Find us a beach house/town

Here's an option:
http://www.avon-by-the-sea.com/
Friends love it. Still has some Irish-blue-collar flavor.

Long Beach, LI....53 mins on the train direct....condos on the boardwalk with bungalows/small houses in the West End....no need for a car

Tough criteria! Let's clarify:
1. Do you want to rely exclusively on the train, or do you just want that flexibility?
4. Do you do well with "nothing to do", or do you need out-of-home activities?
5. Do you also want open ocean, or only calm water? For that matter, does a lake beach your thing, or do you need saltwater?

Cold Spring Harbor might fit the bill. Might be too close-in, though.

Bay Head, NJ. Spent my summers just South of there in Mantoloking.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Head,_New_Jersey

Do those towns down the shore and Long Beach, LI, have calm-water beaches also, or just open ocean?

I went to Long Beach LI for the first time earlier this summer since a friend plays beach volleyball there all the time. Here are my thoughts:

- Amazing proximity to Manhattan -- quick train ride on the LIRR from Penn Sta, it's literally a commute you could do to work and back every day.
- This is a legitimate beach town! Has a beachy feel.
- Looong walk from the train to western end (nicer?) part, a cab ride $10 was necessary
- Has a definite blue collar flavor to it -- gold chains and velour track suits were spotted -- this is NOT a bookish UWS crowd -- it's pretty Long Islandy, or shall we say "diverse"
- Small cute bungalow houses are cramped together, but that's not really a bad thing.
- Beach is ok, no it's not East Hampton quality, but the sand was ok and water only very slightly icky (sea-weedy and cloudy on that day). I ran eastward a couple miles and back and it was pretty much the same the whole way -- not great, but not bad either.

Would I buy a place here? Probably not. Would I recommend that EVERY NY-er take a ride out and spend a day? ABSOLUTELY

Spring Lake NJ or something similar might be better (but more $$)

Ocean Grove, NJ - has the feel of Cape May without the 3 1/2 hour drive. And accessible by train.

Great thread! More please! Same criteria (sorry to pile on nyc10023) but I don't mind driving a bit and would like to avoid LI.

A well kept secret: Groton Long Point, CT

Less than 3 hours on I95. Amtrak service from Mystic CT. If you have kids and want an idyllic postcard-perfect New England beachfront town.

http://www.mygrotonlongpoint.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=content.start&contentid=E05CBEC7-A0C5-4348-AA667CB5E579A297&title=Groton%20Long%20Point

OP: You lost me at Jodi P & Nichols S. ???

Maybe CT towns like Guilford or Madison. Have spent a lot of time in Madison...it's pretty lovely. Also has a fantastic, popular book shop, RJ Julia.

picoult and sparks. Guilford and Madison CT are lovely and meet the criteria. Branford, Stony Creek for instance is also very nice.

saltaire, fire island

If you are looking for calm waters, the LI Sound and Peconic Bay beaches might be more your thing. North Fork of Long Island is less than a two hour train or Jitney ride. Farm country on the beach.

W81: Funny you should say Avon by the Sea, it's on my watchlist. As is Ocean Grove.

I'm not totally in love with the beach at Avon or the town bit. Neptune (right next to Avon) seems sketchy to me. We've been to Ocean Grove many times. The homes are mostly Victorian and many are under 500k. The beach is nice. The issue is that the homes are all land lease from the Methodist Camp Association for 99 years. Makes me nervous.

LBI - interesting. I have some friends who suggest joining a beach club there, and being a daytripper. That way, you can keep some stuff there, and it's an easy commute. Much cheaper than owning real estate.

Alan:

1) We need an alternative mode of transportation as we will probably be heading down at different times. Don't want to own 2 cars, let alone 1.
2) I need stuff to do. Cafes, bookshops, theaters, restaurants.
3) Don't need salt water (in fact, would prefer a lake). But need a long stretch of mosquito-free beach for the kids.

nyc10023 -- in my experience lakes *always* have mosquitos. and many salt-water beach areas have mosquitos too... I'm thinking Cape Cod and Nantucket. If you want mosquito-free you need to not be near anything wet or shady.

jeez...get a pool. than it doesn't matter where you are.

p.s. kids love pools. big pools.

