Islip, Suffolk County, NY “My Home”

Settled by English Colonist William Nicoll, Islip hamlet was named after his place of birth in the gently rolling hills of Northhamptonshire, England.Ideally located on the shores of Great South Bay, Islip village originated as a subsistence farming and fishing community in its earliest years.

Transforming to a posh resort and mansion heavy enclave for aristocratic families in the 19th and 20th centuries. During the post-World War II era it became a bedroom community to New York City located some 30 miles west of the city limits. The many former estates have been razed yet some remain however on vast lands donated to the New York State.

Islip will always be recognized by its timeless place in history. It served as the first home of the Doxsee Clam factory whose canned product, to this day, is found on shelves of your favorite grocery store (now labeled under the Borden food company). The Wright brothers also made their way to Islip and South Bay Avenue has been said to have been used as a runway for a few of there early fl ights. A neighbor of mine, Mario Donardi, claimed to have had a propeller off of one of their planes. Amelia Earhart was also said to have spent time at Meadow Farms in East Islip where she was to have designed an engine for one of her famed airplanes. Islip has also been home to many including an America’s Cup captain. 

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at Islip was organized in 1847 under the Rev. William Everett. Its present building was erected in 1880 by William H. Vanderbilt and would be followed by three more churches in this small hamlet. The Islip Train Station serves the community with hourly service west to New York City and east to the Hamptons via the Long Island Rail Road. The Hamlet is also served by Sunrise Highway (NY 27) and the Soutern State Parkway. Islip’s school system consists of five schools and includes the entire hamlet of Islip and part of the hamlet of Bay Shore. Islip has a bayfront beach at the end of Sotuh Bay Avenue, with ample parking, picnic areas, and a playground with modern day amenities. The beach was donated by Harry Havemeyer’s family in 1907. Seatuck Environmental Association has recently taken over the castle on South Bay Avenue leading down to the town beach on the west side of the road, the Scully Estate which consists of a Scottish castle and lush grounds. There is a man-made lake in the shape of a heart, Mrs. Scully used to stock this lake with large mouth bass and sunnies and I and several of the neighborhood kids used to walk through the salt marshes to get to the lake so we could exercise what our dads had taught us about fishing. Those were certainly wonderful days to remember back in the ‘70s. The castle and grounds are under renovations as there will be tours of the castle and nature walks through the expansive property. Seatuck, with the help and support of various levels of government will soon be conducting environmental programs for everyone from toddlers to adults and hopefully we will all be reminded to become better stewards of our beautiful Bay, lands, plant and wildlife. 

The town also has its own ferry with discounted rates for residents. It departs from the Bay Shore Marina and goes over to Atlantique, Fire Island, where you not only can swim in the ocean (with town lifeguards on duty) but also enjoy the concessions, shower facilities, picnic grounds, and basketball, volleyball and handball courts. Also it is a short walk to neighboring Fire Island towns where you can enjoy restaurants, night clubs, and boutiques and just about anything you can imagine in a summer resort area. Along Islip’s Main Street you can find a delightful array of boutiques fine eateries, a drive-thru cleaner, a hardware store, ice cream parlor, antique shops and gift stores, a post office and even a miniature golf course. 

I was born and raised in Islip and have watched my village grow into the 21st century. It still holds its beauty and charm as it remains to be a very tight-knit community of diverse families that have found their way here and have remained because of the family environment they found. Along with its antique styled lampposts to enhance the warm old town feeling Islip continues to hold its presence as one of the South Shore’s timeless little villages.  

Written By: Dave Sanders

Dave Sanders is a licensed real estate agent with Netter Real Estate. He may be reached at (631) 661-5100