Getting to Fire Island

[pubic_assistance]

1 hour ago, azdr0710 said:

beach driving appears allowed (special permit??), though, to access the Pines from the west, based on the tire tracks along the beach.......(I can see evil cars on the streets of the Pines!) 

You can drive along the beach in the winter after the ferry service is discontinued. I knew a writer and his partner who lived out there full time. ( The place is 99% devoid of life from November to March. ) No services on the island and no ferry. So a beach drive is your only way to stock up on provisions.

[BuffaloKyle]

I'll go if Isaac Powell is still there in those woods as he was in American Horror Story!

[+ Charlie]

When I was young, back in the Dark Ages, gay bubbles were hard to find. I was fascinated by it the first time I was taken there when I was 19--it felt so liberating to be in a place where everyone was gay or gay friendly, and I could openly be whatever I wanted to be. On one of my first visits, I found myself sharing a pizza with Martha Raye down at the Cherry Grove dock one night, and another night I sat quietly in the room I was sharing with a friend, watching while he was making out on the sofa with Jerry Herman. It seemed like a dream for a shy gay kid from the Jersey suburbs.

The world is very different today, and the idea of a gay bubble no longer interests me very much. I went back a few times in the 70s, but I haven't been back since the early 1980s.

[SouthOfTheBorder]

19 hours ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

That said, it's life in the gay bubble, which many enjoy and want.

Pines & Cherry Grove are absolutely gay bubbles.  
In Pines tho I’m not sure that’s the primary attraction anymore - it’s more about unlimited availability of sex, drugs (crystal & coke)& parties for majority of the weekend crowd.  it’s really impossible to overstate how that dominates everything out there.  It’s fun the first few visits even if you’re not in that scene - after that it’s just tedious & boring.  I think the Pines crowd would go anywhere they could find a similar party scene.  Only a major circuit party or an Atlantis cruise would have more sex & drugs than a typical Pines weekend. 

Grove is very different in that sense where it’s a more friendly relaxed bohemian vibe not centered on drugs & sex.  Drugs & sex still there but not overwhelming.  Pines people go to Grove to party in clubs depending on event (underwear party) and go right back when it’s over.  While not as manicured & imposing as Pines, I’d pick Grove every time if had to choose between the two. Less pretentious & more interesting.

 

Edited June 1, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[pubic_assistance]

41 minutes ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

Less pretentious & more interesting.

"Less pretentious" to the point of feeling trashy. Which isn't "interesting" to some. I've heard the stories from years gone by where the Grove was "Bohemian". Now it's just gross. Mostly people you'd find in a gay-bar in some poor middle America rust belt state.

Although I agree that the Pines is full of meth/ghb etc. During the day it's a much more pleasant / upscale crowd and much more beautiful homes. Some worth millions. The Grove is a series of old shacks that had been shipped over from the mainland after being discarded. ( Trash )

[SouthOfTheBorder]

23 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

Less pretentious" to the point of feeling trashy. Which isn't "interesting" to some.

Doesn’t sound like you’ve actually spent much time out there.  

Pines has more “million dollar” homes on the ocean & bay for sure.  Once you’re off those two waterfronts, Pines has lots of shacks & dumps albeit with better landscaping.   And very few of those million dollar homes are anything more than a nice facade - inside typically worn & “partied out” from the extreme use because they are rentals. Usually mismatched furniture stained with lube & smells like poppers. And that’s the point - Pines is a facade to something very dark & seedy.  It’s not luxury or even close. It might look different during the day if you’re oblivious or a day-tripper.

Grove is trashy - just the better of the two towns imo.  It’s not pretending to be something different. And you’ll find more restaurants in Grove with better overall quality.  Restaurants in Pines (one sit down, one cafeteria and one pizza to go) are an abomination.
 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[pubic_assistance]

29 minutes ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

Doesn’t sound like you’ve actually spent much time out there.  

I spent a great deal of time out there when I was younger but not as much in recent years.

I know people in the multi-million dollar oceanfront homes and that's where I am spending time when invited to visit. You are correct, some of the homes are "partied out" but there are plenty that are not. I've remodeled a few homes out there over the years ( I'm an architect). And there is a summer tour of the various glamor properties so I've been in many beautiful homes that aren't as visible from the boardwalk. None of these million dollar homes are being used by the Chelsea-boy meth-heads. There are two distinct groups in the Pines. Homeowners and home renters. The lifestyle of the renters is indeed the dark underbelly of excessive drug use and super-spreader orgies. But there are also many young attractive men who aren't part of that scene.

