We live on the West Coast so am not that familiar with Long Island. It seems like a quite large and populated area but guidebooks focus on Manhattan and sometimes include other parts of NYC such as Brooklyn, but that’s about all we’ve found. We are going to be going to NYC this summer and would like to do a day trip via train out to Long Island. Are there any towns people would suggest visiting? We’re not looking for small beach towns (we’re going later on the trip to Cape Cod and will see those) but something with perhaps a sense of history, a nice downtown area, etc.
There is a train line that ends at Port Jefferson. It is a very cute town to walk around and has a deep harbor (ferry to Bridgeport). Northport is another good walking town on the North Shore. I’m not sure about train service but it shouldn’t be far. There’s water there, but not as dramatically as Port Jeff.
Northport and Port Jefferson are very nice and are easily accessible by the LIRR- you will likely have to transfer trains. The town of Huntington is also a very nice walking town. Another good one is Old Bethpage Village Restoration - you can experience life as it was on LI during the 19th century.
Old Bethpage and Huntington are not that far from one another.
I grew up in Long Island and honestly I’d spend the extra day in NYC.
I would have suggested Fire Island but since you don’t want to do day at beach I wouldn’t bother going to LI.
The vineyard area is nice, but might not appeal to a west coast visitor. It’s also a 2-3 hour train ride from Manhattan. Some other attractions that might be appealing include the Cradle of Aviation museum, Sagamore Hill (Teddy Roosevelt’s house), and Oheka Castle (used in many movies and TV shows). All are a short taxi from train stations. But honestly, as tourist attractions, nothing on LI is worth the trip out from NYC.
If you’re looking for something with a sense of history, try Sagamore Hill. It is the home of President Teddy
Roosevelt. For a nice downtown area, depends on what you mean. Garden City has a nice shopping area. Further east (much further) you can go to Sag Harbor. Port Jefferson, as the earlier person posted is also something good to see. If you want to see some incredible homes, you can look (in addition to Garden City) Lloyd Harbor, Cold Spring Harbor. Many towns on the North Shore are very luxurious.
I am not a New Yorker but just a tourist who has always had fun in NY. I love the city and have been quite a few times.
Well, we hadn’t been to Long Island and my DH wanted to see it. Took the ferry over which was fun. Beautiful day.
As far as we (or at least me and the young adults with us) could tell, it is a LONG island without much there (I’m sure the residents love their solitude and beaches). Very pretty but not much if anything for the tourist. Cape Cod is more fun in that respect.
The traffic going home turned awful (two laned roads with everyone heading out from their day on the beach), Couldn’t find a bathroom anywhere (my D doesn’t do port a lets which was all that was available at some restaurants and ONE bathroom for a VERY busy restaurant which was in an old house–the line for the BR was longer than the line to get in the restaurant (it served both sexes).
Although it was a pleasant day I would MUCH rather have spent my time in NYC. There is a very good reason the guidebooks don’t include Long Island.
If I were taking a train somewhere I might go up to Beacon - It’s got a museum of contemporary art on the Hudson. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dia:Beacon It’s a cute town great views. 1.5 hour train ride from Grand Central then a 5 minute walk.
There is a vast train system that you can take from NYC to most places in Long Island
It might be a lot shorter to go to Oyster Bay or Cold Spring Harbor than to Port Jeff. See what the LIRR schedules say.
I like Sagamore Hill, The Cradle of Aviation, the Vanderbilt Museum, and Old Westbury Gardens as far as things to do. I keep meaning to do Oheka Castle. Huntington Village is a nice cute little town with shops and ice cream and stuff.
Have you ever heard people say “It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”
I think of Long Island as the opposite. It’s a nice place to live, but you wouldn’t want to visit there. Maybe most suburbs are like that?
Unless you are planning a trip out to the wineries on the North Fork or to Montauk or the Hamptons, I agree with the other posters and I am someone who grew up in Queens and have lived in Nassau County for quite a long time, there isn’t really any major destination or must-see. Sagamore Hill has recently reopened and although I haven’t been, I understand that the renovation is quite good. Although you said not interested in beach destination, walking on the boardwalk in Long Beach now that it has been totally rebuilt post-Sandy is always fun and lots of nice restaurants in Long Beach. The Nautical Mile in Freeport has nice dining options but I wouldn’t put it on my must see/do agenda.
I do second one of the above posters suggestions about taking the train up to Beacon instead and seeing Dia/Beacon and nice restaurant choices.
Long Islanders are – insular. I’ve lived in the NY area my entire life and I only go to Long Island for required weddings and funerals. Otherwise I stay as far away as possible.
For a day trip by train from Manhattan your best bet is Oyster Bay which has a nice little downtown reminiscent of New England and from there it’s a 5 minute taxi ride to Sagamore Hill, a beautiful historic site. If you are history buffs the house, grounds and museum (run by the National Parks Service) are well worth a trip. Just be aware that the train ride out to Oyster Bay will take 80-90 minutes.
Why not a ferry ride and visit Historic Richmondtown on Staten Island?
A great idea mominv. But how would one get to Richmondtown from the ferry? Long taxi drive.
But if you did make it there, presumably a rental, then drive up the road to Lighthouse Hill and see a lighthouse that shines (or use to? ) out on the NY harbor.
There is also the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art located on Lighthouse Ave. on Lighthouse Hill. A fairly well known Tibetan art museum. Also a neat neighborhood to also look.
While I agree with you that there’s not that much for the tourist…you’re just plain wrong about most of Long Island. Most of the island is suburbs, some VERY highly populated (not city levels, but Nassau County can be quite dense) so not sure of the solitude you mention. Life here is constantly busy, which can be seen in the amount of traffic that exists even outside of rush hours. Just a misconception of Long Island…
Agree with all of the above posters that Port Jeff, Sag Harbor, Huntington, Sagamore Hill, and Old Bethpage or Westbury are probably the best places to visit if you’re not looking for a beach. Stony Brook Village is actually quite nice too but is smaller than the others and doesn’t offer as much; however, they have the Avalon, a beautiful nature preserve with some random history facts scattered among it. Stony Brook Village also has the Long Island museum, but I’ve never been there actually, so I can’t comment on if it’s worth the visit.
so kind of you to say about all 4 million residents 
Years ago I went out to Montauk Point. It was pretty cool - all the mega rich yachts out there, and fishing boats brought in their catch and sold it right on the docks. Huge tuna and stuff. I don’t know how long that takes from NYC because it’s all the way out to the end of Long Island.