquor is not. You should also remember that certain fish are only available during certain seasons.
The following chart is an approximate range of costs for various excursions:
Private charter boats:
Inshore
Fluke / Flounder / Mackerel / Striped Bass $425 - $800
Sea Bass / Blackfish $525 - $900
Offshore
Trolling / Shark $800 - $1400
Ocean tuna / Dolphin / Bluefin $675 - $1100
Cod $900
Ocean Fluke $500 - $700
Party:
Inshore: $18 - $35 per person
Offshore $20 - $50 per person
With the Fire Island Lighthouse flashing its beacon far in the distance, charter boat adventurers can evoke the sensation of ships from bygone days – one with the sea, fishing for food, with urban life well out of sight and out of mind.
In Vino Veritas: Touring New York Vineyards
Hauling in a catch and chugging for home, thoughts turn to dining – what white wine would go well with this flounder, or red with this tuna? As New York wines gain momentum among the most snooty of sommeliers, local vineyards become an increasingly popular New York travel destination, offering a range of full-bodied vintages to accompany any catch of the sea.
New York travel guides will detail six different wine regions across the state, each with a number of wineries. Each of these regions is unique, having ideal growing conditions for different types of wine. Many of these areas have wine trails, which are a cooperative effort by the area’s wineries to encourage and educate visitors. With fun events and programs including tastings and wine and food pairing events and other wine-related educational programs, these vineyards draw visitors seeking a different New York travel experience; something bound to nature, timeless and true.`
With water surroundings keeping temperatures moderate, the 1,602 acres of vineyard in the Long Island North Fork and Hamptons region enjoy outstanding conditions for merlot, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and red blends. The Long Island Wine Council, the area’s wine trail, hosts summer wine tasting classes and has a winemakers series wine camp. In addition, individual wineries hold their own tastings and events such as the Peconic Bay Winery, which holds a tour every Saturday and Sunday; or the Palmer Vineyards, which hosts live music on a weekly basis.
As we map New York from Long Island wines to upstate wines, we find even more lush, stunningly beautiful vineyards to explore. Upstate New York’s Lake Erie region features 18,885 acres of vineyard, which benefit from the temperature-moderating conditions of the lake and the Alleghany plateau. This region is known for its Seyval and Riesling. The area’s Chautaugua Wine Trail hosts wine weekends where guests visit eight participating wineries to sample wine and food at each.
The Finger Lakes region is another popular upstate New York state travel destination, with 10,140 acres of vineyard known for producing sparkling wine, Riesling, and pinot noir. The Canandaigua wine trail has recently released a “Sips & Savors Recipe Kit,” and the area winery Casa Larga regularly holds wine tastings. The Cayuka wine trail holds seasonal events such as the Holiday Shopping Spree in December and Mardi Gras at the Wineries in February. The Keuka Lake Wine Route also holds seasonal events including an Oktoberfest and December Holiday events. The Seneca Lake Wine Trail holds food and wine tastings on a monthly basis. Central New York and Lake Ontario regions, as well as the Hudson River Valley and Catskills regions, also feature hundreds of acres of vineyards—offering upstate explorers many options for wine-themed New York travel excursions. Though the tastes, smells, sights and sounds of touring these vineyards may evoke sensations of an Italian countryside, it’s all right here; on Long Island, and in upstate New York.
From a mystical Sunken Forest to the deep Atlantic sea; from the tip of Long Island’s east end to the mountains and forests of upstate, New York is a rich and complex tapestry of sights begging to be seen and experiences waiting to be lived. There’s more to this state than New York City travel packages, and no New York travel guide could ever express the essence of these off-the-asphalt excursions. Only time, open-mindedness, and the burning desire to explore will realize the adventure that is New York travel.
Copyright fireisland.com
FireIslandNews.com
TheFireIslandNews.com
CherryGrove.com
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