Best Places to Stay In/Around Fire Island?

Point O'Woods, exclusively.

Fire Island is a pretty big place, and represents many different communities and interests. You would probably have to give some context for people to give you accurate recommendations.

Infomofo makes an excellent point.

This is like asking for best places to stay in/around New York City.

Anyway, there have been at least one or two threads on this topic in the past few years, so search and you shall find.

Thanks, alan - I'll focus on that area and will search for the other threads.

Mattie, you always find new and creative ways to be phenomenally unhelpful. I have never heard anyone equate the size/diversity of New York City to Fire Island. Impressive.

Mcguires!!!!!!!

"Mattie, you always find new and creative ways to be phenomenally unhelpful. I have never heard anyone equate the size/diversity of New York City to Fire Island. Impressive."

Thanks!

I was being even more phenomenally unhelpful than Matthew in recommending Point O'Woods ... it's the exclusive home of a satanic cult, or if that's not strictly true, Methodists.

I highly recommend that before making a weekend of it, you wait for that perfect forecast for a day you can go, get up bright and early and take a day trip to one of the public parks -- Watch Hill or Sunken Forest by ferry, Robert Moses or Smith Point by car -- and take long walks along the beach, stopping in and meandering through each nearby community. From Robert Moses, you can walk past the lighthouse, and hit the westernmost communities: somewhat modest Kismet, fancier and more dignified Saltaire, and onward ... use the inland walks to the lighthouse rather than the beach unless you have a strong stomach for ugly naked people. No communities are near Smith Point, though. Watch Hill gives access to only one community (without a very long walk through nothing), and in the other direction miles of high dunes and little else. Watch Hill has tent campsites and a floating trailer park (reserve through National Parks), and allows limited outback camping.

If Fire Island has a core, it's Ocean Beach, so you might want to go there another time and walk to the various communities on either side. Note that all of the communities hate "day trippers" and deprive them of "facilities", shade, protection from PM mosquitoes, etc., but virtually all will have a little bodega and usually a bar that can't make a decent sidecar.

Matthew, Turn It Off!

Thanks alan, I should have expected a little facetiousness, but you know, sometimes people are looking for honest advice here. Bizarre, I know.

Matt, don't forget to tip your waitress.

Trip Advisor is always good for these things.