Fire Island Pines

[foxy]

I started renting a house at the Pines over 45 years ago. I went mostly for the beautiful beach which was of course filled with beautiful men. A lot went on. I haven’t been back in several years. Curious to know if anyone here spends time out there and what things are like these days?
I’ve been reading this book which brings back a lot of memories both good and sad. 

[+ Tygerscent]

Gosh… you’re pining fire island… the irony there. 

[+ FreshFluff]

1 hour ago, foxy said:

I started renting a house at the Pines over 45 years ago. I went mostly for the beautiful beach which was of course filled with beautiful men. A lot went on. I haven’t been back in several years. Curious to know if anyone here spends time out there and what things are like these days?
I’ve been reading this book which brings back a lot of memories both good and sad. 

Thanks for posting this. I haven’t been but have always been curious about the island’s history. This book will be on my Kindle soon. 

[foxy]

49 minutes ago, Tygerscent said:

Gosh… you’re pining fire island… the irony there. 

I started going to Fire Island before the AIDS epidemic hit. I would rent a house with my husband and we’d invite a few good friends. Unlike many of the people who went there we were not there for the sex but for the magnificent beach. I was usually having a cup of coffee walking on the beach at dawn when many others were staggering back to their houses. Most of the time we never left the house after dinner and would enjoy sunset from our deck and mostly be in bed before midnight when most people were getting ready to go out. We did always go to the afternoon tea dance which was great fun. Fire Island may be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I do pine for it. 

[nate_sf]

About a decade ago I visited the Pines a few times. I haven't been back in recent years, but I got the feeling that things seemed to stay pretty much the same year after year. If anything, that seemed to be the appeal. The friend who invited me would go over all the various traditions (including the tea dance) and I got the impression that those were part of the appeal.

It's an unusual place since there are no hotels to speak of, so everyone is in some sort of house share and it seems like everyone is one or two degrees of separation from everyone else. I was in a house with five other guys, and we had most of our meals together with guys taking turns cooking. Our house had a pool, so there was always the decision whether to go to the beach or hang out at the pool.

One time I went for July 4th and wore a dress, per tradition. One of the other housemates also wore a dress, but then went back to change because he wasn't getting any action.

I have great memories and would love to go back sometime. I wrote a blog post of my experience (way back in 2013... where does the time go!). Check it out if you'd like:

https://natebeck.us/blog/camraderie/

[foxy]

Thank you for posting your blog. I enjoyed reading it. It captured a lot of what the Pines and Provincetown have to offer. Personally I prefer Fire Island because it’s closer but not having cars is really wonderful. It’s not an easy place for day trippers as there are few hotel accommodations and house renting is incredibly expensive which is why many people don’t get to visit. But that makes it less crowded. The fact that it became a sexual paradise became more important for a while that it’s a natural paradise. To spend some time there can be life changing. I need to go back. 
 

 

 

 

 

[+ nycman]

5 hours ago, nate_sf said:

where does the time go

 

[+ LIguy]

I spent many weekends in Cherry grove which my friends and I felt was much friendlier. Staying at the Grove Hotel which was 2 stars at best but not much else to choose from.  But the early mornings on the beach watching the deer come out of the woods...the 3am jaunts through the meatrack...lots of great memories.

[+ Coolwave35]

I’m petrified to visit. I live 40 minutes away and it feels to me, like all the parts of gay culture I’m afraid of. My biggest fear is going, being unable to penetrate any cliques, and being soundly rejected by everyone. I’m not sure how likely that is but for 20 years, I’ve “this is gunna be the summer” pep talked myself and still can’t go. 

[MscleLovr]

I went once in the ‘80s. It was a time when I commuted monthly between London and NYC. I was invited by a friend but I knew no-one else. The other people staying in the house were pleasant but I found it a difficult ‘scene’.
 

