HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
state, extending into the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
. It constitutes a significant share of the
New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...
in both population and land area. The island extends from
New York Harbor New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States. New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay, ...
eastward into the ocean with a maximum north–south width of . With a land area of , it is the largest island in the
contiguous United States The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The te ...
. Long Island is divided among four
counties A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
, with Kings (Brooklyn),
Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
, and Nassau counties occupying its western third and Suffolk County its eastern two-thirds. It is an ongoing topic of debate whether or not Brooklyn and Queens are considered part of Long Island. Geographically, both Kings and Queens county are located on the Island, but some argue they are culturally separate from Long Island. Long Island may refer both to the main island and the surrounding outer barrier islands. To its west, Long Island is separated from
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
Island and
the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
by the
East River The East River is a saltwater Estuary, tidal estuary or strait in New York City. The waterway, which is not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island, ...
tidal estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...
. North of the island is
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...
, across which lie
Westchester County, New York Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...
, and the state of
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
. Across the
Block Island Sound Block Island Sound is a marine sound in the open Atlantic Ocean, approximately wide, separating Block Island from the coast of mainland Rhode Island. On the west, it extends to Montauk Point on the eastern tip of Long Island, as well as P ...
to the northeast is the state of
Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
.
Block Island Block Island is an island of the Outer Lands coastal archipelago in New England, located approximately south of mainland Rhode Island and east of Long Island's Montauk Point. The island is coterminous with the town of New Shoreham, Rhode Isl ...
, which is part of Rhode Island, and numerous smaller islands extend farther into the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
. To the extreme southwest, Long Island, at
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, is separated from
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
and the state of
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
by
Upper New York Bay New York Harbor is a bay that covers all of the Upper Bay. It is at the mouth of the Hudson River near the East River tidal estuary on the East Coast of the United States. New York Harbor is generally synonymous with Upper New York Bay ...
,
The Narrows The Narrows is the tidal strait separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City. It connects the Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay (of larger New York Bay) and forms the principal channel by which the Hudson Ri ...
, and
Lower New York Bay Lower New York Bay is a section of New York Bay south of the Narrows (the strait between Staten Island and Brooklyn). The eastern end of the Bay is marked by two spits of land, Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and Rockaway, Queens. The waterway bet ...
. With a population of 8,063,232 residents as of the 2020 U.S. census, Long Island constitutes 40% of the state's population. Long Island is the most populous island in any U.S. state or territory, the third-most populous island in the
Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
after
Hispaniola Hispaniola (, also ) is an island between Geography of Cuba, Cuba and Geography of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and the second-largest by List of C ...
and
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
, and the 18th-most populous island in the world ahead of
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
,
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
, and
Hokkaidō is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel. The ...
. Its
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
is . Long Island is culturally and ethnically diverse, featuring some of the wealthiest and most expensive neighborhoods in the world near the shorelines, as well as a variety of
working-class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
areas in all four counties. As of 2022, Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties collectively had a
gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performanc ...
of approximately $600 billion.
Median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...
on the island significantly exceeds $100,000, and the median home price is approximately $600,000, with Nassau County approximating $700,000. Among residents over the age of 25, 42.6% hold a college degree or higher educational degree. Unemployment on Long Island stays consistently below 4%. Biotechnology companies,
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
, and
scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and medieval world. The ...
play a significant role in Long Island's economy,
Accessed November 16, 2016.
including research institute, research facilities at
Brookhaven National Laboratory Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a United States Department of Energy national laboratories, United States Department of Energy national laboratory located in Upton, New York, a hamlet of the Brookhaven, New York, Town of Brookhaven. It w ...
,
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is a private, non-profit institution with research programs focusing on cancer, neuroscience, botany, genomics, and quantitative biology. It is located in Laurel Hollow, New York, in Nassau County, on ...
,
Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...
,
New York Institute of Technology The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT or New York Tech) is a Private university, private research university, research university founded in 1955. It has two main campuses in New York (state), New York—one in Old Westbury, on Long I ...
, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, the
New York University Tandon School of Engineering The New York University Tandon School of Engineering (commonly referred to as Tandon) is the engineering and applied sciences school of New York University. Tandon is the second oldest private engineering and technology school in the United St ...
, the Zucker School of Medicine, and the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. As a hub of
commercial aviation Commercial aviation is the part of civil aviation that involves operating aircraft for remuneration or hire, as opposed to private aviation. Definition Commercial aviation is not a rigorously defined category. All commercial air transport and ae ...
, Long Island is home to two of the nation's and
New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...
's busiest airports, JFK International Airport and
LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport ( ) – colloquially known as LaGuardia or simply LGA – is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, situated on the North Shore (Long Island), northwestern shore of Long Island, bord ...
. Also located on Long Island are
Long Island MacArthur Airport Long Island MacArthur Airport , formerly known as Islip Airport, is a public airport in Ronkonkoma, New York, within the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, on Long Island. Covering , the airport was established in 1942, activated in 1943, and b ...
and two major
air traffic control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled air ...
radar facilities, New York TRACON and New York ARTCC. Long Island has nine major bridges and thirteen traffic tunnels, which connect Brooklyn and Queens to the three other boroughs of New York City.
Ferries A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus. ...
connect Suffolk County northward across
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...
to
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
.
Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
is the busiest commuter railroad in North America and operates continuously.


History


Early history

As the last
Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...
waned with
Wisconsin glaciation The Wisconsin glaciation, also called the Wisconsin glacial episode, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex, peaking more than 20,000 years ago. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated ...
, early
Paleo-Indians Paleo-Indians were the first peoples who entered and subsequently inhabited the Americas towards the end of the Late Pleistocene period. The prefix ''paleo-'' comes from . The term ''Paleo-Indians'' applies specifically to the lithic period in ...
ventured into the evolving landscapes of present-day Long Island, marking a significant environmental shifts and laying the groundwork for the region's rich ecosystems. These nomadic hunter-gatherers, equipped with stone tools, navigated the newly emerging landscapes, hunting large game and gathering from the abundant natural resources. Following the Paleo-Indian period, the Archaic Period marked a broadening of subsistence strategies. The inhabitants of Long Island diversified their diet, exploiting the rich marine and terrestrial environments. The main source of protein came from the sea, consisting of fish and shellfish, with oysters being of particular importance. Deer and other wild game and various plant foods also became part of their regular diet. The archaeological record also reveals a shift towards a more settled lifestyle, with small bands forming seasonal settlements. The indigenous peoples in the Early and Middle
Woodland period In the classification of :category:Archaeological cultures of North America, archaeological cultures of North America, the Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures spanned a period from roughly 1000 BC to European contact i ...
began developing horticulture as well as more efficient strategies for hunting and gathering. They established year-round settlements. Pottery emerged as a widespread technological innovation during this era, serving not only practical storage and cooking purposes but also functioning as a medium for cultural expression. The stylistic variations in pottery across different sites on Long Island suggest a rich diversity of cultural identities and the exchange of ideas among various groups. Additionally, this period was marked by participation in trade networks with other Northeastern Indigenous communities. During the Late Woodland Period, there was a noticeable intensification of agriculture, with maize becoming a staple crop alongside beans and squash. This agricultural advancement supported larger populations and led to the establishment of more permanent villages characterized by substantial dwellings, mostly
wigwam A wigwam, wikiup, wetu (Wampanoag), or wiigiwaam (Ojibwe, in syllabics: ) is a semi-permanent domed dwelling formerly used by certain Native American tribes and First Nations people and still used for ceremonial events. The term ''wikiup'' ...
s and
longhouse A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America. Many were built from lumber, timber and ...
s. The increased reliance on farming did not eliminate hunting and gathering, which continued to play a crucial role in the subsistence economy. The Long Island natives lived in villages of differing sizes, and their governing style, because of a lack of evidence, can only be guessed. However, anthropological models suggest that the leaders did not have overarching authority over the rest of the village. Rather, the leaders often sought advice from the elders. The early settlers of Long Island were likely tied by kinship and did not identify themselves as distinct tribes. These tribes were designated by the Europeans as a method of identifying borders. However, there seems to be two overlapping but different cultures. Western Long Island natives probably spoke the Delaware-Munsee dialect. The eastern group's language is less well-founded, but it is most likely related to the southern New England Algonquian dialect. The kinship system likely kept Long Island natives together with clans in present-day
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
,
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
, and
Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
.
Giovanni da Verrazzano Giovanni da Verrazzano ( , ; often misspelled Verrazano in English; 1491–1528) was an Italian ( Florentine) explorer of North America, who led most of his later expeditions, including the one to America, in the service of King Francis I of ...
was the first European to record an encounter with the Lenape people, after entering what is now
New York Bay New York Bay is the large tidal body of water in the New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary where the Hudson River, Raritan River, and Arthur Kill empty into the Atlantic Ocean between Sandy Hook, New Jersey, Sandy Hook and Rockaway Point. Geogr ...
in 1524; however, it is unclear whether he encountered Native Americans from Long Island.


