The Pines: A Neighborhood Adventure

Today my blog posts goes real local to my neighborhood in Smithtown, The Pines.

If you live or have lived in the Smithtown/Hauppauge area, you’re probably familiar with The Pines. The area is tucked in between Jericho and Veteran’s Highway with Old Willet’s Path and Wyandanch Boulevard to the east and west.

It’s a neighborhood that I’ve been fortunate to live in for 17 years, and one that I’ve been familiar with since high school when I would visit friends.  When the weather gets nice, and I have some free time, I love to take a walk around the neighborhood.

I’m not poetic enough to describe the natural beauty, but sometimes I feel like Snow White lost in the forest. Each street is lined with trees and other greenery sprinkled with gorgeous flowers planted by its residents. The birds are usually chirping away and sometimes geese wander into the area, and a few years ago, I even spotted a couple of foxes running around one morning.

It’s hard to believe The Pines was actually barren at one time due to forest fires, and the area wasn’t named for the lush greenery we see today, but for the scrub pines that began to grow after those fires.

Of course, there are also the hills. They’re not too fun to drive up when there’s a bit of snow or to walk in general, but they add a bit more charm to the area.  The first time I actually drove down one of them with a group of friends when I was 18, my first impulse was to cover my eyes.

Smithtown Historian Brad Harris explained the layout of The Pines in an April 2010 article of The Smithtown News. The north and south roads cross over ridges and that’s where you’ll find the adventurous hills, while the streets going east and west follow the natural valleys and swales between those ridges.

According to Harris’s research for The Smithtown News article, development didn’t begin in the neighborhood until 1942. A Samuel Kaplan brought his Dawn Estates homes to what was once known as Section 5. It was Kaplan that built the first homes on Winston Drive, McArthur Lane and Churchill Lane, obviously inspired by WWII leaders. These small homes were 400 square feet with a living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, attic and tiny basement.  At the time, the homes that stood on a half an acre of property were just a little over $3,000.

About a year later a real estate developer named Walter Shirley purchased 705 acres that surrounded the Dawn Estates home, and The Pines expanded to what we know the area to be today. Shirley’s Economy Cottages were 24’ x 26’ and had four rooms on the main floor. The name of the developer explains such streets as Walter Court and Shirley Court.

While ranches and high ranches were built throughout the decades and McMansions in recent years, you can still see some of the original capes and cottages that were built decades ago.

So when I take my little walks, a climb up a little hill or two, brings the rewards of connecting with nature. And spotting one of the original homes, takes me back to the beginnings of The Pines.  My little neighborhood can turn a nice, quiet day into quite the adventure.

A Small Journey Around the Labyrinth

Sometimes you need a few hours away from your daily routine. While many may think of Long Island as suburbia filled with homes, malls and shopping centers, the island is also filled with spots where you can get a little escape from your everyday life.

My friend Silvia and I have wanted to check out labyrinths in the area for a couple of years now, and today was the day we finally walked our first one.

My first choice was the one at Avalon Park and Preserve in Stony Brook Village, but the labyrinth was being re-seeded. Silvia got online and searched for “labyrinths on Long Island” and found one for us right in Sayville.

The Peace Labyrinth in Sayville is a simple one in a small park called The Common Ground, and it serves its spiritual purpose. Slowly walking along the path that twists and turns, you may think you may not make it to the center, but you will. It’s always a good idea to go into the labyrinth with a request with something you need help with. When you finally walk out of it, you’ll have your answer. Most likely the answer will be a simple one, but to understand, you need to walk one yourself. The park holds moonlight labyrinth walks on nights of a full moon, and with such a serene feeling after an afternoon walk, I do wonder how I would come out of it on a night when the moon is at its fullest.

Afterwards we headed for downtown Sayville, which like many Main Streets on Long Island is filled with cute little shops and restaurants. Silvia and I were saying we felt like we were on vacation exploring a new place instead of just a short distance from our own homes.

It have been a simple day, but a perfect example of how a short car ride can lead to a small town experience or even a bit of a spiritual one.

K-K-K-Katie's

This past Friday night a couple of friends and I stopped by Katie’s of Smithtown. The bar is a staple in town, and while those unfamiliar with it may think it’s just your everyday bar, others know differently. You see the decades-old structure is haunted. 