You never see anybody attractive in the Grove. (unless some of the hideous drag queens are actually good looking men hidden under layers of Maybelline).

Yes there are more restaurants in the Grove because that's where all the day-trippers hang out. Those restaurants are generally why we walk over there once in a while. Sometimes I am hosted by a family who didn't bring their chef and we get bored of cooking for ourselves.

Edited June 1, 2023 by pubic_assistance
spelling

[SouthOfTheBorder]

1 hour ago, pubic_assistance said:

but not as much in recent years.

key words - not in recent years.  Pines lives off the image created its glory days, that is not relevant today.  The image lives on in memories, photographs and an occasional travel article, but it’s just not close to reality. 

the number of Pines multi-million dollar homes that are architectural digest worthy are less than 15 total now.  It’s not hard to see - just walk down the beach and look at oceanfront homes - 1/3 are in a state of visible disrepair- pools collapsed, decks falling in, etc.  Most look poorly maintained like they ran out of money. 
Ironically the very few really fabulous non-rental houses are rarely used as the owners have multiple homes in more desirable locations.  Everyone knows this. 
As for the “tours” of architecturally worthy houses - it’s all smoke & mirrors for a few days.

Homeowners in Pines who do not rent their houses as summer shares are a tiny fraction of the population.  They exist but that’s not how it works.

The Pines looks good (and glamorous) from a distance - get up close and it’s a very different picture. 

1 hour ago, pubic_assistance said:

You never see anybody attractive in the Grove

ridiculous & out-of-touch
and a matter of taste I suppose for those who only place value on attractiveness/availability of stereotyped potential sex partners, which encapsulates the Pines mentality perfectly.  Predictable, boring & cliche.

Edited June 1, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[Guest]

19 hours ago, mike carey said:

Wasn't there a novella about that?

[pubic_assistance]

3 hours ago, SouthOfTheBorder said:

3 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

You never see anybody attractive in the Grove

ridiculous & out-of-touch
and a matter of taste I suppose for those who only place value on attractiveness/availability of stereotyped potential sex partners, which encapsulates the Pines mentality perfectly.  Predictable, boring & cliche.

To each his own.

I'm not there every week. True. But I've popped in enough over the years, to know it's not my crowd.

As I said...we only go over there for brunch or lunch.  Otherwise it's out of my interests, both socially and sexually.

Edited June 1, 2023 by pubic_assistance
grammar

[foxy]

Having read through all these posts, the thing that I don’t believe anyone has mentioned is the beach. Perhaps I’m prejudiced but Long Island has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Fire island is car free except for police and emergency vehicles. Over the years I’ve walked all of Fire Island. Once passed the communities you often find deserted beaches even in high season. You might occasionally see a jogger but often have the beach to yourself. 
As for the drug fueled orgies, I suppose that’s true but that doesn’t mean you have to take part. It’s been several years but I’d rent a house with a few good friends and have a great relaxing vacation. My pattern was to be up at dawn with a cup of coffee and go for a walk. My friends and I were often in bed before midnight after cooking a great meal at home. No clubs or overpriced restaurants. No drugs, no orgies, no real interest in the boys except to look. We were all couples so sex with our husbands was all we wanted. Most days spent sitting on the deck of the house with a book and maybe a cocktail. It was quite blissful. 

[pubic_assistance]

32 minutes ago, foxy said:

Perhaps I’m prejudiced but Long Island has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Which I've heard before ....from people who don't travel much. 

Yes. you're biased 

The beaches are nice for sure.

But "best in the world" ??? 

Not by a long-shot.

[foxy]

How I remember the beach 

[keefer]

I grew up on Long Island, home was biking distance to Oyster Bay, summers near wading river... though I fondly remember the beaches, I think I'd prefer here... 

[pubic_assistance]

36 minutes ago, keefer said:

I grew up on Long Island, home was biking distance to Oyster Bay, summers near wading river... though I fondly remember the beaches, I think I'd prefer here... 

Exactly !!

I've heard people say before, that Long Island has the most beautiful beaches...and I immediately think to myself..."You don't even OWN a passport, do you ?" 🙄

[+ Italiano]

My day at the beach in FI. That's how crowded I like a beach to be

[kingsley88]

A friend owns a house in FI and what he does is invite different groups of friends to spend a week there. He would only rent it out to people he knows/trusts. He's not a party person and his house is a 15 min walk from the pier so considered far but so beautiful. 

I'm a morning person so I'm awake when the sun rises and I always go for a 30-40 min walk/jog along the beach and it's almost always empty. So beautiful and peaceful.