We have the pool already - the JCC pool. Having my own pool would freak me out, with the kids.

hold on...you want the ocean or a lake but a pool freaks you out?

by the way...your own pool is not even close to the JCC deal.

nyc10023: Are you looking for a town on the beach or looking inland as well? I ask because you mentioned Neptune. If so, Spring Lake Heights is a better choice.

I wouldn't worry about the 99 year lease in Ocean Grove. The issues there are parking and small lots (no backyards). It also does not have its own train station so you have to use Asbury or Bradley Beach (nor does Avon). The south side of Bradley Beach bordering Avon may not be a bad option. Much cheaper than Avon. The North End of Belmar is a little more expensive but still cheaper than Avon and quiet.

Aside from the seafood places, don't raise your expectations too much for the restaurants down there though.

nyc10023, are you willing to keep the car at a train station close to your final destination? the combo of interesting town environment, water, and transportation can be tough.

CC: yes, I'm more scared about my kids around a pool as opposed to a lake/ocean - they stay far away from the water's edge as they are way more intrigued by the sand.

AR: Maybe. Depends on if we need a car to go to the beach (as is true of much of the Hamptons).

Malthus: Yes, looking for a town on the beach. Rumson area might work - it's not on the ocean beach per se, but has waterfront (and beach?) and is sheltered from flooding (I presume?) by Sea Bright.

Long Beach is the best - an hour by train from NYC, large choice of restaurants, night life. No need to own a car. Not many mosquitoes, at least toward the ocean side.

Maraman: will check out LB and beach clubs this summer, for sure. Sounds intriguing and close!

Spring Lake

nyc10023, are you consdiering quality of schools in your search? Maybe as an option if you wanted to leave the city for a spell?

Quality of schools not a factor.

Long Beach, I surf there but my wife and kids don't care for it...not quite the charming beach town-but it is close.

Ocean Grove is a great little find(found!), spent many weekends as a kid painting the rooms in B&B's in exchange for a place to stay/surf. In the 70's we called it "Ocean Grave", it's had it's share of ups and downs(at one point in the 80's we thought it would never recover. All the cute B&B's were turned into rooming houses for the flux of mental patients released during the 80s. Ironically as pointed out, the church owns all the land, but it was the gay's who breathed life back into the town. In the 70's and 80's all cars had to be removed from the town by 12:00am Sunday and they closed off the gates, it was pretty cool. Still you can't use the beach until 12pm on Sundays, which annoys some people.

Another cool place for a day trip is "Island Beach State Park", near Seaside Park. Limited access and undeveloped (except for some service areas), just dunes and quiet pristine beaches(You won't feel like you're at the Jersey Shore anymore),lol.

we love the beach and are off to Wellfleet (Cape Cod) tomorrow, enjoy the rest of your summer!

nyc10023: Check out Moonstruck in Asbury (started in OG), great food and drink, our friends own it.

Why is it not a big deal that Ocean Grove is all 99-year land lease?

I think the only real problem is securing a mortgage, of course they are available-but somewhat limited options. Not sure of any other negative implications, but I'm sure there are some.

The yearly rent is $10.50, that's bound to go up. If prices were say, 50, 100k, 150k, not a big deal, but they're averaging 500k which is a lot to risk for non-freehold, short-term land lease (I'm assuming that there are not many years left).

I vote for Long Beach, Long Island too. Convenient, no need for a car at all. Different parts of town -- East End has luxury high rises, loads of restaurants and stores, movie theatre and a board walk. West End has bungaloos (as well as multi million dollar homes on the beach and bay) and more of a casual beach town feel with casual restaurants and stores. Further west on the same island is Atlantic Beach, with beach clubs and more suburban type homes and pools. All this within a relatively small island and nice beaches with the LIRR. To the comment above about the water, the Atlantic changes frequently. Given the frequent storms this year it is pretty sandy (cloudy) and there has been a lot of seaweed turned up. This isn't particular to Long Beach, just to the weather patterns. Usually long beach is quite beautiful. Also to the comment about, I wouldn't call it too "diverse" generally it's a mix of Irish, Italian and Jewish Americans. But it is very laid back and has a small town feel, at least in the west end.

I live in the city for most of the year and live in LB from Memorial to Labor Day and do the commute (which sadly goes from 20 mins to 1 1/2 hours...one way!)....