17th century

In 1609, the English navigator
Henry Hudson Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the Northeastern United States. In 1607 and 16 ...
explored the harbor and purportedly landed at present-day
Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...
. Dutch explorer
Adriaen Block Adriaen Courtsen Block (c. 1567 – 27 April 1627) was a Dutch private trader, privateer, and ship's captain who is best known for exploring the coastal and river valley areas between present-day New Jersey and Massachusetts during four voyages ...
followed in 1615 and is credited as the first European to determine that both
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
and Long Island are islands. The first recorded encounters between the
Algonquian peoples The Algonquians are one of the most populous and widespread North American indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous American groups, consisting of the peoples who speak Algonquian languages. They historically were prominent along the East ...
of Long Island and Europeans occurred with the arrival of explorers in the early 17th century, first contacted by Henry Hudson and his crew. These interactions were initially characterized by curiosity and tentative exchanges, but conflicts later emerged between them. Despite this, mutually beneficial trade ensued, with the Algonquian trading fur for clothing, metal, guns, and alcohol. The Dutch, recognizing the value of New England's fur market, forged long-term alliances with the Algonquians in 1613, ushering in permanent settlements. By 1621, the
Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company () was a Dutch chartered company that was founded in 1621 and went defunct in 1792. Among its founders were Reynier Pauw, Willem Usselincx (1567–1647), and Jessé de Forest (1576–1624). On 3 June 1621, it was gra ...
established itself in the Northeast. The Dutch West India Company established a foothold in the Northeast, initiating a lucrative trade in
wampum Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western ...
—beads of significant cultural and economic importance to Native tribes across the Northeast. The wampum was primarily made by Long Island Native Americans. The Dutch would thus engage in a triangular trade: purchasing large quantities of wampum from Long Island, exchanging wampum for fur with inland tribes, and shipping the fur back to Europe. This triangular trade created peace amongst the Europeans and the Native Americans for decades. In 1636,
Charles I of England Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland from 27 March 1625 until Execution of Charles I, his execution in 1649. Charles was born ...
, a Stuart, rewarded Scottish
courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the officia ...
, diplomat, and colonial governor William Alexander's service to the Crown by creating him Lord Alexander of
Tullibody Tullibody () is a village set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies north of the River Forth near to the foot of the Ochil Hills within the Forth Valley. The village is southwest of Alva, Clackmannanshire, Alva, northwest of Alloa and ...
and Viscount of Stirling. On April 22 of that year Charles told the
Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes spelled Plimouth) was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on t ...
, which had laid claim to Long Island but had not settled it, to cede it to Alexander. When his agent James Farret arrived in
New Amsterdam New Amsterdam (, ) was a 17th-century Dutch Empire, Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''Factory (trading post), fac ...
in 1637 to present his claim of English sovereignty, he was arrested and imprisoned in
Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
, but later escaped from prison. The Pequot War, a struggle over between the Pequot tribe of Connecticut, who exerted control over eastern Long Island, and the English
New England Colonies The New England Colonies of British America included Connecticut Colony, the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, and the Province of New Hampshire, as well as a few smaller short-lived c ...
, reshaped alliances and power dynamics in the region. The defeat of the Pequots left a void in eastern Long Island's political landscape, who were historically under the influence of the Connecticut Pequots for trade and protection. Indigenous leaders such as
Uncas Uncas () was a '' sachem'' of the Mohegans who made the Mohegans the leading regional Indian tribe in lower Connecticut, through his alliance with the New England colonists against other Indian tribes. Early life and family Uncas was born ...
and
Ninigret Ninigret (also known as Juanemo according to Roger Williams) (c. 1610 This source confirms 1662 as the date of his land sales.-1677 This source suggests a date of 1667 for his land sales and a 1647 war against the Mohegans.) was a sachem of the ea ...
, alongside the New England Colonies, vied to fill this vacuum, with the colonists eventually prevailing over their indigenous rivals. In 1639, Lion Gardiner secured the first purchase of eastern Long Island land, an islet off of present-day East Hampton. The period between 1636 and 1648 marked a time of land acquisition in Long Island by Dutch and English colonists. The Dutch occupied a small portion of western Long Island while the English settled on the eastern side, buying land from any sachems who were willing to sell to them. The perspectives on these land purchases likely varied significantly between Native Americans and Europeans. Europeans viewed land transactions as opportunities for exclusive ownership and permanent settlement, while the Algonquian peoples viewed the transaction as temporary and communal. Additionally, the Native Americans governance style of weak leadership and undefined hunting grounds, did not align with the European's need for strict boundaries. This confusion resulted in conflict and boundary disputes for many years after. In 1640, English colonists attempted to settle Cow Bay in what is present-day Port Washington. After an alert by Native leader Penhawitz, the colonists were arrested by the Dutch but released after saying they were mistaken about the title. Through Farret, who received Shelter Island and Robins Island, Alexander in turn sold most of the eastern island to the
New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...
and Connecticut Colony, Connecticut colonies. As European settlers proliferated on Long Island, the ecosystem underwent significant transformation, and the dynamics between Native Americans and Europeans shifted. The Europeans cleared vast areas of traditional hunting grounds and introduced livestock that damaged Native crops. Europeans also began to encroach on Native land, and this growing proximity heightened tensions. This culminated in Kieft's War, initiated by a devastating attack that killed 80 Native Americans. Despite shifting claims to title and absentee land sales, European settlers continued to purchase land directly from indigenous people. In 1655, they split the acquired land amongst themselves and continued to search the island for more land for settlement. On June 10, 1664, other parts of indigenous land were bought, including present-day Brookhaven, New York, Brookhaven, Bellport, New York, Bellport, and South Haven, New York, South Haven, in exchange for four coats and 6 pounds 10 shillings – a value that, accounting for monetary inflation through 2017, is currently worth approximately $840. During King Philip's War in 1675, the List of colonial governors of New York, governor of New York, Edmund Andros, ordered that all canoes east of Hell Gate be confiscated. This was done to prevent local indigenous people from helping their Native allies on the mainland, who were attacking New England settlers there. Notable sachems, such as Tackapousha of the Massapequa, saw their influence wane post-King Philip's War in 1675. In the face of escalating tensions between French and English settlers, these Indigenous figures endeavored to mediate and protect their communities. However efforts to maintain land rights were undermined by disease, deceit, infringements of land patents, and cultural misunderstandings. After the Dutch began to colonize Manhattan, many indigenous people moved to Pennsylvania and Delaware. Many of those who stayed behind died from smallpox, which spread to North America via European colonists and resulted in large scale deaths due to lack of antibodies and natural resistance which Eurasian peoples had gained with their exposure to the disease. Native American land deeds recorded by the Dutch from 1636 state that the Indians referred to Long Island as '. ' and ' were other spellings in the transliteration of the Lenape. ' was one of the terms for
wampum Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western ...
, commemorative stringed shell beads, for a while also used as currency by colonists in trades with the Lenape, and is also translated as "loose" or "scattered", which may refer either to the wampum or to Long Island. The name "'t Lange Eylandt alias Matouwacs" appears in Dutch maps from the 1650s, with ''t Lange Eylandt'' translating it to "Long Island" from Old Dutch. The English referred to Long Island as "Nassau Island", after the House of Nassau of the Netherlands, Dutch Prince William III of England, William of Nassau, Prince of Orange (who later also ruled as William III of England, King William III of England). It is unclear when the name "Nassau Island" was discontinued. Another indigenous name from colonial time, Paumanok Path, Paumanok, comes from the Native American name for Long Island and means "the island that pays tribute." The very first European settlements on Long Island were by settlers from England and its colonies in present-day New England. Lion Gardiner settled nearby Gardiners Island. The first settlement on the geographic Long Island itself was on October 21, 1640, when Southold, New York, Southold was established by the John Youngs (minister), Rev. John Youngs and settlers from New Haven, Connecticut. Peter Hallock, one of the settlers, drew the long straw and was granted the honor to step ashore first. He is considered the first New World settler on Long Island. Southampton, New York, Southampton was settled in the same year. Hempstead, New York, Hempstead followed in 1644, East Hampton in 1648, Huntington, New York, Huntington in 1653, Brookhaven, New York, Brookhaven in 1655, and Smithtown, New York, Smithtown in 1665. While the eastern region of Long Island was first settled by the English, the western portion of Long Island was settled by the Dutch; until 1664, the jurisdiction of Long Island was split between the Dutch and English, roughly at the present border between Nassau County, New York, Nassau County and Suffolk County. The Dutch founded six towns in present-day
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
beginning in 1645. These included: Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Gravesend, Brooklyn, Gravesend, Flatlands, Brooklyn, Flatlands, Flatbush, Brooklyn, Flatbush, New Utrecht, Brooklyn, New Utrecht, and Bushwick, Brooklyn, Bushwick. The Dutch had granted an English settlement in Hempstead, New York (now in Nassau County) in 1644, but after a boundary dispute, they drove out English settlers from the Oyster Bay area. However, in 1664, the English returned to take over the Dutch colony of New Netherland, including Long Island. The 1664 land patent granted to the James II of England, Duke of York included all islands in Long Island Sound. The Duke of York held a grudge against Connecticut, as New Haven had hidden List of regicides of Charles I, three of the judges (John Dixwell, Edward Whalley and William Goffe) who sentenced the Duke's father, List of regicides of Charles I, King Charles I, to death in 1649. Settlers throughout Suffolk County pressed to stay part of Connecticut, but Governor Sir Edmund Andros threatened to eliminate the settlers' rights to land if they did not yield, which they did by 1676. All of Long Island along with islands between Long Island and Connecticut became part of the Province of New York within the York Shire (Province of New York), Shire of York. Present-day Suffolk County was designated as the ''East Riding'' (of Yorkshire), present-day Brooklyn was part of the ''West Riding'', and present-day Queens and Nassau were part of the larger ''North Riding''. In 1683, Yorkshire was dissolved and the three original counties on Long Island were established: Kings, Queens, and Suffolk.


