Back to the Basics

Long Island is considered part of the Northeast and more specifically New England region of the United States. It also is part of one of the largest Megalopolis regions in the country. Basically most of Long Island is one town right next to the next. Except for the Eastern portions of Long Island which still contain farms, and cranberry bogs, and vineyards. Long Island is divided up into towns, that are further divided into hamlets (unincorporated  villages) and incorporated villages.  For example I grew up in the Town if Islip, in the hamlet or village of Sayville, we called it a village.

As you can see in the satellite map of Long Island, it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the South, the Long Island Sound on the North, and New York City and Staten Island/ The Hudson River on the West.  Just to the North across the Long Island Sound is Connecticut. The small sliver of land across from the main body of Long Island is called Fire Island, a barrier beach with the Great South Bay in between Fire Island and Long Island.  Where I grew up is on the South shore of Long Island right about at the middle.


Long Island when it was first populated by settlers was mostly farming, and fishing, the east end was known for whaling. However as the United States grew, and especially New York City, the population slowly expanded outward onto the island. My grandmothers family were farmers and when she was a child the land which I had known as a massive expanse of tract housing had used to be several family farms, vegetables, corn especially, and there were many dairy farms. Today it is all housing the last few farms in my small hometown that I can remember were bought up and developed in the 1990's. Urban progress I guess, mostly due in thanks to Robert Moses but we will touch base with that topic later on.