Consistent with the other posters, there is plenty of "diversity" out here and is definitely a rugged town feel....but the ability to commute (if you choose), lack of bugs (have not seen a mosquito all summer...even after all rain in June) the proximity to the beach from anywhere in the city and the beautiful beaches make it all worth it...

In addition, there are beach clubs in Atlantic Beach that I go to so all in all not a bad choice

nyc10023, you need to tell us a bit more about what you've seen, liked, disliked ... because each area and each town within those areas are radically different in what you're getting and what the lifestyle is.

For example: Long Beach is basically a city by the sea; Fire Island is pretty much you and the surf, sand and sun; each Hamptons village has its own "thing" going on; Jersey Shore is usually more about the seaside small-towns.

Do you want really bad suburban destination restaurants? Does "cooking" mean gourmet, fresh ingredients, or does it mean Kraft General Foods offerings?

Would it ruin your getaway experience to hop in a car and drive a bit to businesses, but otherwise be in a more idyllic setting?

Can you tolerate rocks on your beach, if it means the rocks in your vodka will be more enjoyable?

PS, it's okay if you wind up sounding like you don't like anyplace, because this is clearly going to be a matter of tradeoffs. So tell us each thing you like AND dislike about the various options you've seen.

Don't be shy about saying "I want a place with enough density for a movie theater, but I'm turned off by the mass-tourist aspect of a boardwalk".

Hmm...this is an intriguing topic. Hubby and I toy with the idea of a country home. Though, I would like one within a 1-2 hr drive of a beach for the summer months. Wondering how much you would use it for a purchase to be worthwhile vs. renting a nice beach house from time to time (We'd be lucky to get away 1x a month...hopefully you are luckier). Would you want to own a house on the beach when its not beach season? Why the train? I'm just curious - summer car rentals can be mighty steep.

Alan: you raise very good points. I will post more later.
UWSmom: as always, rent vs. buy price ratio is important. I would pay a small premium for owning versus renting because of the ability to arrange furniture/rooms to your liking and of course, the ability to have useful stuff without needing to lug it out there. It's nice to have a weekend getaway even outside beach season for all those school vacations (and there are many!) Train would be nice as my partner would still be toiling away in the city, and we'd come up from Thursday-Monday, and he could then travel independently without needing another car.

I haven't looked into the Rumson area at all, but assuming beaches & prices & town are good, something like that would work out well. We could be down there all summer, and partner could commute (it's a pleasant ferry ride, I hear) for much of it.

"Wondering how much you would use it for a purchase to be worthwhile vs. renting a nice beach house from time to time (We'd be lucky to get away 1x a month"

a 2nd home could become a little headache without time to enjoy it, as it'll add to your chores. renting is care free though. my bet is that if you can use it 3 months it's worthwhile (adding up weekends). inheriting a 2nd home free and clear is great, buying one might not make a whole lot of sense without much leisure time.

Also, what's your maximum train-to-door driving time?

Ah, yes, train for hubby would be a nice option. Not so much for luggage and kids ;). Just another thought (I'm sorry that I don't have beach town suggestions to offer...i hope others do for you) - I wonder if there are nice lake towns that fit your same criteria. My thought is they might be less crowded, less touristy, less rowdy, more relaxing, and still offer the kids the fun beachy/water experience. Plus, you might be more likely to score a full house for a beach condo price. I could be completely wrong...just thinking out loud. Sounds nice to me, but you may already be set on a beach town. Good Luck!

Fire Island is the best for kids

ah, i see alan suggested a lake. I never read thoroughly before I post. sorry.

i've been to ocean grove once and loved it. question for those familiar - i seem to remember it as being a "dry" (no alcohol) town? is this the case? also nyc10023, i still think you should look into saltaire on fire island. it is beautiful and idyllic.

"Maybe CT towns like Guilford or Madison. Have spent a lot of time in Madison...it's pretty lovely. Also has a fantastic, popular book shop, RJ Julia."

Second that. Madison is gorgeous.

That being said, I don't love the fact that the commuter trains ends at new haven, and then you have to switch (which can take 20 minutes of waiting) to shoreline east, and then that moves a little slow.

10022 why not just grab at cab @ NH Station if the wait doesn't work for your sched? Too pricey?

i vote for this one. needs a little tweaking, but overall, cute and cozy.

http://www.wpsir.com/detail.aspx?mlsid=M9117034

some of the shore areas east of New Haven are quite nice.