18th century

Following the European colonization of the Americas, including Long Island, the
Algonquian peoples The Algonquians are one of the most populous and widespread North American indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous American groups, consisting of the peoples who speak Algonquian languages. They historically were prominent along the East ...
found themselves increasingly marginalized, their ancient hunting grounds cleared for agriculture, and their economic systems integrated into the European market, particularly through their labor and the dwindling fur and wampum trades. By the 18th century, most native lands had been seized, leaving only small parcels, and many Indigenous people were relegated to roles as domestics, laborers, guides, and seamen. William Floyd was born on Long Island on December 17, 1734. In 1654, his family emigrated to North America. By the time of Floyd's birth, the family was established and wealthy. He was a member of the Suffolk County Militia in the beginning of the American Revolution, and rose to the rank of Major General. In 1774, he was chosen as a representative from New York to the First Continental Congress. After the battle of Long Island, his estate was confiscated by the British Army during the American Revolutionary War, British army and was used as a cavalry base. In 1789, Floyd was elected to the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives, where he served until 1791. Francis Lewis from Brookhaven, New York, Brookhaven on Long Island, another signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, Declaration of Independence, had his home destroyed and his wife Elizabeth arrested by the British after the battle of Long Island. George Washington managed her release by having the wives of two wealthy Loyalist (American Revolution), Loyalists from Philadelphia arrested, and then exchanging the two for Mrs. Lewis. Marinus Willett, of Jamaica, Queens enlisted in the New York Guard, colonial militia after the French and Indian War broke out in 1754. He participated in the Battle of Carillon, Ticonderoga campaign and the Battle of Fort Frontenac, capture of Fort Frontenac in 1758. Joining the revolutionary Sons of Liberty in the 1770s, Willett shortly thereafter enlisted in the Continental Army in 1775. Serving in the 1st New York Regiment, 1st New York, he took part in the Invasion of Quebec (1775), Invasion of Quebec before transferring to the 3rd New York Regiment, 3rd New York in 1776. Seeing action Battle of Monmouth, at Monmouth, Willett then participated in the 1778 Sullivan Expedition, Sullivan Campaign. He was made the Colonel (United States), colonel of the 5th New York Regiment, 5th New York in 1780 and the Tryon County militia in 1781, where he fought Battle of Johnstown, at Johnstown. On August 22, 1830, Willett died and was buried in the graveyard of Trinity Church (Manhattan), Trinity Church. The Willets Point and the accompanying Mets–Willets Point station (IRT Flushing Line), Mets-Willets Point station is named in his honor. Early in the American Revolutionary War, the island was captured by the British from American troops under George Washington in the battle of Long Island, a major battle after which Washington narrowly evacuated his troops from Brooklyn Heights under a dense fog. After the British victory on Long Island, many Patriot (American Revolution), Patriots withdrew, leaving mostly Loyalist (American Revolution), Loyalists behind. The island was a British stronghold until the end of the war in 1783. General Washington based his Intelligence in the American Revolutionary War, intelligence activities on Long Island, due to the western part of the island's proximity to the British Armed Forces, British military headquarters in New York City. The Culper Ring included agents operating between Setauket, New York, Setauket and Manhattan. This ring alerted Washington to valuable British secrets, including the treason of Benedict Arnold and a plan to use counterfeiting to induce economic sabotage. Long Island's colonists supported both Loyalist and Patriot causes, with many prominent families divided among both sides. During the occupation, British forces utilized a number of civilian structures for defense and were also at times quartered in local homes. A number of structures from this era remain. Among these are Raynham Hall Museum, Raynham Hall, the Oyster Bay, New York, Oyster Bay home of patriot spy Robert Townsend (spy), Robert Townsend, and the Caroline Church and Cemetery, Caroline Church in Setauket, New York, Setauket, which contains bullet holes from a skirmish known as the Battle of Setauket. Also in existence is a reconstruction of Brooklyn's Old Stone House (Brooklyn), Old Stone House, on the site of the Maryland 400's celebrated last stand during the Battle of Long Island.


19th century

In the 19th century, Long Island was still mainly rural and devoted to agriculture. The predecessor to the
Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
(LIRR) began service in 1836 from the South Ferry, Brooklyn, South Ferry in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, through the remainder of Brooklyn, to Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica in
Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
. The line was completed to the east end of Long Island in 1844, as part of a plan for transportation to Boston. Competing railroads, soon absorbed by the LIRR, were built along the south shore to accommodate travelers from those more populated areas. For the century from 1830 until 1930, total population roughly doubled every twenty years, with more dense development in areas near Manhattan. Several cities were incorporated, such as the "City of Brooklyn" in Kings County, and Long Island City in Queens. Until completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, the only means of travel between Long Island and the rest of the United States was by boat or ship. As other bridges and tunnels were constructed, areas of the island began to be developed as residential suburbs, first around the railroads that offered commuting into the city. On January 1, 1898, Kings County and portions of Queens County were consolidated into the City of Greater New York, abolishing all cities and towns within them. The easternmost of Queens County, which were not part of the consolidation plan, separated from Queens in 1899 to form Nassau County. At the close of the 19th century, wealthy industrialists who made vast fortunes during the Gilded Age began to construct large "baronial" country estates in Nassau County communities along the North Shore of Long Island, favoring the many land lot, properties with water views. Proximity to Manhattan attracted such men as J. P. Morgan, William K. Vanderbilt, and Charles Pratt, whose estates led to this area being nicknamed the North Shore (Long Island), Gold Coast. This period and the area was immortalized in fiction, such as F. Scott Fitzgeralds ''The Great Gatsby'', which has also been adapted in The Great Gatsby (disambiguation), films.


