Ronkonkoma, NY Road Trips

Islip is a suburb of New York City and one of ten townships in Suffolk County. While not as spectacular as Montauk or Jones Beach, it doesn't lack for things to do.

1 Sagtikos Manor, Montauk Highway and Manor Lane, West Bay Shore (Robert Moses Causeway South to Exit RM27A Bay ShoreTurn right onto Rt 27A and continue east approximately 1/2 mile. Entrance to Manor on left), ☏ +1 631-494-7526. Tour hours: June: Su 1-4PM, Jul and Aug: Su W Th 1-4PM. Built in 1697, it served briefly as headquarters for the British army during the Revolutionary War. President George Washington stayed there during his tour of Long Island in 1790. Take a tour of the Manor House led by costumed docents and stroll through the grounds and nearby Gardiner County Park. 2 Heckscher State Park, Heckscher Parkway Field 1, East Islip. 1,657-acre park. (updated May 2016) 3 Long Island Maritime Museum, 88 West Avenue, West Sayville. Maritime museum in several historic buildings including the Rudolph Oyster House, and the ships Priscilla and Modesty, all of which are National Historic Landmarks. (updated May 2016) 4 Long Island Photo Gallery, 467 Main Street. For art! (updated May 2021)

1 Bayard Cutting Arbouretum, 440 Montauk Hwy (Great River). (updated May 2021) 2 Connetquot River State Park Preserve, 4090 Sunrise Hwy, Oakdale. Connetquot River State Park Preserve maintains 3,473 acres of land and water for the protection and propagation of game birds, fish and animals.The preserve also has 50 miles of hiking, bridle, cross-country ski and nature trails, as well as freshwater fly fishing (by permit only) on the Connetquot River. (updated Feb 2024)

Many restaurants are found on Main Street.

1 Courtyard Long Island MacArthur Airport, 5000 Express Drive South (Near the airport), ☏ +1 631 612-5000, fax: +1 631 612-5008. 2 Holiday Inn Express Hotel Hauppauge-Long Island, 2050 Express Drive South (Long Island Expressway Exit 56), ☏ +1 631 348-1400. 3 Hyatt Regency Long Island, 1717 Motor Parkway, ☏ +1 631 784-1234. 4 Residence Inn Long Island Hauppauge/Islandia, 850 Veterans Memorial Hwy, ☏ +1 631 724-4188, toll-free: +1-800-817-3301.

1 Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP IATA formerly known as Islip Airport), 100 Arrivals Avenue, Ronkonkoma (Islip) (Right off Veterans Memorial Highway (NY 454), which can be accessed from Exit 57 of the Long Island Expressway (I-495)), ☏ +1 631 467-3210. This one-terminal airport is served by Breeze Airways, Frontier Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. As of 2023, there are flights from locations including Baltimore–Washington International Airport, Nashville, Charleston, South Carolina, and numerous cities in Florida (such as Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach). There is free Wi-Fi in the airport. (updated Jul 2022) Liberty Jet Management, 1965 Smithtown Avenue, Ronkonkoma (Islip), ☏ +1-800-879-2345. Offers private jet charter services. Suffolk Transit's S57 bus (Sayville–Smith Haven Mall) directly serves MacArthur Airport and the Ronkonkoma LIRR station. It runs M-Sa once an hour but ends service before 8 PM at most stops. Islip has two main LIRR stations (Islip and Central Islip) that take visitors from New York City. However, there are other stations you can get off at depending on where you want to go. The five stations on the Montauk Branch (in order), which usually starts at Jamaica, Queens, are: 2 Bay Shore LIRR station, Railroad Plaza (Bay Shore). First one after Babylon (updated May 2021) 3 Islip LIRR station, Islip Ave, Islip (South of Moffat Ave). Closer downtown (updated May 2021) 4 Great River LIRR station, Hawthorne Ave and Connetquot Ave (East Islip).

For the most part, Islip is a very safe town – you will find many communities within the town which are safe both during day and at night (including Sayville, Brightwaters, and the Fire Island communities – along with the hamlet of Islip (which is also the town's center of government)). However, like any large municipality, there are also some areas where one should exercise caution – namely, Brentwood, North Bay Shore, and portions of Central Islip. Although generally safe during the day, they can get very dangerous at night. Gangs like MS-13 – along with trafficking and illegal aliens – are infamous nationally for having a massive presence in these communities (especially Brentwood) and there is a lot of gang-related crime and drug dealing & usage in these areas. If you have no reason to travel through these communities after the sun sets, then avoid them. And if you must travel through those areas, make sure to stick to the main thoroughfares: do not travel through the residential areas (especially if there is no street lighting), and do not walk alone under any circumstances in the area at night. Additionally, if you see sneakers dangling from overhead wires or gang graffiti in these areas, leave (as these are signs that drug deals & gangs may be active in the immediate area). However, you should also realize that those crimes in those communities are rarely targeted at tourists – rather, they are targeted against known victims and rival gang members.