Fire Island, Summer Island, Summer fun in NY

During the summer time me and friends get away to Fire Island. About 2 hours away from NYC, the island found south of Long Island in the Atlantic Ocean. Our 2 points of interest here however are Cherry Grove and The Pines. These sites have become over the years the summer home and playground for the GLBT community.

The train commute from NYC takes about 1.45mins in the LIRR to Sayville Train Station. The the crowd takes the taxis services to the Sayville Ferry docks (a 5 minute ride). And then you take the 15 minute ride on the ferry to your destination.

Cherry Grove (AKA The Grove) is basically a small town where most of the summer residences, restaurants, and hotels are located. Some bars and nightclubs are also located here. You can find the Grove Hotel and Ice Palace here, as well as The Belvedere (a clothing optional resort). During our summers The Grove is the place where we spend most of our day relaxing, enjoying the beach, and the view (the boys).

The Cherry Pit bar

The Belvedere

The Pines in contrast is where the nightlife happens. Although Cherry Grove has a large night scene, most of the bigger parties happen in The Pines.To get to the Pines one can take the ferry directly there, or walk from The Grove through "the woods" (aka "the meat rack"). This 10 minute walk can turn into an adventure as many people prey these labyrinth like woods for sexual encounters. At night there are no lights to illuminate the way, so you're phone will have to do. Even then, you can get disoriented on the many forked paths, and find many more people looking out for a good time.

One of events of the summer season is the "Invasion of the Pines" in which hundreds of Drag Queens visit the island to take part on the parade and contest for the tittle of Miss Fire Island.

Unfortunately last year a fire consume one of the most visited clubs, The Pavillion. We all hope it will be rebuilt soon.

Picture source: Dossier: Invasion of the Pines by Katherine Krause
dossierjournal.com

The Pavillion (before the fire)

So far I have gone once for a weekend getaway, but I can't wait fore more visits with my friends. Fire Island is a place to forget your worries and enjoy life while you're there.