20th century

The gradual decline in Indigenous authority reached a critical point when it led to the formal obliteration of acknowledgement for many tribes. A poignant example of this phenomenon occurred in 1910, when a legal decree by the Judiciary of New York pronounced the Montaukett "tribe" extinct, ignoring the presence and testimonies of its members in court. Such decrees were used to facilitate the encroachment on Native American lands with greater ease, granting legal legitimacy to the acts of settler colonialism. In the absence of legally recognized Indigenous territories, settlers could assert ownership over Native lands without engaging in negotiations or offering compensation. This act represented the final stage in the thorough domination and displacement of Native American communities on Long Island. Charles Lindbergh lifted off from Roosevelt Field (airport), Roosevelt Field with his ''Spirit of St. Louis'' for his historic 1927 solo flight to Europe, one of the events that helped to establish Long Island as an early center of aviation during the 20th century. Other famous aviators such as Wiley Post originated notable flights from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, which became the first major airport serving New York City before it was superseded by the opening of La Guardia Airport in 1939. Long Island was also the site of Mitchel Air Force Base and was a major center of military aircraft production by companies such as Grumman and Fairchild Aircraft during World War II and for some decades afterward. Aircraft production on Long Island extended all the way into the Space Age. Grumman was one of the major contractors that helped to build the early space flight, lunar flight and Space Shuttle vehicles. Although the aircraft companies eventually ended their Long Island operations and the early airports were all later closed. Roosevelt Field, for instance, became the site of a Roosevelt Field (shopping mall), major shopping mall, the Cradle of Aviation Museum on the site of the former Mitchel Field documents the Island's key role in the history of aviation. From the 1920s to the 1940s, Long Island began the transformation from backwoods and farms as developers created numerous suburbs. Numerous branches of the
Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
(LIRR) already enabled commuting from the suburbs to Manhattan. Robert Moses engineered various automobile parkways in New York, parkway projects to span the island, and developed beaches and state parks for the enjoyment of residents and visitors from the city. Gradually, development also followed these parkways, with various communities springing up along the more traveled routes. After World War II, suburban development increased with incentives under the G.I. Bill, and Long Island's population skyrocketed, mostly in Nassau County and western Suffolk County. Second and third-generation children of immigrants moved out to eastern Long Island to settle in new housing developments built during the post-war boom. Levittown, New York, Levittown became noted as a suburb, where housing construction was simplified to be produced on a large scale. These provided opportunities for white World War II military veterans returning home to buy houses and start a family. In his 1966 book, ''My Private America'' (''Moja prywatna Ameryka''), Kazimierz Wierzyński, a Polish poet who could not go back to Poland after World War II, describes Polish farmers living there, as "walking novels".


21st century

At the beginning of the 21st century, a number of Long Island communities had converted their assets from Manufacturing, industrial uses to post-industrial roles.
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
reversed decades of population decline and factory closings to resurface as a globally renowned cultural and intellectual hotbed. Gentrification has impacted much of Brooklyn and a portion of
Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
, relocating a sizeable swath of New York City's population. On eastern Long Island, Port Jefferson, New York, Port Jefferson, Patchogue, New York, Patchogue, and Riverhead (town), New York, Riverhead evolved from inactive shipbuilding and mill towns into tourist-centric commercial centers with cultural attractions. The descendants of late 19th and early 20th-century immigrants from Southern Europe, southern and Eastern Europe, and Great Migration (African American), Black migrants from the Southern United States, South, were followed by more recent immigrants from Asia and Latin America. Long Island has many ethnic Irish Americans in New York City, Irish, Jews in New York City, Jews, and Italian Americans in New York City, Italians. In later immigration trends, Asian Americans in New York City, Asians, Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hispanics, Afghan Americans, Afghans, Arab Americans, Arabs, and Indian Americans, Indians arrived on Long Island.


Geography

The westernmost end of Long Island contains the New York City Borough (New York City), boroughs of
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
(Kings County) and
Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
(Queens County). The central and eastern portions contain the suburban Nassau and Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk counties. However, colloquial usage of the term "Long Island" usually refers only to Nassau and Suffolk counties. For example, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has a district named "Long Island (Nassau-Suffolk Metro Division)." At least as late as 1911, locations in Queens were still commonly referred to as being on Long Island. Some institutions in the New York City section of the island use the island's names, like Long Island University and Long Island Jewish Medical Center. In 1985, the United States Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme Court ruled in ''United States v. Maine'' that Long Island is integrally related to the mainland enough that
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...
and the western part of
Block Island Sound Block Island Sound is a marine sound in the open Atlantic Ocean, approximately wide, separating Block Island from the coast of mainland Rhode Island. On the west, it extends to Montauk Point on the eastern tip of Long Island, as well as P ...
constitute a "juridical bay" for the purpose of determining maritime state boundaries. In the popular media, this has been often misinterpreted as a ruling that Long Island is legally not an island. The United States Board on Geographic Names still considers Long Island an island, because it is surrounded by water. There are few List of tallest buildings on Long Island, tall buildings on Long Island. Nassau County is more densely developed than Suffolk County. While affluent overall, Nassau County has pockets of more pronounced wealth with estates covering greater acreage within the Gold Coast, Long Island, Gold Coast of the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore and the Five Towns area on the South Shore (Long Island), South Shore. South Shore communities are built along protected wetlands of the island and contain white sandy beaches of Outer Barrier Islands fronting on the Atlantic Ocean. Dutch and English settlers from the time before the American Revolutionary War, as well as communities of Native Americans, populated the island. The 19th century saw the infusion of the wealthiest Americans in the so-called Gold Coast, Long Island, Gold Coast of the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore, where wealthy Americans and Europeans in the Gilded Age built lavish country homes. East of Riverhead, New York, Riverhead in Suffolk County, Long Island splits into two peninsulas (colloquially referred to as "Forks"), which are separated by the Peconic Bay. The easternmost point of the North Fork (Long Island), North Fork is Orient, New York, Orient Point, and the easternmost point of the South Fork (Long Island), South Fork (and all of Long Island) is Montauk, New York, Montauk Point. Long Island's East End (Long Island), East End remains semi-rural, as in Greenport, Suffolk County, New York, Greenport on the North Fork and some of the periphery of the area prominently known as The Hamptons, although summer tourism swells the population in those areas. The North Fork has developed a burgeoning Long Island AVA, wine region. In addition, the South Fork is known for beach communities, including the Hamptons, and for the Montauk Point Lighthouse at the eastern tip of the island. The Long Island Central Pine Barrens, Pine Barrens is a preserved pine forest encompassing much of eastern Suffolk County.


Geology

A detailed Geomorphology, geomorphological study of Long Island provides evidence of glacial period, glacial history of the kame and terminal moraines of the island which were formed by the advance and retreat of two ice sheets. Long Island, as part of the Outer Lands region, is formed largely of two spines of glacial moraine, with a large, sandy outwash plain beyond. These moraines consist of gravel and loose rock left behind during the two most recent pulses of
Wisconsin glaciation The Wisconsin glaciation, also called the Wisconsin glacial episode, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex, peaking more than 20,000 years ago. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated ...
during the ice ages some 21,000 years ago (19,000 BC). The northern moraine, which directly abuts the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island at points, is known as the Harbor Hill moraine. The more southerly moraine, known as the Ronkonkoma Moraine, Ronkonkoma moraine, forms the "backbone" of Long Island; it runs primarily through the very center of Long Island, roughly coinciding with the length of the Long Island Expressway. The land to the south of this moraine to the South Shore is the outwash plain of the last glacier. One part of the outwash plain was known as the Hempstead Plains, and this land contained one of the few natural prairies to exist east of the Appalachian Mountains. The glaciers melted and receded to the north, resulting in the difference between the topography of the North Shore beaches and the South Shore beaches. The North Shore beaches are rocky from the remaining glacial debris, while the South Shore's are crisp, clear, outwash sand. Jayne's Hill, at , within Suffolk County near its border with Nassau County, is the highest hill along either moraine; another well-known summit is Bald Hill (Farmingville, New York), Bald Hill in Brookhaven Town, not far from its geographical center at Middle Island, New York, Middle Island. The glaciers also formed Lake Ronkonkoma (lake), Lake Ronkonkoma in Suffolk County and Lake Success, New York, Lake Success in Nassau County, each a deep kettle lake.


