No matter where I am in the world, what I aspire to do when I visit another place is experience what local people experience; that is, to try to have an authentic experience.  I do not want to eat a hotel’s version of the food they think tourists want to eat. I want to go out and eat where local people eat.  Sometimes finding those places is not so easy and sometimes experiencing a new place in a way that is not contrived is not easy.

If you love the bay and want to go fishing, clamming, scavenge for mussels or “scooping” for crabs, each of these outings is easily undertaken. Locals and long time Fire Islanders are eager to help someone new get started.  “Scooping” for crabs is one of the most fun ways to spend a hot August day.  If you do not have your own boat, most of the time, all you need to do is befriend a boater and you will be invited along.  

Everyone seems to have their own rituals for getting here too.  One of the things that we love about coming home in the summer is our stop at Nicky’s restaurant. Because of where our house is, we can take either the Saltaire or Fair Harbor ferry. They sometimes leave from different terminals. I always want to leave from the main terminal because I so look forward to my cup of corn chowder at Nicky’s. Stopping for your treat, whether it is morning coffee at the deli, pizza, ice cream, a pretzel, soup at Nicky’s, a cold beer… it becomes part of the ritual.

The packing of the car, racing to make the ferry, (missing the ferry,) seeing friends and neighbors on the boat, the scene at the dock when you arrive, locating and unlocking your wagon… and then the schlepping are also part of the Fire Island experience. Does anyone love the schlepping?  Not surprisingly, no one in my informal survey indicated that they loved the schlepping.  

What makes Fire Island special for me is that I love coming home.  I love my house. Do I love my house because it is our home or do I love it because I think it is beautiful?  That is hard to say, but I will say that our home is open, breezy and just beautiful to be in.  The space works for us. It functions the way living space should, because we had some special needs, we incorporated universal design features which should allow the house to age with us and our family. Brian and I designed it, Ronnie Fuzia, along with a number of other Fire Island builders, subcontractors and finishers helped us get it to what is has become… home.  

When asked “What makes Fire Island special for you?” an informal survey of Fire Islanders responded:

Grace Ryan in Saltaire:  
“I really enjoy watching the moon come up over the ocean!  …enjoying the constellations on a clear cloudless night on the beach…”

Carol Greenberg in Lonelyville:  
“…the air, sun and salt water all make your entire nervous system calm down from the stresses of life. When you step off of the ferry you enter a world of peace and tranquility. Standing on the steps of the beach and watching the ocean and sand, which is all that is in your line of vision, you realize how truly blessed you are to be able to experience this paradise. I believe that it is the eighth wonder of the world.”

Dan Creighton in Lonelyville:  
“I love Fire Island for the freedom it offers my children. Every morning they bike into town to buy bagels and I never have to worry about cars.”

Debby Olive in Seaview:  
“Morning coffee on the steps at the beach looking out at the ocean… a glass of wine on the steps at the beach looking at the ocean… tranquility in the winter and early morning in the summer.
What ever it is that makes Fire Island special for you, I suspect that it is not so different from what everyone else loves about being here too.  Aren’t we lucky?  

Grace Corradino lives and works year-round in Saltaire. She owns Fire Island Living Real Estate and Fire Island Swap.