Now that fiber optic internet is available in FI Pines, I know more people are working remote there. Before pandemic, internet wifi sucked and most people just were there Friday afternoon until Monday morning.

[pubic_assistance]

30 minutes ago, kingsley88 said:

I'm a morning person so I'm awake when the sun rises and I always go for a 30-40 min walk/jog along the beach and it's almost always empty. So beautiful and peaceful.

Everyone is just getting home from group sex in the meat rack and coming down from their GHB high by sunrise. So yeah..you won't see anyone on the beach at THAT hour.

I always thought the best time of year out there was PRE Memorial Day or POST Labor Day when all the renters leave. My friends have a heated home with a fireplace so it was nice an cozy during the cooler months.

[Luv2play]

On 6/1/2023 at 12:13 AM, Charlie said:

When I was young, back in the Dark Ages, gay bubbles were hard to find. I was fascinated by it the first time I was taken there when I was 19--it felt so liberating to be in a place where everyone was gay or gay friendly, and I could openly be whatever I wanted to be. On one of my first visits, I found myself sharing a pizza with Martha Raye down at the Cherry Grove dock one night, and another night I sat quietly in the room I was sharing with a friend, watching while he was making out on the sofa with Jerry Herman. It seemed like a dream for a shy gay kid from the Jersey suburbs.

The world is very different today, and the idea of a gay bubble no longer interests me very much. I went back a few times in the 70s, but I haven't been back since the early 1980s.

Isn't Palm Springs a bit of a gay bubble?

[+ Charlie]

Not as much as some people might think. The town has a higher proportion of openly gay residents than most municipalities, and a fair number of tourists to patronize gay businesses, but I don't think that gays are even a majority of residents and visitors. It's not like Cherry Grove, where it is pretty much taken for granted that almost every male you encounter will be gay or bisexual. In Palm Springs, people are not surprised to learn that you are gay, and there is little openly anti-gay activity, but that's all part of the general liberalism of the area.

[Lookin]

On 6/1/2023 at 5:36 AM, pubic_assistance said:

Sometimes I am hosted by a family who didn't bring their chef . . .

La!  Don't you hate when that happens?!!

I was once hosted by a family who not only didn't bring their chef but left the chauffeur behind too.  I'd given my valet the week off and there we were with nothing but a gardener, two maids and a butler who had just turned Hare Krishna and wouldn't serve anything that had ever walked on four legs.  🐮

Fortunately I had been to the Edibles Emporium before getting on the ferry and had brought a week's supply of gummy worms.

Gummies for breakfast, gummies for lunch and gummies for dinner.  The wine cellar was stocked too, so at least we had something to wash them down with.  🥴

I can't remember if we were in the Grove or the Pines or even if we were on an island.  I'm pretty sure it was on the East Coast though as I don't recall  anybody wearing any tie dye.

Ah, you can't buy memories like that.  

 

[pubic_assistance]

9 hours ago, Lookin said:

I was once hosted by a family who not only didn't bring their chef but left the chauffeur behind too.  I'd given my valet the week off and there we were with nothing but a gardener, two maids and a butler🐮

Well there's no cars on Fire Island so the chauffeur would definitely be left back at the estate. No real need for your valet since everyone is half-naked most of the time. You'd definitely need the maids because there's always sand in the house and if your chef was left behind clearly one of the maids would be in charge of setting up breakfast lunch and dinner. There are very few restaurants and to my memory there was only one decent restaurant. None of them served breakfast.

It would hardly be relaxing to vacation in a house with no staff. Many of the domestics on the island are there for the summer and then move South to Service at Palm Beach for the winter.

[+ Lucky]

So we can agree that there are many differing opinions on Cherry Grove and The Pines.

[SouthOfTheBorder]

19 hours ago, kingsley88 said:

Now that fiber optic internet is available in FI Pines

interesting & hard to believe - I’m not saying you’re wrong tho

Internet service in the Pines is owned/controlled by the people that own Pines Pantry.  It’s a racquet & they always seemed hesitant to spend money to upgrade.  Yes, my experience pre-Covid is it was awful and not wfh appropriate.

Edited June 3, 2023 by SouthOfTheBorder

[samhexum]

On 4/25/2023 at 6:30 PM, Unicorn said:

Getting to Fire Island

whatever you do, don't try this...

 

On his ferry way NYC man makes dangerous leap from Fire Island ferry as fellow passengers cheer, is arrested after swimming to shore

While the jumper received cheers from fellow passengers, Fire Island Ferries General Manager Dave Anderson warned that the stunt could’ve cost the young man his life.