The bar’s owner Brian Karppinen is no stranger to his ghostly customers. Through the years, he and his staff have witnessed flying glasses and images in mirror. Featured on the A&E television show “Paranormal State”, the existence of spirits and dark entities has been identified by the experts on the show and psychics. 

Among those floating around Katie’s is a former resident turned mischievous ghost, Charlie. In his research, Karppinen found that Charlie was a bootlegger, bartender and part owner of the former Smithtown Hotel in the 1920s. Unfortunately for Charlie he was arrested for selling a drink to an IRS man right before prohibition ended. With prison time ahead of him, and his wife leaving him, the bartender committed suicide in 1933.  

It’s not a surprise that Charlie and his fellow ghosts have been drawn to Katie’s. A hotel called Trainor’s was once located closed to the structure and the Smithtown train station. After decades of business, the hotel burned down in 1909, and it’s believed many of the victims have lingered on earth. As for Charlie, he’s probably still trying to tend bar, as it’s believed he’s the cause of the flying glasses. 

The building where locals find Katie’s has maintained its original shape and footprint for decades. While many remember the various bars that have been located there, many older Smithtown residents remember when the location was the spot to purchase soda, candy, cigarettes and newspapers as well as fishing supplies and even typewriters.  

When you stop by Katie’s, make sure you check out the photos and articles along the walls that feature not only the bar but old Smithtown. Oh, and if you see Charlie, tell him I said, “Boo.” 

Sidebar: My main reason for visiting Katie’s Friday night was the band Bitter End. The band covers songs from the 70s and 80s as well as more recent songs. Friday night the members did an excellent job that was enjoyed by those who remember the 70s and 80s and the younger customers.

Walking On Sunshine

I am burning up with spring fever, so I'm not too thrilled with this rainy weekend ahead of us. Every year the warm weather arrives and my list of places to go and take a walk grow, and every year various factors get in the way.

With working full-time, my adventures are limited basically to the weekends. There are days when the weather doesn't cooperate, other weekends that are jam packed with obligations, and then other days where my walking companions are busy. Well, the latter applies more to walking in the parks. I think, "Is wandering around the woods a good idea when you're on your own?" I recently realized if I go to a park on a weekend afternoon, most likely there will be a number of people there, and I will be reasonably safe. That problem solved!

But when it comes to bad weather, there's not much I can do except plan the walks for the sunny and not so sunny days to come in the months ahead. And I am planning!

As always, many of the local parks are topping my list. I am very fortunate to have Smithtown's Blydenburgh County Park and Caleb Smith State Preserve just a few minutes away from me. Both not only offer beautiful trails to enjoy nature but are also steeped in local history. I also plan to visit Avalon Park and Preserve in Stony Brook again. I have only been there once with a friend, and the view is gorgeous and there is even a labyrinth, which always intrigues me. I also hope to finally get to the David Weld Sanctuary in Nissequogue. I didn't even know the sanctuary existed until I started writing my history articles for Smithtown Patch. The Weld family that owned Blydenburgh Park before the county acquired it is also responsible for this wonderful gift to our area.

Of course, there are more places to take a refreshing walk in the area. The last couple of years I have made it down to Sunken Meadow a few times during the summer to take an early evening walk along the boardwalk. There are also all the little villages and towns filled with stores to be discovered and re-discovered. The summer isn't complete without a visit to Port Jefferson, and this year I would like to roam around Northport Village, Huntington Village and more again. And while Smithtown may not be known for its shops, I think I'm going to take a walk along Main Street. In this economy it's important to support our local businesses, and I must admit I barely know what's there anymore.

During my stint writing history articles for Patch, I found myself a few times needing to visit local cemeteries for my stories. One of the things that surprised me was the intrigue and beauty of these local graveyards. You can actually spend a good amount of time at the cemeteries behind Hauppauge Methodist Church or St. James Church or at Smithtown Cemetery. There are the details of the gravestones, the landscape, the serene atmosphere. And if you are familiar with the local history, when you discover some of the stones, you feel like you are visiting an old friend. So yes, with the warm weather here, I may even be visiting a cemetery or two.

Of course, as I visit all these places I plan to blog about them. If anyone has suggestions for other places to enjoy a day of walking, let me know, and I will try my best to get out there and write about it. Seems like I have a lot of writing and walking in my sunny future!