10023, how nice of a beach do you need, and is a 15 minute or so drive to the lake ok or do you want to roll out onto the beach? for example, near Lenox/Lee there is an OK lake where they import the sand, it isn't so crowded usually, but the really great thing about it is that it is in a wonderful area for other things to do (particularly as the kids get older). hiking, movies, skiing, very good dining, bookstores, etc. are all there but you can find a decent place within your budget quite easily (and very low RE taxes). transportation would be the issue, you would have to pick up at the train station which is a bit of a hike. there's a lake in Canaan, NY, other side of the Berkshires, which would i think be closer to transportation but a bit further from the cultural aspects. this lake is not public, but properties within a fairly broad area have lake rights.

10023: Rumson is about as expensive as you can get at the Shore (where Bruce, Bon Jovi, etc have their mansions) but should be other towns around it that are less pricey. Advantage of that area is not only proximity to NY but proximity to Red Bank, which has more of those other factors you are looking for (cafes, theaters, etc.) than any other town near the beach.

to uwsmom-cute house, but have you heard of Lyme's disease? With all that tall grass and the creek, you would have to do an intense tic check on the kids and any pets daily.

You might check out Fair Haven. Also, look into the availability of joining the beach clubs (don't know if they have waiting lists) because the public beaches have less appeal. If there's a two year wait to join them (there are several, but the closer to the bridge the better- traffic) you might want to get your names in now.

skippy - i actually did think of that. there's serious landscaping to do there too. was just playing. cute house.

nice house in Madison CT -- too much outside work. New Haven/Morris Cove is also nice - just a few mins by car from the NH train station

I've lived in Long Beach near the beach for 8 years. Taxes are HIGH, check that out, schools are not the best (and yes you care if you're ever going to sell that place some day.)

However the beach is really kept clean by all our tax dollars (and they are charging nonresidents $10 a day at the beach this year! Outrageous!). This is not strictly a working class town, but it's not artsy either. All walks of life, small houses sit next to mansions. No bookstores. Very diverse place racially, ethnically, religously, and sexual preference-ly too.

Commuting to Manhattan is a one-seat ride on most trains, you always get a seat going out, you can fall asleep on the way home because the train terminates in Long Beach.

{Manhattan real estate agent.}

Atlantic Beach shares the same island with Long Beach. It's more quiet, the beaches are nicer and effectively private (though less attractive for surfers).

"If you want mosquito-free you need to not be near anything wet or shady."

That rules out Alpine292...

Oh snap! That's cold...

Here are the places I've visited and what I think of each:

Jersey Shore:
Sea Girt, Avon by the Sea, Belmar, Asbury Park
Beaches are okay, not great, the water can be filled with seaweed, jellyfish. I like the proximity to NYC, train links. Retail/cafes vary from town to town, I like Ocean Grove, feels isolated from the more sketchy towns but have quandaries about buying bcs of the land lease situation. Avon by the Sea - like the proximity to beach, seems a little sleepier as far as cafe scene goes. Don't like the neighboring Neptune City area.
Most of the Jersey Shore rentals/sales I've seen don't have pools.

LI:
Hamptons - obviously each town has its own character. In general, like the "Manhattan" amenities (gym, shopping, Fresh Direct avail.). Like the beaches (hate the parking permit hassles) & water. Dislike the in-town traffic, and can't afford a house that's close to town and beaches (am I wrong?) Rail/jitney - good.

Intrigued by, but never been to:
Fire Island - seems like it would have everything that we like. Shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants, narrowness means easy access to beach. Is there a schlepping service that will help me take my 10 loads of stuff from the boat to my house? If there isn't, that would be a great service to start. I would never buy on Fire Island due to (seemingly) precarious nature of a barrier island. The rental prices for a house with pool seem on par with the Hamptons, so really it would be a question as to which we'd prefer.

Long Beach + beach club membership. Like the idea of proximity to NYC, though taking the train with 3 kids by myself is probably out of the question. Maybe the idea here is to get a membership at a beach club and zipcar down on a nice day. This way, our family doesn't get separated during the week, and we can go when it's nice, avoid being stuck out there on a nasty day.

