Just east of New York City,
Long Island
unfurls for 125 miles of lush farmland and broad sandy beaches, and is perhaps best explored as an excursion of a few days from the metropolis. Its western end abuts the urban boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, and for a while continues as a suburban sprawl of shopping malls and fast-food outlets; but further east, the settlements begin to thin out and the countryside can get surprisingly remote. The
north
and
south shores
differ greatly - the former more immediately beautiful, its cliffs topped with luxurious mansions and estates, while the South Shore is fringed by almost continuous sand, interspersed with holiday resorts such as
Jones Beach
and
Fire Island
. At its far end Long Island splits in two, the
North Fork
retaining a marked rural aspect while the
South Fork
, much of which is known as
The Hamptons
, sets itself apart as an enclave of New York's richest and most famous.
The quickest way to reach Long Island is via the reliable if rather worn
Long Island Railroad
from Penn Station (tel 718/217-LIRR,
) though numerous
bus services
(operated by major companies and the Hampton Jitney tel 1-800/936-0440) cover most destinations.
Parking permits
for most of Long Island's beaches are issued only to local residents, so on the whole it works out to be less expensive to head to the beach on public transport. There's plenty of
accommodation
, listed in the text; A Reasonable Alternative (117 Spring St, Port Jefferson, NY 11777; tel 631/928-4034) offers a good range of B&B lodging throughout Long Island.
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