I had (and have) no interest in casual, anonymous sex or one-night stands, but these seemed to be of major appeal to a lot of guys. It also seemed to me - but others haven’t noted - that it was quite socially competitive and consumerist. My friend observed that I commuted “on the fast bird” (Concorde) and, inexplicably to me, this sparked a lot of interest. 

[+ Charlie]

I used to go to Fire Island a couple of times every summer in the 1960s and 70s, but like @LIguy I stayed in the Grove, and if a friend was staying in the Pines, I would walk over to visit. My last visit to Fire Island was in 1981; after that, the guys I knew at the Pines started getting sick, and by the end of the decade, every single person I knew who had frequented the Pines was dead of AIDS. I was no longer living in NYC or spending much time there, so there didn't seem to be any reason for me to return to a vacation spot that would only evoke sad memories.

[foxy]

I also spent time in Cherry Grove usually when I was by myself and didn’t have a house rental. Cherry Grove was a friendlier environment. In the Pines if you were looking for sex you had to have a few things going for you. 

You had to be young, you had to be beautiful, you had to have a perfect body and with luck a big dick. 

Without these you would be mostly ignored and invisible. However for me what worked was I didn’t care. Every morning while taking a stroll on the boardwalk, usually to shop at the Pantry, I’d give everyone I passed a big cheery good morning. It was rarely returned. While that would infuriate most people I thought it was funny. Especially after you’ve walked passed the same person several times and they’d begrudgingly say good morning back. I win ha ha. 

When I was with my husband and friends I didn’t really care about hooking up. Or the lack of it. It was all about the beach.

A few times when I was by myself I’d stay at the Belvedere Guest House. It’s still there under new management. It’s about as over the top as you can get and often the guys who stayed there had a sense of humor and were friendlier. Not sure about now. 

[CalTec]

I've always wondered about this destination.  A while back I was invited by a regular to accompany him but had other commitments and it never worked out.  Is it still a hotspot destination in the summer months?

[nate_sf]

The cliquishness and materialism that @Coolwave35 and @MscleLovr mention are real for sure. The A-Gays are very well represented there. On many occasions we'd be out and one of my companions would point to someone and mention that they had an impressive job and/or was very wealthy, and that could be intimidating. And all the more so if they were sexy as well. House-sharing by its nature would lead to cliquishness, but it would also probably occur regardless.

I was lucky that my house was a fairly down-to-earth collection of bears, and guys were generally friendly. One memorable time there was a small hurricane, and all of us just huddled in the house and watched it pass through. I exchanged a lot of Facebook friend requests, and if I lived on the East Coast I'd probably pursue some of those friendships. But also I did not let on that I did escort work... I got the feeling that it would be taboo.

I'd definitely be interested in checking out Cherry Grove. The more time I spent at The Pines, the more I felt like Cherry Grove might be more my style. But I haven't been there so that's just a guess.

Edited July 2, 2022 by nate_sf

[+ nycman]

On 7/1/2022 at 3:49 PM, nate_sf said:

so everyone is in some sort of house share

How cute.

Not everyone in the Pines is in a "house share" tiger.
Some of us own our own homes….

grin 

[TumYum]

As an East Village "pretty boy", I was definitely a frequent visitor during the 80. Stay out all night long, find our way to the LIRR to Sayville, find a way to get to the ferry, and "come to" at the sight of the clubs and people as the boat docked at the Pines.

I felt different from the kaftan wearing men of the Pines and did not really understand much of what was going on, but I loved the beach, and walking the wood slatted walkways, making my way through the Meat Rack, and finding a much livelier and more relevant crowd of men and women in Cherry Grove.

People around me were dying. The East Village was one of the epicenters of AIDS, but we struggled to create a community of mutual care and assistance during a time of crisis. 

The whole Fire Island thing was fun (for a day trip), but it seemed like a place totally unto itself, having no relevance to the lives of younger, activist types like myself and my friends.

[foxy]

I do recommend the Fire Island book in my opening post. The early history and all the famous people who went there is really fascinating. I think sometime this summer/fall I’d love to go back and see what the scene is now . 

