| Fire Island, New York |
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Information AboutFire Island, New York |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT FIRE ISLAND, NEW YORK | |
| barrier islands of new york | |
| coastal towns in the united states | |
| national seashores of the united states | |
| suffolk county, new york | |
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Fire Island is a Barrier Island , approximately 31 miles (49.5 km) long and varying between approximately 0.1 mile (0.16 km) to 0.5 mile (0.8 km) wide, in Suffolk County on the southern side of Long Island in the U.S. State of New York , running approximately WSW to ENE. The land area is 48 km&2 (18.7 sq mi) and a permanent population of 491 persons was reported as of the 2000 Census . (There are many thousands of seasonal residents.) GEOGRAPHY Fire Island is separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay , a natural lagoon formed by the island, varying between 5 1/2 miles (8.9 km) wide toward the western end of the island to just a few hundred yards (meters) wide near the eastern end. A small portion of the island is accessible by automobile 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. LANDMARKS AND PRESERVES Except for the western 4 1/2 miles (7.5 km) of the island, the island is protected as part of Fire Island National Seashore . Robert Moses State Park , occupying the remaining western portion 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 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). For off-season use, there are a limited number of driving permits for year-round residents and contractors. The hamlet of Davis Park allows no vehicles or bicycles year round. 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 And Lesbian 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 struck and injured by a beach buggy on the early morning of July 24 , 1966 , and died the following day. IN POPULAR CULTURE ''When Ocean Meets Sky'' ''When Ocean Meets Sky'' (2003), a documentary detailing the 50-year history of the Fire Island Pines community, had its television premiere on '' (2006) was shot on Fire Island. Fire Island is also the setting of Terrence McNally 's play '' Lips Together, Teeth Apart ''. The 1977 Judas Priest song Raw Deal has the line "A couple cards played rough stuff, New York, fire island". The Post Office scene in Men In Black II was shot in the Fire Island Light house. FAMOUS SUMMER RESIDENTS After the Manhattan theater community began staying on Fire Island during the 1920s, the island had numerous summer celebrity residents.
COMMUNITIES AND LOCATIONS Communities
Other small islands around Fire Island
Parks
Inlets
Other locations
SEE ALSO MAP REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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