Countyscapes


Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Long Island lies in a transition zone between a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) and a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa). The climate features hot, usually humid summers with occasional thunderstorms, mild spring and fall weather, and cool winters with a mix of snow and rain and stormier conditions. Spring can be cool due to the relatively cooler temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean and occasional Block (meteorology), blocking. Thunderstorms rarely form directly over Long Island, but can form over inland areas and then move eastward. Some storms may weaken as they approach Long Island due to the moderating effects of the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean also brings afternoon sea breezes to the immediate South Shore areas (within ) that temper the heat in the warmer months. The temperatures south of Sunrise Highway (New York State Route 27, NY Route 27) tend to be significantly cooler than the rest of Long Island in the spring and summer months because of the relatively cooler temperatures of the Atlantic Ocean. Long Island has a moderately sunny climate, averaging 2,400 to 2,800 hours of sunshine annually. Due to its coastal location, Long Island winter temperatures are milder than most of the state. The coldest month is January, when average temperatures range from , and the warmest month is July, when average temperatures range from . Temperatures seldom fall below or rise above . Coldest temp ever recorded on Long Island was on January 22, 1961. Long Island temperatures vary from west to east, with the western part (Nassau County, Queens, and Brooklyn) generally 2 to 3 degrees F (1 to 2 degrees C) warmer than the east (Suffolk County). This is due to several factors: the western part is closer to the mainland and more densely developed, causing the "urban heat island" effect, and Long Island's land mass veers northward as one travels east. Also, daytime high temperatures on the eastern part of Long Island are cooler on most occasions, due to the moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound. On dry nights with no clouds or wind, the Central Part of Suffolk County and Pine Barrens forest of eastern Suffolk County can be almost 5 to 10 F (3 to 5 C) cooler than the rest of the island, due to radiational cooling. Average dew points, a measure of atmospheric moisture, typically lie in the range during July and August. Precipitation is distributed uniformly throughout the year, with approximately on average during each month. Average yearly snowfall totals range from approximately , with the north shore and western parts averaging more than the immediate south shore (South of Sunrise Hwy) and the east end. In any given winter, however, some parts of the island can see up to of snow or more. There are also milder winters, in which much of the island see less than of snow. On August 13, 2014, flash flooding occurred in western-central Suffolk County after a record-setting rainfall deposited more than three months' worth of precipitation on the area within a few hours. Long Island is somewhat vulnerable to tropical cyclones. While it lies north of where most tropical cyclones turn eastward and out to sea (most landfalls on the East Coast of the U.S. occur from North Carolina southward), several tropical cyclones have struck Long Island, including a devastating Category 3, the 1938 New England hurricane (also known as the "Long Island Express"), and another Category 3, Hurricane Carol in 1954. Other 20th-century storms that made landfall on Long Island at hurricane intensity include the 1944 Great Atlantic hurricane, Hurricane Donna in 1960, Hurricane Belle (1976), Hurricane Belle in 1976, and Hurricane Gloria in 1985. Also, the eyewall of Hurricane Bob in 1991 brushed the eastern tip. In August 2011, portions of Long Island were evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Irene (2011), Hurricane Irene, a Category 1 hurricane which weakened to a tropical storm before it reached Long Island. On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage to low-lying coastal areas of Nassau and Suffolk counties, Brooklyn, and Queens, destroying or severely damaging thousands of area homes and other structures by ocean and bay storm surges. Hundreds of thousands of residents were left without electric power for periods of time ranging up to several weeks while the damage was being repaired. The slow-moving "Superstorm Sandy" (so-nicknamed because it merged with a nor'easter before it made landfall) caused 90% of Long Island households to lose power and an estimated $18 billion in damages in Nassau and Suffolk counties alone. The storm also had a devastating impact on coastal communities in the Brooklyn and Queens portions of the island, including
Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...
in Brooklyn and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, although estimates of monetary damages there are usually calculated as part of the overall losses suffered in New York City as a whole. When allowance is made for inflation, the extent of Sandy's damages is second only to that of those caused by the 1938 Long Island Express. Although a lower central pressure was recorded in Sandy, the National Hurricane Center estimates that the 1938 hurricane had a lower pressure at landfall. Hurricane Sandy and its profound impacts have prompted the discussion of constructing seawalls and other coastal barriers around the shorelines of Long Island and New York City to minimize the risk of destructive consequences from another such event in the future.


Additional islands

Several smaller islands, though geographically distinct, are in proximity to Long Island and are often grouped with it. These islands include Fire Island, the largest of the outer barrier islands that parallels the southern shore of Long Island for approximately ; Plum Island (New York), Plum Island, which was home to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, a Biological warfare, biological weapons research institute, research facility; Fishers Island and smaller islands Wicopesset Island, North Dumpling Island, South Dumpling Island, and Flat Hammock; as well as Robins Island, Gardiners Island, Long Beach, New York#Long Beach Barrier Island, Long Beach Barrier Island, Jones Beach Island, Great Gull Island, Little Gull Island, and Shelter Island.


Environmental degradation

Long Island is a region affected by environmental degradation resulting from urban and suburban expansion beginning at the start of the 20th century. With the
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...
to the north and the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
to the south and east, Long Island is home to a diverse range of habitats including salt marshes, coastal grasslands, beaches, rocky intertidal zones, tidal flats, pine barrens, Estuary, estuaries, Deciduous, deciduous forests and many more. Each of these habitats faces unique challenges in terms of environmental degradation but a few common issues can be found in each of them. One of the most common forms of environmental degradation is eutrophication of lakes and ponds due to nutrient pollution. Nearly all of the bodies of water on Long Island have been affected by nutrient pollution in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus. Fertilizer containing high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus is washed into nearby surface water, accelerating the process of eutrophication. Common signs of eutrophication include murky green water and foul odor. Nutrient pollution is also responsible for harmful algal blooms which can be toxic to aquatic organisms, birds and mammals, including humans. Chemical pollution is common on Long Island with it being home to 38 Superfund sites both closed and active. The four counties of Long Island have had chemical pollution, but Nassau County, New York, Nassau County has the most out of the group with 18 superfund sites. Most famously from 1942 to 1996 Northrop Grumman and the United States Navy owned 600 acres where they manufactured military aircraft. Disposal practices of both parties resulted in a plume of VOCs or volatile organic compounds that contaminated groundwater in an area extending 4.3 miles north and south and 2.1 miles east and west. Restoration efforts have been on going since 2019 but concern over water quality still remains. Chemical pollution on Long Island often follows a similar pattern of negligence with hazardous chemicals that leak into groundwater and soil. Long Island drinking water is sourced from a large aquifer which is at risk of contamination if chemical pollution continues. Long Island is one of the most developed areas in the United States with a majority of the high intensity development located closer to New York City and lower intensity development moving east across the island. High intensity development makes up 10% of the land cover on Long Island. Medium intensity development makes up 17%, and low intensity development makes up 17%. Developed open spaces account for 19% making the total percent of developed land around 63%. Most of the undeveloped land is found in Suffolk County which is made up of 46% undeveloped land. This level of development means most of the original habitats on Long Island have been destroyed or segmented by housing developments or roads. Tidal marsh, Tidal wetlands are the victims of the most habitat destruction due development of coastal land. New York has lost almost half of its tidal wetlands along the Long Island Sound. These Tidal marsh, tidal wetlands act as a natural barrier from flooding. As they are destroyed and developed the chances of flooding increase. Climate change will affect Long Islanders in a number of ways in the future. It is estimated that at current rates by the year 2100 water levels will rise about four feet causing the relocation and destruction of neighborhoods along the coast of the island. As well as rising water levels, Long Islanders will have to deal with the effects of ever stronger hurricane seasons, and more catastrophic storms like Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Rising temperatures will also exacerbate the algal bloom problems, as algae tends to thrive in warmer waters. Restoration of coast lines and marsh habitats may provided some protection against flooding from large storms, but Long Island is largely unprepared for the increasing intensity of storms in the years to come.