Rumson area - seems like a reasonable schlep to water, sheltered from the ocean by a barrier island. Easy daily commute to Manhattan for my partner.

rumson is on my list to live full time if we end up buying in nj, it's really beautiful. check out this house, selling for less than what they paid in 2007. it's close to the bay and your kids can ride their bikes across the bridge to the beach.

http://www.trulia.com/property/1080936201-116-Monmouth-Ave-Rumson-NJ-07760

it's also a pretty amazing example of bubble mania.
05/24/2005 Sold $700,000 Public record
08/24/2001 Sold $284,000 Public record

nuts!

Hmm, this is more my style http://www.trulia.com/property/1075468570-22-Navesink-Ave-Rumson-NJ-07760. Or the cheaper ones on Waterman. But if I were looking to buy, I would go around and make 40% off bids.

I grew up in Rumson. I recall you need to be a member of a beach club to enjoy the ocean. Rumson is primarily a suburb.

It strikes me as a bit odd to see a thread mentioning the Hamptons, Asbury Park and environs, Fire Island, Long Beach, and Rumson as alternatives. If you really like one, you will not like the others because they are so different from each other.

For a family keeping a primary home in Manhattan, my vote for a beach community is for Saltaire, Fire Island. I imagine homes don't trade there very often, and when they do, they trade at fancy prices. You don't need a car, and you have train/ferry access for independent travel. It's very family friendly, and you feel like you are a world away from NYC while still fairly close. Of course, there are other communities on Fire Island that may suit singles and couples better.

Can't believe no one has mentioned LBI...northside towns like Harvey Cedars and Barnegat Light...it's like a Nantucket scene/vibe only about 2hrs from NYC...

can't get there by train.

Hi 10023 and everybody!

Just returned from my first visit to Martha's Vineyard, which I would like to report is the END of the EARTH. (Poor hubby had to go to LA after, and he reported that it took him 19 hours to get from Vineyard Haven to Burbank!.)

I think the problem is that accessibility and bookishness are opposites. MV gets so many writers BECAUSE it's so secluded, you can just hunker down there for the winter and not get distracted. Ditto Sag Harbor, Amagansett -- anything you think of as a "bookish" beach town.

Heaven knows I love Long Beach, LI and was sad to sell our house out there, but it isn't bookish at all. If I had your criteria, I'd probably buy in Westhampton, LI.

warmest
ali r.

Dear ali, hope you had a LOVELY holiday!

> 10022 why not just grab at cab @ NH Station if the wait doesn't work for your sched? Too pricey?

You clearly haven't tried to take a cab from NH.

They have some crazy monopoly, and we're talking occasionally an HOURS wait. I've been stuck quite a few times.

Not to mention, I have to figure that would cost, what, $30-40?

At that point, just drive the whole thing.

The bookish does make it more complicated. Belmar, NJ has condos and has supposedly become very family friendly over the years. I know families with condos there that are very happy. They've been trying to get rid of the guido element but I don't think that will ever go away there.
Spring Lake, NJ and Bay Head, NJ are very nice and not a bad distance. Ocean Grove is nice and cute but what is up with that religious sect that takes up much of the bungalows there? That and the dry town status make it strange for me. Asbury Park is next door but is opposite in so many ways.

I've always been intrigued and tempted to move to Long Beach but it seems more like somewhere you move to rather than have a second home.

Others that haven't been mentioned that you might like, Litchfield CT and Westport CT. Westport is and hour by train and does have a literary scene. David Eggers was honored at the Westport library a few weeks back. Price might be an issue but I do think you can find a beach bungalow or condo in your range. It's got the beach club that you become a member of for free and is great for the kids. They even have a beach camp. It's on the sound but it doesn't seem like that is a deal breaker for you, so why pay the premium for the Atlantic?

I haven't been to Litchfield, CT but it looks beautiful and relaxing and has more of a bookish crowd. Check out the town of Kent.

Fire Island is great and family friendly but it feels like planes, trains and automobiles to get there.

In the East End, Sag Harbor or the North Fork would work. You can't avoid the Hamptons scene in Sag but it's a much more laid back town and does have a literary scene, antique shops and great restaurants.

You really should do weekly rentals in some of these places because they're all vastly different and the one thing we can't account for is your personality.