My return to blogging

This blog started off as a Long Islander Discovers Long Island. It was an opportunity for me to discover and write about all the things I encountered on the island that I didn't know about, visit enough or just felt needed to be celebrated.

When I started writing a weekly history column for the website Smithtown Patch, the blog fell to the wayside. My Patch experience found me learning more about this great area I live in, especially right in my own backyard.

I decided to change the name of this blog to From the Town of Smith, because I realized most of my earlier posts were about places that were fairly local to me, basically western Suffolk County. There wasn't much from the rest of Long Island.

Granted with a full-time job, freelance writing and currently looking for a new position, it may not always be easy to take time out to blog, but I would like to get back in the game. Lately I have been inspired by many blogs I have come across and love that we live in a time where people can share their passions so easily.

So I hope you will join me on this journey as I continue to learn about the Town of Smithtown, as well as the surrounding areas. There's plenty of places to go around here, it's filled with so much history, and I'm starting to find out there are even fun places for the over 40 crowd to go and celebrate a night on the town!

So let's explore.....

Port Jefferson

Saturday night my friend Nancy and I headed down to Port Jefferson. The summer is not complete until you spend some time in Port Jefferson especially if you're from the north shore of Suffolk County. The waterside village is perfect for wandering around, and with Saturday being a cool summer night, that's exactly what we did.

Port Jefferson is filled with a variety of stores to pass the time. Most of them are open until 9 or 10 PM so an evening visit can still be filled with shopping. Besides popping in some of the stores we stopped by the Joseph Rowland Photo Gallery (http://www.jrowlandphoto.com) to check out Joseph's awe-inspiring photos and the Thomas Kinkade shop. We also stopped by the Christmas Shoppe that has moved to a smaller location but still has a variety of quaint Christmas decorations that you can buy all year round.

We also peeked in Danford's where the inn houses one of the more upscale bars and restaurants in the town and then watched a boat pulling in at the pier. We ended the night with appetizers and drinks at Tommy's Place. I always thought Tommy's was just a bar, but there's actually a small sitting area for dining in the back and a little patio.

Once a shipbuilding town, Port Jefferson with its variety of stores and restaurants is now one of Long Island's gems and a hot destination. It's also not just for summer, besides the establishments that are open all year round, in December there's the annual Dickens Festival which transforms the village back to the 19th century. It looks like this year it will run from Friday, December 3 through Sunday, December 5 so mark your calendars!

Little Cousins' 2010 Long Island Visit

Once again it took a visit from my Cousin Eileen's kids to get me moving on a Long Island adventure. Brandon and Samantha spent a few days with me towards the end of July, and after their visit last year, the number one thing on their list was Adventureland. Their first full day here we planned on meeting up with two of my cousins and their kids in the evening to visit the small amusement park. The earlier part of the day there was a bit of rain, but around dinnertime it finally cleared up. We all decided to go ahead with our plans, and we got there and found out the park was closing at 6:00 PM. Due to reports earlier in the day, the park decided to tell the second shift not to come in that night. What? As you can imagine the kids were extremely disappointed. I believe the comments were, "It's not fair." At 8 and 11 that's the unfairness you experience in the world. LOL! Not that there was anything to worry about though. I promised them that we would make it back before they left the island.

I was happy when my Cousin Diane suggested Heartland miniature golf. I had always seen the place from the Deer Park train station, but never had the opportunity to go there. It actually turned out to be an inexpensive night. It costs $6 for the 18-hole miniature golf park, and we were there for over an hour. Of course, it was because we ladies weren't actually the greatest golfers, but hey it's just for fun! I love how it looks like you're playing through a mountain range. Granted I think the water would be a lot prettier if it looked more like real water instead of Tidy Bowl water, but it's still a pretty place. They also have a driving range, and I was just checking out their Web site and see they have a 9-Hole Par 3 golf course. www.heartlandgolfpark.com

After miniature golf we headed to Coyle's Homemade Ice Cream in Bay Shore. Now ending a summer night with ice cream is always a good idea, but it becomes an even better idea when you go to a place where the ice cream is homemade and the place is set up like an old fashioned ice cream shop. The place was full especially with my family taking up most of the counter stools, and people still kept coming in. They didn't care that the place was packed, they just stood outside. I can't say I blame them as the ice cream was great.