Demographics

Long Island is the most populous island and one of the most densely populated regions in the United States. At the United States 2020 Census, 2020 U.S. census, the total population of all four counties of Long Island was 8,063,232, comprising 40% of the population of the State of New York. As of 2020, the proportion of New York City residents (total 8,804,190) living on Long Island had risen to 58.4%, given the 5,141,538 residents living in Brooklyn and Queens. Furthermore, the proportion of New York State's population residing on Long Island has also been increasing, with Long Island's census-estimated population increasing 6.5% since 2010, to 8,063,232 in 2020, representing 40% of New York State's census 2020-enumerated population of 20,215,751 and with a
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
of on Long Island; the island is more populous than 37 of the 50 U.S. states. At the 2020 census, the combined population of Nassau and Suffolk counties was 2,921,694 people, Suffolk County's share being 1,525,920 and Nassau County's 1,395,774. Nassau County had a larger population for decades, but Suffolk County surpassed it in the 1990 census as growth and development continued to spread eastward. As Suffolk County has more than three times the land area of Nassau County, the latter still has a much higher population density, given its proximity to New York City. According to the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau's 2008 American Community Survey, Nassau and Suffolk counties had the 10th and 26th highest median household incomes in the nation, respectively. Long Island's population is in decline, having lost over 111,000 residents to other states between 2017 and 2022. An exception was in 2020 during the pandemic, when Long Island saw a small net increase as city residents left for more space. Those who leave Long Island are generally younger than the median resident and less likely to have a four-year degree, children, or high income. Florida, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina are the biggest recipients of ex-Long Islanders. The Island has seen a net increase from New Yorkers leaving other parts of the state, and a net decrease of Long Islanders leaving for other areas in New York. Whites are the largest racial group in all four counties, and are in the majority in Nassau and Suffolk counties. In 2002, ''The New York Times'' cited a study by the non-profit group ERASE Racism, which determined that Nassau and Suffolk counties constitute the most racially segregated suburbs in the United States. In contrast, Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the United States and the most diverse urban area in the world. According to a 2000 report on religion, which asked congregations to respond, Catholic Church, Catholics are the largest religious group on Long Island, with non-affiliated in second place. Catholics make up 52% of the population of Nassau and Suffolk, versus 22% for the country as a whole, with Jews at 16% and 7%, respectively, versus 1.7% nationwide. Churches were asked for their membership numbers. ARDA estimates that most of the churches not reporting were black Protestant congregations. Only a small percentage of Protestantism, Protestants responded, 7% and 8% respectively, for Nassau and Suffolk counties. This is in contrast with 23% for the entire country on the same survey, and 50% on self-identification surveys. A growing population of nearly half a million Chinese people in New York City#Queens (皇后華埠), Chinese Americans now live on Long Island.
Accessed September 3, 2017.
Rapidly expanding Chinatowns in New York, Chinatowns have developed Chinatowns in Brooklyn, in Brooklyn and Chinatowns in Queens, Queens, with Chinese immigrants also moving into Nassau County, as did earlier European immigrants, such as the Irish American, Irish and Italian American, Italians. The busy intersection of Main Street (Queens), Main Street, Kissena Boulevard, and 41st Avenue defines the center of Downtown Flushing and the Flushing Chinatown, known as the "Chinese Times Square" or the "Chinese
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
". The segment of Main Street between Kissena Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue, punctuated by the
Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
Trestle bridge, trestle overpass, represents the cultural heart of the Flushing Chinatown. Housing over 30,000 individuals born in China alone, the largest by this metric outside Asia, Flushing, Queens, Flushing has become home to the largest and one of the fastest-growing Chinatowns in the world as the heart of over 250,000 ethnic Chinese in Queens, representing the largest Chinese population of any U.S. municipality other than New York City in total. Conversely, the Flushing Chinatown has also become the epicenter of prostitution, organized prostitution in the United States, importing women from China, Koreatown, Long Island, Korea, Thailand, and Eastern Europe to sustain the underground North American sex trade. Flushing, Queens, Flushing is undergoing rapid gentrification with investment by Chinese transnational entities. More recently, a Little India (location), Little India community has emerged in Hicksville, New York, Hicksville, Nassau County, spreading eastward from the more established Little India enclaves in Queens. Rapidly growing Chinatowns in New York, Chinatowns have developed in Chinatowns in Brooklyn, Brooklyn and Chinatowns in Queens, Queens, as did earlier European immigrants, such as the Irish and Italians. As of 2019, the Asian population in Nassau County had grown by 39% since 2010 to an estimated 145,191 individuals, including approximately 50,000 Indians in the New York City metropolitan region, Indian Americans and 40,000 Chinese people in New York City, Chinese Americans, as Nassau County has become the leading suburban destination in the U.S. for Chinese emigration, Chinese immigrants. Likewise, the Koreatown, Long Island, Long Island Koreatown originated in Flushing, Queens, and is expanding eastward along Northern Boulevard and into Nassau County. Long Island is home to two Indian reservation, Native American reservations, Poospatuck Reservation, New York, Poospatuck Reservation, and Shinnecock Reservation, New York, Shinnecock Reservation, both in Suffolk County. Numerous island place names are Native American in origin. A 2010 article in ''The New York Times'' stated that the expansion of the immigrant workforce on Long Island has not displaced any jobs from other Long Island residents. Half of the immigrants on Long Island hold white-collar worker, white-collar positions. The counties of Nassau and Suffolk have been long renowned for their affluence. Long Island is home to some of the wealthiest communities in the United States, including The Hamptons, on the East End (Long Island), East End of the South Shore (Long Island), South Shore of Suffolk County; the North Shore (Long Island), Gold Coast, in the vicinity of the island's North Shore, along
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...
; and increasingly, the western shoreline of Brooklyn, facing Manhattan. In 2016, according to ''Business Insider'', the 11962 zip code encompassing Sagaponack, New York, Sagaponack, within Southampton, New York, Southampton, was listed as the most expensive in the U.S., with a median home sale price of $8.5 million.


Economy

Long Island has played a prominent role in
scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and medieval world. The ...
and in
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
. It is the home of the
Brookhaven National Laboratory Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a United States Department of Energy national laboratories, United States Department of Energy national laboratory located in Upton, New York, a hamlet of the Brookhaven, New York, Town of Brookhaven. It w ...
in nuclear physics and United States Department of Energy, Department of Energy research. Long Island is also home to the
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is a private, non-profit institution with research programs focusing on cancer, neuroscience, botany, genomics, and quantitative biology. It is located in Laurel Hollow, New York, in Nassau County, on ...
, which was directed for 35 years by James D. Watson (who, along with Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin, discovered the double helix structure of DNA). Companies such as Sperry Corporation, Computer Associates (headquartered in Islandia, New York, Islandia), Zebra Technologies (now occupying the former headquarters of Symbol Technologies, and a former Grumman plant in Holtsville, New York, Holtsville), have made Long Island a center for the Tech companies on Long Island, computer industry.
Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...
and
New York Institute of Technology The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT or New York Tech) is a Private university, private research university, research university founded in 1955. It has two main campuses in New York (state), New York—one in Old Westbury, on Long I ...
conduct advanced medical and technology, technological research. Long Island is home to the East Coast of the United States, East Coast's largest industrial park, the Hauppauge Industrial Park, hosting over 1,300 companies which employ more than 71,000 individuals. Companies in the park and abroad are represented by the Hauppauge Industrial Association. As many as 20% of Long Islanders commute to jobs in Manhattan. The island's eastern end is still partly agricultural. Development of vineyards on the North Fork has spawned a major viticulture, viticultural industry, replacing potato fields. Pumpkin farms have been added to traditional truck farming. Farms allow fresh fruit picking by Long Islanders for much of the year. Fishing continues to be an important industry, especially at Huntington, New York, Huntington, Northport, New York, Northport, Montauk, New York, Montauk, and other coastal communities of the East End and South Shore. From about 1930 to about 1990, Long Island was considered one of the aerospace manufacturing centers of the United States, with companies such as Grumman, Republic Aviation, Republic, Fairchild Aircraft, Fairchild, and Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, Curtiss having their headquarters and factories on Long Island. These operations have largely been phased out or significantly diminished.


Government and politics

Nassau County and Suffolk County each have their own governments, with a County Executive leading each. Each has a county legislature and countywide-elected officials, including district attorney, county clerk, and county comptroller. The Political subdivisions of New York State#Town, towns in both counties have their own governments as well, with town supervisors and a town council. Nassau County is divided into three Political subdivisions of New York State#Town, towns and two small incorporated cities (Glen Cove, New York, Glen Cove and Long Beach, New York, Long Beach). Suffolk County is divided into ten towns.
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
and
Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
, on the other hand, do not have official county governments and are represented only by the Kings County and Queens County District Attorneys, respectively, who work for the State of New York. As borough (New York City), boroughs of New York City, both have Borough President, borough presidents, which have been largely ceremonial offices since the shutdown of the New York City Board of Estimate. The respective Borough Presidents are responsible for appointing individuals to the Community Boards of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Community Boards and Community Boards of Queens, Queens Community Boards, each of which serves an advisory function on local issues. Brooklyn's sixteen members and Queens' fourteen members represent the first and second largest borough contingents of the New York City Council.


Law enforcement

Queens and Brooklyn are patrolled by the New York City Police Department. Nassau and Suffolk counties are served by the Nassau County Police Department (New York), Nassau County Police Department and Suffolk County Police Department, respectively, although several dozen villages and the two cities in Nassau County have their own police departments. The Nassau County Sheriff's Department (New York), Nassau County Sheriff's Department and Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County Sheriff's Office handle civil procedure, evictions, warrant service and enforcement, prisoner transport and detention, and operation of the county jails. The Suffolk County Sheriff also has a patrol division, and in 2008, had patrol duties along the Long Island Expressway, when the County Executive briefly disbanded the Suffolk County Police Highway Patrol Division. The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office is the oldest law enforcement agency in the State of New York, founded in the year 1683. New York State Police patrol List of New York state parks, state parks and Parkways in New York, parkways. The several SUNY colleges and universities are patrolled by the New York State University Police.


Statehood proposals

The secession of Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island from New York State was proposed as early as 1896, but talk was revived towards the latter part of the twentieth century. On March 28, 2008, Suffolk County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki proposed a plan that would make Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island the 51st state of the United States of America. Sawicki claimed all of Nassau and Suffolk taxpayers' money would remain locally, rather than the funds being dispersed all over the entire state of New York, with these counties sending to Albany, New York, Albany over three billion dollars more than they receive. The state of Long Island would have included nearly 3 million people (a larger population than that of fifteen other states). Nassau County executive Ed Mangano came out in support of such a proposal in April 2010 and commissioned a study on it.