Good luck. This is a fun dilemma.

yes, 22, yes i've caught many a cab from NH and yes it's like cab opec. hours wait, never experienced tho i can believe it would happen. If the cab came quickly, $30 to Madison is short money.

cab from nh (never had any prob) or take the shore line east (great short run commuter line btwn nh and new london) right to town--plenty of nice communitieis incl madison--many very cheap, others pricey all very rerasonable--and the ct river vaslley up from old saybrook is nice too

Have you looked into Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat on the French Riviera? I doubt you can afford it, but Nice Airport it's only about 6 hours away by plane, a few minutes away from Monaco and absolutely chic!

Was okay before the 1950s or so.

Alanhart, I'll think of you while my Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 is driving down the fabulous rocky road and pulling up to the valet at Nikki Beach club house in Ramatuelle.

wb--you want us to think you know wealth--clearly you have been employed by the wealthy--very impressive

he can wax and vaccuum a lamborghini like nobody's business.

Whatever, fine, Consuela, drive your Murkylake PV360 to Ikky Beach in Ramallah, we're terribly terribly impressed.

Wow, that's an image, and it certainly calls for a soundtrack ... just when I hadn't listened to the Dimitri from Paris CD in YEARS ...

ali r.

Wonderboy: It may surprise you to know that the French Riviera is, often, MUCH cheaper than beach towns within a 3 hour drive of Manhattan.

I was toying with the idea of buying within 2 hours drive of Nice airport, but we'd really not use more than 2 weeks/year and we are spoiled with rental choices out there.

This summer, we're renting in the heart of the Riviera, 5 mins walk to the beach, "luxury" new construction, completely furnished (none of this chintzy crap so prevalent here), 3 bedroom will cost approx. $2500 US for the week. Cost of the apt approx. 500k USD.

And at this price point, we had a LOT of choices. If we wanted to pay $10k+/week, that would have propelled us to the 6 bedroom+ villa, with pool, etc. Compare and contrast that with what you can get within 3 hours of NYC.

I have a feeling I know the French Riviera a little better than you.

FP: intriguing. Why did you own in LB?

That's great.. enjoy the home and all its benefits on the beach... but please 10023... when that noreaster comes and splits your home in two.. .please don't come begging the federal gov't to provide hurricane insurance... really I don't mind Billy Joel, Seinfeld, Geffen et.al. blocking my beach access and calling the cops b/c some "minorities" are having a nice bar-b-q and singing in their native language.. but when the storms comes don't ask for hand-outs from the rest of us. OMG, it's like Goldman Sachs.... we only need insurance for AIG's counterparty risk... now that's all passed... damn (insert minority invectives) get off my fucking beach!

it's amazing Sienfeld/Geffen can demand federal hurricane insurance cause there is no private insurance......

23: I had gone splitsville from my partner in the Village (this was years before I met the marvelous Mr. FP) and I had extra cash, a burning desire to get out of Manhattan, and a love for the beach. Plus I am just not a Brooklyn person.

nyc10023, I'm curious ... where are you with this? Do you still have the same criteria ... better sense of priorities and tradeoffs?

nyc10023, You mentioned that the Hamptons were unaffordable if you want proximity to the beach, but there are some areas that are not the "typical Hamptons" The Shinnicock Hills area of Hampton Bays (i.e. the peconic bay beaches just east of the shinnecock canal is a great little area. There is a LIRR stop in town (a few minutes away by car), a movie theater, and good restaurants all without the prices and traffic of south or east hampton. The local population is more blue collar, but becoming more UWS every year.
Favorites on the north fork of LI are New Suffolk and Greenport. I've been summering in Shinnicock Hills since I was born (now 30) and I'd compare the north fork towns to being like Southampton 20 years ago....before the nightmare traffic and loss of many farm stands. The north fork also has many beautiful wineries which are lovely places to visit.

Nantucket is to die for, but the best thing is that a lot of New Yorkers think it's far away and expensive to travel to. For this very reason, it's the best summer place on earth. It's waaay more exclusive than the Hamptons, but perhaps not as much as Cape de Antibbes. Hope you enjoy hanging with all the other NYers in LI, CT, or NJ. Good luck in your quest!

My vote would be Fishers Island, NY. Amtrak to New London (about 2.5 hour), then walk across the tracks (literally) to FI ferry (45-min ride over to the island).

Ok, so it doesn't quite meet the no-more-than-three-hours-from-NYC criterion (can be a pain coordinating train with ferry), and it's rather secluded (only a tiny 'village' with no more than a deli, wine store, ice cream shop and small market) and a tad snooty (country club culture) but talk about unspoiled beauty! Scene? What scene? The place is a gem.