The next day was so hot and humid that we just spent the day by the pool. Nothing beats the heat more than taking a dip and relaxing poolside. In the evening I took Brandon and Samantha as well as my landlords' two children down to Sunken Meadow State Park. Here we got to enjoy a nice breeze and a walk in the sand, plus the kids waded in the water and climbed on the rocks. As you can imagine, the rocks were much more interesting to them than the boardwalk. The girls collected some seashells, and when we got in the car I remembered why you shouldn't bring seashells home. They may be pretty, but they can be stinky!

Sunday we headed out to Atlantis Marine World in Riverhead. We went with my friend Nicole and her two kids, and my Cousin Cathy and her son. With the anticipation of Adventureland, they weren't so excited at first about the aquarium but once they got there they had a great time. The first big hit was the shark tank. It's amazing when they swim by you. You are just awe struck at how large they are, and they're sharing the water with other sea creatures. There was a huge sea turtle in the tank and smaller fish just swimming around minding their own business. Of course there are smaller tanks through the halls of Atlantis, but the shark tank was definitely the favorite. Even though it was a hot and humid day, we managed to enjoy the outside area for awhile. We didn't see the sea lion show, but we saw a quick training with one of the stars. There was also a gator show and afterwards Brandon held a baby alligator. I think that's the biggest draw of places such as Atlantis that children not only have the opportunity to see the creatures up close but also touch them. At one section of the outside area, you can even go snorkeling. We passed up on that, however the kids did get a chance to try out a rock climbing wall added a different twist to the already adventurous day. Of course, before we left, we stopped by Ray Bay. A visit to Atlantis is not the same without petting the stingrays. These guys who are usually feared are actually very friendly especially if you have food, which is available at a nearby cart. They'll come right up to you, and some get so excited they'll splash you with a bit of water. I was happy we made it to Atlantis this time. It's one of those things where the kids have fun and get a bit of education. Even we adults learn a thing or two! http://www.atlantismarineworld.com

After Atlantis we headed towards Snow Flake Ice Cream Shoppe on West Main Street. Now the ice cream the other night was great, but this was even better. I don’t know how I got so lucky to eat so much delicious ice cream during one vacation, but I was enjoying it. Maybe I should write a blog about ice cream places on Long Island! After visiting Atlantis, definitely check out Snow Flake. http://www.snowflakeicecream.com/

Monday was the big day. Yes, we made it to Adventureland! This time we headed out with my landlady and kids. I have to say the thing I like best about Adventureland is that if you don't go on rides, you don't have to pay a thing. If you go on a lot of rides, you get the Pay One Price bracelet. If you only go on a few, you buy some tickets that are a dollar each. Last year I didn't go on anything, but this year I decided to go on a few. I can be a big baby when it comes to rides, but I survived the small Lady Bug coaster and Adventure Falls water ride! My landlady and I also went in the Ghost House which has been renovated, but for the older crew, I can tell you it's not that scary at all. For the kids the favorites were the Hurricane roller coaster and Adventure Falls. Actually the classic Pirate Ship and Wave Swing came in close seconds. We were in the park for almost 4 hours, and since it was a workday afternoon, it wasn't too crowded. There were basically large groups of day campers there that day, which is actually a great idea on the camps part. This amusement park has been around since 1962, and I can't believe I didn't go there until I was in my late teens. It's definitely a great way to spend a day with little ones and pre teens! http://www.adventureland.us

I had wanted to give Brandon and Samantha a better tour of Smithtown when they were here, but I actually would have done that on the Saturday which was the day that was the hottest and most humid. I had in mind Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, Sweetbriar Nature Center, a swim in the Nissequogue and maybe even a canoe ride. Well, at least early Friday I gave them a quick tour of Hauppauge which basically meant passing by the high school, middle school and Forest Brook elementary school. Oh, and of course, I had to drive by the house I grew up in which also happened to be their mother's grandparents' house too. It’s always important to know the family history!

It's only been in the last few years that I realized just how much there is to do here on Long Island. There's definitely no reason why houseguests should be bored, especially little ones. There’s always plenty of do, especially in the nice weather. I think I will have to add another day or so to their vacation next year!