Our friends said let's get together on Saturday. Want to go to dinner? Nah, let's hang out at the…read morebeach. Hang out? Now I live by west meadow beach in Stony Brook. There are a lot of rules! No dogs, keep the noise down and be courteous of the plantings. Cedar Beach has a much more pleasant vibe. There's a live band playing and you can bring a cooler with no hassle from the local police. We have a Brookhaven virtual summer pass and cedar beach is a town beach. There's a Veteran discount on the pass, high five Brookhaven! There's a reason why the next town is "Rocky Point". The beaches on the north shore are so rocky! The beaches on the south shore are powered sand, this is a south shore thing that I always like to point out. (My beach growing up was Smiths Point) The band is playing CCR, we're drinking cold beers and having a good time at Cedar Beach. The sun is setting and now we're getting up to dance? I like hanging out.

It is difficult to review Cedar Beach, because essentially it is reviewing the Long Island Sound,…read morewhich is vintage Long Island. This viewpoint is from the eyes of a person who's Dad is a Town of Brookhaven resident. The thing to take into account when reviewing Cedar Beach is that it is a Brookhaven Township amenity where admission is very reasonable for it's residents. On the contrary, for the residents residing outside of Brookhaven, their price to enjoy access to the Long Island Sound could seem to compete with Six Flags Great Adventure prices. The Town of Brookhaven, NY website displays the prices. Whether you are a Town of Brookhaven or non-resident the days of paying at the admission gate appear to be a memory. I'm not a fan of the parking meters because they can be an annoyance for Cedar Beach guests at the same time that they do not provide the safety measure that a controlled access gate does in maintaining a sense of safety.     Cedar Beach is one of a few Town of Brookhaven Long Island Sound beachfront parks. The other one that I am familiar with is West Meadow Beach. Cedar Beach is situated on a peninsula in a scenic location that starts off with a drive along bucolic and windy Pipe Stave Hollow Road that gives a nod to the East End with its bordering woodlands, estates on rolling forested hills, and the picturesque Mount Sinai Harbor that brings images of the Great Peconic Bay. A left turn onto Harbor Beach Road continues the drive on the peninsula where Mount Sinai Harbor with the boats are to the south and the beachfront, nature trail, concession stand, and amenities are to the north. One advantage of the meter system is that if you want to see the beach scape by vehicle, you can drive to the end of Harbor Beach Road without paying.    The peak season is from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It is my understanding that they provide lifeguards during this busy season. However, it was off-season when I went with my Dad, a Brookhaven resident, to see Cedar Beach. Living in the Las Vegas desert, it just made sense to spend some time by the Long Island Sound when I visited my dad. Please keep in mind that I am no stranger to Cedar Beach. My memories go back to the early 1980s when I was a child that spent time with my dad at Cedar Beach. Not much has changed since President Regan was in office. Cedar Beach is still a very rocky North Shore Beach that is unstable for swimming in barefooted. However, one change that was administered over the years is that dogs are prohibited at Cedar Beach.    My Dad and I visited Cedar Beach in May. Before peak season the beach was very unpopulated. If my dad did not have a Brookhaven pass, the parking meters could care less that the parking lot was relatively empty. Waiting for us were several spaces overlooking a band of white sand fronting a large expanse of Long Island Sound water spread out towards Connecticut. Unlike West Meadow Beach, Cedar Beach provides a prime vista of a beach scape taking in the Connecticut shoreline. On a serene Long Island day the waves were very gentle. With so few people sharing this experience, this was a mellow way to spend some time with my dad. We did go for a short walk on the beach. Being a hiker, of I was alone and had sufficient time, I would of hiked west on the sand that would take me onto the nature trail that would ultimately lead me to the end of the peninsula at the Cedar Beach Fishing Pier Area where Harbor Beach Road ends at a water view overlooking Belle Terre.     I am a fan of Long Island Sound, I am a fan of Cedar Beach. Being that my Dad is a Brookhaven resident, I could see a return visit here when I spend time with my Dad on Long Island.