Haven't investigated any further because we were away. Antibes rocks. Another option which would take us away from the beach is just to get a place with manageable acreage & pool in PA. Would be so much cheaper & we could take beach vacation and not feel too guilty about spending too much on a 2nd home.

10023, i agree. find something easy and fun, and cheap (well, it is me) is always good. the pool is always there, no carting to and from. i think we're finally putting the pool in this year.

antibes was awesome. i was quite surprised at how much i liked it, touristy tho it may have been. charming.

a few years ago I bought a condo in Long Beach on the boardwalk near the west end. smartest thing I have ever done in less than an hour on the long island railroad I am in Long Beach looking at the ocean from my window. The beach at that end is beautiful and never crowded. I have joined the library and the historical society while definately blue collar (which I kind of like as opposed to hampton snob) there are some bookish people there. I have met 2 pulitzer prize winning authors wholive ther full time as well as a couple of authors. I am lucky that I can afford to live in NYC as well since there are no Beach communities as stimulating as Manhattan especially in the winter

squid-youre kidding, right?-fishers island is perhaps the most homogeneous wasp enclave in current existence anywhere in the US--all that you can conjure up from that definition is exactly what you get and more on FI--

Ubottom, I've never been to Fishers Island, but a good friend of mine who visits an old friend of his on Fishers Island splained me that the island has a townie area at one end, which is what Squid described; and an area of estates at the other end of the island, which I believe (not sure) is a private association, and most likely what you're describing.

Yeah, I'm thinking Lambertville, NJ area would be good too. And then save the $ for beach vacations on the Cote d'Azur, which is TOTALLY touristified and overbuilt, but I still like it.

Alan has it almost right--there is indeed a 'private' end of the island which contains many of the larger summer houses, the island's three main beaches and one of the two tennis/golf clubs. The 'private' thing is done to deter day-trippers (who cannot pass beyond a ramshackle 'guard house' without a special sticker during the summer months). Anyone renting or living on FI, however, can access the 'private' section. Many of the best summer houses are nearer the 'town' section and not in the private area at all.

FI is a tiny island, and the 'snooty' sorts UB describes live happily amongst the 'island' folk (not really townies in, say, the Martha's Vineyard sense as the so-called 'town' is tiny--only around 400 year-rounders live on the island).

The old-money types of FI (the so-called wasps to which UB refers, though there are folks of various religious persuasion who summer on the island) are, in my opinion, far preferable to the glitzy, nouveau riche snobs one finds littering areas like the Hamptons. You'd be hard-pressed to encounter tricked-out beemers, Vuitton-clad it-girls, guys with hair transplants and flashy gold Rolexes or velvet-roped hotspots on Fishers.

Instead you'll see multi-millionaires and islanders alike driving rusted-out Volvos, sporting ancient, faded madras nerd trousers or khaki cargo shorts from 30 years ago. No one's interested in drawing attention to his or her wealth (or lack thereof). There are no ugly 'trophy homes' to blight the landscape, no jackasses cruising in $150K cars. The evening hotspot? A dilapidated movie theater from the 1950s that runs two shows every other night.

Frankly, I'm happy Fishers Island has somewhat of a bum rap. I hope it stays that way. An influx of actor-wannabees, models, movie stars and new-money players would completely ruin the place.

Thanks for publicizing it, then, on a public forum that gets billions of unique readers each day, including representatives of the major news media.

Also, "guys with hair transplants and flashy gold Rolexes" describes most of the regular posters on Streeteasy. I'm at the forefront of that fashion trend ... I think it'll be a more popular fashion movement even than the "Hippie Look" of the late 1960s..

Alan, frankly I'm dismayed to hear you've succumbed to the hair-plug-gold-Rolex trend... Utterly dismayed.

As for FI, I'm not concerned at all. The media have done stories on the island in the past, all to no avail. Place never changes, news coverage or no. See, Fishers is an acquired taste and wouldn't likely appeal to the 'guys with hair transplants and gold Rolexes' or the B-list actors who need to be seen to feel important. So I'm not particularly worried about an intrusion from that camp.

But if my post is helpful to those who prefer peace and quiet to frenetic nightlife and tacky 'scenes', then god bless 'em--happy to 'publicize'.