 

[+ Lucky]

I remember the Meatrack! When I walked through it, so many wanted to suck me that I was amazed.

Of course, they were mosquitoes.

[Prime38]

Growing up in Jersey, I have never been to Fire Island, but all the pictures I see now of the Fire Island Pine parties just look like a normal weekend down at all the gays clubs, called Boys Town in West Hollywood where I currently reside. Beautiful Gods that seem to have it all.

Edited July 3, 2022 by Prime38

[+ Italiano]

Having moved to NYC 20+ years ago, eventually one gorgeous morning of September 2017 with blue sky and no clouds I went very early by car to Sayville, parked  in the almost empty parking lot of the Ferry dock, and made the lovely transfer to the Pines in an almost empty ferry. I had breakfast at the dock, walked a little bit in the "village" then walked to the beach, chose a very quiet spot, put my beach chair by the ocean, spent a few hours taking the sun, swimming and chatting with a couple of people, and eventually went back to the Dock, Sayville and Brooklyn.

I have passed by at least 25 years the time when I could have enjoyed the gay scene and the Meatrack, and having become with age a bit allergic to crowds I really enjoyed the beauty and quietness of the place, the ferry ride, the beach.

I went another 3 times since, choosing a beautiful day during the week, arriving early morning and coming back in the afternoon.

[BtmBearDad]

Friends and I were just chatting about this last week - remembering July 4th, the invasion, the fun times we all had many, many years ago now when we were all doing summer shares. 
 

Out of our group (we were in different houses, but were always at each other’s), 2 or 3 wound up buying places in the Pines. The rest wound up with places out East. 
 

I have to say I really love FI. It really is a magical place. You run out of work on a Friday to catch the express to Sayville, get one of the taxi vans to the ferries, and as you make your way across the bay you can feel the stress just leave your body. No cars made it so you always were running into someone, meeting someone. I’m laughing now remembering shopping at the Pines Pantry (“2 tomatoes? That will be $12” 😂) where they may run out of condiments, but there was a never ending supply of Fleet enemas and lube at the checkout lol 

I just remember everyone being so friendly - yes, there were cliques - I’m sure we were thought of as one - and yes we gave certain houses/certain groups “nicknames” but I have to say I don’t remember any fights, any nastiness based on what group you were in. Based on who you hooked up with - yes, there was drama. 
 

I just loved waking up on the Saturday, grabbing a towel and walking the 5 mins to the beach. I remember there was this one guy always lost his speedo the minute he laid out his blanket-of course he wasn’t the only one, but given the uncut baby’s arm he had, he’s the one that sticks out in memory! I found out he’d film content on the beach, the boardwalk, the LIRR and post to xtube! I was always sad I missed seeing it IRL lol 

There was a saying about FI newbies - after doing a summer you’ll either be friends for life, or hate each other by July 4th. Kind of true. Thankfully, I’m still friends with my 3 housemates (tho they aren’t among themselves really). 
 

I’m rambling here as memories flood - running into friends, making new friends, hooking up, seeing guys you didn’t know were gay out and about, meeting celebrities, porn stars, media personalities on the same level and having fun. Yes, I loved it, love the memories, it will always be a magical place for me. 
 

BBD 

[+ azdr0710]

.

"there are old tranny men...not that there's anything wrong with tranny"

.

 

Edited July 3, 2022 by azdr0710

[+ nycman]

59 minutes ago, azdr0710 said:

.

"there are old tranny men...not that there's anything wrong with tranny"

.

 

Too fucking funny.  And of course….most of them are now "old gross men". 

Tempus fugit bitches….you better fucking LIVE!

[BonVivant]

Is there any place for DadBods? Or just not bother?

[+ FreshFluff]

19 hours ago, nycman said:

Too fucking funny.  And of course….most of them are now "old gross men". 

Tempus fugit bitches….you better fucking LIVE!

Yeah, you got yours, biiiiiitches!

Oh, wait. That was me.