Education


Primary and secondary education

Many public and private high schools on Long Island are ranked among the best in the United States. Nassau and Suffolk counties are the home of List of school districts in New York#Long Island Region, 125 public school districts containing List of Long Island public school districts and schools, 656 public schools. Brookhaven Public Schools is the largest district. It also hosts private schools such as Friends Academy, Chaminade High School, Kellenberg Memorial High School, St. Anthony's High School (New York), St. Anthony's High School, and North Shore Hebrew Academy. There also are many parochial schools on Long Island, including several operated by the Catholic Church, Catholic Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, Diocese of Rockville Centre. In contrast, all of Brooklyn and Queens are served by the New York City Department of Education, the largest school district in the United States. Three of the nine specialized high schools in New York City are in the two Long Island boroughs, those being Brooklyn Latin School, Brooklyn Technical High School (one of the original three specialized schools), and Queens High School for the Sciences. Like Nassau and Suffolk counties, they are home to private schools such as Poly Prep Country Day School, Packer Collegiate Institute, and Saint Ann's School (Brooklyn), Saint Ann's School, and Berkeley Carroll School, and parochial schools operated by the Catholic Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, Diocese of Brooklyn.


Colleges and universities

Long Island is home to a range of higher education institutions, both public and private. Brooklyn and Queens contain five of eleven senior colleges within City University of New York, CUNY, the public university system of New York City and one of the largest in the country. Among these are the notable institutions of Brooklyn College and Queens College. Brooklyn also contains private colleges such as Pratt Institute and the
New York University Tandon School of Engineering The New York University Tandon School of Engineering (commonly referred to as Tandon) is the engineering and applied sciences school of New York University. Tandon is the second oldest private engineering and technology school in the United St ...
, the engineering school of New York University. Several colleges and universities within the State University of New York system are on Long Island, including
Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...
, Nassau Community College, and Suffolk County Community College. Notable private universities on Long Island include Molloy University in Rockville Centre, the
New York Institute of Technology The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT or New York Tech) is a Private university, private research university, research university founded in 1955. It has two main campuses in New York (state), New York—one in Old Westbury, on Long I ...
in Old Westbury, New York, Old Westbury, Hofstra University in Hempstead (village), New York, Hempstead, Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, Garden City, Long Island University (with its LIU Post, C.W. Post campus on a former Gold Coast estate in Brookville, New York, Brookville and a LIU Brooklyn, satellite campus in downtown Brooklyn), the Webb Institute, a small naval architecture college in Glen Cove, New York, Glen Cove, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, a United States service academies, U.S. service academy in Kings Point, New York, Kings Point, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore.


Culture


Music

Music on Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk) is strongly influenced by the proximity to New York City and by the youth culture of the suburbs. Psychedelic rock was widely popular in the 1960s as flocks of disaffected youth travelled to NYC to participate in protest and the culture of the time. Rhythm and blues also has a history on Long Island, most notably Huntington, New York, Huntington-born Mariah Carey, one of the top-selling musicians of all time. In the late 1970s through the 1980s, the influence of radio station WLIR made Long Island one of the first places in the nation to hear and embrace European New wave music, New Wave bands, including Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, and Culture Club. In the 1990s, hip hop music became popular. Rap pioneers Rakim, EPMD, De La Soul, MF Doom, and Public Enemy grew up on Long Island. Long Island was the home of a bustling emo scene in the 2000s, with bands such as Brand New (band), Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Straylight Run, From Autumn to Ashes and As Tall as Lions. Rock bands from Long Island include the Rascals, the Ramones (from Queens), Dream Theater, Blue Öyster Cult, Twisted Sister, and guitar virtuosos Buck Dharma, Donald (Buck Dharma) Roeser, John Petrucci, Steve Vai, and Joe Satriani, and drummer Mike Portnoy. Rock and pop singer Billy Joel grew up in Hicksville, New York, Hicksville, and his music references Long Island and his youth. Nassau Coliseum and Jones Beach Theater are venues used by national touring acts as performance spaces for concerts. Jones Beach Theater is a popular place to view summer concerts that feature new and classic artists. It also hosts a large Independence Day (United States), Fourth of July fireworks show annually. Long Island is also known for its school music programs. Many schools in both Nassau and Suffolk County have distinguished music programs, with high numbers of students who are accepted into the statewide All-State music groups, or even the National All-Eastern Coast music groups. Both the Suffolk County and Nassau County Music Educator's Associations are recognized by The National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and host numerous events, competitions, and other music-related activities.


Cuisine

Long Island has historically been a center for fishing and seafood. This legacy continues in the Blue Point, New York, Blue Point oyster, a now ubiquitous variety originally harvested on the Great South Bay that was the favorite oyster of Queen Victoria. Clams are also a popular food and clam digging a popular recreational pursuit, with Manhattan clam chowder reputed to have Long Island origins. Of land-based produce, Long Island duck has a history of national recognition since the 19th century, with four duck farms continuing to produce 2 million ducks a year . Two symbols of Long Island's duck farming heritage are the Long Island Ducks minor-league baseball team and the Big Duck, a 1931 duck-shaped building that is a historic landmark and tourist attraction. In addition to Long Island's duck industry, Riverhead, New York, Riverhead contains one of the largest American bison, buffalo farms on the East coast. Long Island is well known for its production of alcoholic beverages. Eastern Long Island is a significant producer of Long Island AVA, wine. Vineyards are most heavily concentrated on Long Island's North Fork (Long Island), North Fork, which contains 38 wineries. Most of these contain tasting rooms, which are popular attractions for visitors from across the New York metropolitan area. Long Island has also become a producer of diverse craft beers, with 15 microbrewery, microbreweries across Nassau and Suffolk counties . The largest of these is Blue Point Brewing Company, best known for its ''toasted lager''. Long Island is also globally known for its signature cocktail, the Long Island Iced Tea, which was purportedly invented at the popular Babylon Town ''Oak Beach Inn'' nightclub in the 1970s. Long Island's eateries are largely a product of the region's local ethnic populations. Asian cuisines, Italian cuisine, Jewish cuisine, and Latin American cuisines were the most popular ethnic cuisines on Long Island as of the second decade of the 2000s. Asian cuisines are predominantly represented by East Asian cuisine, East Asian, South Asian cuisine, South Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisine, Middle Eastern cuisines. Italian cuisine is found in ubiquitous pizzerias throughout the island, with the region hosting an annual competition, the Long Island Pizza Festival & Bake-Off. Jewish cuisine is likewise represented by delicatessens and bagel stores. Latin American cuisines span their geographical origins, from Brazilian cuisine, Brazilian rodizios to Mexican cuisine, Mexican taquerias.


Folklore and urban legends

Long Island has inspired numerous local legends over the centuries from the distant past to the present. For instance, numerous historic buildings and other locations on Long Island are rumored to be haunted including the Fire Island Lighthouse, Lake Ronkonkoma (lake), Lake Ronkonkoma, Mount Misery Road, Country House Restaurant, and Raynham Hall Museum, Raynham Hall. However, the most prominent and supposedly haunted location on Long Island is the Amityville haunting, Amityville Horror House which has inspired numerous Works based on the Amityville haunting, books and horror movies. Long Island has also spawned at least two cryptid legends: the Great South Bay Giant Horseshoe Crab and the famous Montauk Monster the latter of which is at the center of numerous conspiracy theories. Long Island is also home to other stories of conspiracies and government cover-ups mainly centered around Camp Hero State Park, these particular urban legends helped inspire the hit Netflix show Stranger Things. It is also rumored that a UFO crash in Southaven County Park was covered up in 1992. In addition to local legends, Long Island is also the subject of conspiracy theories, notably the Montauk Project. Peter Moon's book ''Pyramids of Montauk'' explores these theories, suggesting connections between Montauk and ancient civilizations.


Sports


Major league sports

The New York Mets of Major League Baseball play at Citi Field in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens. Their former stadium, Shea Stadium, was also home for the New York Jets of the National Football League from 1964 until 1983. The new stadium has an exterior façade and main entry rotunda (architecture), rotunda inspired by
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
's famous Ebbets Field. The Barclays Center, a sports arena, business, and residential complex built partly on a platform over the Atlantic Yards at Atlantic Avenue (New York City), Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, is the home of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty basketball teams. The move from New Jersey in the summer of 2012 marked the return to Long Island for the Nets franchise, which played at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, Uniondale from 1972 to 1977. The New York Islanders hockey team played at Nassau Coliseum from their 1972 inception through 2015, and then splitting time between Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center from 2017 to 2021, playing their last full season at the Nassau Coliseum during the 2020-2021 NHL Season. The Islanders moved full-time to UBS Arena at Belmont Park, in Elmont, New York, in November 2021.