Situated a few feet from the "Welcome to New York" sign, Mary Bayles Park welcomes people arriving…read morefrom the Bridgeport Ferry and Long Island with a grand view of Port Jefferson Harbor. This is a view that I have enjoyed when spending time in Port Jefferson. Mary Bayles Park is a very small park tucked in between the Bridgeport Ferry ramp and Danford's. Although the park is small, the waterfront environment is spectacular. This is a view of Port Jefferson Harbor fronting the Long Island Sound with Connecticut in the distant horizon. It is a view that includes the Bridgeport Ferry that is a few feet away. This is a prime spot to watch the ferry entering and leaving the harbor. I have enjoyed this view from sitting on the benches and standing on the dock extension over Port Jefferson Harbor. Spending time here is spending time in a Port Jefferson Harbor portrait. When I took in this panoramic view of Port Jefferson Harbor, I shared it with my Dad and somebody else. That somebody else, is "The Soldier Statue." Standing in a landscaped garden facing Port Jefferson Harbor since the mid 1980s, "The Soldier Statue" has paid tribute to the shipbuilders who answered to the call of country, commerce, whaling, and pleasure. Mary Bayles Park borders Danford's to the east. If it weren't for Danford's, it would be practically contiguous to the far larger Harborfront Park on the other side. Because the park is so small and that Danford's takes up the eastern view, it would be easy to mistake it as Danford's property. If I did not spot the Mary Bayles Park sign, I might of thought that Danford's owned it. Because I currently live in Las Vegas, it is hard for me to return here. If I still lived on Long Island, I could see myself stopping at the Starbucks or Dunkin on Main Street (NY 25A) then savoring my coffee here while watching the Bridgeport Ferry take off towards Connecticut in the horizon or docking in the harbor. In the shadow of the "Welcome to New York" sign, Mary Bayles Park, has been a first-rate spot where I enjoyed being in front of Port Jefferson Harbor while taking in the Bridgeport Ferry. Supporting my four star rating are the photographs I posted with this review.

Just a charming park right along the waterfront with lots of benches and tables. Great for people,…read moreduck & boat watching and we enjoyed seeing the ferry load and unload. Lots of monuments plaques and sculptures here. We watched the boats pass by and walked along the dock too.

I will give this park four stars for what it is, a nice place to take a walk or do laps in the…read moreneighborhood. The paved asphalt path is stated to be 1,820 feet, 0.35 miles. The path is a much more enjoyable walk then going to the local High School track. There are also trails into the woods. They intersect at a geometric pattern made from slate stone with with three stone benches.

Visit Date: July 17, 2020…read more I came here to go on a hike. I use hiking, biking and roller skating on quads to cross train cardio for when I run. I also do dessert fairy dusting so I plan out my hiking visits to coincide some dusting drops. I loved this park but I had no idea it was so small. The cement trail is only .4 of a mile. By the time I drive to a new trail to check it out I usually don't have much time to hike on it before I should head back home, take a shower and do whatever else I'm doing for that day so I usually will only get a mile maybe two on a trail but for this trail I had to walk around it multiple times, weaving in and out of the wooded side paths in order to make at least one mile of hiking. Other than it being so tiny it was a nice little well maintained park. If you're a novice hiker or a runner looking for a fairly safe place to do hikes this park is good for you.

Haven't been in a while but it's so beautiful so calming and a great place to study-…read moreThe stained glass windows always got me

This is my favorite spot to come when I want to be alone with nature. Although the lake loop is…read moresmall, the park has much to offer. Firstly, the wildlife spotting here is excellent. The lake is home to swans, ducks, turtles, deer, birds (they even have birdwatcher gatherings here), frogs, and squirrels to name a few. Every time I go I am amazed at how many pictures of wildlife and nature I end up with. Secondly, the park is beautiful in any season and offers hiking, events, and peaceful walks for the neighborhood. In the summer they have live music. There is lots of parking around if the small parking lot is filled.

My hubby, kiddo and I visited this beach to try and catch the sunset. We made it in time but we…read morewere unable to see the Sen setting form our position. In any case, it's a beautiful beach with beautiful views, and it's very serene. I'm sure if we could have gotten to the beach a bit earlier and wandered, we would have been able to find the perfect spot to enjoy the sunset. The area that we entered the beach, is at the end of a fairly long drive through a wooded area that borders residential homes. There is a very small parking lot located right at the entrance to the beach. I'm sure you would have to arrive pretty early in the day to score a spot. There are police that monitor the area so don't think that you would be able to illegally park and not get a ticket. There was an officer stationed near the lot and when we couldn't find a spot, we just politely asked if we could temporarily park so we could catch the sunset and then leave. He obliged and said it was fine. Despite not catching the sun setting, it was a nice little impromptu side trip before heading back home. I definitely want to venture here again next summer and see if we can catch the elusive sunset from this beach.

Pirates Cove, Port Jefferson…read more Located just a few miles from Stony Brook University ( my alma mater ), is Pirate's cove, in Mccalister park. I'd highly recommend coming here for a picnic. There are sandy dunes and pristine, crystal clear waters. The water is almost as clear as the one's in the Bahamas! This place definitely has less foot traffic than the beaches in the area. Its also a fantastic backdrop for aesthetic pictures. There are also many seafood eateries in the area. Get here early because there are limited parking spots!