Historical professional teams

Ebbets Field, which stood in Brooklyn from 1913 until its demolition in 1960, was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team, who moved to Los Angeles after the 1957 Major League Baseball season to become the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers won several National League (baseball), National League pennants in the 1940s and 1950s, losing several times in the World Series, often called the Subway Series, to their The Bronx, Bronx rivals, the New York Yankees. The Dodgers won their lone championship in Brooklyn in the 1955 World Series versus the Yankees. Despite this success during the latter part of the team's stay in Brooklyn, they were a second-division team with an unspectacular winning record for much of their history there – but nonetheless became legendary for the almost-fanatical devotion of the Brooklynites who packed the relatively small ballpark to vigorously root for the team they affectionately called, "Dem Bums". Loss of the Dodgers to California was locally considered a civic tragedy that negatively affected the community far more than the similar moves of other established teams to new cities in the 1950s, including the Dodgers' long-time arch-rival New York Giants (NL), New York Giants, who also left for California after 1957.


Minor league sports

Long Island is home to the Long Island Ducks Independent baseball league, independent league team of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, Atlantic League. Their stadium, Bethpage Ballpark, is in Central Islip, New York, Central Islip. The Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team, affiliated with the New York Mets, plays in the High-A classification South Atlantic League. The Cyclones play at MCU Park just off the Riegelmann Boardwalk, Coney Island Boardwalk in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The New York Dragons of the Arena Football League played their home games at Nassau Coliseum. The two main rugby union teams are the Long Island RFC in East Meadow, New York, East Meadow and the Suffolk Bull Moose in Stony Brook, New York, Stony Brook. The Brooklyn Cyclones are a minor league baseball team, affiliated with the New York Mets. The Cyclones play at MCU Park just off the boardwalk on
Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...
in Brooklyn. An artificial turf baseball complex named Baseball Heaven is in Yaphank, New York, Yaphank. The New York Sharks is a women's American football team that is a member of the Women's Football Alliance. The New York Sharks home field is at Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn. The New York Mets planned to move their Double-A farm team to Long Island, as part of the ambitious but now-defunct plan for Nassau County called The Lighthouse Project. Long Island's professional soccer club, the New York Cosmos (2010), New York Cosmos, play in the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, Division 2 North American Soccer League (2011–2017), North American Soccer League at James M. Shuart Stadium in Hempstead, New York, Hempstead. Long Island has historically been a hotbed of lacrosse at the youth and college lacrosse, college level, which made way for a Major League Lacrosse team in 2001, the Long Island Lizards. The Lizards play at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, New York, Uniondale.


Collegiate sports

The Stony Brook Seawolves represent
Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...
, and have had a bevy of athletic accomplishments such as reaching the 2012 College World Series as an underdog after defeating the LSU Tigers baseball, LSU Tigers in a best-of-3 series.


Other sports

Long Island has a wide variety of golf courses found all over the island. Two of the most well-known are the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and the public Bethpage Black Course that has hosted multiple U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Open tournaments and several other top level international championships. Queens also hosts one of the four tennis grand slams, the US Open (tennis), US Open. Every August (September, in Olympic years) the best tennis players in the world travel to Long Island to play the championships held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, adjacent to Citi Field in Flushing Meadows Park. The complex also contains the biggest tennis stadium in the world, the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Long Island also has two horse racing tracks, Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens and Belmont Park on the Queens/Nassau border in Elmont, New York, Elmont, home of the Belmont Stakes. The longest dirt thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred racecourse in the world is also at Belmont Park. Another category of sporting events popular in this region involves Firematic Racing, firematic racing events, involving many local volunteer fire departments.


Notable sports teams


Transportation

Many major forms of transportation serve Long Island, including aviation via John F. Kennedy International Airport,
LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport ( ) – colloquially known as LaGuardia or simply LGA – is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, situated on the North Shore (Long Island), northwestern shore of Long Island, bord ...
, and
Long Island MacArthur Airport Long Island MacArthur Airport , formerly known as Islip Airport, is a public airport in Ronkonkoma, New York, within the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, on Long Island. Covering , the airport was established in 1942, activated in 1943, and b ...
, and multiple smaller airports; commuter rail, rail transportation via the
Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
and the New York City Subway; bus routes via MTA Regional Bus Operations, Nassau Inter-County Express, and Suffolk County Transit; ferry service via NYC Ferry and multiple smaller ferry companies; and several major highways. There are historic and modern bridges, and Trails on Long Island, recreational and commuter trails, serving various parts of Long Island. There are eleven road crossings out of Long Island, all but one providing Brooklyn-Manhattan, Queens-Manhattan, and Queens-Bronx connections across the East River, with the Triborough Bridge providing two connections from Queens, one each to Manhattan and the Bronx. The single non-East River crossing is the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, connecting Brooklyn to
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
across
The Narrows The Narrows is the tidal strait separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City. It connects the Upper New York Bay and Lower New York Bay (of larger New York Bay) and forms the principal channel by which the Hudson Ri ...
. Plans for a Long Island Sound link at locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties (a proposed bridge or tunnel that would link Long Island to the south with
Westchester County, New York Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...
or Connecticut to the north across Long Island Sound) have been discussed for decades, but there are no plans to construct such a crossing.


Public transportation

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority operates mass transit, mass transportation for the
New York metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also called the Tri-State area and sometimes referred to as Greater New York, is the List of cities by GDP, largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a List of U.S. metropolitan areas by GDP, gross metropo ...
including all five boroughs of New York City, the suburban counties of Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess, Nassau, Orange County, New York, Orange, Putnam County, New York, Putnam, Rockland County, New York, Rockland, Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk, and Westchester County, New York, Westchester, all of which together are the "Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD)". The MTA considers itself to be the largest regional public transportation provider in the Western Hemisphere. , MTA agencies move about 8.6 million customers per day (translating to 2.65 billion rail and bus customers a year). The MTA's systems carry over 11 million passengers on an average weekday systemwide, and over 850,000 vehicles on its MTA Bridges and Tunnels, seven toll bridges and two tunnels per weekday.


Rail

The
Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
(LIRR) is North America's busiest Commuter rail in North America, commuter railroad system, carrying an average of 282,400 passengers each weekday on 728 daily trains. Chartered on April 24, 1834, and operating continuously since, it is also the oldest railroad in the U.S. that still operates under its original charter and name. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has operated the LIRR as one of its two commuter railroads since 1966, and the LIRR is one of the few railroads worldwide that provides service 24/7, all the time, year round. A $2 billion plan to add a third railroad track to the LIRR Main Line (Long Island Rail Road), Main Line between the Floral Park (LIRR station), Floral Park and Hicksville stations in Nassau County was completed in 2022, and an expansion of the Ronkonkoma Branch from one to two tracks was completed in 2018. Five "readiness projects" across the LIRR system, which cost a combined $495 million, were built in preparation for expanded peak-hour LIRR service after the completion of East Side Access, which brings LIRR trains to Grand Central Madison in Manhattan.


Bus

Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) provides bus service in Nassau County, while Suffolk County Transit, an agency of the Suffolk County government, provides bus service in Suffolk County. In 2012, NICE replaced the former Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA's Long Island Bus in transporting Long Islanders across Nassau County while allowing them to use MTA MetroCard (New York City), MetroCards as payment.


Roads

The Long Island Expressway, Northern State Parkway, and Southern State Parkway, all products of the automobile-centered planning of Robert Moses, are the island's primary east–west high-speed controlled-access highways.


Ground transportation

Several hundred transportation companies service the Long Island and New York City areas. Winston Airport Shuttle, the oldest of these companies in business since 1973, was the first to introduce door-to-door shared-ride service to and from the major airports, which almost all transportation companies now use.


Notable people


See also

* Coastal Connecticut * Geography of New York City * Jersey Shore * List of films shot on Long Island * List of Long Island recreational facilities * List of tallest buildings on Long Island * Long Island (proposed state) * Timeline of town creation in Downstate New York *
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...
* Fire Island


Notes


References


External links

* {{Coord, 40.8, N, 73.3, W, display=title, scale:10000000000000000000_source:dewiki Long Island, Coastal islands of New York (state) Islands of New York City Islands of New York (state) Landforms of Long Island Moraines of the United States New York metropolitan area