"But there's this one particular harbour So far but yet so…read morenear Where I see the days as they fade away And finally disappear" (Jimmy Buffet) You'll find Port Jefferson's Harborfront Park between the waterfront and village center and it's well worth the visit. There's a lot going on inside the 5.1-acre Park. We saw a picnic area and children's playground with a stone porpoise and some cute stone turtles. There's a skating rink, a 350 ft pier for strolling and sightseeing or fishing, a beautiful shoreline promenade that makes you feel you're at the beach, courtesy of the seagrass and sand dunes. But for me, the highpoint of our park visit was the magnificent Shipbuilder's monument showing four shipbuilders carrying the framework of a boat high over their heads. I read that the monument was based on some old photos from the Port Jefferson Historical Society and that the men's clothing is historically accurate. What a cool way to honor Port Jefferson's maritime heritage.

My series of Harborfront Park pictures tell help support my review of this picturesque park…read more Situated on the east shoreline of Port Jefferson Harbor between Danford's and the Historic Shipyard Building (Village Center), spending time in Harborfront Park is spending time in a vintage Port Jefferson post card. It is a living postcard of the Long Island Sound water stretching out to Connecticut with boats, water birds, and bordering forested bluffs. Park goers experience this Port Jefferson Harbor shoreline view from the circular paved walking trail, open grass, a sundry of benches, sandy beach, and a 350 foot long pier extending the experience above Port Jefferson Harbor. Standing on the pier, park goers can enjoy an east facing vista of where Port Jefferson village and Harbor converge. This a living postcard that I have got to spend time in three times, with the latest being Monday, October 21, 2024. The three times that I spent here were with my dad. From these three visits (as of October 31, 2024), I give this five acre waterfront park four stars. It really captures the Port Jefferson experience. A big part of that experience is Port Jefferson Harbor with its ferry, boats, birds, docks, bordering bluffs, and water spread out to Connecticut. It is a view that brings out the shutter bug in me. Walking in from the west entrance near Danford's, my thing is to stroll along the walking path inches from the water taking pictures before walking onto the pier to take in the water below me. Sitting on a shaded bench, I would spend time talking to my dad while looking at the forested Belle Terre bluffs towering above the Long Island Sound water. Harborfront Park was not always a picturesque spot. It is the result of an environmental success story. You see, before the early 2000s, it was a blighted wasteland of oil tanks and cement that was closed off to the public. Just like most environmental success stories, people that cared got together to create something beautiful. Looking at the water that is so clear that I could see the bottom, it is hard to fathom that this was an industrial site. This environmental success story created a first-rate park with immaculate landscaping and details that is much more than a real life postcard. This park has added public art and passive entertainment to Port Jefferson Village. The focal point of the park is the Port Jefferson Harbor Sculpture depicting four men carrying a wooden boat. Nearby is a sandy splash pad staring a boat, sea lion statue, and turtle statues that splash water. In the summer children love it. During the rest of the year, it adds to the parks charm. In various places along the walking trail there are kiosks that explain the history of the area and what you are looking at. Speaking of history, the historic Shipyard Building dating back to 1917, also known as Village Center touches the northern periphery of the open grass. From what was once a blighted oil tank and cement site, you have a waterfront park that provides all these amenities. When my Dad and I spent time here, it was always engrossed with people. And, may I add dogs. The circular walking trail, is a popular spot for pet parents to walk their dogs. I like real life waterfront postcards and successful environmental stories. Harborfront Park is the epitonmy of both. There is no doubt that this is a great addition to Port Jefferson Village and my visits to Port Jefferson Village. My story through pictures and views concludes with Four Stars: I am a fan.

This park is beautiful with the up keep of the grounds to the beautiful fields and playground for…read morethe kids. Thank you to the town of Brookhaven for the renovation so the community can come for some peace and relaxation .

Here's the Scoop: This is a beautiful park in the town of Brookhaven. It has a children's park,…read moresoccer field, track, baseball and swing area. It has pieces of the World Trade Center Memorialized with stories of heroic animals who saved lives during 911. The many trained rescue dogs worked tirelessly to find people trapped under the World Trade Center. This monument celebrates their efforts and the trainers who worked with them. This is such a beautiful well maintained park. My husband and came here for a barbecue. I'm so glad I decided to come. The park is very relaxing and manicured. The gazebo has lights so you can sit in it when it gets dark. It has functioning electrical outlets as well. I will definitely come to another event given here. Signs posted state you need to have park permit as well. If you're ever in the area this is the park to check out.

Great little park. One of the girl scouts in the area recently constructed a jigsaw puzzle exchange…read morecabinet, which is truly a great addition and is already drawing people from all over to the area. I traveled from Kings Park and walked away with my puzzle treasures. Plan on coming back in the near future for more to drop off and pick up.